Our Strategy: Resilient futures, urgent science for food and land systems transformation

Resilient futures Urgent science for food and land systems transformation  - Alliance Bioversity International  and  CIAT

Today’s world needs science that helps leaders and communities make hard choices with confidence. Here's the Alliance Strategy for 2026-2030.

Climate extremes, conflict, economic instability, and widening inequality are reshaping the way governments, businesses, and communities think about food and land systems. At the same time, multilateral institutions are calling for solutions that deliver resilience, climate action, biodiversity gains, and equitable growth—at scale.

Many organizations work on climate, or food, or biodiversity. The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT connects all three. We bridge research, policy, and finance to deliver systems-wide food and land solutions that are regenerative, prosperous, and nourishing for all.

We invite you to explore our 2026-30 Strategy and discover how we are uniting science and partnership to deliver measurable impact.

The change we aim to make

The change we want to make

Global systemic pressures

Food systems fueling and suffering climate and nature crises
Intensive monocultures, and the destruction of forests and ecosystems for food production generate the bulk of carbon emissions associated with land use change. In Latin America, 75% of soils show degradation as a result of poor land management.
Limited access to healthy diets
More than half of the world’s population struggles to access healthy food options. Food environments, especially in lower and middle-income countries, drive people to eat cheap and unhealthy, ultra-processed foods associated with poor health.
Demographic and gender divides
Women, young people, Indigenous Peoples, and marginalized rural communities have significant roles in our food systems (66% of working women in sub-Saharan Africa, 71% in southern Asia), but all too often lack access to critical resources such as land rights, information, and influence.
Changing funding landscape and power dynamics
Transforming food and land systems to meet global goals on climate, equity, nutrition, and sustainability requires an estimated USD 300–350 billion every year, but financing faces persistent gaps and rarely reaches the most vulnerable communities.
Poverty and limited agency
Food system actors, especially in informal markets, are in a “financial void”. In East Africa, 59% of producers and businesses using agroecological, organic and traditional practices have annual revenues of less than USD 50,000, barring them from further investment and restricting access to resources.
Agrobiodiversity decline and degrading lands
75% of crop genetic diversity has been lost since the 1900s, and only nine crops account for 70% of global food production. This raises vulnerabilities to pests, diseases, and climate shocks.
Digital exclusion
Innovations such as artificial intelligence, satellite data, or smartphone technology are not generally designed to reach rural or low-income communities, limiting their access to precision tools, forecast alerts, and market insights.

The alliance's integrated solution architecture

Unleashed Agrobiodiversity for Food, Climate and Nature
Resilience strengthened through diversified crops and next-generation breeding.
Future-proofed Farms and Landscapes
Nature-positive solutions, digital tools, and climate resilience scaled up across agricultural landscapes.
Inclusive Food Economies
Fair, resilient, and circular markets that generate livelihoods and reduce inequality.
Healthy Diets for All
Food environments transformed so that nutritious, sustainable diets are accessible even in crisis.
Leveraged Financing and Investment for Impact
Public and private capital mobilized to scale innovations where they matter most.
The change we want to make

The outcomes we work for

Unleashed Agrobiodiversity for Climate, Food, and Nature - Strategy 2026 - 2030 - Alliance Bioversity International - CIAT

 

Unleashed agrobiodiversity for climate, food, and nature

Resilience is strengthened through diversified crops and next-generation breeding.

Future-Proofed Farms and Landscapes - Strategy 2026 - 2030 - Alliance Bioversity International - CIAT

 

Future-proofed farms and landscapes

Nature-positive solutions, digital tools, and climate resilience scaled up across agricultural landscapes.

Inclusive Food Economies  -Strategy 2026 - 2030 - Alliance Bioversity International - CIAT

 

Inclusive food economies

Fair, resilient, and circular markets that generate livelihoods and reduce inequality.

Healthy Diets for All - Strategy 2026 - 2030 - Alliance Bioversity International - CIAT

 

Healthy diets for all

Food environments transformed so that nutritious, sustainable diets are accessible even in crisis.

