The 1st International Agro-biodiversity Congress held in New Delhi from 6th to 9th November, 2016 and attended by 900 participants from 60 countries has come up with what is known as Delhi Declaration on Agro-biodiversity Management
Throughout the Congress, delegated discussed various aspects of access, conservation and use of agrobiodiversity in 16 technical sessions, four satellite sessions, a genebank roundtable, a public forum, a farmers’ forum and poster sessions. Based on these deliberations, the delegates unanimously adopted the Preamble and following declaration at the concluding session on November 9, 2016.
10 points Declarations include issues like according top priority to the agrobiodiversity conservation and their sustainable use towards achieving targets of SDGs relating to poverty alleviation, recognizing the importance of traditional knowledge on agrobiodiversity of farm men and women and their central role in its conservation, urging researchers and policy-makers to initiate, strengthen, and promote complementary conservation strategies to conserve and use agrobiodiversity and several other issues.
The Congress also urged UN to consider declaring soon a ‘Year of Agrobiodiversity’ to draw worldwide attention and to catalyze urgent action.
It unanimously recommended that a congress focusing on agrobiodiversity be held each 3-5 years in order to maintain emphasis on this important area that we have realized in Delhi, for which a continuing committee be formed.