Policy Innovations
Overview
We deliver evidence-based recommendations to strengthen policies, markets and institutions, thereby improving millions of lives.
We leverage our expertise in analyzing policy trade-offs and co-creating solutions in partnership with policymakers, think tanks, and other stakeholders in the Global South.
Our goal
Our work contributes through
Where we work
Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and 10+ other countries in the Global South
Challenges
Challenges we’ll address
- Rising Poverty: Increases in poverty & inequality exacerbated by growing uncertainties and poly-crises
- Failing Food Systems: Difficult trade-offs across multiple development objectives coupled with malfunctioning markets and underperforming institutions
- Knowledge gaps: Lack of credible and timely evidence for decision making to transform food, land and water systems
Areas of work
Foresight and Prioritization
We will work with partners to develop advanced foresight modeling and data systems and use these to inform decisions on policies, budgets, and investments to drive transformation in food, land, water, and economic systems to enhance nutrition, livelihoods, gender equity, social inclusion, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability.
Market-led Food System Transformation
We identify and test innovations for transformative change in food systems. We focus on innovations in policies, institutions, and technologies that bring greater efficiency, inclusive economic benefits, resilience to shocks, and environmental sustainability.
Governance and Political Economy
We will address governance and political economy challenges in strengthening food, land, and water systems amid global mega trends. We will collaborate with partners to provide advanced insights on the governance and institutions that best promote integrated food systems, the political economy of policymaking and implementation, and policy coherence and metrics.
Water-Energy-Food-Environment (WEFE) Nexus Policy
We tackle fragmented policy approaches that disproportionately burden the poorest and most marginalized populations by developing and applying systems models and nexus solutions, advancing climate-resilient water management and irrigation, building capacity on nexus methods, and strengthening water governance in a nexus perspective.
Country Strategy and Engagement
We work closely with national governments, think tanks, and regional organizations throughout the policy cycle, from agenda setting and policy design to policy adoption, implementation and reform. We co-create knowledge products with national and regional think tanks to rapidly respond to policy demand and enhance institutional capability, and foster regional and crosscountry learning.
Policy Knowledge Brokering Hub
We will aim to integrate CGIAR’s policy research capabilities by translating, synthesizing, and packaging key knowledge for external policy audiences with an all-CGIAR primary focus on poverty, inequality, employment and livelihoods.
Gender Equality & Social Inclusion
This research program will ensure that women, youth and other often marginalized groups participate meaningfully in policy processes and that public policies advance progress towards gender equality, youth empowerment and social inclusion.
Our approach
Interlinked support across CGIAR’s portfolio
Our program will complement the Better Diets and Nutrition, Breeding for Tomorrow, Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Food Systems, and Sustainable Farming programs, as well as the Capacity Sharing and Gender Equality & Inclusion Accelerators.
Working to share our capacity with
- government, national agricultural research systems, and civil society partners
- academia
- professionals
Our expertise
- Our commitment to providing food system-related public goods at multiple geographic and time scales for low- and middle-income countries
- A locally informed and embedded research staff with access to state-of-the-art analytical tools and capacity in multiple disciplines
- Our global linkage to key research and policy-making partners with complementary research and institutional capacities
Events
News
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Why subsidies alone won’t drive adoption of water-saving technology: The hidden role of electricity infrastructure and other challenges in Uzbekistan
While Uzbekistan offers generous subsidies to tackle its water crisis, a hidden barrier remains: the power grid. Our research reveals why even 92%...
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Will extreme weather lead to multiple breadbasket failures and threaten global food security?
Currently, 80% of the world’s people rely on just three agricultural commodities as primary food staples: Maize, rice, and wheat.
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Governing sustainable, climate-resilient, and equitable urban and peri-urban food systems transformations
By Aditi Chugh and Danielle Resnick November 21, 2025 Each October, the global community focuses on the challenges facing rapidly...
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We are fast running out of options to feed the world sustainably and preserve nature
Yonas Getaneh and Andrew Czyzewski How do we provide the absolute necessities of food and water for a growing global population without...