Food security: Smallholder farmers hold key to tackling global food crisis, says ICAR director

Complex challenges facing global agri-food systems require solutions centred on smallholder farmers, the country’s top agricultural research official said as international experts gathered in the capital to deliberate on the future of world food security.Department of Agricultural Research and Education Secretary and ICAR Director General Mangi Lal Jat was addressing DialogueNEXT in India, a two-day conference organised at the ICAR Convention Centre, Pusa Campus, from September 8-9. The event has brought together agricultural leaders, policymakers, scientists and farmers.“This essentially needs greater investments in cutting-edge science, innovations and partnerships across discovery to delivery. Since India’s agricultural transformation is happening at a faster pace, the country can serve as a smallholder agriculture innovation hub for the Global South,” Jat said in a statement, PTI reported.The event is hosted by the World Food Prize Foundation in partnership with CIMMYT, the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) and ICAR.This year’s DialogueNEXT theme, Take it to the Farmer, builds on last year’s conference in Mexico, emphasising the urgent need to ensure transformative agricultural solutions reach farmers across the Global South.On World Agriculture Day, the conference celebrates India’s agricultural innovation legacy and honours Indian World Food Prize laureates while showcasing the country’s leadership in global food systems.