I-CRAFT 2026: The National Academy of Sciences under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan has become the epicenter of the global agrarian dialogue

On 22 September 2026, the National Academy of Sciences under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, together with Turkish colleagues, organized the VI International Conference on Research of Agricultural and Food Technologies I-CRAFT 2026.

The large-scale scientific forum brought together leading experts, representatives of government agencies, the agricultural business, and developers of technological solutions to discuss the prospects of the agro-industrial complex, food security, and the sustainable development of agri-food systems. Among the participants were heads of scientific institutions and universities, delegates of relevant ministries and agencies, international specialists, and experts in agronomy, food technologies, bioengineering, breeding and genetics, animal husbandry, ecology, digitalization, and precision farming.

The key issue of I-CRAFT 2026 was the search for effective scientific and technological approaches to guarantee food security, enhance agriculture's resilience to climate change, and accelerate the introduction of scientific developments into real production.

The agenda of the event was directly aligned with the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, primarily SDG 2 "Zero Hunger," which envisages ensuring food security and developing sustainable agriculture, as well as SDG 15 "Life on Land," aimed at the rational use of land resources, prevention of soil degradation, and preservation of ecosystems.

The conference opened with a speech by Professor Akhylbek Kurishbayev, President of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

"Today, food security is acquiring new meaning. Hundreds of millions of people around the world still face hunger, and billions lack sustainable access to adequate and healthy nutrition. At the same time, the population is growing, the climate is changing, water availability is shrinking, soil degradation is intensifying, and the burden on ecosystems is increasing," he said.

Therefore, the task is no longer limited to simply increasing production volumes. It is necessary to produce more and better quality while using less water, energy, fertilizers, and other resources. At the same time, we must preserve soil fertility, biodiversity, and the resilience of natural systems. It is precisely the ability to combine productivity, resource efficiency, and food quality that is becoming the first and foremost criterion for the effectiveness of agricultural science.

At the same time, agricultural production in our country is developing under very challenging natural and climatic conditions. Droughts, moisture deficits, soil salinization and degradation, declining pasture productivity, instability of the feed base, the transboundary nature of water resources, and significant differences between regions directly affect the sustainability of agricultural production. Under these conditions, Kazakhstan is not only a territory of heightened climatic risks but also a large-scale natural laboratory for developing and testing sustainable agriculture technologies."

Akhylbek Kurishbayev noted the need to develop joint international projects in four key areas:

– Climate-resilient breeding and seed production – developing next-generation varieties based on target models, resistant to drought, heat, and diseases, and suitable for deep processing.

– Genetics, feed base, and veterinary-biological safety of animal husbandry – applying genomic selection, preserving genetic resources, and increasing livestock productivity.

– Water-saving technologies and intelligent management of agricultural landscapes – managing crops and irrigation based on accurate assessment of water balance and soil conditions.

– Deep processing, functional nutrition, and reduction of food losses – creating high-value-added products and developing quality storage systems.

A separate block of work should be dedicated to the mobility of young scientists, joint training of doctoral students, and researchers working on shared laboratory and field infrastructure in cooperation with Turkish colleagues.

"The main result should be joint research, technologies proven in practice, and solutions that meet the needs of production and society. Kazakhstan is ready to contribute its scientific potential, diverse natural and climatic zones, experimental sites, and opportunities for international cooperation to this work. I am confident that AgriCraft 2026 will mark the start of strengthening our country's food security, creating new consortia, and implementing long-term projects," noted the President of the National Academy of Sciences.

A representative of the Organizing Committee, Professor Tunahan Erdem of Çukurova University (Turkey), emphasized that the key task of the meeting is to go beyond academic presentations and build long-term international partnership:

"The main goal of our work is real cooperation. Such platforms are valuable because they lay the foundation for joint scientific projects, exchange of experience, and holding new international forums both in Kazakhstan and in Turkey."

Special attention at the conference was given to practical solutions to the resource problems of Central Asia. In particular, the U. M. Akhmedsafin Institute of Hydrogeology and Geoecology covers in its research the full range of issues related to Kazakhstan's groundwater, including the creation of a dedicated Atlas. The institute has at its disposal some of the strongest laboratory facilities. The Laboratory of Chemical and Analytical Research is one of the few in the country capable of performing detailed analysis of mineral waters. The scientific potential is provided by a team of leading hydrogeologists and young PhD specialists. Due to global warming, the volume and number of glaciers in the mountains have decreased by 2–2.5 times, and for the targeted use of resources it is necessary to develop systems for collecting floodwater. At present, the issue of the competent use of water resources and the training of highly qualified personnel is acutely on the agenda.

Along with the water factor, the breeding of major crops remains a crucial link in agricultural science. Wheat occupies half of the country's arable land (12 million hectares) and is of key importance not only for export but also for planned projects involving its deep processing. To overcome the lag in yield, a Kazakh consortium of 13 teams, together with the John Innes Centre (UK), is introducing marker-assisted selection, genome-wide association search technologies, and nested association mapping based on the historic Watkins collection to shorten the breeding cycle and create adapted, high-yielding varieties.

The topic of introducing innovations in the region was continued by digital developers. Answering the question of how regional projects can influence the global problem of eliminating hunger, M. Tokhtasynov, Associate Professor of the Department of Digital Technologies at Namangan State Technical University (Uzbekistan), emphasized that this also concerns preventing crises in the future. Climate risks, soil depletion, and water scarcity require preventive measures today. As such a solution, Uzbek IT specialists are developing a smart system for farmers: with the help of field and laboratory research combined with a database being created, an AI-based program will analyze soil composition and determine which crops will yield the maximum harvest on a specific plot. The competent and efficient use of resources will lead to increased soil fertility and food well-being..

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I-CRAFT 2026 participants are considering a wide range of scientific and technological areas:

· Food security and the stability of agri-food systems;

· Smart & Precision Farming;

· The introduction of artificial intelligence, Big Data, and predictive analytics in agronomy;

· Digital monitoring of agricultural lands, the use of UAVs, GPS technologies, and robotics;

· Advanced methods of breeding, genomics, phenomics, and biotechnologies for developing climate-resilient varieties;

· Innovative technologies of food engineering, processing, and preservation of agricultural raw materials;

· Functional nutrition and methods for preserving the biological value of products;

· Reducing the climate footprint of agriculture and animal husbandry;

· Rational use of water and land resources, maintaining soil fertility, and preventing its degradation;

· Climate adaptation of the agricultural sector and the development of environmentally sustainable technologies;

· Integration of science, education, and agribusiness, as well as accelerating the transfer of developments to industry.

At the I-CRAFT 2026 venue, renowned foreign scientists working at the forefront of agricultural and food science will present their research and projects, including Da-Wen Sun, Vida Šimat, Tuba Esatbeyoglu, Brijesh K. Tiwari, Alexander N. Khristov, Yong Suk Chung, Fahim Shahzad Baloch, M. Cüneyt Bağdatlı, Ilknur Bağdatlı, and Çağdaş Civelek.

The holding of I-CRAFT 2026 in Almaty continued the series of international conferences following the forums in Tashkent and Ganja and strengthened Kazakhstan's position as one of Central Asia's main platforms for interstate cooperation in the field of agricultural science, food technologies, and sustainable development.