11 Sep - 17 Sep 2025
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Seeds Without Borders: A Pathway to Climate-Resilient Agriculture in the Global South
Dr. SS Reddy, Advisor (Agriculture), DAKSHIN
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In the Global South, seeds are more than inputs for farming—they are symbols of resilience, knowledge, and community survival. Yet, despite shared agro-ecological zones and centuries of farmer-to-farmer exchange, national borders often slow down the flow of improved, resilient seeds. Recognising this, countries have begun to pioneer collaborative frameworks that put farmers first. The Seeds Without Borders (SWB) agreement is one such path-breaking initiative. Covering India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka, SWB accelerates varietal release and cross-border movement of seeds. This allows, for example, a drought-tolerant rice variety developed in India to be planted in Cambodia, or a pest-resistant variety bred in Bangladesh to be adapted in Bhutan. Supported by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), SWB is now recognised as a model of “seed diplomacy” and is exploring intercontinental cooperation between Asia and Africa.
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Key Developments in the Global South |
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‘India and Mauritius Two Nations but Our Dreams and Destiny are One’: PM Modi
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Reaffirming shared vision for peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and for the Global South, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritius counterpart Navinchandra Ramgoolam held delegation-level talks in Varanasi where both sides comprehensively reviewed the Enhanced Strategic Partnership between both countries and identified new opportunities to deepen collaboration across sectors of mutual interest that will drive shared prosperity for both countries, their peoples, and the region. Lauding ties between India and Mauritius, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the two nations are not just partners but family. |
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Indian Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia Launches UPI–UPU Integration Project in Dubai |
Shri Jyotiraditya M Scindia, Union Minister for Communications, launched the UPI-UPU Integration Project at the 28th Universal Postal Congress in Dubai. This marks a landmark step in transforming cross-border remittances, aligning with India's vision to emerge as a leader in digital finance. According to the Ministry of Communications, the project is a joint effort between the Department of Posts (DoP), NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), and the Universal Postal Union (UPU). The project addresses long-standing challenges in international remittances, including high fees, slow processing times, and limited accessibility due to restrictive remittance corridors and international payment systems. |
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Telangana State Agriculture Minister Sri Tummala Nageswara Rao emphasised the importance of seed diplomacy and sustainable agricultural collaboration between India and Africa during the India-Africa Seed Summit 2025 held in Hyderabad, India. Participating as the chief guest, the Minister described the summit as a vital platform to strengthen bilateral ties in the agricultural sector, not merely through trade but through trust, scientific exchange, and shared innovation. Given Africa’s fertile soils and favourable climate, he stressed the need for timely access to scientifically developed seeds to boost yields and ensure food security. |
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South-South and triangular cooperation are transforming lives across the Global South, advancing social justice and accelerating progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Celebrated every year on 12 September, the United Nations Day for South–South Cooperation marks the adoption of the 1978 Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (BAPA). It underscores the power of solidarity, mutual learning, and innovation in tackling global challenges. In 2025, countries of the Global South, working closely with the UN agencies and triangular partners, showed how cooperation can deliver tangible results. |
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A United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) official has lauded India's role in south-south cooperation, pointing out how "India is creating development solutions that are shaping important aspects of the global development agenda and climate commitments. Isabelle Tschan, Deputy Resident Representative and Officer In-Charge, UNDP India, pointed out how India established global platforms like the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which is helping expand access to solar energy while International Solar Alliance (ISA) is equipping countries with knowledge and tools to design infrastructure that can withstand climate disasters. |
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India and Venezuela have held discussions to explore collaboration in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), focusing on transformative applications in payments, citizen services, agriculture, health, and education. Discussions focused on cooperation in the areas of Digital Public Infrastructure and AI, including in the fields of payments, citizen services, agriculture, health and education. India and Venezuela have always enjoyed cordial relations. There is a similarity of views on major economic issues. |
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A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed with the Government of India for the construction of the building and provision of medical equipment for the Emergency and Accident Unit at Mannar District General Hospital. The MoU covers both the construction of the unit and the supply of medical equipment, and was signed by Specialist Dr Anil Jasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, and Santosh Jha, the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. India extended this support in response to a request made by the Sri Lankan Government to improve emergency and accident care facilities in Mannar. |
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India dispatched medical assistance to Mozambique through a Coast Guard vessel to augment the southern African nation's healthcare capabilities. India shares warm, friendly and substantive ties with Mozambique. Trade links between Mozambique and the western states of India go back several centuries and pre-date the colonial era. India was among the first nations to set up a diplomatic mission in Mozambique. The Indian Ambassador had attended the first flag hoisting ceremony of independent Mozambique on June 25, 1975.
