Alliance Research Lever 2: Multifunctional Landscapes
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Item Nature positive solutions for shifting agrifood systems to more resilient and sustainable pathways (Work Package 3: Restore)(Report, 2025-02-13) Chavan, Sangram B.; Rajagopal, V.; Halli, H.M.; Viswadev, V.S.; Rajashri, JoshiThe project “Nature Positive Solutions for Shifting Agrifood Systems to More Resilient and Sustainable Pathways (Work Package 3: Restore)” focuses on the development of agroforestry models designed to restore degraded lands in the Akole cluster of Maharashtra, with an emphasis on enhancing both nutritional and environmental security. The project addresses several challenges, including soil erosion, fodder scarcity, and reduced tree cover. Agroforestry systems such as block plantations, silvipasture, and integrated farming were implemented to restore these degraded lands. The collaboration with BAIF, Pune along with CGIAR partners The Alliance Bioversity International-CIAT and International Water Management Institute, carried out this study with focus on the impact of restoration interventions on biodiversity, soil health, and carbon sequestration. A micro-watershed of about 63 hectare was identified in Chicondi village to implement technological interventions. The activities carried out under this project include the successful establishment of three agroforestry models—Fodder, Wadi, and Bamboo—on farmers' fields in Chichondi Village. Species like Mango and Bamboo were identified as priority species for plantation, with fodder scarcity being the most critical issue, as indicated by the constraints ranking. The Wadi system, dominated by Mango and Teak, played a key role in addressing both nutritional needs and environmental security. These systems also contributed significantly to biomass, carbon sequestration, and oxygen production. A comprehensive biodiversity assessment revealed significant variation in species richness and diversity across different land-use systems. The Bamboo system (New) exhibited the highest biodiversity, with a Shannon-Wiener Index of 3.7225 and species richness of 77, while the Agriculture Fallow system had the lowest biodiversity (Shannon-Wiener Index = 2.6469, Species Richness = 19). These findings underscore the importance of habitat-specific conservation strategies to maintain ecosystem health and support biodiversity. Soil properties showed variations in soil parameters, including pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon content, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels across the systems. Soil pH ranged from 5.09 in the Wadi Control system to 6.51 in the Forest system, while organic carbon content varied from 0.55% in the Wadi Control system to 1.90% in the Forest system. These variations highlight the significant role of different agroforestry systems in improving soil health. Carbon sequestration studies showed that forest systems had the highest carbon stock at 112.9 Mg/ha, followed by agricultural fallow systems at 94.61 Mg/ha and Wadi systems at 75.34 Mg/ha. The Wadi control system, lacking tree cover, had the lowest carbon stock at 46.01 Mg/ha. Wadi agroforestry systems, dominated by Mango and Teak, significantly contributed to carbon sequestration, with 16.60 Mg/ha of carbon stock and 4.32 Mg/ha of CO₂ sequestration. These systems also produced 20.91 Mg/ha of oxygen, with Mango contributing 9.01 Mg/ha and Teak 8.06 Mg/ha. These findings highlight the key role of Wadi (Old) systems in restoring degraded lands, increasing tree cover, and improving carbon sequestration. Therefore, development of Agroforestry systems is vital in restoring ecosystems, boosting biodiversity, and mitigating climate change, while also providing sustainable income opportunities for local communities, ensuring long-term environmental sustainability and resilience.Item Building resilience: Over 550 Ethiopian wheat producers enabled with bundled sustainable agroecological innovations(Case Study, 2025) Mockshell, Jonathan; Tibebe, Degefie; Balcha, Yodit; Ngige, Chris Mwangi; Ibrahim, Mohamed; Ritter, Thea; Ogutu, SylvesterEthiopian wheat producers lack access to affordable fertilizer and seeds. A TRANSITIONS Private Sector Incentives and Investments (PSii) sustainability project provided bundled agroecological solutions, including faba bean and wheat crop rotation to enhance nitrogen fixation and biodiversity. In addition to training wheat producers in Doyogena, the project provided subsidized inputs and enhanced partnerships between producer organizations, district agricultural offices, seed breeders, and other stakeholders in the wheat value chain. Immediate outcomes include increased awareness, the adoption of farm-level agroecological solutions, and increased empowerment.Item Bundled agroecological cacao production practices: fertilizer and sustainable practices training benefits over 200 organic producers.