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• Published: 23 December 2021

On-Farm Experimentation to transform global agriculture

• Myrtille Lacoste   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6557-1865 1 , 2 ,
• Simon Cook   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0902-1476 1 , 3 ,
• Matthew McNee 4 ,
• Danielle Gale   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3733-025X 1 ,
• Julie Ingram   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0712-4789 5 ,
• Véronique Bellon-Maurel 6 , 7 ,
• Tom MacMillan   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-2893-6981 8 ,
• Roger Sylvester-Bradley 9 ,
• Daniel Kindred   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7910-7676 9 ,
• Rob Bramley   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0643-7409 10 ,
• Nicolas Tremblay   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1409-4442 11 ,
• Louis Longchamps   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4761-6094 12 ,
• Laura Thompson   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5751-7869 13 ,
• Julie Ruiz   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5672-2705 14 ,
• Fernando Oscar García   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6681-0135 15 , 16 ,
• Bruce Maxwell 17 ,
• Terry Griffin   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5664-484X 18 ,
• Thomas Oberthür   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6050-9832 19 , 20 ,
• Christian Huyghe 21 ,
• Weifeng Zhang 22 ,
• John McNamara 23 &
• Andrew Hall   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8580-6569 24  

Nature Food volume  3 ,  pages 11–18 ( 2022 ) Cite this article

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Restructuring farmer–researcher relationships and addressing complexity and uncertainty through joint exploration are at the heart of On-Farm Experimentation (OFE). OFE describes new approaches to agricultural research and innovation that are embedded in real-world farm management, and reflects new demands for decentralized and inclusive research that bridges sources of knowledge and fosters open innovation. Here we propose that OFE research could help to transform agriculture globally. We highlight the role of digitalization, which motivates and enables OFE by dramatically increasing scales and complexity when investigating agricultural challenges.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Premier’s Agriculture and Food Fellowship Program of Western Australia. This Fellowship is a collaboration between Curtin and Murdoch Universities and the State Government. The Fellowship is the centrepiece of the Science and Agribusiness Connect initiative, made possible by the State Government’s Royalties for Regions program. Additional support was provided by the MAK’IT-FIAS Fellowship programme (Montpellier Advanced Knowledge Institute on Transitions – French Institutes for Advanced Study) co-funded by the University of Montpellier and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (co-fund grant agreement no. 945408), the Digital Agriculture Convergence Lab #DigitAg (grant no. ANR-16-CONV-0004) supported by ANR/PIA, and the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust. Contributions toward enabling workshops were made by the USDA (USDA AFRI FACT Los Angeles 2017), the International Society for Precision Agriculture (ICPA Montreal 2018 OFE-C, On-Farm Experimentation Community), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFD0201303) and ADAS (Cambridge 2018), the European Conference for Precision Agriculture (ECPA Montpellier 2019) and the OECD Co-operative Research Program for ‘Biological resource management for sustainable agricultural systems – Transformational technologies and innovation’ towards ‘#OFE2021, the first Conference on farmer-centric On-Farm Experimentation – Digital Tools for a Scalable Transformative Pathway’. L. Tresh assisted with the design and preparation of Figs. 2 and 3. Members of the #OFE2021 Working Groups also contributed their experiences and insights.

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Centre for Digital Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Myrtille Lacoste, Simon Cook & Danielle Gale

Montpellier Advanced Knowledge Institute on Transitions (MAK’IT), University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France

Myrtille Lacoste

Centre for Digital Agriculture, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Department of Agriculture, Falkland Islands Government, Stanley, Falkland Islands

Matthew McNee

Countryside and Community Research Institute, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, UK

Julie Ingram

Technologies and methods for the agricultures of tomorrow (ITAP), University of Montpellier–National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE)–L’Institut Agro, Montpellier, France

Véronique Bellon-Maurel

Digital Agriculture Convergence Lab (#DigitAg), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France

Centre for Effective Innovation in Agriculture, Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester, UK

Tom MacMillan

ADAS, Cambridge, UK

Roger Sylvester-Bradley & Daniel Kindred

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Rob Bramley

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada

Nicolas Tremblay

School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

Louis Longchamps

Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Falls City, NE, USA

Laura Thompson

Watershed and Aquatic Ecosystem Interactions Research Centre (RIVE), Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada

Latin America Southern Cone Group, International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), Buenos Aires, Argentina

Fernando Oscar García

Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, National University of Mar del Plata, Balcarce, Argentina

Montana Institute on Ecosystems, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA

Bruce Maxwell

Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA

Terry Griffin

Southeast Asia Group, International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), Penang, Malaysia

Thomas Oberthür

Business and Partnership Development, African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI), Benguérir, Morocco

Scientific Direction of Agriculture, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Paris, France

Christian Huyghe

College of Resources and Environmental Sciences and National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China

Weifeng Zhang

National Animal Nutrition Program (NANP), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Pullman, WA, USA

John McNamara

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Contributions

M.L. and S.C. developed the study concept. M.M., D.G., J.I., V.B.-M., T.M., R.S.-B. and A.H. contributed additional concept development. M.L. and D.G. obtained the data and prepared the results. M.L., M.M., L.T., D.K., F.O.G., B.M., V.B.-M., J.R., C.H. and W.Z. contributed data. M.L. wrote the manuscript with input from all other authors.

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Correspondence to Myrtille Lacoste .

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Lacoste, M., Cook, S., McNee, M. et al. On-Farm Experimentation to transform global agriculture. Nat Food 3 , 11–18 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-021-00424-4

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Agriculture and Food News

Top headlines, latest headlines.

• How Plants Block Snacking Spider Mites
• Evapotranspiration Prediction
• GE Plants for Choice Seed Oil Biosynthesis
• Where Have All the Fireflies Gone?
• Hornets Found to Be Primary Pollinators
• Barley Fine-Tunes Root Microbial Communities
• Plants On the Menu of Ancient Hunter-Gatherers
• Flexitarian: Invasive Species With Veggies
• Hope Against Devastating Wheat Disease
• Replacing Fishmeal With Microbial Protein

Earlier Headlines

Thursday, april 25, 2024.

• Scientists Released Long-Term Data of Ground Solar-Induced Fluorescence to Improve Understanding of Canopy-Level Photosynthesis

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

• World's Chocolate Supply Threatened by Devastating Virus
• No Bull: How Creating Less-Gassy Cows Could Help Fight Climate Change

Monday, April 22, 2024

• The Spiciness of Mustard May Depend on Soil Microbes

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

• Honey Bees Experience Multiple Health Stressors out-in-the-Field
• Probiotic Feed Additive Boosts Growth, Health in Poultry in Place of Antibiotics
• Plant Sensors Could Act as an Early Warning System for Farmers
• Making Crops Colorful for Easier Weeding

Friday, April 12, 2024

• Microbial Food as a Strategy Food Production of the Future

Thursday, April 11, 2024

• Biofortified Rice to Combat Deficiencies
• Economist: Tens of Billions of Dollars in Forest Products Are Being Overlooked
• Food Security in Developed Countries Shows Resilience to Climate Change
• Method to Extract Useful Proteins from Beer-Brewing Leftovers

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

• Deforestation Harms Biodiversity of the Amazon's Perfume-Loving Orchid Bees

Monday, April 8, 2024

• Integrated Dataset Enables Genes-to-Ecosystems Research

Thursday, April 4, 2024

• Rusty-Patched Bumblebee's Struggle for Survival Found in Its Genes
• 'Diverse' Agriculture Benefits People and the Environment at the Same Time
• Nudging in a Virtual Supermarket for More Animal Welfare

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

• Plastic-Free Vegan Leather That Dyes Itself Grown from Bacteria

Monday, April 1, 2024

• Golfers' Risk from Pesticides Used on Turfgrass Is Likely Low

Thursday, March 28, 2024

• TB Vaccine May Enable Elimination of the Disease in Cattle by Reducing Its Spread
• Researchers Discover Key Gene for Toxic Alkaloid in Barley

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

• Understanding Cattle Grazing Personalities May Foster Sustainable Rangelands
• Sweet Success: Sugarcane's Complex Genetic Code Cracked

Monday, March 25, 2024

• Bees Use Antennae to Decode Hive Mates' Dances in the Dark
• Honey Bees at Risk for Colony Collapse from Longer, Warmer Fall Seasons
• Small Changes Can Yield Big Savings in Agricultural Water Use
• Humans Pass More Viruses to Other Animals Than We Catch from Them
• Better Phosphorus Use Can Ensure Its Stocks Last More Than 500 Years and Boost Global Food Production
• Maize Genes Control Little Helpers in the Soil
• New Route to Recyclable Polymers from Plants

Friday, March 22, 2024

• Bees Need Food Up to a Month Earlier Than Provided by Recommended Pollinator Plants

Thursday, March 21, 2024

• Product That Kills Agricultural Pests Also Deadly to Native Pacific Northwest Snail
• Rose Essential Oil: A Safe Pesticide for Organic Agriculture
• Sheep: Excess Temperatures Cause Low Flocking Concerns

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

• Across Oceans and Millennia: Decoding the Origin and History of the Bottle Gourd

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

• Is Food Waste the Key to Sustainable, Plastic-Free Diapers and Sanitary Pads?

Monday, March 18, 2024

• Genomic Method of Monitoring for Pesticide Resistance
• Cacao Plants' Defense Against Toxic Cadmium Unveiled

Thursday, March 14, 2024

• Training Dairy Cows With Positive Reinforcement Can Turn Otherwise Stressful Events Into Play

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

• The World's Most Prolific CO2-Fixing Enzyme Is Slowly Getting Better
• Marine Algae Implants Could Boost Crop Yields
• Bee-2-Bee Influencing: Bees Master Complex Tasks Through Social Interaction

Monday, March 4, 2024

• An Evolutionary Mystery 125 Million Years in the Making

Friday, March 1, 2024

• Researchers Create Coating Solution for Safer Food Storage

Thursday, February 29, 2024

• Refrigerate Lettuce to Reduce Risk of E. Coli Contamination
• Small Dietary Changes Can Cut Your Carbon Footprint by 25%
• Birds and Bee Lessons as Pacific Field Trips Also Solve 'Michener's Mystery'

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

• Creepy Crawlies Protect Apples When Flowers Are Planted on Farms

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

• Scientists Use Blue-Green Algae as a Surrogate Mother for 'meat-Like' Proteins
• Low-Temperature Plasma Used to Remove E. Coli from Hydroponically Grown Crops

Monday, February 26, 2024

• Robots, Monitoring and Healthy Ecosystems Could Halve Pesticide Use Without Hurting Productivity

Friday, February 23, 2024

• Common Plant Could Help Reduce Food Insecurity

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

• Weedy Rice Gets Competitive Boost from Its Wild Neighbors
• New Evidence Shows UK Solar Parks Can Provide for Bees and Butterflies
• An Environmentally Friendly Way to Turn Seafood Waste Into Value-Added Products

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

• Engineering a Coating for Disease-Free Produce

Monday, February 19, 2024

• Potassium Depletion in Soil Threatens Global Crop Yields

Friday, February 16, 2024

• What Can Bulls Tell Us About Men?

