Biodiversity and agriculture: A review of the evidence

While agri-food systems today provide enough food globally, they have been unable to provide the basis for sufficiently diverse and healthy diets, with a persistent underproduction of a range of nutritious foods like fruits, nuts, vegetables, beans and pulses. Meanwhile, agriculture is also the single largest driver of environmental degradation. These two challenges are linked through the common solution space of biodiversity

Learning from research on water governance: Priorities for One CGIAR.

Water is an essential resource for all life, but is extremely difficult to manage productively, sustainably and equitably. Good water governance has been a major theme of multiple international conferences for at least two decades (Woodhouse and Muller 2017). Without good governance, we cannot achieve poverty reduction, food security, environmental sustainability, equity and other global development goals or respond effectively to the ravages of climate change. Achieving many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) depends on the availability of water to users. However, while there are some local success stories, progress on improving water management has been poor. By many measures, we are moving in the wrong direction: access to water, water scarcity, water pollution and food insecurity are getting worse in many parts of the world. Further, the rapid loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services threatens humanity’s future (Bradshaw et al. 2021). There is strong evidence and broad agreement that this is fundamentally a governance failure (e.g., Pahl-Wostl 2017). If we do not succeed in governing water more effectively, we cannot achieve the SDGs. Getting the governance of natural resources right is also a pre requisite for achieving CGIAR’s ambitious 2030 goals (CGIAR n.d.)

Climate migration and social transformation: The case of West Africa

Although migration has long been an adaptive strategy in West Africa driven by multiple interrelated factors, climate migration is expected to increase as the impacts of climate change worsen. Climate migration is widely expected to accelerate existing trends, including the movement of people from the dry Sahelian belt to coastal countries and urbanization. Migration is increasingly seen as a climate adaptation strategy with benefits as well as challenges including conflict risks, ‘trapped populations’ stranded in marginal areas, and the rapid growth of cities. The benefits and costs of migration will be unevenly distributed at the national, local and household levels. Migration leads to profound changes in the socio-cultural dynamics of both the sending and receiving areas, including changes in household composition, gender roles and social support networks. These social transformations are poorly understood and mapped, even though they will significantly influence future migration flows and overall development outcomes. Policy makers and researchers should work together to improve data collection and develop social transformation frameworks that can inform policy formulation processes and investment decisions

Sharing research data in a connected world for connected decisions: Lessons learned from the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)

Trends in data science demonstrate the utility of big, open access data in addressing global challenges such as land degradation, food and nutrition security, biodiversity loss and climate change. As vastly more data becomes accessible, new skill sets are required in order to collect, manage, curate, store, share and analyze these datasets. This brief provides lessons learned on collecting, managing and utilizing research data from a 10-year research-for-development program that aimed to advance research and innovation in the areas of soil, land, water and ecosystems. While institutional changes will take time, this paper advocates an integrated approach as a more immediate solution for managing large amounts of research data – from the outset of projects until the end with a specific focus on data ethics and reusability. Resources, capacities and organizational structures and norms must be built around these objectives

Reflections on a decade of innovative research-for-development

This synthesis brief captures insights and lessons from the implementation of the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) over the past decade. By assessing the program’s performance, thematic scope and its management, governance and structure, as well as the ways in which the program has monitored and communicated its research outputs, this brief aims to consolidate WLE’s experiences and inform the transition to One CGIAR and the development of future research-for-development initiatives

Controlled Environment Agriculture for sustainable development: A call for investment and innovation

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is the production of plants, fish, insects or animals inside structures, such as greenhouses and buildings, in controlled conditions. In a rapidly urbanizing world, CEA can contribute to sustainable development, e.g. through reduced use of land, water and inputs. There is a need for innovation in policy, technology and business practices to scale up CEA in the Global South sustainably and equitably

Enabling sustainable, productive smallholder farming systems through improved land and water management

Farmer-led investments in agricultural land and water management (ALWM) are transforming livelihoods and food security across South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Potential exists for even greater benefits, for even more beneficiaries. Understanding what factors influence adoption and impact of ALWM interventions can help ensure sustainable, positive effects of future investments. WLE has designed a suite of tools and investment models to support policy makers and development agents to leverage and extend the investments farmers are already making