Manzoor Hussain Dar
India | Rice Seed
Manzoor Hussain Dar has contributed to global food and nutritional security through his innovations in disseminating improved crop varieties and building climate-resilient food systems. At the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), he spearheaded fast-tracking dissemination of stress-tolerant rice, reaching more than 3 million farmers through extensive engagement and strategic partnerships. Leveraging the IRRI-led ‘Seeds Without Borders’ framework in South Asia, he streamlined the cross-border exchange of rice varieties, accelerating their large-scale adoption and enhancing regional food security. His field research demonstrated the impact of scaling strategies based on incentive-driven and demand-responsive seed delivery models and guided policy interventions, addressing pressing agricultural challenges such as depleting water tables, greenhouse gas emissions and extreme weather events. His digital innovation ‘SeedCast’, used for seed demand forecasting, effectively filled gaps in South Asia seed systems and is now replicated in Africa. Dar currently serves at the Global Head of Seed Systems for the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).