The 5th Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Agriculture and Agrarian Development was a significant event held on October 9, 2015, in Moscow, where delegates from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa convened to reaffirm their commitment toward enhancing agricultural cooperation. This included efforts to boost agricultural trade and investment, embrace research and technological innovation, and ensure the right to adequate food, particularly for vulnerable communities.

The ministers emphasized the influential role of BRICS in the global food system, underlining the collective aim to ramp up sustainable productivity to meet the nutritional needs of a growing global population, projected to surpass nine billion by 2050. The meeting acknowledged the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit’s outcomes and committed to pursuing the goals of eradicating hunger and ensuring sustainable agriculture.

The assembly reviewed the progress of the BRICS Agricultural Cooperation Working Group and approved the action plan for 2015-2016. They stressed the importance of collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to further agricultural and agrarian development.

Significant progress was reported across five pillars of intra-BRICS collaboration:

1. Trade and Investment Promotion: The launch of the BRICS New Development Bank and adoption of the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership to reinforce trade, economic, and investment ties. Additionally, emphasis was placed on adhering to multilateral trade systems and the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference.

2. Food Access Strategy: The ministers expressed concern over global undernutrition and endorsed the integration of social safety nets with agricultural production to combat poverty and food insecurity.

3. Agricultural Technology Cooperation: There was a strong commitment to agricultural research and potential cooperation in biodiversity and science to foster innovation.

4. Information Exchange System: Progress was reported on the Basic Agricultural Information Exchange System (BAIES), intended to bolster agricultural development through better information sharing.

5. Climate Change Adaptation: The meeting acknowledged the threat of climate change to food security and underscored the need for technology and infrastructure to boost the resilience of agricultural systems.

The assembly celebrated the achievements and continued efforts in adopting strategies for sustainable agriculture, affirming support for upcoming events and initiatives aimed at bolstering agricultural resilience and productivity. Gratitude was expressed to the Russian Federation for hosting the event, with a subsequent meeting scheduled to be hosted by India, reinforcing the collaborative spirit of the BRICS nations toward common agricultural and development objectives.