Thursday, February 15, 2024

• Asexual Propagation of Crop Plants Gets Closer
• Root Microbes May Be the Secret to a Better Tasting Cup of Tea

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

• Red Nets Signal 'stop' To Insect Pests, Reduce Need for Insecticides
• By Growing Animal Cells in Rice Grains, Scientists Dish Up Hybrid Food
• Biomanufacturing Using Chemically Synthesized Sugars Enables Sustainable Supply of Sugar Without Competing With Food

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

• Researchers Learn How Nectar-Laden Honey Bees Avoid Overheating
• Researchers Uncover a Key Link in Legume Plant-Bacteria Symbiosis
• CRISPR-Copies: New Tool Accelerates and Optimizes Genome Editing

Thursday, February 8, 2024

• Surprise Discovery of Tiny Insect-Killing Worm

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

• Africa Could Grow More Rice -- New Study Shows How
• Replacing Animal-Based Foods With Alternative Proteins Would Unlock Land for Carbon Removal
• Inexpensive, Carbon-Neutral Biofuels Are Finally Possible
• Spent Hemp Biomass: A Feed Use That Supports Milk Production in Dairy Cows

Monday, February 5, 2024

• Microbial Division of Labor Produces Higher Biofuel Yields

Friday, February 2, 2024

• Scammed! Animals 'led by the Nose' To Leave Plants Alone

Thursday, February 1, 2024

• Climate Change: Fungal Disease Endangers Wheat Production

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

• A Green Alternative for Treating Streptococcus Iniae Bacteria in Hybrid Striped Bass
• Asparagus and Orchids Are More Similar Than You Think
• Using CRISPR Technology, Researchers Succeed in Growing Tomatoes That Consume Less Water Without Compromising Yield

Monday, January 29, 2024

• A Non-Allergenic Wheat Protein for Growing Better Cultivated Meat

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

• Foodborne-Pathogen Listeria May Hide from Sanitizers in Biofilms
• 'Talking' Tomatoes: How Their Communication Is Influenced by Enemies and Friends

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

• World's Largest Database of Weeds Lets Scientists Peer Into the Past, and Future, of Global Agriculture
• Innovative Tech Shows Promise to Boost Rubber Production in US

Monday, January 22, 2024

• Food from Urban Agriculture Has Carbon Footprint 6 Times Larger Than Conventional Produce, Study Shows

Thursday, January 18, 2024

• Scientists, Farmers and Managers Work Together to Avoid the Decline of the Little Bustard, an Endangered Steppe Bird

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

• A New, Rigorous Assessment of OpenET Accuracy for Supporting Satellite-Based Water Management

Monday, January 15, 2024

• Study Quantifies How Aquifer Depletion Threatens Crop Yields

Friday, January 12, 2024

• New Rice Lines for Africa Offer Virus Protection

Thursday, January 11, 2024

• Scaling Up Urban Agriculture: Research Team Outlines Roadmap

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

• Nutrition Needs Drive Bee Appetites

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

• Plant Warfare: The Crucial Function of Nrc Proteins in Tomato Defense Mechanisms

Monday, January 8, 2024

• Use of Habitat for Agricultural Purposes Puts Primate Infants at Risk

Thursday, January 4, 2024

• Scientists Engineer Plant Microbiome to Protect Crops Against Disease
• Why Are Bees Making Less Honey? Study Reveals Clues in Five Decades of Data

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

• Researchers Improve Seed Nitrogen Content by Reducing Plant Chlorophyll Levels

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

• 'Nutritional Quality Must Be at the Heart of Climate Smart Agriculture' -- Researchers

Thursday, December 28, 2023

• Low-Carbohydrate Diets Emphasizing Healthy, Plant-Based Sources Associated With Slower Long-Term Weight Gain

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

• Electronic 'soil' Enhances Crop Growth

Thursday, December 21, 2023

• How Technology and Economics Can Help Save Endangered Species
• Insects Already Had a Variety of Defense Strategies in the Cretaceous
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Agriculture and Food

Agriculture can help reduce poverty, raise incomes and improve food security for 80% of the world's poor, who live in rural areas and work mainly in farming. The World Bank Group is a leading financier of agriculture.

Healthy, sustainable and inclusive food systems are critical to achieve the world’s development goals. Agricultural development is one of the most powerful tools to end extreme poverty, boost shared prosperity, and feed a projected  10 billion people by 2050 . Growth in the agriculture sector is  two to four times more effective  in raising incomes among the poorest compared to other sectors.

Agriculture is also crucial to economic growth: accounting for 4% of global gross domestic product (GDP) and in some least developing countries,  it can account for more than 25% of GDP .

But agriculture-driven growth, poverty reduction, and food security are at risk: Multiple shocks – from COVID-19 related disruptions to extreme weather, pests, and conflicts – are impacting food systems. The goal of ending global hunger by 2030 is currently off track. Conflicts, climate change, and high food prices are driving food and nutrition insecurity, pushing millions into extreme poverty, and reversing hard-won development gains. Around a quarter of a billion people now face acute food insecurity .

The growing impact of climate change could further cut crop yields, especially in the world’s most food-insecure regions. At the same time, our food systems are responsible for about 30% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Current food systems also threaten the health of people and the planet and generate unsustainable levels of pollution and waste. One third of food produced globally is either lost or wasted. Addressing food loss and waste is critical to improving food and nutrition security, as well as helping to meet climate goals and reduce stress on the environment.

Risks associated with poor diets are also the leading cause of death worldwide. Millions of people are either not eating enough or eating the wrong types of food, resulting in a  double burden of malnutrition  that can lead to illnesses and health crises. Food insecurity can worsen diet quality and increase the risk of various forms of malnutrition, potentially leading to undernutrition as well as people being overweight and obese. An estimated 3 billion people in the world cannot afford a healthy diet.

Last Updated: Mar 15, 2024

The World Bank Group provides knowledge, advice, and financial resources in low- and middle-income countries to transform food systems to reduce poverty and achieve green, resilient, and inclusive development.

Our work in food and agriculture focuses on: 

• Food and nutrition security , where we work with efforts to share information, and to rapidly provide resources where they are needed, while helping countries design the long-term reforms needed to build resilient food and nutrition systems.
• Climate-smart agriculture by working with client governments to provide solutions that address global climate priorities, while recognizing national contexts and development objectives.
• Data-driven digital agriculture by expand the frontier of financing and expertise for digital agriculture.
• Mobilizing capital for development in agriculture & food . We identify and leverage growth areas for productive investments, focusing on innovation and impact. And we design projects to ensure that financing boosts sustainable productivity gains, reaches smallholders and SMEs, and creates jobs to end poverty and hunger.
• Public policy and expenditure by working with governments to facilitate the adoption of more sustainable approaches, technologies, and practices, alongside policies that promote public and private sector investment.
• Sustainable and health diets to ensure that food can support a healthy population.

For fiscal year 2024, a total of $2.98 billion in new IBRD/IDA commitments to agriculture and related sectors are being delivered. Around half of this investment will directly support climate action.

 As part of a comprehensive, global response to the food and nutrition crises, the World Bank is scaling up its responses , making $45 billion available in 90 countries. Our intervention is expected to benefit 335 million people, equivalent to 44% of the number of undernourished people. More than half of the beneficiaries are women, who are disproportionately affected by the crisis. It includes both short term interventions such as expanding social protection, also longer-term resilience such as boosting productivity and climate-smart agriculture. The World Bank has also included food and nutriton security as part of the global challenges that it will address at scale.

Increasingly, the Bank supports country efforts to transform their food systems by taking a holistic look at public policies and spending for agriculture and food. A Multi-Donor Trust Fund,  Food Systems 2030 , provides a platform for change in this area.

In Angola, a project  co-financed by the World Bank and the French Agency for Development, contributed to the government economic diversification agenda by supporting the transition from subsistence to a more market-oriented, competitive agriculture sector. The project is helping producers or small and medium enterprises prepare and finance agriculture investments. As of December 2023, 268 projects have been approved, equivalent to about $37 million in agriculture investment. The project funded the first partial credit guarantees scheme ever dedicated to the agriculture sector in Angola – an innovation for the country’s agribusiness sector – mobilizing so far $4.1 million in private bank financing. 

In  Argentina , the Bank supported 14,630 families who benefited from better socioeconomic inclusion. Under the project, 2,409 families accessed water for human and animal consumption, also irrigation; 7,499 rural families improved their productive capacity; and over 900 families accessed infrastructure, equipment and training that improved their marketing. Based on the model of productive alliances, 2,801 families from different regions became beneficiaries by linking their production with the markets. Among the funded activities, the production of honey, orchards, forage, livestock, nuts, spices, yerba mate and tea, among others, stand out.

In Benin, between 2011-2021, the Agricultural Productivity and Diversification Project facilitated the adoption of productivity-enhancing technologies for 327,503 crop producers, leading to 135,549 hectares of land cultivated with improved technologies. The project interventions resulted in increased yields from 0.45 ton to 0.81 ton for cashew; from 1.2 tons to 2.97 tons for maize, from 4 tons to 6.2 tons for rice, and from 50 tons to 70 tons for pineapple. The project led to significant increases of milled rice and fish output. Combined with support for crop production and processing, support to exports has led to increases in the export of cashew and pineapple.

For the past 18 years, Bolivia has been developing a strategy to improve agricultural production and marketing through the productive alliances model. This model links small rural producers with markets, and facilitates their participation in value chains, and access to technical assistance and technology for better market access. Currently, over 2,600 productive alliances have been implemented, benefiting 107,308 producer families. In 2023, the third phase of productive alliances model was launched, expecting to have a significant impact on nearly 130, 000 rural producer’s communities, with a focus on food security, adoption of innovative practices for resilient agriculture and the increased participation of women producers.

A Bank-supported project implemented in partnership with the Government of Rio Grande do Norte, one of Brazil's poorest and most violent states, has aimed to improve agricultural productivity, the quality of and access to health, public security, education and public sector management across the state. The project has implemented 131 subprojects in family farming, renovated 274km of roads, renovated and strengthened the safety of an important dam, and built 22 modern, multi-service Citizen Centers.

