India hosted the Global Conference on Women in Agri-Food Systems (GCWAS–2026) from March 12 to 14 at the ICAR Convention Centre in New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and women farmers from across the world to discuss ways to strengthen gender participation in agriculture and food systems.
President Draupadi Murmu inaugurated the event, while Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended the inaugural session as the Guest of Honour. Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi addressed the valedictory session.
Announcing the event earlier, M. L. Jat, Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), said the conference was organised at the Bharat Ratna C. Subramaniam Hall, ICAR Convention Centre, NASC Complex, New Delhi.
The conference was jointly organised by the Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research, and the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority, with support from more than 15 national and international organisations as co-organizers and knowledge partners.
The programme was held during the United Nations-declared International Year for Women Farmers 2026, and saw participation from over 700 delegates, including scientists, policymakers, industry leaders, development professionals, start-ups, students, and women farmers from India and abroad.
According to the organizers, the conference focused on strengthening policy frameworks, promoting gender inclusion, and recognizing the critical role of women in building sustainable and resilient agri-food systems.
The event was curated under the guidance of Raj S. Paroda, Chairman of TAAS, along with M. L. Jat, T. Mohapatra, Chairperson of PPV&FRA, and Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director of CGIAR. Former Biotechnology Secretary Renu Swarup served as Conference Chair, with Rajbir Singh, DDG (Agricultural Extension), ICAR, as Co-Chair.
Several international experts addressed the conference, including Agnes Kalibata of Connect4Impact Advisory Group, Bram Govaerts of CIMMYT, Soumya Swaminathan of MSSRF, World Food Prize laureate Shakuntala H. Thilsted, Nitya Rao of the University of East Anglia, and Nicoline de Haan of ILRI, among others.