Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, is leading the Indian delegation to the 15th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting (AMM), scheduled to be held on Thursday in Brasilia, Brazil.

The theme of 15th BRICS AMM is “Promoting Inclusive and Sustainable Agriculture through Cooperation, Innovation, and Equitable Trade among BRICS Countries”.

Agriculture Ministers and senior officials from BRICS member countries, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran are expected to attend the meeting.

During the visit, Chouhan will hold bilateral meetings with key Brazilian counterparts, including Carlos Henrique Baqueta Fávaro, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, and Luiz Paulo Teixeira, Minister of Agrarian Development and Family Farming (MDA).

These meetings will focus on enhancing collaboration between India and Brazil in various areas of agriculture, agri-technology, rural development, and food security.

Interaction With Leaders

The Minister will interact with leaders of major Brazilian agribusiness companies and representatives of the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries in São Paulo, exploring avenues for partnership and investment in the agriculture value chain.

As part of his visit, the Minister will also participate in a tree plantation drive at the Embassy of India in Brasilia, under the noble initiative “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam”, aimed at raising environmental consciousness and honouring motherhood.

"In addition, the Minister will interact with the vibrant Indian diaspora in São Paulo, acknowledging their role as cultural ambassadors and contributors to bilateral ties," read a statement issued by the Indian government.

This visit reaffirms India’s commitment to deepen cooperation with BRICS nations and to advance South-South cooperation in agricultural innovation, resilience, and sustainability.

BRICS Evolution

The leaders of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) countries met for the first time in St. Petersburg, Russia, on the margins of G8 Outreach Summit in July 2006. Shortly afterwards, in September 2006, the group was formalised as BRIC during the 1st BRIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which met on the sidelines of the General Debate of the UN Assembly in New York City.

After a series of high-level meetings, the 1st BRIC summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia on 16 June 2009.

BRIC group was renamed as BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) after South Africa was accepted as a full member at the BRIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New York in September 2010. Accordingly, South Africa attended the 3rd BRICS Summit in Sanya, China on 14 April 2011.