BRICS backs grain trading platform, four farmer-centric initiatives at Delhi Summit

Reports coming in for today mention that BRICS leaders on Saturday endorsed a bloc-wide grain trading platform and four new farmer-focused initiatives covering seeds, agro-inputs, agro-ecology and digital agriculture, as India pushed the bloc to move from food-security rhetoric to concrete action during its 2026 chairmanship.

The New Delhi Leaders' Declaration builds on the June 2026 Indore Agriculture Ministers' Declaration, elevating four initiatives — AGRIN, the Global Forum on Farmers' Rights in Seed Systems, a Network of Centres of Excellence on Agroecology, and a Digital Agriculture network — from the ministerial to the heads-of-state level.

"We recognise that BRICS countries are key players in world food production and, as such, have a critical role in enhancing agricultural productivity and sustainability, and ensuring global food security and nutrition," the New Delhi declaration stated.

The leaders underlined the need to safeguard food security and nutrition while cushioning the impact of sharp food price swings and sudden supply disruptions, including fertiliser shortages, the declaration stated.

On the proposed grain trading platform, the declaration noted that the bloc keeps work out the details of how the BRICS Grain Exchange would function, and stays open to expanding it to other agricultural products and commodities in future.

The declaration additionally stated the bloc agreed to backing further discussions on national policies and international coordination aimed at improving food availability, accessibility, affordability and stability — including measures such as national food reserve systems and climate-resilient seed systems in BRICS and other developing countries.

The leaders welcomed the outcomes of the 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting held in Indore and agreed to establish the BRICS AGRIN (Agro-Inputs, Genetic Resources, and Information Network), described as a "collaborative, non-binding, and farmer-centric" mechanism.

Building on the Deccan High-Level Principles on Food Security and Nutrition, the leaders reaffirmed the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty as a key vehicle for international cooperation, and called for greater intra-BRICS trade in agricultural products and inputs through resilient, non-discriminatory supply chains.

The declaration identified family farmers, smallholders, pastoralists, small-scale fishers, aquaculture producers, indigenous communities, women and youth as essential stakeholders in agriculture and food systems.

The leaders welcomed the outcomes of the 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting held in Indore, agreeing to set up the BRICS AGRIN (Agro-Inputs, Genetic Resources, and Information Network) as a collaborative, non-binding and farmer-centric mechanism drawing on national and international practices.

They additionally welcomed the launch of the Global Forum on Farmers' Rights in Seed Systems, aimed at documenting and exchanging traditional agricultural knowledge, along with a BRICS Network of Centres of Excellence on Agroecology and Regenerative Agriculture for Climate Resilience and Productivity, and a BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture extending to agroforestry, fisheries and aquaculture.

The declaration reaffirmed the bloc's commitment to advancing agriculture negotiations at the WTO under existing ministerial mandates and the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, while acknowledging that shifting regulatory developments are increasingly affecting farm production, trade and the livelihoods of smallholders.

It additionally welcomed ongoing efforts to promote sustainability and equitable market access in the global vegetable oils sector.