In Bhutan,  a project  is supporting the government's efforts to reduce rural poverty and malnutrition through climate-smart agriculture. Irrigation technology and greenhouses introduced through the project have helped farmers to increase their access to local and export markets. More than 6,500 people have increased the quality and quantity of produce like rice, maize, potato, vegetables, quinoa, citrus, apples, and potatoes, as well as high-value spices such as cardamom and ginger. 

In Burkina Faso, the Bank supported the Burkina Faso Livestock Sector Development Project which ran from 2017 to 2022. By project completion, beneficiaries among selected value chains increased their yield by 8.4%. Yield increase for cattle, sheep, and egg production reached 6.76%, 11.93%, and 6.50%, respectively. Sales increased by 45% exceeding the target of a 30% increase. The volume of loans granted by partner financial institutions reached $5.02 million, exceeding the original target of $4.38 million. The project reached a total of 329,000 beneficiaries, out of which 138,314 were women and 112,573 were youth.

In the Central African Republic, through the Emergency Food Security Response project, 330,000 smallholder farmers received seeds, farming tools, and training in agricultural and post-harvest techniques. The project helped farmers boost their crop production and become more resilient to climate and conflict risks. Local food production increased by 250%, from 28,000 tons in September 2022 to 73,000 tons in June 2023. Moreover, 21,006 agricultural households received training on post-harvest loss management and provided equipment, such as mobile storage units, to enhance packaging of agricultural products, leading to higher selling prices.

In  Colombia, since 2010, the adoption of environmentally friendly silvopastoral production systems  (SPS) for over 4,100 cattle ranches has converted 100,522 hectares of degraded pastures into more productive landscapes and captured 1,565,026 tons of CO2 equivalent. In addition, almost 40,000 hectares of pastureland were transformed to SPS and 4,640 hectares into intensive Silvopastoral Production Systems (iSPS). Moreover, 4,100 direct farmers beneficiaries, of which 17% were women, were trained in SPS and iSPS, and over 21,000 farmers, technicians and producers were also trained, visited demonstration farms, and participated in workshops and events and technology brigades. A network of 116 plant nurseries were also established, which produced around 3.1 million fodder trees that were delivered to beneficiary farmers. 

In Cote d’Ivoire, between 2013 and 2017, the Agriculture Sector Project  boosted the productivity of 200,000 farmers and rehabilitated 6,500 kilometers of rural roads allowing farmers to better transport their products  and reduce post-harvest losses. To aid the cashew industry, the Bank also supported a research program that helped disseminate 209 genotypes of high-performing trees and establish 18 nurseries. The Bank-financed project also helped leverage $27.5 million in private investment to boost productivity on at least 26,500 hectares.

In Ethiopia, since 2015 a project has helped 2.5 million smallholder farmers increase agricultural productivity and commercialization by establishing market linkages, increasing access to agricultural public services, building smallholder farmer capacity in efficient water and crop management to implement climate change mitigation and adaptation, and improving diet diversification. The project has also been promoting the use of nutrition sensitive agriculture and gender and climate-smart agriculture including dietary diversity through nutrient-dense crops, livestock products, post-harvest processing/handling and social behavioral change communication, along with food safety and child and maternal health. The project has supported farmers increase yield in crops and livestock by 19% and 52% respectively and their revenue by 96.2%. To date the project has also provided 58,823 hectares of land with irrigation and water related services, and over 1.6 million farmers have adopted improved agriculture technologies promoted by the project. Nearly one million jobs for rural people, including for women and youth in fragile and conflict affected areas have been created as a result of the project interventions.

In Grenada , the World Bank supported local farmers and fisherfolk, along with aggregators and agro-processors to enhance their access to markets and sales from 2017 to 2023 through the OECS Regional Agriculture Competitiveness Project. The project provided vouchers to 206 farmers and fisherfolk and offered co-financing opportunities for 10 agro-processors, leading to significant improvements in their production facilities and market access. Additionally, 260 employees and 53 extension workers received training, improving their skills in agricultural production and market reach. Through the project, 150 producers adopted various climate-smart technologies, such as solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems, underscoring the project's dedication to sustainability and efficiency.

In Guinea, from 2018 to 2023, through the  Guinea Integrated Agricultural Development Project , local farmers increased agriculture's productivity, and sustainability. To help local communities, the project disseminated high-yielding seeds, improve irrigation, and trained women and youth to access funds to create jobs. The project also promoted the use of climate-smart, gender-sensitive digital technologies with local producers. The project has reached 149,000 farmers (of whom 38% are women and 30% are youth). The project’s results include a 30% increase in yield of rice and maize; a 42% increase in commodity sales; a 47,470-hectare area covered by improved technologies; over 97,000 users of improved technologies, and more than 2,000 jobs created for women and youth.

In Haiti , a World Bank project strengthened the institutional capacity of Haiti’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development by accessing technologies to increase not only agricultural productivity and production but also improved livelihoods and resilience. The project developed irrigation and drainage on 2,244 hectares; established 115 farmer field schools, and trained facilitators in agricultural extension techniques. A total of 78,242 small producers increased their market access, half of whom were women; more than 3,368 private and public sector staff (including staff from the Ministry of Agriculture, municipal staff, among others) and 600 farmers were trained on surveillance and vaccination, the use of fruit fly traps, mealybugs control, and protection of animals against rabies and anthrax and more than 3.6 million animals were vaccinated.

In Honduras, since 2010 , 12,878 small farmers, of which 27% are women, have used productive alliances to improve productivity and access to markets, which has leveraged $33.5 million in finance from commercial banks and microfinance institutions. Under the project, gross sales of producer organizations rose by 25.3%. Also, support to Honduras’ Dry Corridor Alliance, has helped 12,202 households implement food security and agricultural business plans, and improved agricultural yields, nutrition, and food diversity of project beneficiaries.

In India, the  Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project  supported over 400,000 farm families and 1,270 businesses and over 100 of industry associations and producer organizations in improving their productivity and incomes and helping develop new marketing channels since 2017.

In  Kenya, since 2016,   1.5 million farmers , where over 60% are women, have increased their productivity , climate resilience and access to markets. The digital registry (including geo tagging) of these 1.5 million farmers enables them to access agro-weather and market advisories. In addition, the Bank is facilitating partnerships between the government and 26 ag-tech support agencies which enables almost 500,000 farmers to access a range of services (inputs, financial services and markets) by leveraging digital technologies.  

In Kosovo , the Bank provided 775 grants to farmers and 103 grants to agri-processors to increase production capacities and enhance market competitiveness in the livestock and horticulture sector. This was done through upgrading facilities, adopting new technologies, and introducing food safety and environmental standards. Further, support was provided for the rehabilitation of irrigation schemes covering an area of 7,750 hectares which had an impact on the production, yield, quality, and variety of products cultivated in the area.

In the Kyrgyz Republic, the Additional Financing to the Integrated Dairy Productivity Improvement Project is improving productivity through better technologies and breeds of dairy animals rather than increasing their numbers. The project provides training, artificial insemination services, and monitoring milk yields per cow and the quality of milk to processing companies. To date, 10,000 small farmers including 5,000 women farmers, have received training to enhance productivity and climate-smart agriculture. Over 13,000 cows received artificial insemination for breed improvement with positive pregnancy rate of 67.3% which is above the global average. With improved breeds of dairy animals, the market value of the crossbred calves is higher than local calves and the average milk yield per cow has increased by nearly 15%. The project has also established a digital tool to monitor milk quality which is being used by eight dairy processing companies. The project established 30 milk collection points through famers’ Jamaats that are equipped with refrigerated tanks and advanced testing equipment, strategically located to ensure consistent milk quality and timely delivery, especially during hot summers.

In Madagascar, since 2016 , the Bank has boosted the productivity of over 130,000 farmers. Sixty-thousand hectares of irrigated rice fields have been rehabilitated. The Bank also supported the cocoa sector through research, the development of certified seeds, and promotion of improved production and processing techniques. This allowed 4,000 cocoa producers to increase their incomes and increase production and export volumes by 50%. The Bank also financed the country’s largest land rights registration, facilitating the delivery of over 200,000 land certificates to farmers. 

In Mauritania, between 2016 and 2021, the intervention of the Sahel regional support project offered agricultural assets and services to more than 400,000 farmers/pastoralists, where nearly 30% are women. More than 1.9 million hectares of land under sustainable management practices, in addition to the construction of 133 vaccination parks and the realization of 118 water points (wells and boreholes) as well as other infrastructure of valorization and trade of animals were provided to agro-pastoralist communities. Additionally, from April 2023- June 2028, the Bank offered to support the  Agriculture Development and Innovation Support Project (PADISAM)  to improve land resources management and foster inclusive and sustainable commercial agriculture in selected areas of Mauritania. It is anticipated that by the end of the project, there will be 72,000 direct beneficiaries and about 5,000 Ha of land under sustainable landscape management practices.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting spikes in wheat prices in 2022, the World Bank provided emergency support to several countries in the Middle East and North Africa to mitigate the negative socio-economic consequences on the poor and vulnerable. These emergency projects secured access to affordable bread for over 89 million people across the region. In Lebanon, a project ($150 million) has been financing wheat imports that supports universal access to affordable Arabic bread for over a year to 5.36 million people living in Lebanon, of which 1 million are Syrian, Palestinian, and other refugees. In Egypt, a project helped procure around 1.15 million metric tons of wheat – equivalent to at least a 2-month supply to cover the needs of 72 million vulnerable people. A project in In Tunisia procured 160,099 metric tons of soft wheat, equivalent to seven weeks of bread supply for a population of 12 million.

In Moldova, since 2012 , the Bank has helped more than 7,500 farmers gain access to local and regional high-value markets for fresh fruit and vegetables and boosted land productivity through the promotion of sustainable land management practices on 120,000 hectares of farmland.

In  Montenegro , the bank, through the Second Institutional Development and Agriculture Strengthening (MIDAS2), helped the government launch the very first Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPARD)-like agro-environmental measure in a manner compliant with EU requirements, increasing the amount of meadows and pasture lands recorded in the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) from 13,600 hectares (ha) to 92,000 ha. The Bank has also supported almost 4,000 farmers working on orchards, vineyards, livestock and aromatic plants, 224 agro-processors, and 59 farmers working on processing on-farm complying with the European Union requirements for food safety and 278 agricultural households adopting agro-environmental measures, improving their competitiveness and sustainability.

In Morocco , the Strengthening Agri-food Value Chains Program for Results has financed the construction of the first modern regional wholesale market in Rabat, which will improve the distribution of agricultural products throughout the region, benefiting more than 4.6 million inhabitants. The program also financed the establishment of the male sterile Ceratite production center, which will enable citrus producers in the Souss-Massa and Berkane regions, which represent 52% of national citrus production and generate about 6 million working days per year, to protect their production from damage caused by the Mediterranean fruit fly. The program also enabled more than 1,000 agri-food SMEs to obtain sanitary approval after upgrading, leading to an increase in employment by almost 61%. The program co-financed more than 70 units of packaging, cold storage and processing, which leveraged about US$86 million as private investment and led to an overall increase in production value of around 34%.

