Alliance Research Lever 1: Food Environment and Consumer Behavior
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Item The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT Annual Report 2022: People at the heart of food systems(Annual Report, 2023) Bioversity International; International Center for Tropical AgricultureDiscover research, case studies, and highlights encapsulating the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT's mission to transform people's lives during a climate crisis. Highlights span: Land, Crops, Food, and Markets.Item Memorias del evento: Intercambio de resultados y experiencias del proyecto Clima-LoCa en el sector cacaotero del Occidente de Boyacá(Conference Proceedings, 2025-05) Charry, Andres; Perea, CarolayItem AVENIR progress and impact assessment: Descriptive report(Report, 2025-05-09) Muriithi, Cyrus; Ouedraogo, Issa; Chege, Christine; Kinyua, Michael; Nouwodjro, Paul; Diouf, Latyr; Maina, Wilson; Siagbe, GolliThis assessment of the AVENIR project activities demonstrates significant progress in building climate resilience and improving livelihoods among smallholder farmers in Senegal's Sedhiou and Tambacounda regions. Through its integrated approach combining climate-smart agriculture, economic empowerment, and capacity building (reaching 11,500 beneficiaries, 70% women and youth), the project has achieved measurable impacts across key outcome areas. The knowledge diffusion strategy shows success, with trained farmers serving as effective information nodes - each sharing agricultural knowledge with an average of 21 community members (median of 10 indicates most share with fewer individuals). Regression analysis confirms the program's efficacy, revealing farmers in intervention areas share knowledge 29 times more frequently than controls, with nutrition and integrated pest management training emerging as most impactful. Household resilience has strengthened significantly, evidenced by a composite Resilience Capacity Index of 47%, driven by key resilience pillars. Notable successes include Bakel department achieving 62% and Goudomp 54% resilience scores through integrated farming systems, and women demonstrating growing leadership with 11% participation in water resource management. Economic empowerment indicators show promise, particularly in agro-processing where bissap value chains generate average household earnings of 130,129 CFA. Nutrition outcomes improved substantially, with 36% of women now meeting minimum dietary diversity standards (MDD-W), rising to 61% in department like Bakel. While climate-smart agriculture adoption shows positive trends (79% manure management in Bounkiling), persistent challenges include uneven technology uptake (5.45% drip irrigation adoption) and geographic disparities in food security (39.9% severe insecurity in Tambacounda). The project's climate information services demonstrate strong potential (47% adoption in Goudomp), particularly when delivered through mobile platforms and community radio. These findings validate AVENIR's integrated approach while highlighting opportunities for targeted scaling - particularly in strengthening women's economic participation, expanding proven knowledge transfer systems, and addressing regional disparities through localized adaptation strategies. The results provide a robust evidence base for optimizing interventions during the remaining implementation period to maximize sustainable impact.Item Enhancing household food security through soil and water conservation practices: a case study in semi-arid areas of Ethiopia(Journal Article, 2025-06) Ayalew, M. W.; Teferi, E. T.; Wassie, S. B.; Mhiret, D. A.; Aakle, A. T.; Dagnew, D. C.; Adem, A. A.; Tilahun, Seifu A.Over recent decades, Ethiopia has substantially invested in soil and water conservation (SWC) practices, particularly in arid areas to strengthen environmental resilience, maintain agricultural productivity, and improve food security. Despite huge efforts, the impact of practices on improving households’ food security remains unexplored. This study, therefore, examines the impact of SWC practices on households’ food security in the semi-arid areas in Northwestern Ethiopia. The data collected from 546 households was analyzed using