From the Agroecology Initiative to the Multifunctional Landscapes Program: A Partner Forum

When over 100 participants gathered in early December 2024 online to reflect on three years of collaborative research, Marcela Quintero, leader of the Agroecology Initiative, emphasized the significance of the forum during this pivotal moment of transition to a broader and more ambitious program.

“Let’s build on our incredible achievements of the past three years!” said Quintero. The Initiative has established 75 partnerships across eight countries, collaborating with international research organizations (CIRAD, CIFOR-ICRAF) and forums (TPP, the Agroecology Coalition). The Initiative has also created 11 Agroecological Living Landscapes, engaging a total of 11,400 food system actors in the design of agroecological transition pathways and co-creation of agroecological innovations. This includes 6,600 farmers, 690 government agents, 500 researchers, 200 private sector companies, and 110 policymakers.

Celebrating accomplishments

The forum was an opportunity to summarize advancements in each thematic area tackled by the Initiative and look forward to the next steps of collaborative research.

Engaging Food System Actors in Agroecology (WP1)
The Initiative engaged more than 11,400 Food System Actors in 11 Agroecological Living Landscapes (ALLs) and 8 countries, identifying desired agroecological transition pathways with the best entry points for the transitions.  26 context-specific agroecological practices have been co-designed, tested and evaluated. The International Network of Agroecological Living Landscapes (INALL) was launched and promotes cross-border knowledge sharing, aiming to expand reach and impact of agroecological principles and practices.

Science-Based Knowledge for Action Plans (WP2)
Each country produced science-based assessments of the agroecological context of the ALLs that highlighted their remarkable biophysical and socio-cultural diversity. ​A holistic assessment framework (HOLPA) that includes options for localized indicators was validated with stakeholders and applied in 8 ALLs. Soon to be released is a framework for the involvement of citizen science in performance assessment and an interactive data management platform for real-time access to results. Looking ahead, the Holistic Land-Use Performance Assessment (HOLPA) will be further refined under the Multifunctional Landscapes Program, integrating landscape-level evaluations.

Equitable Partnerships and Business Models (WP3)
Value chain analyses were undertaken to identify constraints and leverage points for the adoption of practices and business models with potential agroecological transitions. Twelve business models were created with partners and financial mechanisms assessed to ease the transition towards agroecology. The Initiative developed an incubator/accelerator scheme providing financial and technical assistance to 10 enterprises and producer organizations. With nine investment cases and 12 cost-benefit analysis carried out, the conditions are set to capture the profitability of innovative business models with private and public investors.

Policy and Governance for Agroecological Transitions (WP4)
WP4 contributed to agroecology policies in five countries, including Peru’s Biotrade Strategic Plan and Kenya’s National Agroecology Strategy. Mechanisms for adapting local institutions to support agroecological transitions were identified in 6 countries. A collaborative research effort on political economy resulted in ​15 articles (under review) covering political economy aspects in ​seven initiative countries. ​A policy tracker tool has been tested and used by several country teams. The next phase involves co-developing visions and roadmaps for policy integration and expanding collaborations with governments and stakeholders.

Agency and Behavior Change in Transformation (WP5)
A review by country teams of previous initiatives in 5 countries improved the understanding on how to best shift or drive agency and behaviors of institutions and individuals towards agroecological transitions. This effort led to the development of a framework to identify the agency and behavior change entry points for agri-food system transformation. ​In 2 countries, innovation opportunities for cooperative decision-making and widespread behavior change have been identified. ​In 5 countries, lessons were drawn from the analysis of the relations between rural youth in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and agroecological transitions. Moving forward, participants will refine their approaches to ensure effective incorporation of these elements into action plans.

Partner perspectives on achievements

The Agroecology initiative success stems from the pivotal role played by the partners. During the forum, five partners from five countries shared their achievements, each within their specific contexts. All agreed on the need now adopt a scaling approach including a greater number of stakeholders and users at subnational and national levels.

Partner perspectives on the partnership process

A presentation of the results from a survey that was conducted online in November and targeted implementing partners revealed that most partners are satisfied with their roles as implementing partners. A total of thirty-three respondents from seven countries participated, with the majority representing NGOs, NARES, and international research organizations.

Partners expressed satisfaction with the effectiveness of the collaboration and their strengthened capacity in all work packages in particular the engagement in the Living Landscape (the Vision-to-action process, the co-design and testing of innovations, the knowledge exchanged between ALLs), the development of agroecological business plans and the analysis or development of agroecological strategies and policies. Other aspects that received positive feedback included respectful interactions and relationship building, the integration of partner strengths and ideas, as well as the leadership and responsiveness of the Initiative team.