In Niger , through  the Climate Smart Agriculture Support Project , the World Bank supported over 370,000 farmers, where 145,000 of whom are women. The farmers benefited from the project’s investments in small and large-scale irrigation, improved climate-smart agriculture, and sustainable land management practices. Over 154,000 hectares of land were developed with sustainable land management practices, and 4,400 hectares of cropland were brought under irrigation. In collaboration with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics and FAO, the project promoted good agriculture practices through farmer led e-extension services and technical assistance. The project investments led to significant increases in agriculture productivity: yields of cowpea, millet, and sorghum increased by 169, 164, and 142 percent, respectively. The project also strengthened the national climate information system by building the capacity of the National Meteorology Department (the project installed 30 meteorological stations and 600 rain gauges). Through its support to the Sahel Regional Center for Hydro and Agrometeorology, the project strengthened the early warning systems of national institutes such as National Meteorology and the National Hydrology Directorate.

In Nigeria,  APPEALS Project   was designed to enhance agricultural productivity of small and medium scale farmers and improve value addition along priority value chains. Since 2017, the project has demonstrated 204 improved technologies to 93,000 farmers. Food crop production has surged, with 304,516 metric tons produced, representing 3.1% of the national output. Furthermore, the project has reached 61,171 farmers with processing assets to improve the quality of their produce. The project also trained 10,346 women and youth, including persons with disability, providing them with business, technical and life skills training, support to business planning and facilitation of business name registration, start-up grant to establish a commercially viable business, and mentorship to provide the beneficiaries with continued support from established agribusiness entrepreneurs. The project linked farmers to market through the facilitation of commercial partnerships resulting in a total of 327 business alliances with 147 off-takers already buying farmers’ produce across the 11 value chains, with a transaction worth of US$ 59.7 million. Similarly, the project has linked 200 agribusiness clusters to infrastructures which includes 55km rural farm access road, 75 aggregation and cottage processing centers, 102 solar-powered water intervention and energy supplies.

In Paraguay, since 2008, 20,863 farmers  increased their agricultural income by at least 30% and 18,951 adopted improved agricultural practices, boosting the productivity of their land.

In the  Philippines, since 2015 , the Bank helped raise rural incomes, enhance farm and fishery productivity, improve market access and mainstream institutional and operational reforms, as well as science-based planning for agricultural commodities in 81 provinces. The project has benefitted a total of 323,501 people–46% of them women–with farm roads, irrigation, and agricultural enterprise projects, boosting incomes by up to 36%. 

In  Rwanda, since  2010, the Bank helped support over 410,000 farmers – half are women – in improving their agricultural production by developing over 7,400 hectares for marshland irrigation, providing hillside irrigation on over 2,500 hectares, and several hundreds of farmers benefitted matching grants to support their investments in Farmer-Led Irrigation Development (FLID) technologies on over 1,200 hectares of their land. Interventions also included improving soil conservation and erosion on more than 39,000 hectares of hillside. Maize, rice, beans, and potato yields have all more than doubled and around 2.5 tons of vegetables are exported to Europe and the Middle-East every week from intervention areas, or locally, where more horticulture produce is sold to premium markets including 5-star hotels or the national airline, RwandAir. Less than two years after  one of the Bank supported projects  introduced greenhouse farming in its intervention areas to minimize the impacts of unfavorable weather conditions and better manage crop pests and diseases, by 2023, the demand for these technologies has seen a rapid increase in these areas and 132 units have been acquired and installed through the matching grants program under the project. Evidence shows relatively high revenues for farmers investing in greenhouse technology, with revenues increasing up to 15 times for vegetable growers.

Since 2019, the ongoing Serbia Competitive Agriculture Project has been supporting the government economic diversification and competitiveness agenda for small and medium scale farmers and their participation in a more market-oriented agriculture sector. The productive alliance model supported by the project has contributed to the improvement of the agri-food market linkages of 823 farmers, of which 330 are women farmers. Through the project, 4,356 farmers have received technical assistance to prepare their business ideas and plans (1,307 are women), while 1,319 business plans have received support in various forms, such as matching grants, technical assistance, and business development support. The farmers have signed their loans with commercial banks to invest in farm innovations, including equipment, on-farm irrigation, digital agriculture, climate-smart agriculture technologies. By providing co-financing with EUR 24.17 million in matching grants, the project-supported business plans have leveraged an additional EUR 24.17 million in private capital so far, including commercial loans to farmers at market interest rate from 11 local banks, and cash contributions from the beneficiary farmers. Amongst them, 1,117 beneficiary farmers are first-time users of credit.

In  Tajikistan , the Bank supported the establishment of 545 farmer groups in horticulture value chains, specifically apricot, apple, pear, lemon, cucumber, and tomato, and dairy value chain benefiting a total of 13,516 farmers out of which 48% were women. The Bank also supported the establishment of 342 productive partnerships benefitting 4,340 smallholder farmers. A total of 21,882 beneficiaries achieved an increase in commercial activity. The project supported training for 13, 516 farmers, on value chain development.

In  Tunisia, the Bank helped 113 remote rural villages improve  land management practices on 37,000 hectares of land to increase productivity and improve 930 kilometers of rural roads serving some 160 villages. 

In  Uruguay, since 2014, climate-smart agriculture techniques  have been adopted on 2.7 million hectares and adopted by 5,541 farmers, providing for a carbon sequestration potential of up to 9 million tons of CO2 annually.

In Uganda, since 2015 , the  Agriculture Cluster Development Project’s e-voucher scheme has leveraged over $12 million of farmer investments enabling over 450,000 farm households access and use improved agro-inputs resulting in higher farm yields. Provision of matching grants has enhanced storage capacity by 55,000MT, acquiring value addition equipment and machinery thereby facilitating Producer Organizations to add value and undertake collective marketing. Additional infrastructure support addressing road chokes has also led to improved market access.

The Bank has also made investments into strengthening regulatory and administrative functions of the Ministry of Agriculture through the development of IT Platforms and tools facilitating timely planning and decision making.

In the Uganda Multi-Sectoral Food and Nutrition Security Project, the Bank has supported enhanced knowledge on nutrition resulting in improved household nutrition and incomes for 1.55 million direct project beneficiaries.

In Uzbekistan, the Horticulture Development Project has helped create, 34,520 jobs, including 13,124 for women; increase beneficiary productivity by 24% and profitability by 124%, including through entry into new export markets. The  Livestock Sector Development Project  supported a sub-loans benefitting 560 large scale commercial livestock farmers, and a total of 135 value chain development projects benefiting 1,456 smallholder farmers (Dekhans). As a result, the share of improved and high yielding livestock breeds increased by 98.7%; increasing milk and meat productivity by 33% and 38% respectively. The Ferghana Valley Rural Enterprise Project has supported the establishment and operation of nine business incubation hubs in Andijan, Namangan, and Ferghana regions, to support local entrepreneurs in business plan preparation, and facilitated access to finance, technology infusion, also organized training among 5,000 project initiators in 36 districts of Ferghana Valley. The project, under its credit line activities, financed a total of 501 investment sub-projects with $119.6 million of the project fund, of which 77.8% were for small business entrepreneurs This created substantial number of new jobs, and increased the incomes of rural enterprises,

In Vietnam, since 2010, the Bank has promoted sustainable livelihoods by helping develop 9,000 “common interest groups” comprising over 15,500 households and partnering them with agricultural enterprises. The Bank also helped  over 20,000 farmers  improve their livestock production and benefited an additional 130,000 people through capacity building in food safety. 

Under the  West African Agricultural Productivity Program , the Bank supported a research and development effort that promoted technology generation, dissemination, and support to local farming systems in 13  ECOWAS  countries. The project reached over 2.7 million beneficiaries, 41% of whom were women. It also generated 112 technologies that reached over 1,850,000 hectares.

The Yemen Food Security Response and Resilience Project has directly benefited over 1 million beneficiaries to date. The project is focusing on resilience building amidst protracted crisis – including conflict, insecurity, and climate-related shocks. The project has created around 20,000 short-term jobs and benefited over 50,000 smallholder farm households through various agricultural infrastructure improvements. The project invested in the vaccination of 11 million small ruminants and treated a similar number for parasites. In addition to building resilience, as a short-term response, the project supported 20,000 vulnerable households with kitchen gardens and livestock kits, business development training and start-up grants to vulnerable women. Furthermore, the project facilitated a supplemental feeding program for over 740,000 most vulnerable beneficiaries.

Last Updated: Apr 09, 2024

The World Bank works with a range of partners to achieve ambitious development goals: transforming food systems, boosting food security and empowering smallholder farmers, to realize zero hunger and poverty by 2030. 

The World Bank Group is a joint convener, with the G7 Presidency, of the Global Alliance for Food Security (GAFS) . A key outcome of the Global Alliance is the  Global Food and Nutrition Security Dashboard , a key tool to fast-track a rapid response to the unfolding global food security crisis, designed to consolidate and present up-to-date data on food crisis severity, track global food security financing, and make available global and country-level research and analysis to improve coordination of the policy and financial response to the crisis.

The Bank hosts a  Multi-Donor Trust Fund,  Food Systems 2030 , that helps countries build better food systems, fostering healthy people, a healthy planet and healthy economies. The Trust Fund aims to deliver improved livelihoods and affordable, and nutritious diets for all, and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals of zero poverty and hunger by 2030 and the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. Food Systems 2030 provides advice and analytical products to underpin policy options, funds to pilot innovative approaches, and information to build support for change in different country contexts. It engages with the private sector by supporting the design, piloting and de-risking of innovative public-private partnerships that advance development and climate goals.   

The  Global Agriculture and Food Security Program , a multilateral financing platform, is dedicated to improving food and nutrition security worldwide. Launched by the  G20 in the wake of the global response to the 2007–08 food price crisis, GAFSP works to build sustainable and resilient agriculture and food systems in the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries. Since its inception in 2010, the Program has mobilized more than US$2 billion in donor funds to reach more than 16.6 million people. GAFSP provides financial and technical resources – investment grants, technical assistance, concessional finance, and advisory services – to demand-driven projects along the food chain to accelerate the transformation of food systems at scale.