an endogenous switching regression (ESR). The findings showed that 52% of the surveyed households implemented SWC practices such as soil bunding, stone bunding, stone-faced soil bunding, and terracing on their farmlands. Adopters of SWC practices consumed more diversified foods with a higher dietary diversity score of 7.3 points and food consumption scores of 18.7 points compared with 0.63 and 4.02 points respectively for non-adopters. Adopters also reported lower scores on the Food Security Scale and Food Insecurity Experience Scale. The results suggest that adopting SWC practices improves utilization and stable access to food through enhancing soil fertility and restoring degraded farmlands to sustain existing and new food and fodder crops. This has led to an improved farm-level productivity and increased production diversity thereby contributing to household-level food security. The overall findings underscore the positive impact of SWC interventions on food security outcomes among adopter households in semi-arid areas of Ethiopia. However, the heterogeneity in treatment effects suggest that policymakers, extension agents, and local agricultural offices should consider individual and context specific conditions to effectively promote scaling SWC practices.Item Bridging indigenous peoples’ food systems and school meals programmes: evidence and gaps(Brief, 2025-05-01) Borelli, Teresa; Cabral, Bianca da Conceição; Mendonce, Sharon; Hunter, Danny; Pero, Alejandra; Rosado-May, FranciscoDespite their essential contributions, Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems (IPFS) are often marginalized in current policies and programmes and are the most affected by socio-economic and climate-related disparities. Paradoxically, they also hold many of the solutions to global crises. Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples requires recognizing and integrating Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge, cultures, and rights into national policies and systems. School meals programmes are a concrete way to achieve this. Bridging IPFS with these programmes ensures the right to culturally appropriate food and strengthens self-determination, local economies, and intergenerational knowledge transfer. This brief identifies the barriers to Indigenous participation in school feeding supply chains and outlines ways to overcome them through targeted policies and actions. It was prepared for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) Twenty-fourth Session (21 April – 2 May 2025) and supports the Forum’s 2025 theme on implementing Indigenous rights within UN Member States and systems.Item The Nutrition-Sensitive Food Environment Index: A comprehensive approach to assessing food environments in association with health risks for policy decision making(Journal Article, 2025-06-02) Akingbemisilu, Tosin Harold; Jordan, Irmgard; Asiimwe, Robert; Bodjrenou, Sam; Nabuuma, Deborah; Odongo, Nicanor; Onyango, Kevin Omondi; Teferi, Ermias; Tokeshi, Casey; Lundy, Mark; Termote, CelineFood environment indices often focus on food affordability, overlooking public health aspects. This study introduces a Nutrition-Sensitive Food-Environment Index (N-FEI) that assesses the interplay between food diversity, accessibility, and water and sanitation facilities linked to malnutrition risks. Data from 17,294 food vendors collected between 2020 and 2023 in six countries were used. Sensitivity analyses, Monte Carlo simulations, and variance decomposition were conducted to validate the index’s robustness. The machine learning algorithm XGBoost was used to predict health risks from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data, integrated into food environment data through geospatial techniques. The index model is scalable and adaptable for global use. Integrating comprehensive food environment assessments at the administrative census level is recommended to reduce estimation biases and to enhance the policymaking process. Future research should examine using the index for monitoring and evaluating food system transformations, tracking changes in food environments and related health outcomes.Item Agrobiodiversity and value chains(Presentation, 2025-05-20) Borelli, TeresaThis keynote