(Case Study, 2025) Mockshell, Jonathan; Ritter, Thea; Blanco, Maria Alejandra; Ngige, Chris Mwangi; Mosquera, Leslie Estefany; Sanchez, Jose Gerardo; Ivanova, YovitaOrganic fertilizers boost yields, yet according to our research, most cacao producers in Ucayali region do not use fertilizers year-round, due to limited finances and knowledge. We trained 69 organic cacao producers, who are now adopting innovative bundled agroecological practices to significantly enhance their productivity. Bundles of practices include preparing and applying organic fertilizers to improve managing solid organic waste generated from cacao production. Expected scalable outcomes include enhanced soil health, recycling, cacao production, and incomes.Item Agroecologia y resiliencia de los pequenos agricultores al cambio climatico: practicas agroecologia en granos basicos(Report, 2024) Siles, Pablo; Guillen, JoseItem Digital agency: Empowering farmers to co-create knowledge on agroecology practices(Brief, 2025-01) McCampbell, Mariette; Dittmer, Kyle Michael; Shelton, Sadie; Wollenberg, EvaKEY MESSAGES - Digital tools are an increasingly common approach to providing agricultural advisories, yet often many farmers do not participate in digital knowledge systems. - Conventional approaches for analyzing digital inclusion focus on internet access, digital literacy, and benefit inequalities, and overlook agroecology values such as co-creation of knowledge, agency, and empowerment. - Co-creation of knowledge is a continuous process in which those participating need to have real influence. If not, the power stays with the technology developers. - Combining knowledge that is co-created by many diverse people and data and information from digital tools leads to responsible hybrid collective intelligence. - Features of digital tools that support co-creation of knowledge, digital agency, and scaling of agroecology practices include that they enable knowledge integration, two-way communication, inclusive access, and responsible use. - A step-wise approach is needed to develop digital resources that enable farmers’ digital agency and support the scaling of agroecological practices.Item Agroecología y resiliencia de los pequeños agricultores al cambio climático: practicas agroecológicas en café(Report, 2024) Siles, Pablo; Guillen, JoseItem Excellence in Agronomy: Contribution to Kenya fertilizer access & nutrient use efficiency programme(Presentation, 2024-01) Nkomo, Mandlenkosi; Kinyua, Michael; Mathu, SamuelItem Monitoring report on fertilizer validation trials under the Kenya fertilizer access and nutrient use efficiency program(Report, 2024-11) Kinyua, Michael; Mathu, Samuel; Kihara, Job; Nkomo, MandlenkosiThe Excellency in Agronomy (EiA) initiative in collaboration with Africa Fertilizer Agribusiness Partnerships (AFAP), Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), President’s Economic Transformation Secretariat (PETS), University of Eldoret and the Ministry of Agriculture are conducting fertilizer validation trials in Nandi County of Kenya. The aim of the fertilizer validation exercise is to: 1) Establish what are the localized NPK fertilizer recommendation for maize 2) Assess maize response to application of lime 3) Increase maize yields and profitability by at least 20%. To achieve the above objectives, three fertilizer recommendations were identified/developed for validation: 1) Agwise recommendation: different rates of NPK (17:17:17) depending on the sub-County’s soil nutrient levels 2) Agwise recommendation + lime: NPK (17:17:17) + Lime guided by sub-County’s soil pH levels 3) Blanket recommendation: Ministry of Agriculture recommendation for the County applied in form of Di- ammonium phosphate (DAP).Item Outcome Report. Agroecological Transitions: Inclusive Digital Tools (ATDT)(Report, 2025-02) Funk, Evelyn; Rassmann, Kornelia; Sette-Mosaner, Marcelo; Van Tuan, VuThe Agroecological Transitions: Digital Tools (ATDT) project (2022– 2024), led by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, aimed to promote inclusive digital innovation to support farmers and technical advisors in adopting climate-resilient agroecological practices at scale. The project targeted sustainable rice production in Vietnam and sustainable beef production in Brazil, while providing global guidance and lessons learned for broader application. This section presents ten key messages derived from the Outcome Harvesting evaluation of the ATDT project, offering a summary of its core findings, critical achievements, challenges, and lessons learned. These concise and accessible takeaways distill the essence of the study, highlighting the project’s success in advancing inclusive digital innovation. This format serves as an alternative to the traditional executive summary, enhancing the practical value of the evaluation report for a diverse range of users.Item Harnessing the power of citizen science for agroecological transitions: The case of the One Million Voices of Agroecology Initiative and Digital Platform(Journal Article, 2025-01-31) Fuchs, Lisa Elena; van Dien, Lily