The Next Harvest

Across the Global South, climate stress is reshaping farm livelihoods — altering what can be grown, when, and by whom. The impacts are felt most deeply by women and marginalized farmers who form the backbone of agricultural labour. In West Bengal, India’s largest rice-producing state, this shift is becoming increasingly visible. Paddy production is no longer possible due to erratic rainfall and prolonged waterlogging. Over the past three years, our Learning Labs have been piloting Gender-responsive Socio-Technical Innovation Bundles (STIBs) grounded in evidence that technology alone cannot empower farmers (Co-designing Socio -Technical Innovation Bundles: Experience from West Bengal Learning Labs)

Innovations must be demand-driven and supported by relevant social and institutional processes — so they are effective in real life contexts. The Next Harvest is the second part of our visual documentation of evolving change in our project sites. It shows how the International Rice Research Institute, funded by the CGIAR Gender Equality and Inclusion Accelerator, is working with women farmers to equip them with knowledge, skills, and networks to adapt to climate change, diversify livelihoods, and build more resilient futures. The next harvest is not only about what grows in the field, but new possibilities for women farmers.