presentation explores how developing strong, inclusive value chains for agrobiodiversity—especially for neglected and underutilized species —can drive sustainable food systems and improve livelihoods. Drawing on lessons from the Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition (BFN) project, the CGIAR Nature-Positive Solutions (NATURE+) Initiative, and the EU-funded DIVINFOOD projects, the talk highlights successful strategies to link smallholder farmers, cooperatives, processors, schools, chefs, and consumers. It emphasizes the importance of end-to-end thinking, from seed systems and gender equity to market access and institutional demand. Through real-world examples across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe, this keynote provides a compelling case for integrating agrobiodiversity into food value chains to support climate resilience, nutrition, and local economies.Item Achieving agroecological food system transformation(News Item, 2025-03-20) Fuchs, Lisa Elena; Awiti, Alex; Nyawira, Sylvia; Chege, Christine G. Kiria; Guettou Djurfeldt, NadiaWhile agroecological solutions exist at farm level, scaling them to broader food, land and water systems entails many hurdles. The CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology was launched in order to clear them. Based on their experience in Kenya, our authors share some overarching insights. A redesign of food systems is urgently needed to achieve ecological, economic and social sustainability. Agroecology offers a transformative pathway that integrates sustainable and resilient agricultural practices with increased agency for smallholder farmers and other food system actors, and pays special attention to women, youth and other marginalised groups. Agroecological solutions are well documented at farm level, but applying them to broader food, land and water systems remains a challenge given insufficient evidence, misaligned policies, inadequate capacity, insufficient attention to intersecting inequalities and limited financing mechanisms. The CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology (see Box) has been aiming to address these barriers by promoting the application of contextually appropriate agroecological principles by food system actors such as farmers, businesses, government entities and policy-makers in so-called agroecological living landscapes (ALLs). The latter are geographically bounded landscapes in which farmers, agroecology practitioners, researchers and other development actors identify, test and promote agroecological innovations across sectors and scales, thus generating evidence on the transformative potential of agroecology and identifying institutional innovations. As we come to the end of a three-year cycle of collaborative implementation and transition to a new CGIAR Science Program on Multifunctional Landscapes, the Agroecology Initiative Kenya research team leads share the following nine key messages.Item Making agricultural supply chains deliver better for women(Journal Article, 2025-04-10) Joya, Fernanda Soto; Shijagurumayum, Meghajit; Wiegel, Jenny; Elias, Marlene; González, Silvia; Rodríguez-Fabilena, René; Licona, Andrea; Sánchez, Liliana; Rodríguez, Ivan; Sosa, ÍtaloItem Advancing agroecology and dietary diversity in Vihiga: Bioversity International's instrumental collaboration on the county's first agroecology policy 2024(Case Study, 2025-05-27) Oduor, Francis Odhiambo; Termote, Celine; Aluso, Lillian Olimba; Induli, Irene MudiovoIn August 2024, the County Government of Vihiga launched a public consultation on its new Agroecology Policy, developed with the active participation of Bioversity International. Over the past decade, Bioversity International has facilitated an integrated community-based approach, leading to the establishment of a community seed bank in Vihiga for traditional leafy vegetables, benefitting 8,500 farmers. As a result, 85% of Vihiga County farmers diversified their farms and 75% reported better diets and incomes, ultimately influencing the design of the county-level Agroecology Policy [13,14,18,19].Item Clustering shrimp farms in Bangladesh: A novel effort with mixed outcomes(Brief, 2025-05-21) Kabir, Razin; Belton, Ben; Narayanan, Sudha; Sakil, Abdul