9 February 2009: The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), a research center of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and the Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) have initiated the establishment of a Platform for Translational Research on Transgenic Crops (PTTC). The Platform will combine the expertise of DBT and ICRISAT and build partnerships for agri-biotechnological research and development of products that meet the needs of agricultural growth and benefit poor farmers by improving their incomes.

The PTTC will further serve as a reference facility for the exchange of materials and information, training, consultation and technology commercialization. Speaking at the foundation stone laying function at ICRISAT’s Patancheru campus, near Hyderabad, India, ICRISAT’s Director General, William Dar, stressed the role of agri-biotechnology in addressing the food crisis and adapting to climate change. He explained that transgenics enable faster integration of genes for drought and flood tolerance and increasing crop yields, making them a powerful tool for nutritional enhancement and climate change adaptation while generating social, economic and environmental benefits for resource-poor farmers. [ICRISAT Press Release]