Since 2023, the Agroecology Initiative has engaged with diverse stakeholders in Makueni ALL to co-design and implement innovative agroecological practices in three priority areas: soil, water, and integrated pest management. To assess the Initiative’s impact on various food system actors, an outcome evidence workshop was held on September 3, 2024, at DNRC, Makueni. This workshop involved 35 participants from diverse sectors, including farmers, government officials, and the private sector, agro-input service providers, NGOs, implementing organizations.
Tag: Agroecology
Synthesis report on the co-design of agroecological innovations in the Agroecological Living Landscapes (ALLs) in Kenya
In Kenya, the CGIAR Agroecology Initiative (AE-I) has two agroecological living landscapes (ALLs), one in Kiambu County and a second in Makueni County. Work package 1 (WP1) of the AE-I entailed two key components: ALL establishment, and innovation co-design. In line with broader agroecology approaches and ontologies, both were to be achieved through transdisciplinary co-design processes. This report provides an overview of the innovation co-design process, its results, the scientific performance of co-designed practices and related reflections. First, the report introduces the three-pronged co-design approach, which included a preparatory phase, a co-design phase, and a trial phase; and outlines the many different steps involved in the process. It then provides details of the specific practices co-designed across the three identified focus areas in which most attention was required: soil management, water management, and integrated pest management. The respective practices for the Kiambu ALL included the use of compost manure, mulch, and chili-based biopesticides, and farmyard manure, planted terraces, and neem-based biopesticides in Makueni. In the first cycle of trials, each of these practices was put under trial on 10 farmers’ fields. The experimental design included on 5×6 m controlled test trial plot, and a second 5×6 m “uncontrolled” control plot. While the inputs used (including seeds, seedlings, and treatments) were centrally provided, and kept constant, the trial participants used their conventional practice in the control plots. With a few exceptions, this conventional practice is largely organic in Kiambu, and followed permaculture principles in Makueni. Third, the agronomic assessment of two consecutive experimentation cycles (October 2023-March 2024; May 2024-September 2024) revealed generally positive performance of the co-designed practices. A preliminary contextual climate analysis showed that both areas received excessive rainfall in the second cycle, with more than twice the long-term average in April and May. Experienced flooding and water logging considerably influenced agricultural production during that cycle. Considering gross productivity, yields only significantly improved in the Makueni ALL, while differences in Kiambu ALL were not significant. In Makueni, only farmyard manure had a significant effect on maize yields, while all three practices significantly improved bean yields. Considering pest and disease pressure, pests were significantly lower for cabbages in the IPM trials in Kiambu, but not for compost or mulch. In Makueni, pests were significantly lower for both maize and beans in the IPM trial, as well as for beans in the manure trial. Despite experiencing difficulties related to planting timing, the climatic conditions, the quality of the inputs used, and market constraints, the participating farmers evaluated the practices and their participation in the trials very positively. In the last two sections, the report discussed adoption and scaling approaches, and broader reflections on successes and challenges with the co-design process, and recommends a continuation of highly methodical and structured transdisciplinary innovation co-design. This report complements the detailed co-design report prepared by the WP1 Kenya team in 2023 (Fuchs et al., 2023b).
CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology inter-ALL farmer knowledge exchange visit and innovation co-design workshop
The CGIAR Agroecology Initiative (AE-I) aimed at supporting the emergence of a practical and collectively agreed action plans for each Agroecological Living Landscape (ALL) and its key stakeholders through a vision-to-action process. This plan entailed jointly identified behavioral changes for various actors that could facilitate a multi-actor, multi-strategy, multi-level agroecological transition from their current situation to the desired future changes they envisioned for their respective ALL. The action plans developed in both ALLs contained pathways related to innovative agroecological on-farm practices, including their testing and rigorous participatory monitoring. Following their prioritization, the WP1 team engaged a broad co-design process that included (1) a preliminary rapid innovation mapping, (2) a structured co-design workshop that brought about three practices that would be tested in each ALL, while defining criteria for participant selection, indicators to monitor etc., (3) technical training in the identified practices, and finally (4) the trial establishment and continuous rigorous monitoring.