Zabbar; Khan, Asraul Hoque; Hernandez, RicardoOrganizing smallholder farmers in clusters has been widely promoted as a way to boost agricultural productivity, streamline delivery of extension services, and improve access to markets. In Bangladesh, where shrimp is an important export crop produced largely by smallholders, government and industry view clustering as key to preventing Bangladesh being left behind in an increasingly competitive global market. Bangladesh’s shrimp exports are highly dependent on the hotel, restaurant, and catering (HoReCa) sector in Europe—a small and relatively low value market segment. Gaining access to the much larger and potentially more lucrative retail market segment in Europe and North America requires high quality, traceable, and - increasingly - certified, shrimp, posing a challenging for Bangladesh.Item Open traceability tool for EUDR compliance through co-designed digital infrastructure adopted by Honduran coffee farmers(Case Study, 2025-05-15) Ceballos Sierra, FedericoTraceFoodChain.org is an open-access traceability tool for EUDR compliance, developed by Permarobotics based on a digital infrastructure blueprint co-created with stakeholders of the Honduran coffee value chain. Facilitated by the Alliance, the three-month prototyping process defined key elements for interoperability, data ownership, and confidentiality. With a potential adoption by IHCAFE and ICF as a national standard, this blueprint could benefit up to 120,000 farmers and foster pre-competitive collaboration, enabling transparent and verifiable compliance with EUDR through integrated digital solutions.Item Colombian universities incorporate PlaSA Colombia as a pedagogical tool to promote food system education among young people(Case Study, 2025-05-08) Rankin, Sara; Gonzalez, Carlos; Castillo, JohanaThe Alliance-developed PlaSA Colombia platform enhances education on food systems through interactive, data-driven learning experiences, making complex concepts more accessible and engaging. Integrated into curricula at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and ICESI University, the platform has improved students’ and educators’ capacity to analyze sustainability challenges. Over 190 participants engaged in experiential learning activities, fostering critical thinking and informed decision-making on food choices. Institutional adoption and expansion plans demonstrate its scalability, while interdisciplinary collaboration has strengthened its impact, making PlaSA Colombia a replicable model for transforming food systems education.Item MyFarmTrees: 6000 empowered Kenyan and Cameroonian farmers restoring 2800 hectares, expanding towards global scale-up(Case Study, 2025-05-05) Chiriboga Arroyo, Fidel; Eitzinger, Anton; Ekue, Marius; Elias, Marlene; Feil, Christian; Guettou Djurfeldt, Nadia; Jalonen, Riina; Krishnan, Smitha; Oduor, Francis; Vinceti, Barbara; Kettle, ChristopherThe MyFarmTrees (MFT) digital MRV platform combines mobile applications for capacity building, restoration monitoring, and digital payments. Developed through community-driven iterations in Kenya and Cameroon, MyFarmTrees has transformed tree growing and supported a network of >300 local tree nursery enterprises. MyFarmTrees users track seed collection, seedling production and tree establishment. Empowered by the platform, close to 6000 farmers have participated in the forest-landscape restoration activities using native species, and >400 stakeholders, including farmers and nursery owners, have received digital economic incentives. MyFarmTrees scales across the Global South, attracting partnerships and investments.Item Understanding smallholder decision‐making to increase farm tree diversity: Enablers and barriers for forest landscape restoration in Western Kenya(Journal Article, 2025-01-27) Bosshard, Ennia; Carter, Harrison; Aluso, Lillian Olimba; Chumba, Reuben; Kaiser-Bunbury, Christopher N.; Kettle, Chris J.; Nuno, AnaAbstract Integrating diverse trees and shrubs (hereafter ‘trees’) in agricultural landscapes has emerged as a crucial nature‐based solution to the triple challenge of biodiversity loss, climate change and food security. The potential benefits of on‐farm trees for both people and nature, however, are often