Cannell; Mondardini, Maria Rosa Rosy; Penunia, Ma Estrella Esther; Baguilat, Irish; Larrea Macías, Sergio Iván; Souza, Marcelo Soares; Formighieri, Eduardo Fernandes; Gonçalves, Murilo Gelain; Westphalen, Rodrigo B.; Pimentel, Vitória; Ricci, Fabio; Levina, Daria; Geck, MatthiasThe One Million Voices (OMV) citizen science initiative aimed to harness the power of citizen science to support agroecological transitions globally. Its goal was to co-develop a citizen science platform that enables farmers, producer organizations, and consumers around the world to participate in agroecology movements, support agroecology adoption, and contribute to the co-creation and sharing of knowledge on the performance of agroecology. The OMV initiative used a facilitated co-design process that involved a global review, regional partnerships, and structured dialogues in four regions of the world, and a collective prioritization process to develop the scope and features of the emerging platform. Following the recommendation of the global review to build on existing networks, the project team partnered with Agroecology Map to develop the OMV of Agroecology platform. The key research question addressed by the platform is: What agroecological practices are being implemented around the world, with what effects, and by whom? Its main functions include the participatory mapping of innovative on-farm and off-farm agroecological practices, their characterization, and their evaluation. Users can also connect with each other, consult maps listing locations and practices, and access personalized summary data analyses. The data provide scientific evidence on the geographic spread and application of agroecology, preferences of agroecology actors, and context-specific performance assessments. Herein, we demonstrate how a global co-created citizen science process can be structured and leveraged in a transdisciplinary way. The OMV platform’s contribution to strengthening and shaping agroecological transitions worldwide will depend on decisive, broad, and diverse participation.Item Feasibility of biochar technology to support the sustainable intensification and decarbonization of cocoa production in West-Africa(Presentation, 2024) Pulleman, Mirjam; Hougni, Deo-Gratias; Rahn, Eric; Barrio, Julian; Coppus, Ruben; Nguyen, Thuy Thanh; Roobroeck, dries; Talsma, TiffanyDecarbonization represents a major challenge for global commodity value chains, including cocoa. As biochar is increasingly presented as an effective carbon removal technology, it has attracted the attention of the chocolate industry. Moreover, potential agronomic and environmental benefits of biochar production and its utilisation in tropical soils could contribute to sustainable intensification of cocoa cultivation. Yet, scaling of biochar technologies has not yet been observed. We therefore explored the technical and environmental feasibility of biochar production in the context of smallholder cocoa farming in Ivory Coast and Ghana, responsible for more than 60% of the global supply. We combined extensive literature review with expert interviews to inform a carbon accounting model. The model calculates a carbon balance associated with different scenarios of biochar production and incorporation in soil under cocoa cultivation, compared to a baseline representing current practices. Next, we synthesised practical challenges and opportunities for adoption and scaling, based on the same interviews. The carbon removal potential of biochar is fully realised only if its production is coupled with bioenergetic applications that displace GHG emissions from non-sustainably sourced energy. In the most plausible scenario, the woody pruned residues and cocoa pod husks are gasified in improved cookstoves yielding ~20% biochar. Largest uncertainties arose from the use of fossil fuel powered machines for feedstock crushing, biochar grinding, and transport from and to conversion site. Additional challenges for scaling include labour demand, feedstock availability, application rates, equipment reproducibility at local scale, and lack of proven yield response. Opportunities include biochar co-composting in nutrient deficient soils, and application of biochar to seedlings exposed to drought conditions (nursery and replanting) and in light-textured, acidic soils. The study highlights consolidated knowledge and priorities for further research. Low technology readiness for current cocoa farmers, further exacerbated by economic challenges, will need to be addressed for farmers and industry to benefit from the opportunities of biochar.Item Using digital tools for a sustainable transition in small- scale livestock farming in Brazil: Results from workshops with local action partners(Report, 2024-12) Oliviera, Denis; Laurens, Violaine; Pereira, MarianaThis report summarizes the results of three workshops about the use of digital tools to support the sustainable transition of family livestock farming in Brazil, organized by Solidaridad in November 2024 in the context of