New Delhi, September 14, 2026: The three-day Dryland Congress 2026 concluded in New Delhi with participating governments, institutions, researchers and development partners endorsing the Delhi Declaration on Drylands (3D) and calling for stronger South-South and triangular cooperation to accelerate innovation and action in dryland agriculture.
Held under the theme “Transforming Dryland Agriculture with South-South Cooperation,” the Congress brought together stakeholders from across the Global South to explore solutions for improving agricultural resilience, food security, climate adaptation and rural livelihoods in dryland regions.
The closing day coincided with the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation, reinforcing the Congress’s emphasis on partnerships, knowledge exchange and the scaling of agricultural innovations across developing countries.
The Delhi Declaration outlines a common agenda for transforming dryland agriculture through collaboration, scientific knowledge, innovation and collective action. It was endorsed during the closing plenary by participating governments, institutions, partners and delegates.
ICAR Calls for Greater Foresight and Data
Addressing the concluding session, Dr M. L. Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, stressed the importance of incorporating foresight into strategies for dryland agriculture.
Jat called for the creation of a strong institutional mechanism for agricultural foresight and proposed that the ICAR-National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (ICAR-NIAP) be given a mandate to lead foresight activities related to dryland agriculture.
He also highlighted the need for robust data and information systems capable of supporting decision-making across dryland agri-food systems. According to him, common innovation platforms and living laboratories could help connect research institutions with farmers, policymakers and other stakeholders.
ICRISAT Stresses Need to Move from Ideas to Action
Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICRISAT, underlined the critical role of drylands in global food security and called for the outcomes of the Congress to be converted into measurable action.
He urged participants to prioritise the recommendations emerging from the three-day discussions into short- and long-term programmes. The focus, he said, should be on moving from ideas to concepts and ultimately to implementation by combining expertise, knowledge and partnerships.
The valedictory session also highlighted several new collaborations emerging from the Congress, including agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with the Global Crop Diversity Trust.
ICRISAT also entered into MoUs with Avior Life Sciences, NIFTEM, Wipro Limited, and the Angul and Rayagada district administrations of Odisha, strengthening partnerships aimed at promoting innovation and practical interventions in dryland agriculture.
The Congress Co-Chairs, Dr D.K. Yadava, DDG (Crop Science), ICAR, and Dr Stanford Blade, DDG (Research & Innovation), ICRISAT, presented a summary of the deliberations and outlined key recommendations and outcomes.
Strengthening South-South Agricultural Partnerships
The final day began with a commemoration of the UN Day for South-South Cooperation, featuring messages from the UN Secretary-General, FAO Director-General and UNOSSC Director Dima Al-Khatib.
Pathak presented the vision of the International Solidarity for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA) and highlighted the need for stronger partnerships among countries of the Global South.
Representatives from ICRISAT, ICAR, CGIAR, RIS, NABARD and the CGIAR Capacity Sharing Accelerator reaffirmed their commitment to advancing South-South cooperation and increasing its impact on agricultural development.
A subsequent session, “Knowledge Without Borders: Advancing South-South and Triangular Cooperation,” was convened in collaboration with CGIAR. Discussions examined how successful cooperation models could be strengthened, replicated and taken to scale.
Experts and representatives from national agricultural research systems in Ethiopia, Senegal, Brazil, China and India, alongside delegates from CGIAR, FARA and APAARI, shared experiences on building effective South-South and triangular partnerships.
ISSCA Global Awards Recognise Agricultural Innovations
The Congress also hosted the ISSCA Global Awards 2026, which recognise proven agricultural innovations from institutions across the Global South that demonstrate potential for large-scale adoption and adaptation across countries.
The inaugural awards attracted 170 nominations from 34 countries spanning Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
The ISSCA Global Award for Transformative Excellence (Mega Award) was presented to:
- ICARDA, Lebanon, for TAAT Wheat Compact Technologies: Heat-Tolerant Wheat Varieties;
- CIMMYT, Mexico, for e-Agrology 360; and
- Odisha Livelihoods Mission, Government of Odisha, India, for Women-Led Sustainable Farming for Nutrition and Rural Resilience.
Awards Span Crop, Climate and Digital Agriculture
The Crop Improvement & Production Technologies category recognised the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute for BARI Chinabadam-9, the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, for GPBD 4, and Myanmar’s Department of Agricultural Research for climate-smart, early-maturing chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnut varieties.
In Natural Resource Management & Climate Resilience, awards went to the Karnataka State Department of Agriculture for Krishi Bhagya; NECTAR, India, for integrated banana pseudo-stem processing; the Department of Agriculture, Government of Bihar, for rejuvenating Aahar–Pyne landscapes; and Sustainable Farming Solutions, Malawi, for digital land-restoration stewardship.
The Agribusiness & Market Systems awards recognised BIID Foundation, Bangladesh, for e-Krishok; Tamil Nadu Agricultural University for the TNAU-FPO Linkage Programme; and the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute for its Parabolic-Shaped Solar Dryer.
In Digital Agriculture, the awards went to the Department of Horticulture, Government of Andhra Pradesh, for the APMIP Digital Ecosystem, and the Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Co-operation Department, Government of Gujarat, for Krushi Pragati.
The Livestock Improvement & Production Technologies category recognised WorldFish, Bangladesh, for its improved carp seed system and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kenya, for the Participatory Indigenous Chicken Breed Improvement Program (PIC-BIP).
The Congress also presented 16 Best Poster Awards to students and research scholars, recognising emerging research and scientific talent in dryland agriculture.
Delhi Declaration Sets a Collaborative Roadmap
The conclusion of Dryland Congress 2026 marks a renewed push to make South-South cooperation a practical mechanism for addressing the challenges facing dryland agriculture.
The Delhi Declaration on Drylands places collaboration, evidence-based research, innovation, knowledge sharing and institutional partnerships at the centre of this agenda.
With climate variability, resource constraints and food-security pressures continuing to affect dryland regions, the Congress highlighted the importance of scaling technologies and practices that have already demonstrated results.
The event ultimately sought to move beyond the exchange of ideas towards implementation—connecting scientific institutions, governments, development organisations and farming communities to build more resilient, productive and sustainable dryland agri-food systems across the Global South.