constrained by inadequate consideration of local socio‐ecological factors and an overall lack of species diversity. A deeper understanding of what drives farmers' decision‐making in diversifying farm trees is needed to ensure that scaling up tree‐based restoration efforts in smallholder landscapes delivers the promised benefits locally and globally. We conducted surveys with 620 smallholder farmers across Vihiga County in Western Kenya using an extended version of the Theory of Planned Behaviour to investigate potential drivers of smallholder intentions to grow more diverse woody plants on their farms. Data was analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). We found that farmers were more likely to diversify on‐farm trees if they had completed education beyond secondary school, derived all their income from their farms, were household heads and were among the wealthiest 20% of farmers. Our results revealed that farmers' decisions about increasing tree diversity were also influenced by socio‐psychological factors, namely their past experiences, the perceived behaviour and opinions of other farmers, their confidence in their ability to increase tree diversity, and their attitudes toward the expected outcomes of growing a wider range of tree species. Key barriers preventing farmers from diversifying were concerns about attracting harmful wildlife, decreasing soil fertility, small farm sizes, lack of time and knowledge, and certain cultural beliefs about planting trees. Synthesis and applications . Understanding the factors influencing farmers' intentions to increase tree diversity on their farms has substantial implications for the success of nature‐based solutions in Western Kenya and other densely populated smallholder landscapes. Addressing the identified barriers and enablers is crucial to design targeted interventions to promote sustainable tree diversification practices among smallholders to bolster local livelihoods and food security while contributing to biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.Item Perceptions of teachers and experts regarding school gardening practices to enhance agriculture and food literacy among school children(Abstract, 2025-01-18) Indramali, O.S.; Karunanayaka, M.M.S.; Perera, T.; Dissanayake, U.; Kudagammana, T.; Mohotti, A. J.; Hunter, Danny; Silva, K.D.R.R.Presented at the Annual Scientific Sessions of the Nutrition Society of Sri Lanka,18th and 19th of January 2025, Colombo, Sri Lanka. School garden provides opportunities for shaping children's food choices through hands-on learning that promotes healthy eating habits. This qualitative study aimed to identify current agronomic practices, explore challenges in school gardening and suggest improvements for a model garden to enhance students' knowledge, and attitudes toward agriculture, and nutrition. The present study involved in-depth interviews with 10 agriculture teachers from 18 schools across two districts (Kurunegala and Gampaha) in Sri Lanka, and 10 agriculture experts. Information on agronomic practices, challenges in school gardening, and best strategies for implementing model garden to positively impact students' knowledge, attitudes toward agriculture, and nutrition were gathered through interviews.Item Effects of community seed bank initiatives on indirect beneficiaries in Vihiga County, Kenya: Endline summary report(Report, 2023-12) Akingbemisilu, Tosin; Aluso, Lillian; Termote, CelineItem Bộ tài liệu hệ thống thực phẩm dành cho tập huấn viên(Training Material, 2025-04) Pham Thi, Huong Mai; Huynh Thi, Tuyen Thanh; Nguyen, Quoc Minh; Duong, Thanh Thi; Le Thi, NgaSáng kiến Chế độ ăn lành mạnh bền vững thông qua chuyển đổi hệ thống lương thực thực phẩm (SHiFT) do CGIAR tài trợ. Sáng kiến có mục tiêu thúc đẩy nhu cầu về chế độ ăn uống lành mạnh, bền vững, đảm bảo cung cấp thực phẩm bổ dưỡng, an toàn, giá cả hợp lý và được sản xuất bền vững. Tài liệu này là Phiên bản Tiếng Việt của bộ tài liệu Tiếng Anh đã được sử dụng trong khuôn khổ chương trình tập huấn dành cho tập huấn viên (ToT) thuộc Sáng kiến nghiên cứu SHiFT tại Việt Nam giai đoạn 2023-2024. Phiên bản Tiếng Việt được dùng làm tài liệu tham khảo cho các tập huấn viên nguồn đã tham gia khóa tập huấn của SHiFT vào tháng 11 năm 2023. Các