Growing our Future India

Growing our Future India: Accelerating the transition to regenerative food and agriculture

Agriculture in India faces numerous challenges such as inconsistent crop yields, declining productivity, and a growing crisis in soil and water health. The water crisis is particularly severe, with around 80% of the country’s surface water used for agriculture, leading to significant depletion of both surface and groundwater resources. Climate change exacerbates these issues, as erratic weather patterns, droughts, and floods threaten crops and farmer livelihoods. Smallholder farmers, who comprise the majority of the sector, often lack access to credit, technology, and markets, leaving them vulnerable to financial distress. 

To address these urgent and competing needs, India must adopt a food systems approach. In recent years, there has been a global shift from a siloed and linear view of food and nutrition challenges to a more integrated, systems-based perspective. This approach recognises the interconnectedness of agricultural practices, environmental sustainability, and economic viability, allowing for more comprehensive solutions that support resilience and equity within the agricultural sector.

Our approach

Our work in India, particularly in Madhya Pradesh (MP), centers on creating regenerative agricultural systems that benefit both people and nature. This collaborative, multi-stakeholder initiative provides a space for diverse leaders and initiatives already working to drive change in food and agricultural systems to come together around a shared vision for the future. Designed to allow them to combine and align their efforts, the programme facilitates access to new insights, resources, and expertise while driving tangible action aimed at catalysing system-level change. 

In 2023 and 2024, Growing our Future brought together 40 key food system actors from government, markets, and civil society in Madhya Pradesh to build a dialogue and knowledge sharing among various stakeholders. This collaborative approach had helped stakeholders understand their roles and impacts within the system, guiding efforts for meaningful, systemic change.  

Here’s what we learned: 

  • Agroecological practices in Madhya Pradesh, supported by national schemes like the National Mission on Natural Farming, are being tailored to diverse agroecological zones. Peer influence and farmer networks are essential for broader adoption and scaling. 

  • Monetising ecosystem services through carbon markets and payment for ecosystem services (PES) is gaining traction. However, these mechanisms must be equitable and beneficial for small farmers, tailored to local contexts to avoid harm. 

  • A sustainable agricultural transition requires stable policies, local value networks, and decentralised planning. Transition goals must align with government policies to create an enabling environment for innovation and adaptation. Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) are vital for small farmers' market access and collective bargaining power. In Madhya Pradesh and beyond, FPOs need capacity building to remain farmer-centric and independent of corporate agendas. 

  • Madhya Pradesh is poised to lead in creating a robust bio-input ecosystem, improving soil health, and reducing reliance on synthetic inputs. Ensuring consistent quality and supply requires focused efforts in testing, validation, and addressing supply chain challenges. 

Building on identified transition shifts, the initiative will work with key stakeholders in 2024 and 2025 to strengthen partnerships and accelerate the shift to climate-resilient, regenerative, and efficient agriculture. 

What is next

In Madhya Pradesh, we are collaborating with key stakeholders to promote the adoption of regenerative practices, leveraging social influence and collective knowledge to drive large-scale change. 

We are designing equitable monetisation mechanisms and developing technology solutions for ecosystem services, such as carbon markets and PES. Our vision for PES ensures that small farmers receive fair compensation for their environmental stewardship, encouraging broader adoption of regenerative practices and integrating ecological benefits into market systems.  

For future governance, we are unifying civil society organisations (CSOs) to lead the agricultural transition. We enhance the impact of local and state-level CSOs, ensure their active participation in government processes, and embed transition principles within governance frameworks. This cohesive structure amplifies their influence in shaping state-level policies and fosters a resilient transition to regenerative agriculture. 

Our approach to building value network models for scaling agroecology focuses on enhancing market access for agroecological produce by developing robust value networks and creating demand through targeted market interventions. We are strengthening Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to shift market forces and accelerate the transition to sustainable farming practices. 

Join us in accelerating India's shift to regenerative agriculture  

We invite voices from across the India's food system to join us on the journey towards a regenerative future. Whether you are a farmer, business, policymaker, NGO, or investor, your contribution is crucial.

For more information on Growing Our Future India and how to get involved or support, please contact, Nidhi Ralhan

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