Suggestions for improving collaboration included extending project durations for a more lasting impact, timely planning with partners, efficient contracting and fund disbursement processes, upgraded support to on-site processes, with more training and on-field support​ and an increased focus on scaling.

A short panel discussion moderated by Chris Dickens, co-leader of the Agroecology Initiative, addressed several key questions, including how the 13 principles have been useful in applying the work. Participants acknowledged the importance of both technical and non-technical innovations as essential vehicles for maximizing the principles. Was the implementation of the initiative a true co-learning process? Partners recognized that it involved mutual learning at an equal level. How does working with the Initiative differ from other projects? Partners noted that the distinction lies in the co-creation process and the way researchers support the initiative by taking a backseat role.

These elements of analysis confirm that as we move forward, the focus of the Multifunctional Landscape Program will be on maintaining partnerships in 2025, while continuously monitoring and improving their quality, and effectiveness, and with increased investments in capacity sharing.

Diverse partners shared their experience in short presentations, expressing their key messages.

Drylands Natural Resources Centre (DNRC), Kenya
“We currently work with 960 households, impacting approximately 5,760 people in the drylands of Makueni County,” said Nicholas Syano, CEO and Founder of DNRC.
“Our success lies in aspects such as strong relationships, and co-creation. We see room for improvement in areas like early communication for planning, providing feedback, and ensuring written materials—translated into the local language—reach all farmers.”

National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute of Lao PDR (NAFRI)
“Our 15-year partnership with IWMI has been pivotal,” shared Dr. Lanoy Sinavong, Head of Project Management and Consolidation in the Division of Planning and Cooperation at NAFRI.
“In 2022, this collaboration opened doors to working with the Laos government and facilitated a significant inter-provincial consultation process. In 2023 and 2024, we focused on engaging climate-smart agriculture practitioners, and collaborating with the private sector in southern Laos. The HOLPA tool has been especially valuable, alongside peer-to-peer learning exchanges on agroecology.”

Cooperativa Agraria Banaqui Curimaná, Peru
“Our cooperative, made up of 71 cocoa-producing families, is committed to sustainable, high-quality cocoa production,” said Carlos Pérez, representative of Banaqui Curimaná.
“We’ve been certified organic, enabling access to European markets, especially in Italy. Since 2020, our work with the Initiative and Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT has strengthened efforts in biofertilizers, pest control, and youth integration in cooperative decision-making.”

The French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) – Global
“CIRAD acts as a facilitator between partners and local stakeholders in Senegal and Burkina Faso, leveraging agroecology to drive social, economic, and environmental benefits,” explained Eric Vall, animal scientist expert on tropical livestock systems  at CIRAD.
“Through workshops, business model evaluations, and participatory value chain analyses, we’ve identified opportunities to extend the agroecology transition to other regions, focus on landscapes, and strengthen capacity-building among partners.”

The Transformative Partnership Platform TPP on Agroecology
“At the heart of the Transformative Partnership Platform (TPP), Matthias Geck, TPP coordinator, CIFOR-ICRAF; Bernard Triomphe, co-Convener emphasized the need for collective action in addressing critical questions on agroecology transitions and developing business models that embrace 13 key principles. Their commitment to collaboration with the Multifunctional Landscapes Program underscores the TPP’s dedication to advancing as a united community, working together for a transformative future.

The way ahead

The lead and co-leads of the new CGIAR Program on Multifunctional Landscapes, Lulseged Desta (Alliance Bioversity-CIAT) and Jörn Schmidt (WorldFish), highlighted the opportunities ahead by integrating agroecological, nature-positive, and other complementary approaches to enhance livelihoods, food security, biodiversity, and ecosystems. The program, starting in January 2025, will:

• Optimize conservation, restoration, and sustainable production through an integrated landscape approach and systems thinking.
• Integrate crops, livestock, trees, and fish into agri-food systems, following the “source to sea” approach, along with agroecology and Nature+ solutions.
• Emphasize restoration and (agro) biodiversity conservation to support the achievement of targets set by countries in the UNCCD and CBD.
• Leverage advanced technologies (AI, quantum computing, blockchain, etc.) to analyze complex systems at scale, bundle solutions, and generate near real-time evidence of performance.

Marcela Quintero, the leader of the Initiative, concluded by expressing gratitude to all partners for their willingness to share their perspectives: “This is not a closing event, but rather an invitation to continue working together. While we want to keep working at the farm level, we now have an opportunity to connect to the landscape level and achieve multiple outcomes. The achievements of the International Network of Living Landscapes can blossom in strong collaboration with the TPP to achieve results at significant scale.”