tập huấn viên tham gia tập huấn khóa đầu tiên có thể sử dụng tài liệu này để xây dựng chương trình tập huấn cho các tập huấn viên, người tham gia các khóa kế tiếp. Chương trình tập huấn cho tập huấn viên nguồn (ToT) về Hệ thống lương thực thực phẩm (LTTP) được tiến hành qua 3 giai đoạn: Giai đoạn 1: Khóa tập huấn trực tuyến về Quản trị Hệ thống LTTP được tổ chức tháng 9 và 10/2023 và cấp giấy chứng nhận cho 28 học viên. Học viên nắm được lý thuyết nền tảng về chế độ ăn lành mạnh bền vững (SHD) thông qua chuyển đổi hệ thống LTTP (FST) và vai trò hợp tác đa bên (MSP). Giai đoạn 2: Khóa tập huấn trực tuyến tổ chức song song với giai đoạn 1 trong tháng 9 và 10/2023. Học viên hiểu rõ về hệ thống LTTP ở Việt Nam, kiến thức về chế độ ăn lành mạnh bền vững (SHD) thông qua chuyển đổi hệ thống LTTP (FST) và vai trò của hợp tác đa bên (MSP) và thực hành với các công cụ liên quan. Học viên cũng được tăng cường kỹ năng điều phối quá trình học tập và thay đổi. Giai đoạn 3: Khóa tập huấn trực tiếp 3 ngày “Tập huấn cho tập huấn viên về Hệ thống LTTP tại Việt Nam” cho 21 tập huấn viên khóa đầu tiên (những thành viên này đã được cấp giấy chứng nhận tập huấn trực tuyến), được tổ chức vào tháng 11/2023. Các thành viên tham gia đa dạng từ các ngành nông nghiệp, y tế, công thương, các trường đại học và viện nghiên cứu. Khóa tập huấn được thực hiện bởi Trung tâm Đổi mới Phát triển (WCDI) thuộc Đại học Nghiên cứu Wageningen và Trung tâm Nông nghiệp Nhiệt đới Quốc tế (CIAT, thành viên Liên minh Bioversity và CIAT) hợp tác với các cơ quan đối tác chiến lược của sáng kiến SHiFT tại Việt Nam bao gồm Viện Chiến lược, Chính sách nông nghiệp và môi trường (ISPAE) (trước đây là Viện Chính sách và Chiến lược Phát triển Nông nghiệp Nông thôn - IPSARD), Viện Dinh dưỡng Quốc gia (NIN), Viện Khoa học Nông nghiệp Việt Nam (VAAS). Chương trình tập huấn cho tập huấn viên quốc gia do các giảng viên Trung tâm Đổi mới Phát triển thuộc Đại học Nghiên cứu Wageningen (Wageningen Center for Development Innovation, Wageningen University & Research - WCDI, WUR) và Trung tâm Nông nghiệp Nhiệt đới Quốc tế - thành viên Liên minh Bioversity và CIAT (CIAT) hợp tác thực hiện.Item Unpacking food environment policy landscapes for healthier diets in “emerging” countries: the case of Viet Nam(Journal Article, 2025) Even, Brice; Truong, Thi Thu Trang; Thai, Thi Minh Hang; Pham, Thi Mai Huong; Nguyen, Thu Duong; Bui, Thi Viet Anh; Bene, ChristopheObjective: Food systems and food environments are evolving rapidly in Viet Nam, concurrently with significant shifts in dietary patterns and health outcomes. This study aims to identify critical gaps in the national regulatory framework governing food environment in Viet Nam and to propose actionable recommendations to overcome these gaps. Results: Using the Food Environment Policy Index from the INFORMAS network, we mobilized a transdisciplinary panel of 18 experts to co-analyze and assess policy evidence, as well as co-develop policy recommendations. The assessment, encompassing 35 indicators across six food environment domains, revealed substantial gaps: 74% of indicators scored low or very low, while only 26% scored medium or high. Key gaps were identified in food composition standards, marketing, labeling, and financial incentives. Recommendations from the experts focused on strengthening food composition standards, enhancing consumer education, and fostering inter-sectoral policy integration. Implications: This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of Viet Nam’s food environment policies and offers actionable recommendations to foster food environments conducive of healthier diets. Drawing on Viet Nam as a case study representative of challenges in other low- and middle-income countries, our findings highlight the importance of strong political commitment to prioritize public health over industry interests in order to create healthier, more equitable food environments and food systems.Item Approaches and benefits of NUS value chain development under the NATURE+ initiative: An overview(Report, 2025-02-03) Ghione, Andrea; Grazioli, Francesca; De Falcis, Eleonora; Borelli, Teresa; Gebrehawaryat, Yosef; Kaushal, Manoj; Nabuuma, Deborah; Otieno, Gloria; Ramirez, Marleni; Thomas, Evert; Vernooy, Ronnie