Dryland Congress adopts Delhi Declaration on Drylands

PIB reported the adoption of the Delhi Declaration on Drylands (3D) for the Global South at the close of Dryland Congress 2026, held 10-12 September at the NASC Complex, New Delhi. The Congress was jointly organised by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under the theme 'Transforming Dryland Agriculture through South-South Cooperation,' and also marked 50 years of ICAR-ICRISAT collaboration. More than 800 global experts from research bodies, governments, industry, development agencies, startups, farmer organisations and CGIAR centres across Africa, Asia and Latin America took part, deliberating on six key themes. The Declaration calls for greater South-South and triangular cooperation, and stronger data systems and field-based research partnerships to accelerate solutions for dryland agriculture across the Global South. Alongside the Declaration, ICRISAT signed Memoranda of Understanding with Avior Life Sciences, NIFTEM, Wipro Limited, and the Angul and Rayagada District Administrations of Odisha, extending partnerships in dryland agriculture innovation.