Three-Day Congress in New Delhi Calls for Science, Living Laboratories, Stronger Data Systems and South–South Cooperation to Transform Dryland Agriculture

New Delhi, September 13, 2026: The three-day Dryland Congress 2026 concluded in New Delhi with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration on Drylands (3D), establishing a collaborative agenda for transforming dryland agriculture through science, innovation, knowledge exchange and stronger partnerships across the Global South.

Held under the theme “Transforming Dryland Agriculture with South–South Cooperation,” the Congress brought together governments, agricultural research institutions, international organisations and development partners to explore solutions for resilient and sustainable dryland agri-food systems.

The closing day, which coincided with the United Nations Day for South–South Cooperation, placed particular emphasis on converting research and scientific knowledge into scalable solutions and implementation.

Key Highlights

• Delhi Declaration on Drylands (3D) adopted at the conclusion of Dryland Congress 2026.
• Greater emphasis on South–South and triangular cooperation for dryland agriculture.
• ICAR called for stronger foresight mechanisms, data systems and living laboratories connecting research, policy and field-level implementation.
• New partnerships and MoUs announced involving ICAR, ICRISAT, Global Crop Diversity Trust, NIFTEM, Wipro Limited, Avior Life Sciences and district administrations in Odisha.
• ISSCA Global Awards 2026 recognised agricultural innovations from countries across the Global South.
• The inaugural ISSCA awards received 170 nominations from 34 countries.
• Innovations recognised across crop improvement, climate resilience, agribusiness, digital agriculture, livestock and natural-resource management.
• Congress concluded with a focus on scaling proven technologies and strengthening resilient agri-food systems.

Delhi Declaration Puts Collaboration at the Centre

The Delhi Declaration on Drylands emerged as one of the key outcomes of the Congress, with participating governments, institutions, partners and delegates endorsing a shared agenda for dryland transformation.

The declaration places collaboration, innovation and collective action at the centre of efforts to address the challenges facing dryland regions.

Addressing the valedictory session, Dr M. L. Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, stressed the importance of bringing foresight into dryland agriculture planning. He called for an institutional mechanism for foresight and proposed that the ICAR-National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (ICAR-NIAP) should be mandated to lead this work.

He also highlighted the need for robust data and information systems covering dryland agri-food systems, along with common innovation grounds or “living laboratories” where research, policy and practical implementation can be connected.

For the food and agricultural value chain, such systems can be important in identifying climate-resilient crops, improving resource efficiency and translating agricultural research into solutions that can be adopted at scale.

From Research to Implementation

Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICRISAT, highlighted the strategic importance of drylands to global food security and called for the outcomes of the Congress to move beyond discussions towards concrete implementation.

The Congress focused on converting ideas into actionable concepts and subsequently into scalable programmes by bringing together scientific expertise, institutional knowledge and partnerships.

This implementation-oriented approach is particularly relevant to dryland regions where agriculture, livelihoods, water availability, food production and rural economies are closely interconnected.

New Partnerships Strengthen Dryland Innovation

The concluding session also saw the announcement of new collaborations aimed at supporting innovation and implementation in dryland agriculture.

Agreements and MoUs were announced with the Global Crop Diversity Trust, while ICRISAT entered into collaborations with Avior Life Sciences, NIFTEM, Wipro Limited, and the Angul and Rayagada District Administrations of Odisha.

The partnerships expand the ecosystem connecting agricultural research with technology, food processing, private-sector capabilities and local administration.

For India’s food ecosystem, collaboration across these areas can have implications extending from farm production and post-harvest management to food processing, supply chains and rural enterprise development.

South–South Cooperation Takes Centre Stage

The final day began with a commemoration of the UN Day for South–South Cooperation, with participation from representatives and institutions working across agriculture and development.

The programme included the International Solidarity for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA) and reaffirmed the role of partnerships between countries of the Global South.

A dedicated session titled “Knowledge Without Borders: Advancing South–South and Triangular Cooperation”, convened with CGIAR, examined how successful agricultural models can be adapted and scaled across countries.

Representatives from agricultural research systems in Ethiopia, Senegal, Brazil, China and India, alongside CGIAR, FARA and APAARI representatives, shared experiences on strengthening international cooperation.

Global Awards Recognise Scalable Agricultural Innovations

The Congress also hosted the inaugural ISSCA Global Awards 2026, recognising agricultural innovations with potential for adaptation and scaling across the Global South.

The first edition received 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 recognised:

• ICARDA, Lebanon, for TAAT Wheat Compact Technologies: Heat-Tolerant Wheat Varieties
• CIMMYT, Mexico, for e-Agrology 360
• Odisha Livelihoods Mission, Government of Odisha, India, for Women-Led Sustainable Farming for Nutrition and Rural Resilience

Other recognised innovations covered crop improvement, climate resilience, natural-resource management, agribusiness, digital agriculture and livestock.

Among the Indian initiatives recognised were GPBD 4 from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad; Krishi Bhagya from the Karnataka State Department of Agriculture; integrated banana pseudo-stem processing by NECTAR; Bihar’s Aahar–Pyne landscape rejuvenation initiative; Tamil Nadu Agricultural University’s TNAU-FPO Linkage Programme; Andhra Pradesh’s APMIP Digital Ecosystem; and Gujarat’s Krushi Pragati.

Sixteen Best Poster Awards were also presented to students and research scholars.

What the Dryland Agenda Means for Food and Hospitality

The outcomes of Dryland Congress 2026 extend beyond agriculture. A more resilient dryland food system can influence the wider food, hospitality and tourism value chain.

For the food sector, climate-resilient crops and improved agricultural technologies can support more dependable sourcing of ingredients. Better resource management, post-harvest technologies and stronger market linkages can also help improve the connection between farmers, food processors, distributors and foodservice businesses.

For hotels and restaurants, greater diversification of climate-resilient agricultural production could eventually support local and regional sourcing strategies, particularly in destinations where hospitality businesses increasingly highlight indigenous ingredients and regional food experiences.

The emphasis on sustainable agriculture can also strengthen the connection between food tourism and rural destinations, where culinary experiences, farm visits, local produce and traditional food systems form part of the tourism offering.

Potential Impact on Travel & Tourism

Dryland regions are not only agricultural landscapes; many also support rural communities, traditional cultures, indigenous food systems and emerging tourism experiences.

Greater resilience in these regions could support tourism-linked livelihoods by strengthening the underlying rural economy. In destinations where agriculture and tourism are closely connected, improved local production can contribute to farm tourism, rural tourism, culinary tourism and destination-based food experiences.

The Congress’s focus on South–South knowledge exchange also creates opportunities for countries to share models around sustainable rural tourism, indigenous food systems, climate-resilient agriculture and community-led livelihoods.

For India’s tourism sector, this could be relevant to destinations where rural communities, traditional crops, local cuisine and agricultural landscapes form part of the visitor experience.

Industry Takeaway

The conclusion of Dryland Congress 2026 signals a shift from viewing dryland agriculture solely through the lens of agricultural production towards a broader ecosystem involving food security, technology, climate resilience, rural livelihoods, markets and international cooperation.

The adoption of the Delhi Declaration, new institutional partnerships and recognition of scalable agricultural innovations provide a framework for taking research beyond laboratories and into practical applications.

For India’s hospitality and tourism industry, the longer-term relevance lies in how these agricultural developments influence food availability, local sourcing, regional cuisines, rural livelihoods and sustainable destination development. As climate resilience becomes increasingly important across the food and tourism value chains, innovations emerging from dryland agriculture could become relevant well beyond the farm.