Dryland Congress 2026 Concludes with Delhi Declaration
Dryland Congress 2026 Sets Agenda for Dryland Agriculture
The Dryland Congress 2026 concluded in New Delhi with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration on Drylands (3D). The three-day event called for stronger South-South and triangular cooperation to advance dryland agriculture.
The declaration establishes a shared agenda focused on collaboration, knowledge exchange, innovation and collective action across the Global South. The closing plenary endorsed it with participation from governments, institutions, partners and delegates.
Dr M. L. Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, stressed the importance of foresight in dryland agriculture. He proposed that ICAR-NIAP should lead foresight activities in this field. He also highlighted robust data systems and living laboratories that connect research, practice and policy.
Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICRISAT, urged participants to convert the Congress discussions into concrete action. He emphasised short- and long-term priorities, implementation and stronger cooperation among agricultural experts and institutions.
Partnerships and Innovation Awards
The Congress announced new agreements and MoUs with the Global Crop Diversity Trust. ICRISAT also exchanged MoUs with Avior Life Sciences, NIFTEM, Wipro Limited, and the Angul and Rayagada District Administrations of Odisha.
The ISSCA Global Awards 2026 received 170 nominations from 34 countries. The Mega Award recognised ICARDA, CIMMYT and Odisha Livelihoods Mission for innovations in wheat, digital agriculture and women-led sustainable farming.
Other awards covered crop improvement, natural resource management, agribusiness, digital agriculture and livestock technologies. Sixteen Best Poster Awards also recognised students and research scholars.
The Congress was held under the theme “Transforming Dryland Agriculture with South–South Cooperation.” Its outcomes focused on scaling proven innovations and strengthening partnerships for resilient and sustainable dryland agriculture.
