Context
Global strategy to revolutionise dryland farming unveiled at the 16th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16) in Riyadh.
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- Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a global leader in agricultural research, has unveiled its 2030 Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands (GSRD), with the goal of transforming agriculture in some of the world’s driest regions.
- The initiative, spearheaded by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), a member of CGIAR and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
- It offers a roadmap to improve food security, preserve biodiversity, and create resilient livelihoods for the 2.7 billion people living in drylands, especially in Asia and Africa.
key areas of focus
The strategy outlines five key areas of focus:
- Adapting agrifood systems to climate change
- Conserving biodiversity
- Sustainably managing soil and water resources
- Promoting healthy diet
- Fostering inclusive development
Cornerstone technologies of this strategy
- Solar-powered agrivoltaics
- Advanced agroforestry
- Livestock feeding practices
- Breeding climate-resilient crops like barley, lentils, chickpeas and cacti.
The Importance of GSRD
- Drylands are critical for global population. It is home to one in every three of world’s people, nearly half of the livestock and 44 per cent of food systems. But some 20-35 per cent of them are degraded.
- Drylands are on the frontlines of climate change, warming at rates 20-40 per cent higher than other regions.
- Since 70 percent of the world’s hungry reside in environmentally fragile and conflict-prone areas, transforming dryland agriculture is essential for tackling global food insecurity.
