Co-creating Resilient Landscapes: Transitioning to Multifunctional Approach in India

The CGIAR Multifunctional Landscapes (MFL) Science Program signifies an innovative step in global research for sustainable development. MFL envisions vibrant, diverse, and resilient landscapes that are managed holistically to deliver eco-agrifood systems, healthy diets and climate resilience, all while staying within planetary boundaries (CGIAR, 2025–2030 Research Portfolio).

This vision takes shape through co-creation, where scientists, farmers, policymakers, civil society, and private sector actors work together to design innovations that balance environmental sustainability with human development. By bridging agriculture, environment, nutrition, and policy, the program aims to transform landscapes into multifunctional systems that not only enhance productivity but also restore ecosystems, strengthen rural livelihoods, and build resilience against climate shocks.

Spanning diverse geographies including- Colombia, India, Kenya, Peru, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe, integrating research and practice across seven inter-connected Areas of Work (AoWs). These AoWs range from advancing agroecology and circular bioeconomy solutions to embedding inclusive governance, market-based models, gender equity and digital innovations into landscape management. Together, they provide a framework for moving from field-level solutions to global engagement, ensuring that local interventions inform international dialogues and vice versa.

In this context, a consultation was convened on “Co-creating Resilient Landscapes: Transitioning to a Multifunctional Approach”, on 7^th August 2025, in Pune, Maharashtra to serve as a critical milestone in initiating the program in selected geographies of India. Organized jointly by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, the event brought together representatives from research institutions, development organizations, financial agencies, and government bodies. Together, they charted pathways for embedding nature-positive, agroecological, and multifunctional landscape approaches into India’s rural development agenda. This consultation was followed by Vision-to-Action (V2A) exercises in Shirdi (8^th August 2025) and Mandla (11^th August 2025), which brought together local communities, government agencies, CSOs, and research institutions to co-create localized visions for multifunctional landscapes.

Why Multifunctional Landscapes Matter

With its varied agroecological zones, India has a vast array of challenges: climate variability, water scarcity, loss of biodiversity, and the obligation to feed a population of great magnitude. Traditional approaches that view food, water, and ecosystems in silos are no longer sufficient. Instead, landscapes must be managed holistically, recognizing their interconnections and multiple functions.

MFL’s approach is grounded in co-creation. Solutions are co-created with stakeholders through participatory processes such as the V2A workshops. By engaging farmers, local communities, researchers and policymakers the program ensures that interventions are context-specific, inclusive, and scalable, fostering both equity and long-term relevance.

Focus Landscapes in India

The MFL program in India will focus on the Central Highlands, spanning three sites:

• Mandla (Madhya Pradesh) – rich in forests, diverse kinds of seasonal and perennial water resources and indigenous communities, offering opportunities to link agroecology with inclusive rural development.
• Akole Cluster (Nashik and Ahmednagar/ Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra) – a hub for nature positive innovation, farmer-led organizations, and resilient farming systems.
• Solapur (Maharashtra) – a semi-arid region where sustainable water management and low-emission farming practices are critical.

By building on past work and integrating lessons from partners like Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), BAIF Development Research Foundation, Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN), Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) these sites will serve as living landscapes where diverse stakeholders have been piloting and scaling up solutions.

A Collective Journey Forward

The consultation concluded with a collective call to action:

• Co-develop actionable plans for resilient landscapes through participatory codesign workshops, interface meetings and interactions with stakeholders at multiple levels.
• Support resilient livelihoods, healthy diets, and sustainable eco-agrifood systems, all while respecting planetary boundaries.
• Embed biodiversity and ecosystem service gains into agricultural landscapes.
• Strengthen cross-sectoral policy integration, aligning agriculture, water, forestry, fishery, energy, and nutrition.
• Expand gender-responsive and youth-led initiatives, making resilience a shared responsibility across demographics.
• Attention to successful examples such as the Ideal Village (Adarsh Gaon) model, which combines self-help groups, local enterprise development, farm ponds, infrastructure improvements, and the convergence of government schemes to achieve holistic rural transformation.
• Knowledge-sharing emerged as a common priority, with suggestions ranging from farmer field schools and targeted extension services such as digital platforms and publications to make technical information more accessible to communities.

In addition to the consultation, a panel discussion on ‘Multifunctional Landscapes and Rural Development’ was convened with experts from diverse fields. The session featured active contributions from Dr. Rajshree Joshi (BAIF), Dr. Arun Padiyar (World Fish), Dr. Poonam Khatavkar (Editor- SHETKARI, Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), Dept. of Agriculture, Maharashtra), Mr. Hemant Kumbhare (DGM,  National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD, Maharahtra RO), Prof. Gurudas Nulkar (Director, Centre for Sustainable Development, Gokhale Institute of Policy and Economics), Shri Vasant Shripati Binawade (Deputy Director, Adarsh Gao Sankalp aur Prakalp Samiti, Govt. of Maharashtra).

The Pune consultation demonstrated that India’s landscapes hold immense potential to become multifunctional engines of resilience, productivity, and sustainability. Achieving this vision will require continuous co-creation, where scientists, policymakers, financial institutions, and communities work side by side.

As Dr Carlo Fadda, Lever Director (Principal Scientist), Biodiversity for Food & Agriculture at Alliance Bioversity-CIAT stated, “Multifunctional landscapes are not just about managing land-they are about reimagining rural futures. MFL is essential to restore biodiversity, ensure food security, and connect policies across sectors.”

Prof. Gurudas Nulkar said, “It is important to consider the constantly changing prices of commodities. Our interventions should ensure that land use and landscape patterns remain stable, even when market values fluctuate. One way to achieve this is through community-based protection models like social fencing. For example, the sacred groves in Dewara are preserved because communities themselves protect them—showing how social fencing can safeguard natural resources against external pressures.”

The workshop closed with a renewed commitment: to co-develop and implement MFL pathways that deliver on productivity, environmental sustainability, and improved rural livelihoods, ensuring that India’s landscapes whether tribal regions, semi-arid zones, or smallholder clusters remain vibrant, inclusive, and resilient for generations to come.

Authors: Alok Sikka, Shweta Yadav, Ayan Samaddar, Abhijit Behera, Mansi Tripathi, Gopal Kumar, Sarika Mittra