FLeveraged Financing and Investment for Impact - Strategy 2026 - 2030 - Alliance Bioversity International - CIAT

 

Leveraged financing and investment for impact

Public and private capital mobilized to scale innovations where they matter most.

How we achieve the outcomes

A proven platform, ready for scale

The Alliance strategy builds on more than five decades of global agricultural research, combining the strengths of two leading CGIAR centers, Bioversity International and CIAT. Since we came together in 2020, our science-based innovations have reached 10 million people, improved 6 million hectares of land, and informed 1,900 policies and $280 million in investments for more sustainable food systems.

People reached 

10000000

Hectares of land improved

6000000

Informed policies

1900

Investments (USD)

280000000

Fully aligned with global priorities

We help countries, institutions, and communities translate global development commitments into practical solutions to address the climate and biodiversity crisis: from the SDGs, to the Rio Conventions, to National Action Plans.

Connecting what others treat separately

We recognize the deep connections between agriculture, ecosystems, nutrition, markets, and innovation and treat food and land systems as interconnected—from production to consumption, from ecosystems to markets.

Our theory of change

This enables the Alliance to address the root causes of food system challenges, develop solutions that work across sectors and scales, and generate evidence that informs policy, investment, and practice. 

We invite you to collaborate with us to:  

  • scale climate and nature solutions,  
  • strengthen institutions and public policy,  
  • accelerate inclusive growth,  
  • and deliver long-term resilience for communities and ecosystems.  

Science in action

Tackling the urgent crises in food and land systems

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CGIAR impact areas Goals and actions
The change we want to make
Unleashed agrobiodiversity for climate, food and nature
Genebanks, breeders, farmers and seed systems working together to safeguard, improve and deliver resilient, productive, sustainable and nutritious solutions.
Future-proofed farms and landscapes
Farmers, communities and supporting institutions innovating together to build equitable, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable systems that deliver food, income and ecosystem benefits.
Inclusive food economies
where producers, processors, traders and buyers leverage inclusive markets, finance, and infrastructure, providing secure livelihood opportunities and boosting prosperity.
Healthy diets for all
where people, including vulnerable and marginalized groups, can access and consume healthy, safe, sustainable diets, even in times of shocks and crises.
Leveraged financing and investment for impact
Mobilizing public and private capital to transform food and land systems-channeling investment to entrepreneurs driving resilience, equity, climate action and shared prosperity.
What we do
Bank on agrobiodiversity
by safeguarding, improving, and promoting the equitable use of agrobiodiversity including opportunity crops.
Make farms and landscapes thrive
by restoring and managing diverse crop, tree and livestock systems so landscapes are resilient, resource-efficient, and deliver equitable social, economic and nutritional benefits.
Unlock climate action
by building climate resilience and reducing emissions in farms, landscapes and food systems.
Enable healthy food choices
by raising consumer awareness on the benefits of healthy diets, and transforming food environments to increase the availability, accessibility, quality, desirability and convenience of a healthy diet for all.
Boost inclusion and prosperity
by enhancing the livelihoods of women, youth, indigenous people and marginalized groups and their power in the governance of food and land systems.
How we do it
Rewire knowledge and data
by connecting data streams and knowledge communities to enable timely decisions about food and land systems that are scientifically sound, inclusive, ethical and targeted.
Innovate for impact
by catalyzing and connecting science-based innovation and investment that deliver measurable change for food and land systems.
Enable system change
by engaging diverse partners to co-develop and apply evidence that informs and aligns policies, finance and institutional frameworks, creating the conditions to transform food
Embody institutional excellence
by ensuring a fit-for-purpose, digitally enabled organization that is effective, efficient and agile in mobilizing resources and delivering high-quality services that integrate sustainability principle.
Cultivate a culture for change
by advancing an inclusive culture that inspires collaboration, excellence and co-ownership to deliver our mission.
Foundations for success
  • Cultivate a Culture for Change
  • Embody Institutional Excellence