the Inclusive Digital Tools (ATDT) project. The Inclusive Digital Tools Project (ATDT) aims to make digital technologies accessible to all, to integrate resilience and climate change mitigation with agroecological objectives and train farmers to develop new practices. It is an initiative of the Agroecological Transitions Program for Building Resilient and Inclusive Agricultural & Food Systems (TRANSITIONS), funded by the European Union through its DeSIRA initiative and managed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The TRANSITIONS program seeks to support large-scale agroecological transitions through the development and adoption of multidimensional performance indicators for food and agricultural systems, inclusive digital tools, incentives and public and private sector investments for food systems. Solidaridad has been working in the South of Pará, along the Transamazonian highway for over 10 years, supporting rural families in the adoption of better production practices with the objective of boosting family income while reducing carbon emissions and deforestation. As part of the ATDT project, Solidaridad conducted a highly collaborative co-creation process involving over 90 extension staff, farmers, and IT developers that resulted in the development of a mobile application called Solis. Launched publicly in October 2024, this innovative tool replicates social media mechanisms to enable farmers and extensionists to continuously engage in the co-creation of knowledge, providing them with the opportunity to share their own experiences and insights. With a simple and intuitive interface, Solis allows users to publish videos—whether produced by themselves or shared from other social networks—on techniques, experiences, and knowledge related to agricultural production, thereby fostering an interactive environment for the generation and dissemination of local knowledge. As an open application available to any user with the Android operating system, Solis can also be accessed by other stakeholders interested in exchanging knowledge and techniques for more sustainable agricultural production. In this way, Solis serves as a valuable tool for promoting the ongoing exchange of information among small producers, researchers, policymakers, decision-makers, market agents, expand outreach of technical assistance, and support the transition from a traditional bottom-up approach to a more interactive, two-way communication model with farmers. In addition to the development of Solis, the ATDT project also resulted in the publication of a comprehensive training curriculum for sustainable livestock production. This curriculum outlines the methodology for co-creating locally relevant practices with farmers, extension staff, and experts, drawing on insights from its application in the Transamazon region. It includes a detailed overview of Solis, as well as practical guidance on using the platform to disseminate information about sustainable livestock farming practices. Following the launch of Solis and the publication of the curriculum, Solidaridad organized three workshops with key stakeholders in the livestock value chain at the municipal level in Novo Repartimento and at the state level in Pará and Mato Grosso. The workshops aimed to discuss how digital tools can support and accelerate the transition to a sustainable livestock production model, as well as gather suggestions from participants to make the Sustainability Curriculum and the Solis app useful and relevant in their local context. Attendees included representatives from municipal and state environmental and agricultural secretariats, farmer organizations, NGOs, private sector entities, and academic institutions. The objective of this report is to document and share key contributions from these stakeholders, with the hope that this will facilitate the adoption of the curriculum in other regions for the co-creation of relevant sustainable and agroecological practices tailored to the local context, as well as promote the use of Solis as a channel for the dissemination and sharing of knowledge about sustainable practices.Item CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology: Technical report on the types, availability, quantities and spatial distribution of organic resources in Kiambu and Makueni Counties(Report, 2024-12-30) Kuria, Anne; Wamaitha, Mercy; Mwangi, Victor; Onyango, Kevin; Bolo, Peter; Wanyama, Rosina; Adoyo, Beatrice; Fuchs, Lisa Elena; Korir, Hezekiah; Lelei, David; Awiti, AlexOrganic resources are a critical entry point for fostering agroecological transitions. They contribute to soil health, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity conservation, enhancing agricultural sustainability and resilience. Three primary sources are animal manure, crop residues, and purpose-produced organic resources from agroforestry. A systematic mapping initiative focused on these sources holds immense potential to facilitate informed decision-making, optimize resource utilization, and promote adopting agroecological practices across Kenya ALLs. We propose a systematic mapping of organic resources within agricultural landscapes, emphasizing animal manure, crop residues, and purpose-produced organic resources from agroforestry. This technical report presents results from a survey that was undertaken to identify and quantify the spatial distribution of organic resources that exist within the entire Kiambu and Makueni counties. Specific objectives: 1. To characterize the socio-economic profiles of communities in Kiambu and Makueni Counties. 