Scaling for Impact

We address global poverty, food insecurity, and climate risk by translating rigorous science into solutions that are used at scale. Scaling for Impact works across disciplines to align research with policy, markets, and investment, generating decision-ready evidence and coordinating partners to deliver integrated solutions. This approach accelerates uptake, strengthens national delivery systems, and reduces fragmentation and duplication across the development landscape.

As CGIAR's first Program fully dedicated to scaling land, food, and water systems innovations, Scaling for Impact focuses on overcoming the practical constraints that limit adoption and sustained use. The Program brings together scientific excellence, delivery expertise, and financing pathways to support inclusive and responsible scaling. By aligning innovations with country priorities and large-scale public and private investment, Scaling for Impact strengthens CGIAR's role as a trusted partner for governments, development actors, and investors seeking measurable, durable outcomes at scale. 

Scaling for Impact contributes to CGIAR's 2030 Impact Goals by embedding proven innovations into the systems that deliver at scale. By 2030, these efforts support:

• More than 62 million people benefiting from CGIAR innovations, with at least 30% women, youth, or underrepresented groups
• 10 million hectares under biodiversity-friendly and climate-smart practices
• 250,000 jobs created or improved across agrifood systems
• 480,000 consumers gaining improved access to healthier diets, at least half women
• Over US$5 billion in aligned public and private investment supporting sustained scaling

These outcomes are achieved through five connected scaling pathways:

• Public delivery systems – integrating research and evidence-based innovations into national policies, extension services, seed systems, and climate and nutrition programs.
• Market and enterprise systems – enabling private-sector delivery through value chains, service providers, and digital platforms.
• Public and development finance – embedding CGIAR innovations in large-scale government and multilateral bank and private sector financed programs.
• Policy and institutional change – addressing regulatory, coordination, and capacity constraints to sustained use of innovations.
• Evidence and learning – using data and learning to guide decisions on what to scale, where, and how.

Scaling for Impact works with governments, national research and extension systems, private-sector actors, and development partners to embed CGIAR innovations in delivery systems that operate at scale. Current engagement countries include:

Africa
Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia

Asia
Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Vietnam

Latin America
Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico

Across these countries, the Program works with agribusinesses, input and service providers, financial institutions, and value-chain partners, alongside public institutions, to support sustained adoption and long-term delivery beyond project cycles. Scaling for Impact also works at regional level with regional organizations to extend innovations across countries and to foster South–South learning and coordinated scaling actions.

CGIAR has generated a wealth of high-quality science, yet too often this science does not translate into sustained impact at scale. The core challenges are systemic and persistent. 

• From strong science to weak delivery at scale
  Many proven innovations stall after pilots because they are not sufficiently aligned with country priorities, delivery systems, or the institutions responsible for implementation.
• Fragmented pathways across policy, markets, and institutions
  Scaling is constrained by policy gaps, regulatory barriers, limited coordination, and underdeveloped markets, which prevent innovations from being adopted and sustained beyond individual projects.
• Insufficient connection to large-scale public and development finance
  Innovations frequently sit outside government programs and investment pipelines, limiting reach, durability, and value for money.
• Rising pressure from climate, conflict, and inequality
  Climate risk, environmental degradation, instability, and widening inequality increase urgency while making scaling more complex and risk-sensitive.
• Limited systemwide learning on what works at scale
  Evidence on scaling pathways is uneven, feedback loops are weak, and learning is not consistently used to adjust portfolios, leading to repetition and missed opportunities.

We will prioritize gender equality and social inclusion through a transformative agenda and targeted interventions,integrating these priorities into its research and co-develop responsible scaling strategies with partners to ensure equitable access to resources and opportunities for marginalized groups..

Interlinked support across CGIAR’s portfolio
We will work closely with the Better Diets and Nutrition, Breeding for Tomorrow, Climate Action, Food Frontiers and Security, Multifunctional Landscapes, Policy Innovations, Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods, and Sustainable Farming programs, and the Digital Transformation, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, and Shared Capacity accelerators.

Working to share our capacity with

• governments and international financial institutions
• agribusinesses and agrifood system players
• scientists and students

• Robust relationships with regional and national stakeholders
• A mandate and experience in scaling science, combined with access to multistakeholder networks and scaling hubs
• Global and local transdisciplinary expertise with decades of in-country policy presence and a track record in enabling scaling research
• A mastery in mobilizing transformative finance and forming impactful collaborations with governments, private-sector actors, and international organizations.