For Immediate Release
Date Posted: June 3, 2025
Washington, DC — The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is pleased to announce that Dr Charudatta Mayee, President of both the Indian Society for Cotton Improvement and the South Asia Biotech Center, has been named the 2025 ICAC Researcher of the Year, according to Dr Keshav Kranthi, Chief Scientist of the ICAC and himself a winner of the award in 2009.
The ICAC honors a leading cotton researcher each year by awarding a certificate of recognition, a shield, and an honorarium of $1,000. Dr Mayee was selected by an independent panel of five eminent experts from five different countries.
Dr Mayee, a pioneer in cotton biotechnology, played a pivotal role in India’s Bt cotton revolution, overseeing biosafety evaluations and regulatory approvals as Co-Chair of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee. His expertise spans plant pathology, cotton biotechnology, and agricultural policy, with a lifelong commitment to improving farmer livelihoods.
Dr Mayee has received numerous accolades spanning five decades, recognizing his transformative contributions to agricultural science. He is an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow and has received lifetime achievement awards from multiple institutions. His early career was marked by the Prof MJ Narasimhan Academic Award (1974) and VP Gokhale Award (1998), followed by national honors like the Vasantrao Naik Krishi Award (2002), ICAR Outstanding Team Research Award (2003), and Dr B Vishwanath Award (2005).
His recent work focuses on promoting high density planting systems (HDPS) and sustainable pest management solutions for smallholder cotton farmers. Dr Mayee remains actively engaged in farmer welfare initiatives through organizations like Agrovision Foundation and the South Asia Biotech Center. He continues to conduct field demonstrations, develop sustainable farming solutions, and advocate for policies that support smallholder cotton farmers across India.
Dr Charudatta Mayee
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About the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)
Formed in 1939, the ICAC is an association of cotton producing, consuming, trading, and investing countries. It acts as a catalyst for change by helping Member governments maintain a healthy world cotton economy; provides transparency to the world cotton market by serving as a clearinghouse for technical information on cotton production; and serves as a forum for discussing cotton issues of international significance. In addition, Members can take advantage of the ICAC’s global network of cotton researchers, whose expertise covers the supply chain from farm to textile manufacturing, and have free access to its cutting-edge technologies like the voice-based app and virtual reality cotton training program. Committed to ensuring cotton’s continued sustainability, the ICAC is the only intergovernmental commodity body covering cotton that is recognized by the United Nations. For more information, please visit www.icac.org, Twitter or LinkedIn.