2. To analyze the types and composition of organic resources, including their volumes, frequency of production, availability, uses, benefits, reasons for use, potential substitutes, outsourcing and purchasing costs, as well as sales and income generation. 3. To identify the challenges, opportunities, and solutions related to organic resource utilization, including implemented and unimplemented solutions and the barriers to their implementation. 4. To assess the existing skills of the Kiambu and Makueni county populations related to organic resource management, identify skill gaps, and determine training needs.Item Cost-benefit analysis of agroecological interventions in green leafy vegetable business models in Kiambu County, Kenya(Report, 2024-12) Onyango, Kevin; Ndiwa, Aurillia Manjella; Bolo, Peter; Wanyama, Rosina; Chege, ChristineThere is a global consensus that agroecology is a sustainable approach for agriculture and food system transformation. This is largely through harnessing nature’s resources while minimizing adverse environmental effects and improving connectivity, knowledge co-creation and inclusive relationships among food system actors. However, there is limited evidence on whether this approach is economically viable, especially for the majority of low-income value chain actors like smallholder farmers. This study therefore sought to assess the costs and benefits of integrating selected agroecological innovations in green leafy vegetable (GLV) value chains in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study focused on three GLV business models with potential for agroecological transition – one input based and two output based models. The agroecological interventions assessed include a physical expansion of agribusiness enterprises to increase production capacity and diversity, introduction of out-grower model for increased organic input production, adoption of a participatory guarantee system (PGS) for food quality assurance, adoption of collective organic production and marketing for food safety, and improved linkages among value chain actors through communication, coordination and knowledge sharing. The study applied a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) in the assessment. Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and the Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) were applied as the evaluation criteria for the economic CBA. Additionally, thematic analysis was used to assess the social and environmental costs and benefits of the interventions in the three business models. At farm level, the results show a positive NPV across all the three models ranging from USD 130 to USD 1554, an IRR of 85% to 220%, and a BCR of 2.0 to 3.1. Similarly, at business level, the results show a positive NPV ranging from USD 320 to USD 9,684, an IRR of 24% to 29% and a BCR of 1.0-1.9. However, farm-level interventions have a shorter payback period compared to business level interventions. This shows that agroecology is economically viable at both farm and business levels. Results from the qualitative assessment also show perceived positive social and environmental outcomes of the selected interventions, implying that integration of agroecological interventions in food value chains has the potential to contribute positively to the overall food system transformation.Item Farming for the future: Understanding factors enabling the adoption of diversified farming systems(Journal Article, 2024-12-10) Sanchez-Bogado, Andrea Cecilia; Estrada-Carmona, Natalia; Beillouin, Damien; Chéron-Bessou, Cecile; Rapidel, Bruno; Jones, SarahDiversified farming practices offer a promising pathway to sustainable food production by providing economic, environmental, and social benefits to farmers and society. However, the factors influencing their adoption are poorly understood, hindering the development of effective promotion strategies. This study presents a comprehensive global meta-analysis of 154 peer-reviewed studies analysing factors influencing adoption. We examined the effects of 71 factors across nine key categories—biophysical context, farm management characteristics, farmers’ attitudes, political and institutional context (access to knowledge, land tenure, financial risk management), and five forms of capital (financial, human, natural, physical, and social)—on the adoption of ten diversified practices in 42 countries across five UN regions. Our results reveal that access