The World Bank leads the  Food Systems, Land use and Restoration Global Platform (FOLUR) , financed by the Global Environment Facility, in partnership with UNDP, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Global Landscapes Forum and the Food and Land-use Coalition. FOLUR is a $345 million, seven-year program that aims to improve the health and sustainability of landscapes that produce the world’s food. FOLUR targets sustainable production landscapes in 27 country projects for eight major commodities (livestock, cocoa, coffee, maize, palm oil, rice, soy, and wheat).

The World Bank chairs the System Council of  CGIAR , a global partnership that advances cutting-edge science to reduce rural poverty, increase food security, improve human health and nutrition, and ensure sustainable management of natural resources.

For more information, contact Clare Murphy-McGreevey on [email protected].

Last Updated: Sep 19, 2023

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Research and Science

From fostering continued economic growth to adapting to the effects of climate change and addressing food security, the United States can continue to be a leader in global agriculture. Each day, the work of USDA scientists and researchers touches the lives of all Americans - from the farm field to the kitchen table and from the air we breathe to the energy that powers our country.

The challenges facing agriculture, natural resources, and conservation are immense and can be addressed through robust research enterprise and educational programs. USDA intramural and extramural science helps to protect, secure, and improve our food, agricultural and natural resources systems.

USDA Science and Research Strategy, 2023-2026: Cultivating Scientific Innovation

The “ USDA Science and Research Strategy, 2023-2026: Cultivating Scientific Innovation (PDF, 21.4 MB)” presents a near-term vision for transforming U.S. agriculture through science and innovation, and outlines USDA’s highest scientific priorities. The S&RS is a call to action for USDA partners, stakeholders, and customers to join the conversation and help identify innovative research strategies that lead to real-world, practical solutions that help farmers, producers, and communities thrive.

Learn more and engage below:

USDA Science and Research Strategy

AGARDA: A Vision for Disruptive Science to Confront Audacious Challenges

Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA) Implementation Strategy (PDF, 1.8 MB) is a framework outlining a new approach for delivering disruptive breakthrough discoveries for agriculture.

Strengthening Our Research System

USDA has refocused its science agencies to ensure the most effective and efficient use of its resources, while leveraging the strengths of our partners across the scientific community.

The Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) coordinates USDA research, education and Extension with scientists and researchers across the federal government and university and private partners, to make the best use of taxpayer investments. In 2012, OCS continued focus on the Research, Education and Economics Action Plan (PDF, 486 KB) and identified seven priority research topics:

• Global Food Supply and Security
• Climate and Energy Needs
• Sustainable Use of Natural Resources
• Nutrition and Childhood Obesity
• Food Safety
• Education and Science Literacy
• Rural-urban Interdependence/Rural Prosperity

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority.

The Economic Research Service (ERS) , through science-based economic research and analysis, informs public policy and other decisions about agriculture, food, rural development, and environmental challenges.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) supports research, education and Extension programs in the Land-Grant University System and other partner organizations.

Enhancing the Productivity of American Agriculture and Ensuring the Safety of our Food Supply

USDA invests in research, development, and outreach of new varieties and technologies to mitigate animal/plant diseases and increase productivity, sustainability, and product quality. USDA research has supported America's farmers and ranchers in their work to produce a safe and abundant food supply for over 100 years. This work has helped feed the nation and sustain an agricultural trade surplus since the 1960s.

An additional focus is to establish more sustainable systems that enhance crop and animal health. Our scientists and university partners have revealed the genetic blueprints of a host of plants and animals including the genomes of apples, pigs, and turkeys, and in 2012, they furthered understanding of the tomato, bean, wheat and barley genomes -- key drivers in developing the resilience of those crops to feed growing populations.

NASS has developed animated U.S. crop progress and topsoil moisture maps , along with other resources, to help experts assess farmland data. USDA researchers also created the Maize Genome Database, an important tool to help farmers improve traits in a crop vital to the world. Meeting growing global demand for food, fiber, and biofuel requires robust investment in agricultural research and development (R&D) from both public and private sectors. USDA is a leader in remote sensing and mapping to visualize data in support of agricultural policy and business decision making as well as program operation. We ranked first worldwide among research institutions publishing on priority diseases in animal health including salmonellosis, avian influenza , mycobacterial disease, coccidiosis, campylobacterosis, mastitis and others.

USDA conducts and supports science that informs decisions and policies contributing to a safe food supply and the reduction of foodborne hazards. Our scientists found the primary site where the virus that causes foot-and-mouth disease begins infection in cattle and developed an improved vaccine against the disease. They are also working on new strategies to control mites and other major honey bee problems such as colony collapse disorder .

Improving Nutrition and Confronting Obesity

USDA builds the evidence base for food-based and physical activity strategies and develops effective education activities to promote health and reduce malnutrition and obesity in children and high-risk populations. For example, ARS evaluated school characteristics associated with healthier or less healthy food preparation practices and offerings and found that the school nutrition environment could be improved by requiring food service managers to hold nutrition-related college degrees, pass a food service training program, and by participating in a school-based nutrition program such as USDA Team Nutrition .

USDA-supported science is investigating the causes of childhood obesity so that our country can address the epidemic. In these efforts, USDA supports nutrition education programs and encourages Americans to consume more nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables. Our scientists are part of an international team that has found a way to boost the nutritional value of broccoli, tomatoes and corn, and have worked to find ways to bolster the nutritional content of other staple crops like oats and rice. USDA research has supported these efforts, showing how healthy foods can often cost less than foods that are high in saturated fat, added sugar and/or sodium.

In 2013, USDA updated the national assessment of urban and rural food deserts - low-income areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food - and provided information on the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics that distinguish food deserts from other areas, for decision-makers and stakeholders concerned about access to healthy foods.

Conserving Natural Resources and Combating Climate Change

USDA develops and delivers science-based knowledge that empowers farmers, foresters, ranchers, landowners, resource managers, policymakers, and Federal agencies to manage the risks, challenges, and opportunities of climate variability, and that informs decision-making and improves practices in environmental conservation.

Our scientists are developing rice and corn crops that are drought- and flood-resistant and helping to improve the productivity of soil, as well as production systems that require increasing smaller amounts of pesticides or none at all.

Vegetation indices contained in VegScape have proven useful for assessing crop condition and identifying the aerial extent of floods, drought, major weather anomalies, and vulnerabilities of early/late season crops. This tool allows users to monitor and track weather anomalies' effects on crops in near real time and compare this information to historical data on localized levels or across States.

Additionally, our researchers have examined the potential impacts of a suite of climate scenarios on U.S. crop production. Studies like these will help policymakers, farmers, industry leaders and others better understand and adapt to a changing climate on America's crop production.

Our researchers created i-Tree , urban forest management software to help cities understand the value of urban trees through carbon sequestration, erosion protection, energy conservation and water filtration, and since 2009 have continued building on the success of the tool and expanding its use. Our scientists are conducting research on uses of wood, helping companies meet green building design standards and creating jobs using forest products. We have also worked with Major League Baseball to reduce the occurrence of broken baseball bats.

USDA supports families managing through tough economic times by helping residents save energy at home and conserve water, with a program run by Cooperative Extension and our land-grant university partners. Cooperative Extension-affiliated volunteer monitoring programs have engaged citizens in water monitoring to better understand the effects of climate change and/or aquatic invasive species on local waters. Collectively, these programs interacted with hundreds of local, State, and Federal partners. The programs help citizens detect the presence of invasive species and harmful algal blooms.

Science Education and Extension

USDA recognizes the importance of recruiting, cultivating, and developing the next generation of scientists, leaders, and a highly skilled workforce for food, agriculture, natural resources, forestry, environmental systems, and life sciences.

The NIFA interagency agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service leverages technology and innovation and involves youth in STEM outreach and exposure. Youth participants developed science process skills related to using GIS and research design, analyzing and interpreting data, and reporting findings to the community which has enabled them to become better consumers of science and citizens capable of making wise STEM policy choices.

USDA strives to provide effective research, education, and extension activities that inform public and private decision-making in support of rural and community development . NASS holds outreach events throughout the Census cycle with underserved and minority and disadvantaged farming groups to promote participation in the Census of Agriculture . With funding and support from NIFA, many Tribal Colleges are offering Reservation citizens training ranging from basic financial literacy to business start-up and marketing information so that families not only survive, but thrive.

In addition, the ERS Atlas of Rural and Small Town America brings together over 80 demographic, economic, and agricultural statistics for every county in all 50 states and assembles statistics in four broad categories -- people, jobs, agriculture, and geography.

Research and Science Centers and Databases

• Agricultural Network Information Center (AGNIC)
• Agricultural Online Access (AGRICOLA)
• Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC)
• Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC)
• Current Research Information Center (CRIS)
• Digital Desktop (DigiTop) for Employees
• Food and Nutrition Assistance Research Database
• Food and Nutrition Information Center
• Production, Supply and Distribution Online (PSD Online) Database
• Rural Information Center
• Water and Agricultural Information Center

The agricultural transition: Building a sustainable future

In 2020, we released our report Agriculture and climate change , which identified key actions the agricultural industry could take to support decarbonization. 1 “ Reducing agriculture emissions through improved farming practices ,” McKinsey, May 6, 2020. For this report, our research has focused on how decarbonization measures have evolved, as well as on the key barriers to their adoption and the actions industry players and investors can take to support their uptake. At the same time, conversations about sustainable transitions have increasingly focused on agriculture’s effects on nature and society beyond climate change. For example, agricultural land covers half of all habitable land and is responsible for 70 percent of freshwater withdrawals. 2 Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser, “Land use,” Our World in Data, September 2019; “Water in agriculture,” World Bank, October 5, 2022. In addition, food systems are the primary driver of biodiversity loss around the world, and these systems have growing effects on biosphere integrity, human health, and food access. 3 “Our global food system is the primary driver of biodiversity loss,” United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), February 3, 2021. While climate change remains the focus of this report, decarbonization and the actions to achieve it cannot be considered separately from their broader impacts on nature and society. Trade-offs and other benefits associated with decarbonization actions are highlighted throughout the report.

About the authors

Achieving a 1.5° pathway will require actions that extend beyond the farm throughout the value chain. Chief among these actions are reducing food loss and waste, adopting dietary shifts, and adapting how we use arable land, all of which are critical to decarbonization and will help the industry meet global food needs while maintaining the livelihoods of farmers (Exhibit 1).

