A systems approach for more effective and inclusive agricultural innovation for sustainable transformation

Our call to action: a fresh perspective 

According to the UN Global Stocktake Report 2023, we are not on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The report highlights that current food systems perpetuate inequalities and fail to tackle rising food insecurity. To address the world's multiple crises, including climate and food crises, as well as escalating conflicts over politics and natural resources, there is a pressing need for effective innovations and urgent action at scale. These efforts should aim to contribute to improved and more sustainable outcomes for both people and the planet, achieved through equitable and resilient agricultural innovation systems. Agricultural Research for Development (A4RD) has a key role to play in providing evidence-based and end-user driven solutions for positive social outcomes in low and middle income countries. 

Within AR4D there is an imperative for a fresh perspective—one that prioritizes inclusivity and scalable innovations from the very outset of problem identification and ideation. An outcome-based approach that prioritizes socially vulnerable populations, such as women, is vital to actually making progress on the largely social nature of many of the SDGs.