to knowledge, social capital, and farmers’ attitudes are key enablers of adoption, surpassing financial, physical, human, and natural capital. Specifically, access to extension services, strong social networks, and perceived environmental benefits significantly correlate with adoption. Land ownership, household income, literacy levels, and shallow soils have smaller positive effects. The influence of these factors varies across practices and geographic contexts, highlighting the complex and multifaceted nature of adoption. These findings emphasize the need for holistic agricultural initiatives and policies to promote the adoption of sustainable practices. Strategies that build technical knowledge and social capital and that are tailored to local contexts, sociocultural norms, and market structures, considering farmers' perceptions and attitudes through codesign processes, are more likely to succeed. Adaptive and context-specific strategies are crucial for fostering the widespread adoption of diversified farming practices and a more sustainable agricultural future.Item Co-designing technical innovations in the context of agroecological living landscapes(Report, 2024-12) Triomphe, Bernard; Ouattara, Songdah Désiré; Kumar, Gopal; Fuchs, Lisa E.; Sanchez Choy, Jose; Piraux, Marc; Mannai, Amal; Telma, Sibanda; Sib, Ollo; Smith, B.; Vall, Eric; Maliappan, Sudharsan; Gaderwar, Pragya; Korir, Hezekiah; Bolo, Peter; Douangsavanh, S.; Dubois, Marc; Monserrate, Fredy; Tristan Febres, Maria; Kaoukou, Patrice; Rüdiger, Udo; Mhamed, Hatem Cheikh; Chimonyo, Vimbayi; Baudron, FrédéricThis report documents the processes, results, and key learnings from implementing co-design approaches for agroecological innovations across eight countries (Burkina Faso, India, Kenya, Laos, Peru, Senegal, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe) during 2023-2024, as part of Work Package 1 of the CGIAR Agroecology Initiative. The participating countries demonstrated significant diversity in their co-design approaches, reflecting different contexts, farming systems, and priorities. Several countries like Kenya and Zimbabwe implemented structured, multi-cycle processes with systematic stakeholder engagement, while others like Peru focused on specific value chains such as organic cacao production. The co-design process typically progressed through several key phases: preparatory work to establish foundations and relationships, stakeholder engagement and visioning to develop shared understanding and goals, collaborative technology identification and design, systematic trial establishment, robust monitoring and evaluation, knowledge exchange through field days and farmer-to-farmer learning, capacity building, and iterative refinement based on results and feedback. Stakeholder participation varied across countries but consistently involved farmers, international researchers, and extension services. Some countries achieved strong integration with national research organizations and private sector actors, though this remained a challenge in several locations. The process helped strengthen institutional collaboration and knowledge sharing between stakeholders while empowering farmers as active participants in innovation development. In Kenya, for example, the establishment of partnerships with farmer training centers as "host centers" created effective platforms for ongoing engagement and scaling. Across the initiative, countries tested approximately 30+ distinct technologies spanning various domains. These included innovations in soil health management, such as Zimbabwe's conservation agriculture practices and Tunisia's biochar applications; integrated pest management approaches like Kenya's plant-based biopesticides and Peru's organic disease management for cacao; water management technologies including India's solar irrigation systems; and crop-livestock integration methods demonstrated by Burkina Faso's dairy production innovations. The scale of implementation was significant, reaching 300-350 farmers (data from six countries only), though the intensity of engagement varied. Most countries implemented 1 or 2 experimental cycles during this period, with some achieving three cycles based on local growing seasons. Technology performance and adoption patterns showed strong context-dependency. Several technologies demonstrated significant potential for scaling, particularly where they aligned well with existing farming systems and provided clear economic benefits. Tunisia's forage intercropping systems showed marked improvements in soil health and animal nutrition, while Kenya's basic agroecological practices achieved widespread adoption through existing farmer networks. Burkina Faso's dairy management innovations demonstrated how integrated approaches could improve both productivity and resource efficiency. Several critical success factors for technology adoption were identified, including secure land tenure, access to adequate labor and resources, and strong institutional support