Six-Step Approach to a €6M investment

Promising agricultural innovations need supportive policies, viable markets, finance and local ownership to achieve lasting impact. A new blog from the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT explores how its Six-Step Approach for scaling low-emission food systems is helping connect research with these conditions—from cocoa farms in West Africa to Zambia’s Miombo landscapes.

Developed with support from CGIAR Scaling for Impact, the approach helps practitioners identify barriers to adoption and build pathways that bring together farmers, institutions, businesses and investors. It considers farm-level needs alongside value chains, inclusive business models and financing, while keeping climate and sustainable development outcomes in view.

In Zambia, the approach helped translate stakeholder consultations and research evidence into the design of BIOLOB, a three-year, €6 million initiative funded by Italian Cooperation. The project will combine ecosystem restoration with sustainable production, diversified livelihoods and stronger connections to markets and finance. In West Africa, the approach is being applied with cocoa-sector stakeholders in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea and Cameroon to develop strategies for scaling agroforestry and other low-emission innovations.

These experiences illustrate a central priority for Scaling for Impact: connecting science with the partnerships, investment and delivery systems that enable innovations to be adopted and sustained.

Read the full blog on the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT website.