Holistic performance measurement for food systems transformation: Scoping the potential of holistic assessment for supporting agroecological transitions – Final Report
This study highlights the need for more holistic approaches to measuring agrifood system performance in order to fairly assess agroecology alongside alternative approaches. Drawing on reviews, interviews, and workshops held in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Tunisia, it identifies barriers and opportunities for measuring and advancing agroecological transitions. Key findings stress the need for harmonized yet context-sensitive metrics, stronger capacity and guidance, and attention to often-overlooked social dimensions such as equity and agency. The study calls for greater coordination among governments, researchers, NGOs, and funders, as well as more strategic investments, to ensure that agroecology can play its full role in transforming food systems towards resilience, sustainability, and inclusivity.
Human versus machine: Can generative AI anticipate insect biological control outcomes?
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) could transform evidence synthesis and revolutionize the global scientific enterprise, yet its agricultural applications are understudied. Here, we systematically assess the performance of three web-grounded AI engines (ChatGPT, ScholarAI and DeepSeek) in synthesizing the global literature on biological control of the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda, and benchmark their outputs against a recent, near-exhaustive human review. Though all engines rapidly screened vast literature corpora, they exhibited shortcomings in factual accuracy, reporting reliability and data consistency. In machine-run syntheses, natural enemy prevalence and performance data often diverged from published records while the level of agreement in enumerating top-performing taxa was evenly low. Meanwhile, internal consistency between laboratory and field-level parasitism data for ScholarAI and DeepSeek was similar to that in human-run reviews. All models tended towards faulty data extrapolation, hallucination and data fabrication, and a sporadic exclusion of key species. While autonomous, machine-only efforts accurately capture coarse-grained patterns in natural enemy identity, abundance, and impacts, they carry limited utility for (living) evidence syntheses or rigorous decision-support. Yet, handled with prudence and due human oversight, machine power might eventually revitalize underfunded disciplines and advance nature-friendly farming.
Dairy farms at an advanced stage in their agroecological transition show higher environmental and socio-economic performance
In Burkina Faso, the growing demand for milk prompts dairy farmers to pursue solutions that improve their production while maintaining profitability and sustainability. This study aimed to analyse the link between the level of agroecological transition achieved by dairy farms in the Bobo-Dioulasso milkshed area and their multidimensional performance. To address this issue, 204 dairy farms were assessed in the Bobo-Dioulasso milkshed area according to their level of progress in the agroecological (AE) transition, using the Holistic Localised Performance Assessment for Agroecology (HOLPA) tool. A typology of the dairy farms was produced according to their level of progress in the AE transition. Averaged scores for all questions in the HOLPA tool relating to the 13 principles of agroecology were used to rate each farm on a 5-point Likert scale, from 1 (Non-AE) to 5 (Very Strong AE). Performance was then compared according to these score levels. Results indicate that the dairy farms studied are mostly at the beginning (Non-AE: 7%, Weak AE: 54%, Moderate AE: 33%, and Strong AE: 6%) of their AE transition. Our findings suggest that dairy farms which have adopted more advanced AE practices demonstrate improved environmental, social and economic performance compared to conventional or less transitioned farms. The most AE dairy farms stand out on several key performance indicators. In terms of environmental performance, the most AE dairy farms achieve higher scores for crop diversity and natural resource and land management. In terms of social performance, the most AE dairy farmers share more knowledge about agroecology and natural resources, report higher levels of household satisfaction, and perceive trade associations as efficient. In terms of economic performance, the most AE dairy farms enjoy more stable and diversified income streams, which may reflect their greater resilience. With regard to agronomic performance, the most AE dairy farms perform better in terms of organic manure and fodder production. However, heavy reliance on labor and low crop productivity (e.g., for maize, sorghum, millet, rice, and cowpea) have been identified as key challenges to the AE transition and the sustainability of dairy farms. The findings of this study justify the implementation of several policy measures to support farmer training in AE on fodder and organic manure production, and natural resources management, to guaranty a better access to forages seeds and agricultural equipment to manage manure production, to increase the skills of farmers community in collective natural resources management in order to strengthen and accelerate the AE transition and enhance the resilience of the dairy sector in Burkina Faso. This study provides robust evidence to help improve public policy, guide dairy industry strategies, and support the agroecological transition in the Bobo-Dioulasso milkshed area.
