President Droupadi Murmu to Inaugurate International Research Conference on Agri-Food Systems in New Delhi

President of India, Droupadi Murmu, is set to inaugurate the eagerly awaited international research conference, ‘From Research to Impact: Towards Just and Resilient Agri-Food Systems,’ on October 9, 2023, at the NASC Complex in Pusa, New Delhi.

This four-day conference, hosted by the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), aims to unite national and international research efforts to empower women and promote equitable agricultural and food systems.

The event will feature distinguished speakers, including Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar, India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, and CGIAR interim Executive Managing Director Professor Andrew Campbell.

Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), highlighted the conference's significance in the context of the recent G20 Summit, which strongly endorsed women-led development. Dr Pathak emphasized the importance of recognizing and promoting leadership roles for women, particularly in areas related to climate change, food security, and nutrition.

Dr Nicoline de Haan, Director of the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform, described the conference as an opportunity to bridge the gap between research and practice, fostering gender equality and social inclusivity in resilient food systems. She noted that global gender inequality in agri-food systems persists, exacerbated by crises such as COVID-19 and climate change. Women often face greater food insecurity and suffer more from external shocks like floods and droughts. The conference aims to provide policymakers and investors with evidence-based solutions to advance global goals on gender equality and women's empowerment.

The conference will assemble a unique global network of gender researchers, uniting them with practitioners, policymakers, and other researchers to evaluate past agricultural gender research and propose innovations for more equitable, just, and resilient agri-food systems.

The event will feature over 140 oral presentations, 85 posters, 25 high-level plenary and keynote speakers, and 60 parallel sessions. International exhibitors and Indian women entrepreneurs will showcase their work and innovations. The delegates will represent a diverse array of research institutes, national agricultural research and extension systems, non-government organizations, civil society organizations, funding partners, policy-making bodies, and the private sector.

ICAR, alongside CGIAR and other research partners, continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of India's 126 million smallholder farmers. The CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform aims to facilitate knowledge sharing to create agricultural solutions that benefit women and contribute to equitable, resilient, and prosperous societies. Collaborating with ICAR, one of the world's largest national agricultural research and extension systems, presents CGIAR and its research partners with a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on the ground.

ICAR, with its 113 institutes and 76 agricultural universities spread across India, is poised to identify evidence-based priorities and innovations that can translate G20 commitments on women's leadership in climate action, food security, and nutrition into tangible benefits for both men and women farmers, as well as entire communities. CGIAR's wealth of expertise, evidence, and proven solutions will be instrumental in this endeavor.