systems. Common challenges included high initial investment costs, intensive labor requirements, and the need for technical knowledge and training. Gender dynamics played a significant role, with some technologies showing different adoption patterns between men and women farmers. Looking forward, the co-design experience generated valuable insights for future implementation. There is a clear need for standardized yet flexible methodological guidelines that maintain scientific rigor while allowing local adaptation. Future processes should better integrate activities across plot, farm, and landscape scales, while addressing multiple types of innovations including organizational and institutional ones. Enhanced mechanisms for inclusive participation, particularly of women farmers and diverse stakeholder groups, will be crucial for success. These results provide a strong foundation for refining and scaling these approaches through the upcoming Multifunctional Landscapes program. The experiences demonstrate that well-structured co-design approaches can generate both immediate benefits and longer-term transformative change in agricultural systems, particularly when supported by robust knowledge sharing platforms and communication systems. Success will require continued attention to both technical and social dimensions while maintaining flexibility to accommodate local contexts and emerging opportunities.Item Agroecología para mejorar los sistemas alimentarios más allá del rendimiento(News Item, 2024-10-30) Estrada Carmona, NataliaOp-ed about Agroecology and its role in the 16th Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Published in El Espectador, a national-wide newspaper in ColombiaItem CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology: Stakeholder inception workshop report on mapping organic resources in Kiambu and Makueni Counties(Report, 2024-12-30) Awiti, Alex; Kuria, Anne; Onyango, Kevin; Korir, Hezekiah; Wanyama, Rosina; Bolo, Peter Omondi; Ndiwa, Aurillia; Sakha, Michael; Mbelwa, Machio; Adoyo, Beatrice; Anyango, EdithOrganic resources are a critical entry point for fostering agroecological transitions. They contribute to soil health, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity conservation, enhancing agricultural sustainability and resilience. Three primary sources are animal manure, crop residues, and purpose-produced organic resources from agroforestry. A systematic mapping initiative focused on these sources holds immense potential to facilitate informed decision-making, optimize resource utilization, and promote the adoption of agroecological practices across the Kenya ALLs. We propose systematically mapping organic resources within agricultural landscapes, emphasizing animal manure, crop residues, and purpose-produced organic resources from agroforestry. Following the submission of 2024 workplan and budget (AWPB) for the Agroecology Initiative project, the project received additional funding to map organic resources in Kiambu and Makueni. The ‘Mapping of organic resources for agroecological transition in Kenya agroecological living landscapes aimed to: i) identify and quantify the spatial distribution of organic resources derived from animal manure, crop residues, urban and municipal waste and purpose-produced agroforestry resources within agricultural landscapes; ii) co-develop innovative business models and value chains to facilitate value addition and scaling of access to organic resources by smallholder farmers, considering factors such as resource aggregation, distribution, and market linkages as well as identifying relevant policy levers and advocacy approaches to promote the use of organic resources to accelerate agroecological transition in smallholder farmers.Item Agrobiodiversity Zones - Peru's flagship initiative at COP-16(Blog Post, 2024-12-22) Ramirez, Marleni; Jones, Sarah; Estrada Carmona, Natalia; Quintana, Cristina; Fernandez, ElizabethAt the COP16 on Biodiversity, last October in Cali, Colombia, Peru presented its in-situ/on farm agrobiodiversity conservation model during a prime-time side event titled “Agrobiodiversity Zones, Millenary agricultural conservation for Peru and world food security”, led by INIA, the Institute of Agrarian Innovation in the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of Peru, MIDAGRI. This event presented the steps being taken by the government to officially recognize and support the silent effort of original people’s and rural communities in the conservation of the magnificent agrobiodiversity of Peru, fundamental for food security, climate change adaptation and sustainable development for the country and the world.Item Can agroecology improve nature’s pulse?(Blog Post, 2024-08-29) Estrada Carmona, Natalia; Kettle, Chris J.; Sanchez Bogado, Andrea Cecilia; Jones, Sarah; Urrea Benítez, José Luis; Gee, Eliot; Mattson, SeanOn the path to COP16: this entry in our perspective series focuses on agroecology and biodiversity as a central solution for sustainable agriculture.