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The Ministry of Power, India, has launched a stakeholder survey to support the development of the India Energy Stack (IES), a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for the power sector. The initiative is aimed at creating a connected, intelligent, and interoperable energy ecosystem to drive India’s energy transition. According to the ministry, “India’s power sector is undergoing a paradigm shift driven by grid digitalisation, renewable energy integration, decentralised power generation, and consumer-centric reforms. To support this transformation, the Ministry of Power has conceptualised the India Energy Stack.” |
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South Asia is the heart of global agriculture and an essential backbone of food security to nearly a quarter of the world’s population. Two food security organisations, CIMMYT and the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), launched the Atlas of Climate Adaptation in South Asian Agriculture (ACASA). The Atlas is a dynamic, web-enabled platform that combines high-resolution data, climate science, and expert-validated adaptation interventions. It assesses 15 crops and six livestock species in one place with visualisation of high-resolution climate risks at 25 sq. km resolution (a group of ~4-5 villages). |
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Senior Minister of State for MDDI and MOH, Tan Kiat How, has launched the ‘Singapore National Health Sector Emissions Baseline Report’, which provides a national assessment of healthcare emissions in the local context. Singapore’s healthcare system currently operates at a carbon intensity 20 percent lower than that of other advanced economies, said Tan. However, the country’s per-capita healthcare emissions are above the global average, on par with Japan and South Korea. “We face many tight constraints such as our rapidly ageing population that requires more specialised care, relatively high accessibility to healthcare services, and high standards of care,” the Senior Minister added. |
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Vietnam has started its first dedicated research project on combining solar power with agriculture, aiming to increase farmers' incomes while accelerating the country's energy transition. The initiative, known as the Agri-PV project, was officially launched in Hà Nội by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) in partnership with the German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ). It marks the first project in the agricultural sector that focuses specifically on solar energy for rural households. Speaking at the launch, Deputy Director General of MAE’s International Cooperation Department Phạm Ngọc Mậu highlighted the project’s dual benefits. |
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Egypt and Tunisia have signed eight cooperation agreements in various sectors following the 18th session of the Egyptian-Tunisian Joint High Commission. The documents, initialled on September 11, include several memorandums of understanding in health, services, exports, and support for small, medium, and micro-enterprises. The two countries also adopted several executive programs on youth and sports, social affairs, consumer protection and market surveillance. Cooperation between Egypt and Tunisia dates back several decades but has intensified in recent years, reaching new heights through regular political consultations and periodic meetings of the Joint High Committee. |
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IFAD and the Government of Vanuatu launched a new US$11 million partnership earlier this week to improve food security and nutrition for more than 15,000 people in the world’s most at-risk country for climate change. The Agricultural Investment for Markets and Nutrition - Vanuatu will build on indigenous peoples’ traditional farming systems to help families grow, buy and eat more nutritious food. “This partnership is a critical investment in the health and prosperity of Vanuatu's rural people,” said Candra Samekto, IFAD Country Director for the Pacific Islands. |
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Southern African leaders are making a decisive call for accelerated investment in agriculture and trade as the region faces mounting climate challenges, rising food prices, and increasing pressure to feed a rapidly growing population. Zimbabwe is hosting the SADC Regional Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum, a three-day event convening agriculture ministers, representatives from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat and Member States, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and a diverse group of investors. Southern Africa has been severely impacted by extreme droughts, destructive cyclones, and erratic rainfall patterns, leaving millions vulnerable to food insecurity.
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In a bold move set to reshape West Africa’s agricultural landscape, the Government of Senegal has signed a landmark $300 million agreement with a joint venture led by The Cornerstone Group, a respected Gambian-owned enterprise, and Dubai-based Hajib Al Shams Solar Energy. The Framework Partnership Agreement, signed by Senegal’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock (MASAE), signals a strategic shift towards climate-smart agriculture powered by solar energy. The initiative will roll out solar-powered systems across farms, aquaculture sites, livestock operations, and agri-processing facilities nationwide. |
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CARICOM and Colombia trade negotiators concluded the second round of negotiations to update the CARICOM-Colombia Trade and Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (TECA) in Bogota, Colombia. The negotiations, which took place over two days, covered the expansion of preferential market access for agricultural and industrial products as well as institutional issues. The CARICOM negotiating Co-Chair emphasised that the negotiations aim to deepen the bilateral trade relationship with CARICOM’s third largest trading partner in Central and South America. CARICOM and Colombia agreed to conduct a third round of negotiations in November 2025. |
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The Government of Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to developing inclusive and trusted digital systems through its Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) roadmap. The initiative is designed to transform service delivery, enhance innovation, and strengthen competitiveness in the country’s digital economy. The DPI roadmap serves as a strategic blueprint for Kenya’s digital transformation, focusing on five guiding pillars: inclusivity, trust and security, interoperability, innovation, and sustainability. It aims to unlock digital identity, secure payments, trusted data exchange, and digital platforms that will improve both lives and businesses. |
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Gulf health officials are calling for closer collaboration across the region to boost disease prevention and healthcare services. Dr Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi, Kuwait’s Deputy Health Minister, made the comments while chairing the 101st meeting of the Gulf Health Council’s Executive Board. Representing the GCC presidency, he said it’s “important to follow up on previous decisions to improve public health services across GCC states.”The meeting covered a range of priorities, including joint health initiatives, the Council’s strategic plan, coordinated disease prevention efforts, and the GCC Wafed program. The council also discussed the Unified Procurement Program, which coordinates the purchase of medicines, medical devices, and supplies across member states. |
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Nigeria is prioritising adolescent health, well-being and development through multisectoral collaboration, in line with the National Health Sector Strategic blueprint and National policy on Health and development of adolescent and young people. This was the central message of the National Policy Dialogue on the Future of the Adolescent and Youth Sexual Reproductive Health and Development (AYSRH&D), which convened key diverse stakeholders in Abuja to chart a unified path for adolescent health and well-being in the country. The event underscored the power of multisectoral collaboration and meaningful adolescents and youth engagement in shaping sustainable national programmes. |
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Egypt’s Ambassador to South Africa, Ahmed Sherif, met with SEACOM Chairman Andile Ngcaba and CEO Alpheus Mangale to explore cooperation on subsea cable infrastructure. Sherif highlighted Egypt’s strategic role as a global hub for undersea cables linking Africa, Europe, and Asia and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting digital infrastructure and connectivity across the continent. SEACOM executives praised the partnership with Egypt, noting that one of their key cables runs through the country-underscoring its importance in ensuring the stability and sustainability of international communications. |
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