MSS100 Conference Concludes Successfully with Historic Global Call to Action
Valedictory Highlights
Former Vice President Shri Venkaiah Naidu presides over valedictory ceremony as global leaders endorse a dynamic transformative action plan
August 9, 2025, New Delhi
The landmark M.S. Swaminathan International Conference concluded today with the presentation of the Global Call to Action —a comprehensive global framework inspired by Prof. Swaminathan's vision of harmonizing agricultural progress with ecological integrity and social equity.
The ceremony at NASC's Bharat Ratna C. Subramaniam Auditorium was presided over by Shri Venkaiah Naidu, Former Vice President of India, who presented the inaugural M.S. Swaminathan-Grow Further Award alongside international delegates. The session featured key addresses by:
- Dr. Suresh Prabhu, Former Union Minister
- Mr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Agriculture, Government of India
- Dr. Mangi Lal Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR
- Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICRISAT
- Dr. Raimati Ghiuria, the celebrated 'Queen of Millet' from Odisha
- Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson, MSSRF
Awards were presented to custodian farmers, innovative agriculturalists, and young researchers, recognizing grassroots contributions to sustainable farming.
- Policy and Governance for Change – Adopting cross-sectoral policy coherence that integrates agriculture, nutrition, health, biodiversity, and climate goals.
- Advancing Social Equity and Gender Justice – Guaranteeing women's land rights, leadership roles, and creating inclusive platforms for youth entrepreneurship.
- Responsible Private-Sector Engagement – Investing in inclusive value chains, fair markets, and nature-positive business practices.
- Rethinking Global Development – Promoting South-South collaboration and integrating the Biohappiness framework into climate finance mechanisms.
- Research & Communication – Combating misinformation, facilitating technology transfer, and elevating grassroots voices.
- One Health Approach – Addressing interconnected threats to human, animal, and planetary health through community-based surveillance systems
Conference participants committed to:
- A Decade of Action on Forgotten Foods promoting neglected species for nutrition and resilience
- Creating a Global Coalition on Biohappiness linking policy, research, and action
- Advancing zero hunger, zero poverty, and zero biodiversity loss
- Empowering youth and women as engines of transformation
The Declaration honours Prof. Swaminathan's philosophy that "If agriculture goes wrong, nothing else will have a chance to go right," calling for a revolution that brings "food, income, dignity, and joy not just to the fortunate few, but to all." The conference was co-organised by MSSRF, ICAR, NAAS, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, and IARI, with endorsements from partner organizations, farmer networks, and international agencies worldwide.
