International Conference on Innovations to Transform Drylands

Celebrating 50 Years of Scientific Innovation and Impact

ICRISAT is holding an international conference “Innovations to Transform Drylands” at its headquarters in Hyderabad, India. The conference will bring together global experts from research, academia, industry, MSMEs, Food processing startups, policymakers, and NGOs to coalesce new and innovative approaches and scientific innovations to capitalize on opportunities while addressing the challenges inherent in the drylands.

Why the Drylands?

Drylands cover about 41% of the earth’s land surface and are inhabited by more than 2 billion people who rank among the poorest of the poor globally. Poverty, food insecurity, malnutrition, frequent drought, and environmental degradation are widespread features of the drylands and adversely impact those who live there. About 60% of the total arable land in South Asia is classified as dryland, while the corresponding figure for sub-Saharan Africa is around 70%.

The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the challenges inherent in these regions and has disrupted global efforts to achieve the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which envisions addressing food and agriculture security, livelihoods, and the management of natural resources among other SDGs.

This urgent situation calls for sustainable efforts to transform dryland agriculture and with it the livelihoods of millions through new frameworks of cooperation, partnerships, and innovations. This year ICRISAT is celebrating its golden jubilee. For fifty years ICRISAT has been a global leader in agricultural science which has positively impacted millions of people who call the drylands home.

Our 50th anniversary was inaugurated by the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, in presence of Hon’ble Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, and other dignitaries in early February 2022. ICRISAT with its five decades of scientific legacy and impact is well positioned to significantly deliver tomorrow’s solutions, today. We invite you to join us on our journey for the next fifty years.

Conference Themes and Sub Themes

1. Dryland Production Systems: Improving the Livelihoods of Smallholder Farmers.
2. Seed Systems: Elevating Public Private Partnerships in Asia and Africa.
3. Regenerative / Natural Farming Systems for Drylands.
4. Managing Dryland Soil Health and Water Resources.
5. Strengthening Nutri – Sensitive Food Systems for the Drylands.
6. Improving Productivity, Climate Resilience and Nutrition in Drylands – Technologies and Approaches.
7. Inclusive Demand Driven Value Chains for the Drylands.
8. Integrating Gender Youth and Social Inclusion in Dryland Agri-Food Systems.