• Tackling food waste. Approximately 30 percent of the world’s food is lost or wasted every year. 4 “Food loss” refers to food that is lost at or near the time of harvest, while “food waste” refers to food that is fit for consumption but discarded at the consumption or retail phase. For more, see UNEP food waste index report 2021 , UNEP, March 4, 2021. Food loss and waste not only contribute an estimated 8 to 10 percent of global anthropogenic emissions 5 Climate change and land , Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2019. but also drive food insecurity and overproduction, the latter of which contributes in turn to nature degradation. It is estimated that food waste could be reduced by approximately 23 percent by 2050, which would account for approximately 0.7 metric gigatons (Gt) of CO 2 equivalent (CO 2 e). 6 “IPR Forecast Policy Scenario + Nature,” PRI Association, January 9, 2023. To achieve these reductions, we will need to better connect supply chains, improve preservation, adapt purchasing habits, and make more productive use of food loss or waste, creating opportunities for industrials across the value chain.
• Shifting what we eat. Dietary shifts are already opening new markets and creating value for farmers and industrials. Producers and consumers can avoid releasing a substantial amount of emissions by turning to alternative protein sources, including plant-based products and precision-fermented and cellular products that are nearly identical to animal protein products. For example, classic plant-based options emit 12 percent of the total greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted by cattle and have a lesser ratio of methane per kilogram of product. 7 “Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM),” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), accessed January 4, 2023. Dietary shifts away from animal proteins could save nearly 640 million hectares of land, which could in turn be reforested or be a locus for other nature-based solutions. 8 Global innovation needs assessments: Protein diversity , ClimateWorks Foundation, November 1, 2021. Of course, in the case of alternative protein sources, trade-offs, including human health, food access, and farmer equity, are especially important and must be adequately considered as part of any transition.
• Addressing land use with nature-based solutions. Agricultural land covers approximately 4.9 billion hectares, or 38 percent of the world’s terrestrial area, and is estimated to account for approximately 80 percent of global land-use change as land is cleared or converted for cropland, feed production, or grazing land. 9 “Land use in agriculture by the numbers,” FAO, May 7, 2020; Tim G. Benton et al., Food system impacts on biodiversity loss: Three levers for food system transformation in support of nature , Chatham House, February 2021. Given this enormous land-use footprint, nature-based solutions, including conservation and restoration solutions, have the potential to abate 6.7 GtCO 2 e in 2050—approximately 80 percent of the total abatement potential. 10 Based on McKinsey analysis and Inevitable Policy Response (IPR) Nature Scenario; “IPR 2021 Forecast Policy Scenario and 1.5C Required Policy Scenario,” Vivid Economics, accessed January 4, 2023. The largest levers for achieving this potential concern improved forestry practices, especially forest restoration. Notably, adoption of many nature-based solutions will likely require increased land-use intensification to meet global food demand and adequate incentives for farmers to limit future land conversion.

Changing how we farm, the focus of this report, is critical to a successful transition. Building on our previous work, we have defined 28 measures that can support decarbonization on the farm while creating potential value for the industry and farmers (Exhibit 2). Together, these measures have an annual emissions-reduction of approximately 2.2 GtCO 2 . Many of these measures can be implemented at little to no cost to the farmer and have benefits beyond emissions reductions, including yield and biodiversity uplift.

Although a 1.5˚ pathway exists and can create value for farmers and the broader industry, meaningful barriers are preventing adoption of decarbonization solutions at scale. Farmers are central to the sustainability transition, but they do not yet have sufficient incentives to adopt new methods and technologies. Emissions tracing and other actions require new, innovative solutions to facilitate decarbonization. And there is much room to grow in helping farmers overcome challenges in scaling their operations and maintaining profitability.

The findings in this report can guide food and agriculture organizations as they transition to increased sustainability. Each intervention should be tailored to its specific context, but broadly speaking, change requires the following:

• financial incentives to spur farmer action, whether through carbon markets, green premiums, subsidies, rebates, or other green-financing mechanisms
• ecosystem collaboration and improved tracking and traceability to bring solutions to market and support monetization of on-farm practice changes and purchaser decision making
• research and investment to bend the cost curve to reduce adoption costs of existing solutions and support the development and scale-up of new technologies

The food and agriculture value chain has a chance to create a more sustainable ecosystem that feeds a growing planet while maintaining the livelihoods of farmers. With tailored and concentrated action, industry players, policy makers, and investors can accelerate the path to this future while enabling their own growth.

Although the path to achieving 1.5˚C will not be straightforward, it can create real business value for farmers and players throughout the value chain, with additional environmental benefits beyond reducing climate change. Action will be required beyond the farm, but there is a real opportunity to drive on-farm decarbonization while capturing business value. A more sustainable future for agriculture that feeds a growing planet while maintaining the livelihoods of farmers is feasible. And industry players, policy makers, and investors can accelerate the path to the future while enabling their own growth.

Onyx Bengston is a consultant in McKinsey’s Denver office; Sherry Feng is a consultant in the New York office, where Vasanth Ganesan is a partner; Joshua Katz is a partner in the Stamford office; Hannah Kitchel is a consultant in the Boston office; Pradeep Prabhala is a partner in the Washington, DC, office; Peter Mannion is a partner in the Dublin office; Adam Richter is a consultant in the New Jersey office; Wilson Roen is a consultant in the Chicago office; and Jan Vlcek is a consultant in the Vancouver office.

The authors wish to thank the following people for their contributions to this report: Michael Aldridge, Peter Amer, Robert Beach, Stephen Butler, Jude (Judith) Capper, N. Andy Cole, Amelia de Almeida, Albert De Vries, Stefan Frank, Pierre J. Gerber, Mathijs J. H. M. Harmsen, Roger S. Hegarty, Mario Herrero, Ermias Kebreab, Michael MacLeod, Jennie Pryce, Caeli Richardson, Kendall Samuelson, Pete Smith, Philip Thornton, Mark van Nieuwland, Roel Veerkamp, and Xiaoyu (Iris) Feng.

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• 1 International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines
• 2 Nordic Africa Institute, Uppsala, Sweden
• 3 Leibniz Center for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
• 4 Department of Agricultural Economics, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Introduction

Climate shocks to agriculture threaten food security, especially in the Global South. Poverty and malnutrition are rising and there are dire warnings of what is to come. Agricultural research and development systems need to generate multiple game-changing innovations in order to transform our agricultural systems and ensure that they are climate-resilient, productive, sustainable, and equitable. The challenge is immense and there are no shortages of sound advice on required directions for research. This is particularly the case for CGIAR, a global partnership that unites international organizations engaged in research to reduce rural poverty, increase food security, and improve human health and nutrition, while fostering sustainable management of natural resources.

At the 2022 Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, 45 world leaders launched “ The Breakthrough Agenda Report ” as part of a commitment to make clean technologies and sustainable practices more attractive, affordable and accessible by 2030. The Report argues that for the agriculture sector, the breakthrough goal is that “ Climate-resilient, sustainable agriculture is the most attractive and widely adopted option for farmers everywhere by 2030 ” ( IEA et al., 2023 , p. 141). Merrey et al. (2023 , p. 4) report that there is no single transformative agricultural innovation to realize this goal, but rather “ synergistic interactions among multiple game-changing innovations in hundreds of national and local agricultural systems ” that cumulatively lead to the transformation of global agriculture. A transformation which is urgently needed to address climate challenges.

For agricultural researchers the challenge of food systems transformation is immense, but so are the opportunities. The journal Food Policy has published a number of viewpoints that detail the type of research that CGIAR should focus on ( Coffman et al., 2020 ; Haddad, 2020 ; Nelson, 2020 ; Thornton et al., 2022 ). Lynam et al. (2024) outline organization changes required specifically for CGIAR, while Conti et al. (2024) address this issue more broadly for agricultural research organizations. Simultaneously, CGIAR has not escaped criticism. Some question its ability to respond to the challenge of ensuring food security under climate change ( McIntire and Dobermann, 2023 ).

As agricultural researchers, we relate to the multifarious suggested priority research areas, recommendations and critiques of CGIAR and other agricultural research organizations. We believe, however, that discussions to date obscure fundamental and wider aspects about how research is done to ensure that it contributes to the needed radical transformation of food, land and water systems to meet 21st Century needs. We recognize the huge contribution that a plethora of agricultural research and development systems have made and continue to make toward meeting these needs. It is not our intention to question the raison d'être of legions of committed professionals. On the contrary, we seek to make constructive suggestions and provoke discussions that we believe will render these systems even more effective, efficient and impactful. A fundamental first step is an urgent and radical transformation in the way that we conceptualize the research process and undertake research.

Research paradigms that were suitable for 20th Century challenges—e.g., the Green Revolution, an innovation system which CGIAR played a pivotal role in terms of both the science and practice—need to give way to those better suited to 21st Century challenges. The Green Revolution relied heavily on technology transfer and undoubtedly contributed to significant increases in food production and reductions in poverty. However, it tended to benefit men rather than women, large-scale farmers rather than small-scale ones, and it had less beneficial impact in marginal production environments ( Pingali, 2012 ).

The International Science Council (2023) in its report Flipping the Science Model: A Roadmap to Science Missions for Sustainability captures an example of the paradigm shift required. A change from a traditional science model, which is characterized often by siloed science funding, intense competition and a lack of trust among stakeholders, to a model “ that encourages science to cater directly to societal needs. This can be achieved by co-creating actionable knowledge and finding solutions tailored to the intricate sustainability issues identified by both local and global stakeholders ( International Science Council, 2023 , p. 6). Additional paradigms guiding agricultural research must also address social justice, environmental stewardship, and indigenous knowledge ( Pretty et al., 2010 ).

A fundamental point that may or may not be self-evident when considering the need for game-changing innovations to transform agriculture is that agricultural innovation systems are embedded within societal contexts. Hence, to encourage science to cater more to societal needs, social scientists need to play a more prominent role in building a global transdisciplinary research process that fosters the co-design and co-production of research and action, and encourages more inclusive collaboration among science, policy-makers and civil society ( Dolinska et al., 2023 ). At present, as we elaborate below, the role of social scientists is all-too-often peripheral to agricultural research.

We, hence, focus our opinion piece on two themes: (i) the urgent need to engage social (together with natural) scientists in transdisciplinary research processes; (ii) the importance of the co-creation of knowledge via more democratic partnerships that genuinely address power asymmetries, as well as different stakeholders' roles (and responsibilities). We highlight discrepancies in the mix of social and natural science agricultural research, and also what may come across as a tepid commitment to partnerships despite the best intentions of many researchers. The short-termism of research projects stymies the establishment of genuine partnerships and there may be an inherent power imbalance because of who holds the purse strings and the structure of research funding. Such partnerships are often further stymied by a lack of consensus on the roles, responsibilities and modus operandi of key stakeholders, ones that include public research and extension institutions, universities, private firms, producers, donors, and consumers ( Hellin et al., 2020 ).