Tailored policies for perennial woody crops are crucial to advance sustainable development
Perennial woody crops, which are crucial to our diets and global economies, have the potential to play a major role in achieving multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals pertaining to biodiversity conservation, socio-economic development and climate change mitigation. However, this potential is hindered by insufficient scientific and policy attention on perennial woody crops, and by the intensification of perennial crop cultivation in the form of monocropping with high external inputs. In this Perspective, we highlight the potential of properly managed and incentivized perennial woody crops to support holistic sustainable development and urge scientists and policymakers to develop an effective agenda to better harness their benefits.
Co-designing technical innovations in the context of agricultural living landscapes
Codesign was a major focus of work package 1 that deals with the Transdisciplinary co-creation of innovations in Agroecological Living Landscapes (ALLs) in the target countries during 2023. This report provides an overview of progress achieved in 2023 with respect to codesign of technological innovations in 7 countries (Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Peru, Laos). It highlights the commonalities, contrasts and originalities among them in terms of actual approaches, existing practices, types of technologies selected for experimentation, experimental set-ups and monitoring and evaluation protocols. Hardly any experimental results per se are presented, as most countries did not yet have time to process them.
Protocols for innovative agroecological soil, water and integrated pest management practices: Management techniques, trials establishment and monitoring
This technical guide, developed under the CGIAR Agroecology Initiative (AE-I), supports farmers and land managers in understanding, applying, and sharing innovative agroecological practices. Designed through participatory processes in the Agroecological Living Landscapes (ALL) of Kiambu and Makueni Counties, Kenya, the guide presents six co-designed practices across three focus areas: soil management, water management, and integrated pest management (IPM). It provides technical details on establishing, implementing, and monitoring field trials, while emphasizing participatory approaches to data collection and analysis. The manual aims to: (i) guide users on technical aspects of contextually suitable practices, (ii) support trial plot establishment and monitoring, (iii) empower farmers to adapt and improve agroecological solutions, and (iv) encourage knowledge sharing and co-creation among farmers and food system actors to scale agroecological alternatives.
Mzee Mukoko’s legacy of regenerative farming
At 82, Mzee Mika Mukoko has transformed his modest two-acre farm in Vihiga County, Kenya, into an inspiring example of farmer-led agroecological innovation. A former wildlife conservationist trained in organic farming at the Rodale Institute (US), Mukoko blends traditional wisdom with modern science to create a lighthouse for regenerative agriculture. His farm demonstrates how smallholder farmers can achieve ecological resilience, economic viability, and community empowerment on limited land.
The foundation of his system is soil restoration. Mukoko produces biochar from crop residues and animal bones, crafts nutrient-rich Terra Preta compost, and applies fermented liquid fertilizers to revive degraded soils. For pest management, he deploys plant-based biopesticides, raised planting mounds for mole control and drainage, and diversified polycultures to maintain ecosystem balance. Space-efficient designs, including floating gardens, vertical cropping, and integrated multi-story systems, maximize yields while conserving biodiversity. These innovations have attracted over 25 bird species, boosted pollinator populations, and improved soil resilience to climate extremes.
Mukoko applies circular bioeconomy principles, turning farm outputs into value-added products for local markets, reducing waste, and extending shelf life. His mentorship of women, youth, and fellow farmers ensures the transfer of agroecological skills, building local capacity for sustainable food systems. By connecting grassroots ingenuity with science, policy, and investment, Mzee Mukoko’s work offers a compelling model for climate-resilient, inclusive, and regenerative food systems, safeguarding agroecological heritage for future generations.