https://agrospectrumasia.com/rssfeed/r-and-d/survey survey https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/84/4118/cgiar-climate-action-awards-six-research-grants-to-deepen-research-on-gesi-across-program.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/84/4118/cgiar-climate-action-awards-six-research-grants-to-deepen-research-on-gesi-across-program.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 13:39:55 +0530 The CGIAR Climate Action Program has awarded gender equity and social inclusion research grants to six teams across four CGIAR Centers. The grants will strengthen evidence on inclusive adaptation, equitable climate finance, and the impact of climate interventions on women's empowerment. Across food systems, women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and other marginalized groups often face the greatest climate risks while having the least access to the resources, services, and decision-making spaces that shape adaptation and resilience efforts. For CGIAR Climate Action, this creates a clear challenge. Integrating gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) cannot stop at counting participation or reporting sex-disaggregated data. It must challenge unequal power dynamics and build capacities of those who are most vulnerable to ensure they contribute to and benefit from climate solutions. A recent portfolio review found that while GESI is integrated across Climate Action’s five areas of work, the depth and rigor of that integration varies considerably. In response, the CGIAR Climate Action launched a competitive call for GESI research grants in April 2026. The grants are designed as targeted top-up investments, strengthening existing research rather than funding standalone projects. This approach builds on work already underway, thus reducing implementation risk, and helps ensure that new evidence feeds directly into ongoing climate action. Climate Action received 38 proposals across three thematic areas, reflecting both the scale of interest in GESI research and the range of relevant expertise across CGIAR Centers. Following a single-blind peer review by members of the Climate Action core leadership team, six proposals were selected. About the projects that were funded: The selected projects address three priority areas where evidence gaps are most urgent and where the risks of exclusion or unintended harm are greatest. Topic 1: Addressing inequalities and promoting inclusion in locally-led adaptation processes, including through inclusive climate information services Project: Exploring the connection between adaptation pioneer households and gender norms deviants for Locally-Led Climate Action. CGIAR Center: International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Lead researcher: Alessandra Galiè This qualitative study works with 45 adaptation pioneer households in Kenya to learn how bending gender norms shapes climate adaptation. Working with the Bomet and Nandi county governments, it will inform county guidelines and training for ILRI's farmer-to-farmer scaling approach. Project: Rethinking Climate Information Services as innovation bundles: Pathways to equitable climate resilience. CGIAR Center: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Lead researcher: Béla Teeken This research compares bundled climate information services in northern Ghana (AICCRA) and non-staking yam varieties in Nigeria (YOAGE) to explore what helps women turn access into adaptation. It works with Ghana's Women in Agriculture Development Directorate and Nigeria's National Root Crops Research Institute to shape more inclusive climate bundles. Topic 2: Increasing equity in climate finance, including carbon market Project: Equity-by-Design: Expanding MRV+ for Inclusive Climate-Smart Rice-Based Food Systems in Uganda. CGIAR Center: International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Lead researcher: Jummai Yila In Uganda's Butaleja District, this project tests MRV+, an expanded way to track carbon-credit rice projects that adds social and economic measures to examine how the costs and benefits of compliance are distributed. It is carried out with carbon developer Faeger Co. Ltd. and Uganda's agriculture ministry. Project: Climate risk information, insurance, and lender decision-making in gender-equitable agricultural finance. CGIAR Center: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Lead researcher: Berber Kramer Working with the financial services provider Dvara E-Registry in India, this study runs a lab-in-the-field experiment in which loan officers make real lending decisions with and without satellite-based credit scores and crop insurance, testing whether these innovations change how much credit women receive and reduce gender bias in lending decisions. Topic 3: Assessing the impact of climate action on women's empowerment Project: Measuring women's empowerment in climate action: A case of STIBs Learning Labs in India CGIAR Center: International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Lead researcher: Ranjitha Puskur This study pilots a new climate change add-on to the project-level Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI), surveying 400 women in West Bengal's Socio-Technical Innovation Bundles (STIBs) Learning Labs. It is run with local partners RKMVERI, SEVA, and Change Initiatives to test and refine the tool and explore the relationship between STIBs and women’s empowerment. Project: Climate Information and Women's Empowerment: Evidence from Digital Advisory Services for Informal Women Workers in India CGIAR Center: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Lead researcher: Muzna Alvi In