India Opens 6th International Agronomy Congress to Advance Climate-Smart Farming

More than 1,000 participants—including scientists, policymakers, development partners, students, and industry leaders—are attending this edition of the Congress.

The 6th International Agronomy Congress (IAC–2025) commenced today at the NPL Auditorium, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, bringing together some of the world’s leading minds in agricultural science, policy, and innovation. The three-day global event, being held from 24–26 November 2025, was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who highlighted the centrality of agronomy in shaping India’s agricultural vision for a Viksit Bharat @2047.

Jointly organised by the Indian Society of Agronomy (ISA) in collaboration with ICAR, IARI, NAAS, and TAAS, the Congress stands as one of the most significant global platforms for advancing science-led, climate-resilient farming systems.

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A Global Gathering for Transformational Agriculture

More than 1,000 participants—including scientists, policymakers, development partners, students, and industry leaders—are attending this edition of the Congress. Delegates represent leading Indian institutions and several international organisations such as:

• FAO

• CIMMYT

• ICRISAT

• IRRI

• ICARDA

• IFDC

Their participation underscores India’s central role in the global effort to innovate for sustainable, productive, and climate-resilient food systems.

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Agriculture at the Heart of Viksit Bharat: Minister’s Vision

Delivering the inaugural address, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan stressed that the foundation of a developed India by 2047 lies in smart, sustainable, and profitable agriculture. He emphasised that the future of farming rests on the principle of “producing more with fewer resources while conserving more for future generations.”

The Minister described agronomy as the bridge between scientific innovation and field-level transformation, noting its potential to enhance:

• Soil health and nutrient efficiency

• Water-use optimisation

• Agro-biodiversity conservation

• Eco-nutritional approaches

• Digital and AI-driven agriculture

He announced that recommendations emerging from IAC–2025 will be integrated into national agricultural policies, enabling region-specific action plans aligned with climate priorities, resource efficiency, and farmer livelihoods.

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Release of IAC–2025 Declaration: A Roadmap for Future Agronomy

During the ceremony, Shri Chouhan released the IAC–2025 Declaration, a comprehensive document outlining key policy and research recommendations. These include:

• Strengthening soil-carbon sequestration and water-efficient farming models

• Scaling AI-based digital agriculture, allied with the Agri-Stack

• Expanding natural, regenerative, and organic agriculture systems

• Launching targeted innovation programmes for youth and women farmers

• Introducing next-generation agronomy education at school, college, and professional levels

• Aligning agricultural systems with India’s One-Health, LiFE Mission, and Net-Zero 2070 commitments

• Promoting Indian climate-smart agricultural models globally through South–South cooperation

These recommendations are expected to influence agronomy practices, future research priorities, and national agricultural missions.

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“Agronomy Must Solve Farmers’ Problems”: MoS Shri Bhagirath Choudhary

Minister of State for Agriculture, Shri Bhagirath Choudhary, emphasised that agronomy must be rooted in the real challenges faced by India’s farmers. He underlined that the discipline should enhance:

• Farmer income

• Environmental security

• Nutritional quality of produce

• Resilience in rainfed and marginal farming regions

He highlighted the role of women farmers, youth-led ideas, and rural micro-enterprises in driving grassroots transformation. Innovations, he stressed, must reach every corner of the country—from the drylands of Rajasthan to the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand.

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Ten Thematic Symposia: Shaping the Future of Food Security

The Congress features ten thematic symposia, covering the full spectrum of contemporary agronomic priorities. Discussions include:

• Climate-resilient agriculture and carbon neutrality

• Nature-based solutions and the One-Health framework

• Precision input management for resource efficiency

• Harnessing genetic potential for future crops

• Energy-efficient machinery, smart digital tools, and post-harvest innovations

• Eco-nutrition and nutrition-linked agriculture

• Gender empowerment and livelihood diversification

• Agriculture 5.0, future education, and the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision

• Young scientists’ conference, promoting youth-led innovation

These sessions will contribute to achieving global development targets, including SDG-1 (No Poverty), SDG-2 (Zero Hunger), SDG-12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG-13 (Climate Action), and SDG-15 (Life on Land).

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India Leading Global Climate-Smart Agronomy

Addressing the participants, Dr. M.L. Jat, Secretary, DARE & Director General, ICAR, affirmed that India’s agronomy research is at the forefront of global climate-smart agriculture. He noted that outcomes from IAC–2025 will contribute directly to shaping ICAR Vision–2050, supporting research on sustainable intensification, digital agronomy, crop diversification, and resilient farming systems.

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Strengthening Global Partnerships

The Congress is set to deepen India’s collaboration with:

• G20 working groups

• FAO and UN agencies

• CGIAR global research centres

• South–South Cooperation partners

These partnerships are essential to scaling innovations, enhancing agricultural resilience, and fostering global food security.

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Charting the Path Ahead

The 6th International Agronomy Congress marks a pivotal moment for global agriculture. With its focus on science-driven solutions, climate resilience, youth engagement, and inclusive growth, IAC–2025 promises to shape the next chapter of agronomy in India and beyond.

As India moves toward the goal of Viksit Bharat @2047, agronomy will play a critical role in building farming systems that are productive, sustainable, technologically advanced, and beneficial to farmers across regions and generations.