Global Drylands Congress Accelerates Agricultural Innovations in South-South Cooperation

NEW DELHI, Sept. 12, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- New Delhi, India, On the occasion of the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation, New Delhi marked the event by hosting the Global Drylands Congress 2026. The congress, co-organized by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), brought together leading agricultural scientists, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss and accelerate the adoption of proven agricultural solutions in dryland regions.

The commemoration highlighted the growing reach of the ICRISAT Centre of Excellence for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA). This global platform aims to scale up and adapt proven agricultural solutions across the Global South, focusing on climate-resilient crops, soil and water management, digital agriculture, agribusiness, nutrition, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability.

ICRISAT Director General Dr. Himanshu Pathak emphasized the importance of ISSCA's work, stating, "ISSCA connects proven innovations with institutions, partners, and farming systems where they can be adapted and scaled more rapidly. The Global Drylands Congress has strengthened this pathway by bringing together science, policy, partnerships, and investment to turn proven solutions into impact at scale."

The congress showcased the ISSCA's progress, which includes working with 19 partners, identifying over 100 validated and scalable solutions, and supporting more than 300 professionals from over 40 countries. These solutions are crucial for the world's drylands, home to hundreds of millions of people and among the regions most exposed to climate variability, water scarcity, land degradation, and food insecurity.

Dr. M.L. Jat, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of ICAR, underscored the importance of international cooperation in agriculture. "The future of agriculture will increasingly depend on countries and institutions working together across borders. The ICAR-ICRISAT partnership is a powerful example of what sustained collaboration can achieve, and of the wider promise of South-South cooperation," he said.

The event culminated in the presentation of the Delhi Declaration on Drylands, which sets out a shared ambition to strengthen South-South cooperation, accelerate the uptake and scaling of proven innovations, deepen institutional partnerships, and reposition the world's drylands as landscapes of resilience, opportunity, and sustainable growth.

The congress also highlighted the urgent need for innovation in dryland agriculture, given the challenges posed by climate variability, water scarcity, and food insecurity. With the support of ISSCA and the collaboration between ICAR and ICRISAT, the Global Drylands Congress 2026 aimed to provide practical pathways for adopting and scaling proven agricultural solutions, ultimately benefiting farmers and food systems in dryland regions.