A greater role for social science in transdisciplinary research

The need to tackle climate change will require major adjustments in a number of sectors, including research. The way many organizations do agricultural research needs to change substantially in order to meet the climate challenge. While technical challenges abound, the game-changing innovations referred to by Merrey et al. (2023) , are embedded in society and it is notoriously difficult to bring about deliberate societal change. The funding of climate research still appears to be largely based on the assumption that (natural) scientists need to focus on the causes, impacts, and technological answers to climate change, and then when exposed to solutions, targeted stakeholders (including farmers) will change their behavior. The assumption is flawed. Climate change has less to do with technology and more to do with society and political economy ( Vermeulen et al., 2018 ; Davidson, 2022 ). Innovation is shaped by people, and they are also the drivers of climate action ( Devine-Wright et al., 2022 ). Insights on societal change and dynamics from the social sciences are critical when it comes to transforming climate change research into action ( Weaver et al., 2014 ). The social sciences (and humanities) contribute critical and invaluable perspectives that provide context, framings, approaches, reflection and impacts on societal transformation ( Fisher et al., 2022 ).

Despite its importance, social science is still hugely underrepresented in climate change research. Overland and Sovacool (2020) , for example, analyzed a dataset of research grants from 333 donors worldwide and with a cumulative value of USD 1.3 trillion from 1950 to 2021. On issues related to climate change, the natural and technical sciences received 770% more funding than the social sciences. The preponderance of funding for natural as opposed to social science climate research can encourage ‘climate reductionism' whereby science removes climate change from its environmental and social contexts ( Rigg and Mason, 2018 ). The salutary reality is that “ the questions and challenges in climate science are at once political, moral, socioeconomic, cultural, psychological and historical—in addition to scientific and technical. Yet, it is the predictive natural sciences (earth, environmental, meteorological, atmospheric sciences), not the critical and interpretative social sciences and humanities, that set the terms of the climate change debate, leading to disciplinary reductionism” ( Rigg and Mason, 2018 ).

It is time we overturn business as usual and embrace business unusual in order to stimulate the opposite of ‘climate reductionism'. In the words of The International Science Council (2023) , we need more ‘mission-led science' that will “ require continued investments in basic, social, and natural sciences, both as disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches and with a focus on ensuring practical outcomes .” We believe that organizations dedicated to agricultural research for development (AR4D) need to employ a larger cadre of social scientists from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. Others have made similar calls (e.g., Venot et al., 2015 ), but there is still some way to go especially in terms of the diversity of social science disciplines.

Among the social scientists in many AR4D organizations, agricultural economists predominate. There is very often a dearth of other social science disciplines that are critical to mission-led science. These include sociologists ( Davidson, 2022 ), anthropologists, psychologists ( Shah, 2020 ) geographers ( Castree, 2015 ), political scientists, development studies and gender specialists, plus those best positioned to communicate climate change research to policy makers and the public ( Nature Climate Change, 2019 ) and work with local communities to identify pathways to achieving the changes in behavior needed. Furthermore, social scientists are often perceived to be service providers to those engaged in biophysical research ( Cullen et al., 2023 ).

Working across the natural and social sciences is not easy; some may feel that their entire raison d'être is challenged, while others may find it difficult to embrace different ways of analyzing a similar problem. We struggle, for example, with the notion that Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) are a gold standard for evaluating the effectiveness of agricultural interventions such as climate-smart agriculture. Similar concerns are shared by others e.g., Glover et al. (2016) and Kabeer (2020) . A call for inter-disciplinary approaches does not require all researchers to modify their approach. We fully recognize the need for continued strong disciplinary research, be it from the natural or social sciences. Agricultural research and development systems still need specialists but they also require an open mindset and ability to engage outside disciplinary boundaries.

The payoffs of agricultural research giving more attention to social dimensions are often substantial. Examples include a better match between crop improvement and farmers' realities in terms of crop breeders recognizing the significance of traits such as taste, color and nutritional value rather than an undue focus on yields ( Cullen et al., 2023 ). Another example is the need to understand gender and social norms to foster equitable agricultural development ( Badstue et al., 2020 ).

There is also a need for more generalists who can support integration ( Grace et al., 2021 ). As Castree et al. (2014) wrote in the context of Geography's contribution to climate change research, we need more scientists who can play the role of a “weaver” in contrast to those working in specialist subjects who tend to be “spinners.” Brown et al. (2015) use the term “T-shaped” researchers, those able to flourish in their own discipline and also look beyond it and embrace others.

What emerges from accommodating different disciplinary perspectives is a “ messier intellectual landscape of climate understanding ” ( Schipper et al., 2021a ), one that lends itself to identifying global environmental challenges and opportunities for transformation while also recognizing the relevance of people's varied agency and capacity for change ( Fisher et al., 2022 ). This is something that many researchers may find discomforting, but it is critical to encourage a systems approach to climate research. Holistic inter-disciplinary thinking helps create the conditions for systems transformation and a paradigm shift that enables a transition to sustainability ( Voulvoulis et al., 2022 ).

Roles, responsibilities and power asymmetries in transdisciplinary partnerships

Another bottleneck to agricultural research and development systems being more impactful is that too often the importance of developing genuine partnerships, and the time that trust-building takes, is over-looked. Cundill et al. (2019a) note that climate change research funds are shifting toward large collaborative research networks and pose significant challenges (we would add also significant opportunities) for researchers. Researchers increasingly need to forge transdisciplinary networks and participatory process with other stakeholders. The ensuing climate action requires “ integrated and multiscale research that is simultaneously cutting edge, problem-oriented, and that creates space for other ways of knowing, beyond western science alone ” ( Cundill et al., 2019b ).

A transformative climate response requires actionable interdisciplinary science and strong partnerships among researchers and broader society ( Hernandez-Aguilera et al., 2021 ). This requires doing research differently, embracing both qualitative and quantitative research approaches ( Schipper et al., 2021b ) and placing more emphasis on action research, stakeholder engagement and social learning ( Miller et al., 2010 ). A concerted effort is need to shift from output-directed to process-oriented research during which diverse stakeholders with different cultural backgrounds, including researchers and policy-makers, co-produce knowledge ( Miller et al., 2010 ). Collaborative knowledge generation can encounter obstacles, particularly when participants from the Global South and North work together. The distinction between “co-creation” and traditional participatory approaches is currently unclear, leading to questions about what is a co-creation process, and how to avoid it being a means of scientific exploitation ( Keikelame and Swartz, 2019 ) and/or perpetuating coloniality ( Fúnez-Flores, 2023 ).

Building trustful partnerships takes time ( Newig et al., 2019 ; Thornton et al., 2024 ) often far longer than the 3-to-5 year lifetimes of many agricultural research projects. There are often power and finance asymmetries with insufficient ownership by Southern partners compared to their Northern colleagues ( Cundill et al., 2019a ; Schneider et al., 2019 ; Cullen et al., 2023 ). The pressure to articulate and develop research proposals and realize outcomes very often does not allow for the establishment and nourishment of (research) partnerships. There is a danger that short-termism (dictated by truncated funding cycles) gives the impression that research organizations are not a reliable partner. The impression is often an erroneous one but we should not forget that perception is reality. Power asymmetries also manifest themselves in terms of whose knowledge counts. Local and indigenous knowledge is still under-represented in climate change research although the situation is changing ( Head, 2020 ; Kassam et al., 2023 ).

As Reed and Fazey (2021) note, the “publish or perish” mantra has been coupled with an additional one: “impact or implode.” Too often the understandable pressure from donors and policy-makers to demonstrate impact means that there is a tendency for researchers to focus on “quick wins” rather than the longer-term and more obdurate transformations that are needed ( Hainzelin et al., 2017 ). In the words of Leeuwis et al. (2018) , “ there is an urgency to demonstrate how today's research activities will contribute to tomorrow's development .” There is pressure to report high numbers of farmers who have adopted certain technologies, or received training. Whilst important, these numbers are only one aspect of the development story. They reveal little about human development, the dangers of trade-offs and maladaptation ( Schipper, 2020 ) and the sustainability of any innovation (there are numerous examples of farmers abandoning agricultural innovations once external support is withdrawn).

As researchers ourselves, we totally empathize with the pressures to demonstrate rapid results that we all find ourselves under. We argue for more honest conversations about the contribution of agricultural research to game-changing innovations, and critically the time, trust, and relationship building it takes to realize impact. The required transformations of land, water and food systems take far longer than the life-times of the majority of agricultural research projects ( Hainzelin et al., 2017 ). Many stakeholders have roles and responsibilities in and along an impact pathway (or rather a web of impact pathways) that connects research activities, research outputs, impacts and outcomes ( Blundo-Canto et al., 2018 ).

Researchers should be held accountable for the delivery of “outputs”; this is in their sphere of control. It is also incumbent on them to embrace working with non-researchers, and to identify suitable mechanisms and changes to the policy, institutional and governance environments that drive the transformation process. Realizing impact, however, largely falls outside the control of researchers and within the operating spaces of governments, civil society and private sector. It is these stakeholders who are better best placed to nurture the organizational and institutional processes that underpin transformative change ( Hellin et al., 2020 ).

The design and use of more comprehensive theories of change e.g., Brown (2020) would allow for greater transparency and understanding about stakeholders' roles and responsibilities while also capturing learnings from what has not worked in the research process. Too often, so-called “failures” during the research process are under-reported; a technology that did not work; a research partnership that never got off the ground or disintegrated in acrimony. There are few incentives to report these failures or setbacks in agricultural research. Failure is not failure if one can learn from what did not work as we had hoped. In agricultural research, failures (or should we call them opportunities for learning?) are inevitable on the road to success. There are, however, few incentives within research organizations to learn from mistakes. One way forward could be journal sections specifically geared to publications that focus on what did not work, why and what can we learn going forward.

Lessons from history

Agricultural research and development systems need to generate multiple game-changing innovations in order to transform our agricultural systems and ensure that they are climate-resilient, productive, sustainable, and equitable. Social scientists can provide urgently needed insights on societal dynamics that are critical when it comes to transforming climate change research into action. Transdisciplinary partnerships are the foundation of transforming research into action; partnerships characterized by trust, accountability, a heavy dose of “intellectual humility” on the part of all stakeholders, including researchers ( Palmer, 2023 ), and integrating the different needs of the global North and South ( Schneider et al., 2022 ).

Co-creation in transdisciplinary research signifies a more profound dedication among the parties involved, who must collaborate to conceptualize, plan, and generate knowledge that benefits everyone, drawing on transformative learning in critical and dialogical research ( Freire, 2005 ). For global agricultural research and development systems to be truly fit-for-purpose and contribute to the needed radical transformation of food, land and water systems to meet 21st Century needs, greater numbers of ‘T-shaped' researchers i.e., weavers, are needed. This part depends on changed incentive schemes at universities and research centers.

