BRICS Indore Declaration, Key Commitments, Priority Areas, Initiatives

Why in the News?: The 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting, held in Indore on June 12-13, 2026 under India’s BRICS Presidency, concluded with the unanimous adoption of the Indore Declaration — a landmark agricultural cooperation framework.

About BRICS Indore Declaration 

The BRICS Indore Declaration is the outcome document adopted at the 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, under India’s BRICS Presidency. 

• The meeting brought together agriculture ministers, senior officials, and delegates from BRICS member countries to discuss common challenges related to agriculture, food security, climate change, and farmer welfare.
• The declaration provides a shared framework for agricultural cooperation among BRICS nations, with a strong focus on farmers, food security, climate-resilient agriculture, and technological innovation. 
• It also outlines new institutional mechanisms to promote research collaboration, digital agriculture, seed security, and sustainable farming practices.

Indore Declaration Core Commitments

The Indore Declaration reflects shared BRICS priorities to strengthen food systems, improve farmer welfare, and promote sustainable agricultural development.

• Food and Nutrition Security: Strengthening production systems, supply chains, and distribution networks to ensure affordable and stable food availability during global disruptions.
• Farmer Livelihoods: Improving access to technology, markets, institutional credit, and knowledge systems to enhance the income and resilience of small and marginal farmers.
• Women and Youth Participation: Encouraging greater involvement of women and youth in agriculture as key contributors to innovation and future agricultural growth.
• Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Promoting sustainable farming practices to address climate variability, land degradation, and water stress.
• Trade and Investment Cooperation: Enhancing agricultural trade and investment among BRICS countries while supporting a fair, inclusive, and transparent multilateral trading system.

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Indore Declaration Four Priority Areas 

The Indore Declaration structures BRICS agricultural cooperation around four key priority areas that guide long-term policy coordination and collective action among member countries.

• The first priority is Farmers, which places rural producers at the centre of agricultural policy and emphasizes improving their income, resilience, and access to modern agricultural systems. This reflects a shift towards farmer-centric governance rather than production-centric policy alone.
• The second priority is Food Security, which focuses on strengthening production systems, stabilizing supply chains, and improving trade coordination among member countries to ensure uninterrupted food availability.
• The third priority is Climate, which integrates climate adaptation and mitigation strategies into agriculture, recognizing the increasing vulnerability of farming systems to extreme weather events and ecological stress.
• The fourth priority is Technology, which promotes the use of advanced digital tools, innovation systems, and scientific research to modernize agriculture and improve productivity and efficiency across BRICS nations.

Four New Institutional Platforms under Indore Declaration

The Indore Declaration introduces four major institutional mechanisms aimed at strengthening cooperation in agriculture through seed security, digital innovation, sustainable farming, and genetic resource sharing across BRICS countries.

Global Forum on Farmers’ Rights in Seed Systems

• This initiative aims to establish a dedicated global platform to protect farmers’ rights over seeds and traditional knowledge systems.
• It focuses on conserving indigenous seed diversity, which is crucial for food security, biodiversity preservation, and climate resilience.
• The forum also addresses concerns related to the increasing commercialization and corporate control of seed systems, ensuring that farmers retain their traditional rights over seed saving, exchange, and innovation.
• India will coordinate this initiative, reflecting its strong domestic focus on seed sovereignty and traditional agricultural practices.

BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture 

• The BRICS AGRIN Network is designed to promote digital transformation in agriculture across member countries.
• It focuses on integrating technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), geospatial technologies, and digital public infrastructure into agricultural systems.
• This initiative aims to create a data-driven agricultural ecosystem where farmers can access real-time information on weather, soil conditions, crop health, and markets.
• India’s IIT Delhi has been assigned the role of initial coordinating institution, highlighting India’s leadership in agri-digital innovation.

BRICS Centres of Excellence on Agroecology and Regenerative Agriculture

• This initiative seeks to establish a network of research centres dedicated to sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural systems.
• It focuses on promoting agroecology, regenerative agriculture, natural farming, and organic farming practices, which aim to restore soil health, improve biodiversity, and reduce dependence on chemical inputs.
• The centres will facilitate joint research, knowledge exchange, and capacity building among BRICS countries, allowing them to share best practices and local innovations.
• The Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research (IIFSR), Modipuram, under ICAR, will coordinate initial activities, reflecting India’s institutional strength in sustainable agriculture research.

BRICS AgriN (Agro Inputs, Genetic Resources and Information Network)

• The BRICS AgriN Network focuses on strengthening cooperation in agricultural inputs, seeds, and genetic resources.
• It enables structured exchange of agricultural technologies, high-yield crop varieties, and genetic material among member countries.
• The network also promotes capacity building and technical cooperation to improve productivity and resilience in agriculture.
• By facilitating access to diverse genetic resources, it enhances food security and climate adaptability across BRICS nations.

Indore Declaration Other Key Decisions

The Indore Declaration was accompanied by several important decisions aimed at strengthening agricultural trade, research collaboration, and knowledge-sharing within BRICS.

• BRICS Grain Exchange: Member countries agreed to advance discussions on establishing a BRICS Grain Exchange to strengthen foodgrain trade, improve market linkages, enhance supply chain integration, and promote greater stability in agricultural commodity markets within the BRICS bloc.
• Knowledge to Action Hub: The existing BRICS Agricultural Research Platform will be transformed into a Knowledge to Action Hub to accelerate the conversion of research findings into practical solutions, ensuring that scientific innovations reach farmers more effectively and contribute to field-level agricultural improvements.
• BRICS Urban Research and Knowledge Network: Alongside the agricultural declaration, the BRICS Urbanisation Forum held in Delhi approved India’s proposal for a BRICS Urban Research and Knowledge Network. This network will function as a Chairship-led, flexible, and virtual platform for urban cooperation among BRICS countries. It aims to facilitate policy exchange, city-level learning, and implementation-focused urban governance solutions, thereby strengthening sustainable urban development within BRICS.

Significance of the BRICS Indore Declaration

BRICS nations collectively represent nearly half of the world’s population, around 42% of global agricultural land, and approximately 42% of global foodgrain production, making any agricultural consensus among them globally significant.

• Strengthens Global Food Security: Cooperation among major food-producing nations can improve food availability, supply-chain resilience, and crisis response mechanisms.
• Promotes Farmer-Centric Agricultural Governance: Places farmers, especially small and marginal farmers, at the centre of agricultural policies and cooperation frameworks.
• Advances Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Encourages adoption of sustainable, regenerative, and climate-smart farming practices to address climate-related risks.
• Accelerates Agricultural Modernisation: Promotes digital agriculture, AI, IoT, and data-driven farming solutions to improve productivity and efficiency.
• Strengthens South-South Cooperation: Enhances collaboration among developing countries through technology sharing, capacity building, and institutional partnerships.
• Boosts Agricultural Trade Integration: Initiatives such as the proposed BRICS Grain Exchange can improve market access, trade connectivity, and food supply stability.

Significance for India

• Enhances India’s Leadership in BRICS: India’s role as coordinator of several initiatives strengthens its influence in shaping global agricultural cooperation.
• Supports Domestic Agricultural Priorities: The declaration aligns with India’s focus on natural farming, digital agriculture, seed conservation, and farmer welfare.
• Strengthens India’s Research Ecosystem: Institutions such as IIT Delhi and ICAR-IIFSR gain greater global relevance through their coordinating roles.
• Expands India’s Soft Power: India can leverage these platforms to promote South-South cooperation and showcase its agricultural innovations and best practices.