India to host 20th Congress of Int'l Agricultural Museums in October

20th edition of Congress of International Agricultural Museums will be hosted in India -- the first time that the global event is being held in the country -- from October 13-18, the organisers said

The 20th edition of the Congress of International Agricultural Museums will be hosted in India -- the first time that the global event is being held in the country -- from October 13-18, the organisers said.

The congress is a triennial event in the calendar of the International Association of Agricultural Museums (AIMA), a forum for organisations dedicated to promoting interest in the impact of agriculture on human society through the ages.

It travels to different countries every three years to discover diverse and unique agricultural, environmental and museographic realities that provide new ideas, experiences and projects that can resonate in other regions and countries, the organisers said in a statement.

The 20th Congress of International Agricultural Museums (CIMA) is being held in Asia, and in India for the first time, between October 13-18, it said.

The host institutions are Shoolini University (Solan, Himachal Pradesh) and The Heritage Foundation (New Delhi), according to the AIMA website.

The event will also include museum and field visits.

Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, and the Delhi-based Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage are also among the partnering institutions, the organisers said.

The South Asian region has a long history of agricultural practice and associated traditions. Agriculture remains central to the Indic civilisation and its many achievements.

"The CIMA 2023 Congress draws attention to and re-examines agricultural traditions, especially the current living adaptations of tradition, to help understand unique requirements of farming and describes the search for alternatives to address local problems of agriculture, food and nutrition," the statement said.

The AIMA was founded in 1966. Congresses were held every three years throughout the Cold War, alternately in the East and the West, providing one of the very rare opportunities for people to exchange their professional and personal experiences, it said.

It promotes research and encourages collaboration among professionals working in agriculture and rural museums around the world.