History can provide some of the answers. In an essay entitled Humboldt for the Anthropocene , Jackson (2019) cites the example of Alexander von Humboldt, the German geographer who fused science and humanism, and whose “ combination of empathy, humility, confidence, and rigor can serve as a model for engaging the public on matters of urgent concern .” Climate action is one of these urgent concerns. A big (and realistic step) would, perhaps, be for research organizations to employ more von Humboldts as part of a radical transformation in the way that we conceptualize and do research. In this way can come genuine breakthroughs in transformative action to address climate challenges through sustainable agriculture, without the threat of breakdowns in the very agricultural systems that sustain life.

Author contributions

JH: Conceptualization, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. EF: Conceptualization, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. MB: Conceptualization, Writing—original draft.

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was carried out with support from the CGIAR Research Initiative on Climate Resilience (ClimBeR). We would like to thank all funders who supported this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund: https://www.cgiar.org/funders/ .

Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to one of the Topic Editors and reviewer for comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. EF acknowledges support by the Nordic Africa Institute.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Keywords: social science, transdisciplinary partnerships, climate action, agricultural research and development, impact

Citation: Hellin J, Fisher E and Bonatti M (2024) Transforming agricultural research and development systems to meet 21st Century needs for climate action. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 8:1398079. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2024.1398079

Received: 08 March 2024; Accepted: 23 April 2024; Published: 07 May 2024.

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Copyright © 2024 Hellin, Fisher and Bonatti. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Jon Hellin, j.hellin@irri.org

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Current Agriculture Research Journal is an open access, international, scholarly peer-reviewed research journal which publishes original research after double-blind peer review. Published triannually in April, August and December with an aim to foster high-quality research in the field of agricultural sciences.

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Isolation and molecular characterization of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria from groundnut ( arachis hypogaea l.) rhizosphere, does agricultural credit mitigate the effect of climate change on sugarcane production evidence from uttar pradesh, india, classification of tomato leaf disease using a custom convolutional neural network, most read articles, direct seeded rice: prospects, problems/constraints….

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Effect of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on the Quantitative and Qualitative Parameters of Rice (Oriza sativa L.)

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Agricultural Research

• The official publication of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), India
• Focuses on new and emerging fields and concepts in agricultural sciences.
• Provides a forum for Agricultural Scientists to deliberate on important issues.
• Aims to catalyze policy development on issues impacting rational agricultural growth and development globally.
• Recognizes and encourages cutting-edge research in various fields of agricultural sciences.
• Anupam Varma

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Volume 13, Issue 1

Latest articles

Crispr/cas9 mediated editing of the white ( wh ) locus affects body size and reproduction of the oriental fruit fly, bactocera dorsalis (hendel).

• Chikmagalur Nagaraja Bhargava
• Karuppannasamy Ashok
• Chowdenalli Gangadharaiah Harsha

Epidemics of Begomoviruse s Transmitted by Bemisia tabaci in Habanero Peppers and the Efficacy of Botanical Insecticides

• Ana L. Ruiz-Jiménez
• Yomara J. Chan-May
• Jacques Fils Pierre

Climate-Driven Dynamics of Grain Production in Russia in XX–XXI Centuries: A Review of Statistical Models in Historical Studies

• Nikolai Dronin
• Andrey Kirilenko

The Influence of Temperature on Pollen Germination and Pollen Tube Growth in Eight Date Palm Cultivars

• Mohammed Mesnoua
• Farid Mezerdi
• Abdelmoneim Tarek Ouamane

Response of Cassava Root Manihot esculenta to Potassium-Rich Biostimulants Manufactured from Red Seaweed Gracilaria salicornia Under Semi-Arid Condition

• Shanmugam Munisamy
• Gopi Krishna Ramamoorthy

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Efficiency of Zinc in Plants, its Deficiency and Sensitivity for Different Crops

Optimal crop nutrition is a significant factor in increasing agricultural vintage and quality of products. Zinc (Zn) is an immobile important micronutrient, which is taken up by plants in Zn2+ form to complete their life cycle efficiently. It plays a critical metabolic role in plants and is an important constituent of proteins and other large-molecules, and serves as structural and functional unit, or controlling cofactor for a wide range of enzymes. The Zn is needed in small and in appropriate amounts for plants main physiological processes to work normally. These processes play critical roles in photosynthetic activity of plants and forming carbohydrates, synthesis of protein, reproduction and seed development, growth, and disease protection. After Zn deficiency in plants, these physical functions are decreased, and plant health and productivity suffer greatly, subsequent in reduced production or even failure of crops and often bad quality of crop products. Plant Zn deficiencies occur on variety of soils and are severe due to a combination of symptoms like chlorosis, resetting, dieback and suppressed or irregular vegetative development. In addition, various crops require varying amount of Zn. So the knowledge regarding this is not up to date. The present review discusses the Zn importance in plants, its deficiency in soil and required level of Zn for crops.

Towards Achieving Food Security in Nigeria: A Fuzzy Comprehensive Assessment of Heavy Metals Contamination in Organic Fertilizers

In the quest towards achieving the Zero hunger agenda of the sustainable development goals by 2030, the utilization of organic fertilizers, for soil amendment purposes, has been posited as a feasible alternative for overcoming the negative impacts of inorganic fertilizers. Despite its manifold benefits, the use of untreated and improperly treated organic materials in agricultural production is however capable of introducing toxic metals in the soil-plant systems causing health and agro-environmental impacts. In this study, available organic fertilizers use by Nigerian farmers were selected and analyzed for nutrient values and most importantly, heavy metal contamination. The degree of contamination in each sample was modeled using fuzzy comprehensive assessment. The manure samples possessed optimum nutritional values; the nitrogen, phosphate, and potash contents ranged from 0.91 – 7.44, 0.06 – 1.61, 0.14 – 0.58% respectively. The fuzzy algorithm results categorized all the organic fertilizers as pristine, with a membership degree ranging from 35 to 99%. However, an excessive level of toxic contamination, with a membership function between 3 to 33% was observed. The major contaminants were identified as Zn, Cr, and Cd with an individual contribution of 16, 29, and 33% respectively. Adequate remediation techniques and good management practices that reduce the concentration of heavy metals in the organic fertilizers especially that of Zn, Cr, and Cd, should therefore be promoted among the producers and users of these soil improvers in Nigeria.

Coconut Growers Knowledge, Perception and Adoption on Impacts of Climate Change in Gampaha and Puttalam Districts in Sri Lanka: An Index-Based Approach

Climate change and food security are critical topics in sustainable agricultural development. Climate change is expected to have serious environmental, economic and social impacts on Sri Lanka. Coconut growers’ knowledge, perception level and adoption for climate change adaptation measures have influenced productivity of the coconut cultivation. The study investigated the coconut growers’ knowledge gap, knowledge and perception levels regarding impacts of climate change in Gampaha and Puttalam districts. Further, this study investigated their adoption of different adaptation measures. A stratified random sampling technique was applied for selecting 240 respondents from two different districts. Structured questionnaire and interview schedule were used to elicit information from the respondents and data was analyzed with both descriptive and inferential statistics. Adoption rate of the climate change adaptation measures is significantly influenced by coconut growers’ knowledge and perception level at varying degrees. The study revealed that most of the growers in two study areas have better knowledge (> 70%) and perceptions (>60%) regarding the gradual changes in the climate and its impact on their coconut cultivation. However, their adaptation behavior is fairly poor (< 50%) in both districts. Hence government policies should more focused on to coconut growers to have access to affordable credit to increase their ability and flexibility to change adaptation strategies in response to the changing climatic conditions. Increasing growers’ access to agricultural extension services and access to information on weather forecasting are very important. In addition, government should improve and promote off-farm income-earning opportunities during dry seasons.

Effect of Beneficial Soil Microbes on Growth and Yield of Celery in Volcanic Soil of West Java

Soil beneficial microbes have a critical role in plant growth. Inoculating biofertilizer is suppose essential for supporting the plant performance and hence plant yield. The objective of field experiment was to verify the growth and production of celery (Apium graveolens L.) after biofertilizers application. The experiment had been performed in a plastic house in the mountainous area of tropical volcanic soil of West Java, Indonesia. The field trial was carried out in a Completely Randomized Block Design to test two microbial-coated urea formulas and a mixed biofertilizer. The control treatment was Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potassium (NPK) compound fertilizer. All treatments were replicated three times. The celery was growing in low Nitrogen but high Phosphor and Potassium soil during the dry season. The field trial verified that plant height and biomass as well as yield of celery didn’t depend on fertilizer treatments. Nonetheless, this trial founded that both microbial-coated urea and mixed biofertilizer can replace the NPK fertilizer to produce a same yield of celery.

Effect of Mid-Term Cropping System Adoption on Soil Chemical Properties at Changunarayan Municipality, Bhaktapur, Nepal

Soil chemical properties plays a crucial role in crop yield. In this study, we evaluated the chemical properties of soils under three different cropping systems practiced for more than five years in Changunarayan municipality of Bhaktapur district of Nepal. The cropping systems includes- (i) cultivation inside polyhouse (Treatment A: polyhouse), (ii) paddy-wheat rotation (Treatment B: P-W), and (iii) paddy-wheat-vegetable rotation (Treatment C: P-W-V). Thirty-nine composite samples (13 replicates from each site) were taken from the area based on variation in landforms. Soil pH, organic matter (%), total nitrogen (%), available phosphorus (mgkg-1), and available potassium (mgkg-1) were evaluated for each sample. The study revealed that the soil pH was acidic and ranges between 4.71 and 5.39, organic matter (1.6-2.39%), total nitrogen (0.091-0.13%), phosphorus (4.48-29.24mg kg-1) and potassium (88.04-109.52 mg kg-1). A significant lower mean pH (4.71), and higher mean organic matter (2.39%), total nitrogen (0.13%) and available phosphorus (29.24 mgkg-1) were observed in cultivation under polyhouse. Incorporation of vegetable in paddy-wheat system gave significant (p<0.05) higher accumulation of soil phosphorus and consistently raised other nutrient status. Moreover, cultivation under polyhouse raised C:N ratio (10.55) significantly than other system. This finding can be relevant to wide range of readers that focus on soil chemical properties and can be used in developing future research strategy and sustainable soil management system in the area.

Constructed Wetland Effluent Irrigation as a Potential Water and Nutrient Source for Vegetables

Heat tolerance stability of bread wheat genotypes under early and late planting environments through stress selection indices, reliability of morphological characters in identification of olive (olea europaea l.) varieties in ex-situ conditions, cultivation and nutritional quality of moringa oleifera lam. produced under different substrates in semi-arid region in northeast brazil, bacteriological quality and cyanide contents of different cassava products processed in benue state for use as food for man or feedstock for animals, export citation format, share document.

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