Sustainable Farming
We will address key challenges in agri-food systems by fostering efficient production of nutritious foods and safeguarding the environment to create fair employment opportunities, as we simultaneously tackle climate change, soil degradation, pests, diseases, and desertification.
We will involve farmers and communities through co-creation principles and systems integration, prioritizing bundled agronomic, plant health, and farming system solutions and socioeconomic innovations in a collaborative, integrated manner backstopped by CGIAR and partners’ expertise. By co-developing solutions, we will promote agricultural transformation towards productive, resilient, and sustainable farming systems.

Our work aims to help
- Reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by 15%
- creating fair agricultural gain for 2 million hectares of land
- providing for 5+ million farmers
Where we will work in
Bangladesh, Benin, Burundi, Cambodia, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Laos, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Challenges we’ll address
- Need to increase nutritious food production by 60% to meet expanding population demands
- 20-40% reduced agricultural productivity growth because of climate change
- An agricultural environmental footprint equivalent to 1/3 of annual greenhouse emissions
- Persistent social inequities and an aging agricultural labor force
- Exclusion of youth, women, and marginalized communities in agricultural production
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Areas of Work
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Climate Adaptation and Mitigation on FarmsWe will deliver climate-resilient farming system innovations to at least five million farmers that will enhance resilience to floods, droughts, cold stress, rising temperatures, variable rainfall patterns – envisioning a 15% reduction in GHG emissions.
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Precision nutrient managementWe will work with our partners to release a decision support tools framework for guiding tailored nutrient recommendations for at least 15 priority crops.
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Resilient soilsWe will co-develop technologies and other innovative solutions aimed at enhancing soil health in relation to soil fertility, hydrologic functions, soil-borne pest and disease control, biomass productivity and carbon sequestration essential for building more resilient farming systems and prevent land degradation.
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Plant health and mycotoxin safe cropsWe will strengthen plant health systems through enhanced diagnostics and surveillance to counter pests, diseases, weeds, and mycotoxins. We will use frontier technologies and investment in eco-friendly solutions essential to effective monitoring, risk prediction, and integrated management.
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Integrated water managementWe aim to contribute to water-resilient farming systems for at least three million producers by 2030 through the adoption of water innovations and integrated management practices that will mitigate water-related risks and address the unsustainable use of water resources.
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Scale appropriate mechanizationWe aim to improve labor productivity by at least 25% for over one million farmers by 2030 through increased access to agricultural machinery services.
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System integration through co-creationWe will address the problem of bridging between farm component research (crops, livestock, trees, fish, etc.) and the farmer’s whole-farm perspective, and integration of that with other levels of systems analysis.
Gender Equality & Social Inclusion
We will address gender and social inequalities in agri-food systems by employing an inclusive and gender responsive approach throughout our areas of work.
Our Approach
Interlinked support across CGIAR’s portfolio
We will work closely with the Better Diets & Nutrition, Breeding for Tomorrow, Climate Action, Genebanks, Multifunctional Landscapes, Policy Innovations, Scaling for Impact, Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods programs, and the Capacity Sharing, Digital Transformation, and Gender Equality and Inclusion accelerators.
Working to share our capacity with
- Governments and Policymakers
- Private sector
- Scientists and research institutions
Built on CGIAR’s proven expertise
- A strong capacity and experience in organizing and coordinating an international program around the future sustainability of agricultural systems
- A diverse and global expert pool of agronomists, soil scientists, plant health specialists, desert farming specialists, crop modelers, data scientists, policy scientists, and co-creation and gender experts
- Extensive, locally embedded physical resources within our centers, including research stations, field sites, laboratories, germplasm health units, manufacturing facilities, and long-term experiments
- Solutions and innovations tailored to local contexts while considering broader agricultural development goals
News
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Protecting Your Soybean Crop: Farmers Combat Rust Disease in Western Kenya
Sehlule Muzata24.11.25-
Climate adaptation & mitigation
Farmers in Kenya are being trained to detect and manage Soybean rust - a devastating…
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Integrated Management Strategies to Minimize Aflatoxin Contamination in Staple Grains
Sehlule Muzata17.11.25Aflatoxin contamination threatens public health, trade, and food security across Africa. Produced by…
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Eight innovation teams win CGIAR’s 2025 Scaling Fund support
Scaling for Impact Program13.11.25Engaging the real-world elements of scaling agrifood solutions Written by Esther Kihoro ‘Scaling 
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From Intervention to Transformation: How AKILIMO Continues to Shape Ogun State's Agricultural Future and Success
Sehlule Muzata04.11.25-
Climate adaptation & mitigation
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Environmental health & biodiversity
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Food security
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Gender equality, youth & social inclusion
When agricultural innovation endures beyond a project's lifespan, it symbolizes true transformation.…
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From bottles to solar pumps: how Cocoa farmers in Ghana are innovating to beat water stress
Sustainable Farming Science Program28.10.25-
Environmental health
Across Ghana's cocoa belt, the rhythm of the rains is no longer reliable. Once-predictable wet…
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Nigeria Commits to Boosting Soil Health for Food Security
Sustainable Farming Science Program20.10.25-
Climate adaptation & mitigation
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Food security
Nigeria, Africa’s fourth-largest economy and a key food producer, is launching the Presidential So…
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Publications
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Farmer Field Book (FFB): a standard tool for monitoring agronomic and water management practices and productivity in cocoa farming systems
International Water Management Institute (IWMI)21.11.25-
Climate adaptation & mitigation
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Food security
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Water Productivity Monitoring: Ethiopia
International Water Management Institute (IWMI)31.10.25