Indian Council of Food and Agriculture is an apex think tank for addressing policy issues concerning farmers, food and agro industries. ICFA is serving as global platform for trade facilitation, partnerships, technology, investments and agribusiness services. A proactive approach helps ICFA in discerning critical challenges emerging in Indian agriculture along with creating opportunities for development, value addition and international trade to augment farmers’ growth and farm revenue. Industry oriented Working Groups and sector specific Councils ICFA represent the interests of key stakeholders at the national level and through international platforms and partnerships it facilitates global engagement and positions India’s food and agriculture sector prominently on the world map.

For enhanced sustainability, food safety and quality standards, ICFA has taken up the Agriculture Stewardship Program by launching Healthy Food Initiative program and India Good Agriculture Practices (IndGAP). In a short period of two years, the Council has signed up MoUs with the University of California, University of Maryland, Michigan State University, Iowa State University, Western Australia University, German Agribusiness Alliance, Borlaug Institute for South Asia, African Asian Rural Development Organization and IFPRI etc. Through international partnerships, ICFA envisions to mobilise technologies and investments that will catalyse agribusiness and agri start-ups. The 20 Member ICFA Board has distinguished luminaries and eminent industrialists with Prof MS Swaminathan as its Patron.

भारतीय खाद्य एवं कृषि परिषद ( आईसीएफए ) एक सर्वोच्च विचारक मंडल है जो कृषि, खाद्य और कृषि उद्द्योग से संबंधित नीतिगत मुद्दों को संबोधित करने के लिए कार्यरत है। व्यापार सुविधा, साझेदारी, प्रौद्योगिकी, निवेश और कृषि व्यवसाय सेवाओं के लिए आईसीएफए एक वैश्विक मंच के रूप में स्थापित है। एक सक्रिय दृष्टिकोण के साथ आईसीएफए ने किसानों की आय में वृद्धि और उनके विस्तृत विकास की कल्पना की है और अंतरराष्ट्रीय व्यापार के प्रोत्साहन हेतु अवसर स्थापित कर रहे हैं । आईसीएफए के उद्योग आधारित कार्य समूह और जिला, राज्य, राष्ट्र स्तरीय परिषद, प्रमुख हितधारकों के हित और कल्याण का प्रतिनिधित्व करते हैं तथा भारतीय खाद्य और कृषि क्षेत्र को विश्व के नक़्शे पर प्रमुखता से प्रक्षेपित करते हैं।

वर्धित स्थिरता, खाद्य सुरक्षा और गुणवत्ता मानकों के लिए, आईसीएफए ने भारत की उत्तम कृषि प्रथाओं (इंडजीएपी) को प्रक्षेपित करके कृषि पदोन्नति कार्यक्रम शुरू किया है। दो वर्षों की एक छोटी अवधि में, परिषद ने कैलिफोर्निया यूनिवर्सिटी, मैरीलैंड विश्वविद्यालय, मिशिगन स्टेट यूनिवर्सिटी, आयोवा स्टेट यूनिवर्सिटी, वेस्टर्न ऑस्ट्रेलिया यूनिवर्सिटी, जर्मन एग्रीबिजनेस एलायंस, दक्षिण एशिया के लिए बोरलाग संस्थान, अफ्रीकी एशियाई ग्रामीण विकास संगठन और आईएफपीआरआई इत्यादि के साथ समझौतों पर हस्ताक्षर किए। अंतर्राष्ट्रीय भागीदारी के माध्यम से, आईसीएफए उन प्रौद्योगिकियों और निवेशों को कार्यप्रवृत्त करता है जो कृषि व्यवसाय और कृषि शुरूआत को उत्प्रेरित कर सकें। प्रतिष्ठित विशेषज्ञों एवं प्रख्यात उद्योगपतियों के २० सदस्यीय आईसीएफए मंडल के संरक्षक, विश्व विख्यात कृषि वैज्ञानिक, प्रोफेसर एमएस स्वामिनाथन हैं ।

Indian Council of Food and Agriculture is working as the apex policy think tank, trade facilitation body and development enterprise for food and agriculture sector in India and serving as global platform for partnerships. With the increasing globalization, there are newer challenges emerging, which need to be proactively addressed for India’s Food and Agriculture sector to grow, engage and compete globally and contribute towards food and nutritional security. ICFA through its outreach policy and business agenda and global partnerships is creating opportunities for growth, value addition and trade to help improve the income of farmers. The Council through its sector focused Working Groups, State and District Chapters, National Councils and country specific Joint Business Councils, seeks to represent the interests of all the stakeholders at the national level on one hand and position India's food and agriculture sector globally on the other hand.

Besides the trade and industry, ICFA focuses equally on farmers and agri-entrepreneurs towards helping them connect with the market opportunities, while addressing their policy, technology, trade, marketing, financing and partnership related needs. One of the major issues facing Indian food and agriculture sector is the issue of food safety, traceability and certification of GAP and quality standards of food, impacting Indian exports and trade, and consumer safety. ICFA has taken up agriculture stewardship and national certification program, focussing especially on the agriculture produce meant for nutrition and health sectors, retail and processing purpose and for exports. ICFA is also promoting investments, entrepreneurships and technologies in farm sector by forging global partnerships with right institutions and by taking up projects, training and facilitating farmers producer organizations and agri start-up ventures to accelerate growth in farmers’ incomes, productivity and agribusinesses.

With rapidly expanding opportunities in Indian food and agriculture sector and its growth story in the last one decade, there is increased interest among the major countries of the World to engage with India and explore opportunities for investments, trade and cooperation. There has been long felt need for a dedicated body to facilitate such engagements through Joint Business Councils with various countries while promoting agri-produce from Indian States and guiding them on investments, marketing and policy issues. India also needs institutional mechanism at the States and district levels, wherein various stakeholders could meet and deliberate upon issues and agenda to unleash the potential of agriculture. ICFA promises to provide that mechanism through services platforms, and state and district chapters