Improving biodiversity and ecosystem health in climate-stressed agricultural landscapes in Africa and Latin America.

The B-REAL (Biodiversity for Resilient Ecosystem in Agricultural Landscapes) project addresses the urgent issue of biodiversity loss driven by industrial agriculture. With only 12 crops and five animal species supplying 75% of the world’s food, biodiversity within agricultural systems has sharply declined. The project, funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) emphasizes the need for integrating biodiversity conservation into agricultural land, especially in climate-stressed regions of Kenya, and climate prone areas of Peru, and Colombia.

By March 2026, B-REAL intends to mainstream site-specific combinations of agroecological practices, leveraging the work from CGIAR’s Nature Positive Solutions and Agroecology Initiatives (2022-2024). B-REAL is spearheaded by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, supported by a global network of 10,000 CGIAR scientists and core partners such as CIFOR-ICRAF and the Coady Institute. Specialized support is also provided by IWMI,  IFPRI, ICRISAT, CIP, and ICARDA, alongside local partners in Kenya, Colombia, and Peru.

Table1: Past achievements in Counties of Kenya, Colombia and Peru; partner organizations

The project follows three impact pathways

1. Enhance integration of biodiversity conservation, ecosystem health, and climate resilience into agricultural landscapes.
   • Develop site-specific intervention plans with communities to pilot and strengthen landscape- and farm-level practices that preserve biodiversity, restore degraded lands using native tree species, and promote community seed banks.
2. Strengthen enabling environment for sustainable and socially equitable biodiversity use and management.
   • Integrate equitable nature positive and agroecological approaches into National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs); Co-develop financial and non-financial inclusive incentives for conservation and strengthen the capacity of vulnerable groups to design and monitor inclusive conservation objectives and initiatives.
3. Enhance equity and inclusivity in the access, use, and benefits sharing of biodiversity genetic resources among women, men, youth, and marginalized communities
   • Strengthen equitable biodiversity-based value chains and engage women in multistakeholder platforms with increased leadership capacity and influence on biodiversity decisions.

Project launch and coordination

In July 2025, around 40 team members gathered in Cali, Colombia, at the Alliance Bioversity-CIAT campus to discuss project implementation. The meeting provided an opportunity to come together to form cohesive teams and align participants’ understanding of the project’s goals and vision. A key focus was on deepening their knowledge of each country’s intervention areas unique landscape ecologies, socio-economic conditions, value chain dynamics, and farmer typologies. Teams took stock of national progress to date, highlighting achievements that can be leveraged moving forward (see table 1). They also shared insights on the levels of engagement and collaboration that are already in place. Working in country-specific and pathway-focused groups, participants identified concrete contributions and partnership opportunities that can support the project’s shared targets and drive meaningful impact on the ground.

The leadership team from the Alliance Bioversity-CIAT includes two principal investigators, Sarah Freed an environmental scientist, and Carlo Fadda, director of the research area in Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture. Project coordinator is Yosef  Gebrehawaryat Kidane, a senior scientist with expertise in crop improvement, seed systems, and agricultural biodiversity. All three are based in Kenya.

Country coordinators are:

• Peru: Maria Caludia Tristan, social scientist (Alliance)
• Colombia: Marcela Beltrán, postdoctoral fellow (Alliance) and biological scientist; and Israel Navarrete , associate scientist (CIP)
• Kenya: Lisa Fuchs, political ecologist (Alliance; and Alex Awiti, principal scientist and ecosystem ecologist (CIFOR-ICRAF)

Partner perspectives

The activities built on ongoing learning events, such as the recent visit of the Coady Institute to Kenya’s aggregated farms. The Coady Institute will be a valuable partner in supporting knowledge exchange, GEYSI integration, and value chain development across countries. For Yogesh Ghore, senior program teaching staff at Coady Institute, transitions to increased ecosystem health in multifunctional landscapes must grow form the inside out: “To me, real change happens when we identify strong examples—like those I’ve seen in Peru and Kenya—and actively support them so others can learn and follow. Change is a slow process, but that’s how you make it happen.”

Two participants from Kenya commented on their role as local and national partners in co-designing and implementing projects: For Nicholas Syano, CEO and founder of Drylands Natural Resource Center DNRC located in Makueni County, that helps subsistence farmers in dryland Kenya reforest their land and increase crop yields, partnering for international research is a win-win situation: “It’s true—sometimes we put in so much work with limited resources, and it can feel overwhelming. But on the flip side, you also put us on the map and lift us up. It’s a win-win, as long as there’s a balanced, equal partnership—where no one dominates, but instead, we engage in open dialogue and negotiate with mutual respect. That way, we all benefit equally.”

Daniel Wanjama, is the coordinator of the Seed Savers Network, a leading agent in promoting diverse seed access to farming communities in Kenya. He appreciates the workshop invitation: “It’s a great opportunity to be here and discuss the project plans with a full overview. Involving grassroots organizations early, especially during proposal design and research planning, is crucial. While the broader agenda is set by donors, how it’s implemented locally should be shaped by those it aims to benefit. After all, communities know their challenges best, and including their voices in shaping solutions makes them more effective and meaningful.”