Gujarat, India, this grant funds a 2026 baseline survey of 1,500 women, using the pro-WEAI climate change tool, ahead of evaluating an AI climate advisory service built with SEWA and Gram Vaani. The results will ultimately shed light on how climate information services impact informal women worker's well-being and empowerment. Connecting the grants to Climate Action's existing portfolio The six grants cover geographies in East Africa, West Africa and South Asia. Each grant is linked to an existing Climate Action package of deliverables, mapped bilateral project, or CGIAR Science Program/Accelerator, reinforcing the program's approach of leveraging current investments rather than creating parallel workstreams. All deliverables are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with findings informing future package design, policy engagement, and programming. The selection process also prioritized coverage across topics, subtopics, geographies, and Centers to ensure that the funded work generates evidence relevant to multiple areas of the program.. From evidence to future programming Collectively, the six grants are expected to produce actionable evidence, tools, and methodological contributions that strengthen Climate Action's ability to design and deliver interventions that reach the most vulnerable and address the structural inequalities that compound climate risk. As the program continues to scale its work across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, these investments in GESI research are intended to ensure that the quality of inclusion keeps pace with the ambition of climate action. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/84/3134/global-soil-biodiversity-observatory-spearheads-systematic-assessment-and-monitoring-of-soil-biodiversity.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/84/3134/global-soil-biodiversity-observatory-spearheads-systematic-assessment-and-monitoring-of-soil-biodiversity.html Fri, 25 Jul 2025 11:23:20 +0530 Global reference for scientific collaboration and policy design based on pioneering next-generation soil mapping with cutting-edge technology A global initiative to measure, monitor and protect soil biodiversity will intensify with the establishment of the Global Soil Biodiversity Observatory, headed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and serving as a global reference for policy and scientific collaboration. The Global Soil Biodiversity Observatory (GLOSOB)  was launched by FAO at the COP15, where signatories adopted the Convention of Biological Diversity’s 2020-2030 plan of action. This plan calls for systematic assessment and monitoring of soil biodiversity to aid implementation of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF). While various knowledge-sharing platforms and initiatives have been launched, there is currently a lack of standardized monitoring protocols and actionable strategies for integrating soil biodiversity into policy and national monitoring frameworks, according to Jacob Parnell, the lead author of a new comment in Nature Ecology and Evolution. This commentary outlines the goals of the new Observatory and its top-down coordinating role, which includes working with a suite of bottom-up networks already involved in the project. An extensive amount of research has been conducted in this emerging field, which has revealed the need for expanded global coverage, as well as strengthening national monitoring capacities. Soil biodiversity is clearly linked to agricultural soil fertility which supports the growth of key food crops, and the biotic communities living in harsh or unproductive farmlands – like hyper-arid, acidic or waterlogged areas – have an important function as genetic reservoirs. Yet, many of these below-ground biodiversity hotpots fall outside above-ground protected areas protected or areas under conservation. Major risks to soil biodiversity stem from extreme climate events, land degradation, deforestation, invasive species and pollution. A core GLOSOB objective is to define improved soil biodiversity indicators – tracking essential biodiversity variables (EBVs) on both taxonomic and functional planes – and build capacity to validate policy agendas aimed at conservation and sustainable management practices, according to Parnell. Currently, there is reasonable data on the distribution of microbial soil carbon and of the soil macrofauna community – both of which highlight soil quality issues – but the evidence base gets thinner beyond earthworms, nematodes and common bacterial species. GLOSOB is designed as a tiered system to allow for steady expansion of measurement capacities to extend from soil chemical properties, enzymatic activities and to tracking decomposition patterns using leaf litter bags and steadily increasing to more complex nutrient cycling components and on to intraspecific microbial genetic diversity through shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Knowing more will require investments in laboratory facilities, training programmes and standardized monitoring frameworks that enable all countries to collect, analyze and properly interpret soil biodiversity data. Another key step is to integrate biodiversity considerations into conventional soil surveys and national soil information systems.FAO already leads the Global Soil Partnership, which held its 13th Plenary Assembly last June. It serves as a hub for other initiatives and has catalyzed successful conservation projects such as the Soil Doctors and Recarbonization of Global Agricultural Soils (RECSOIL).  FAO’s leadership in sustainable soil and land management was front and center during the Grand Opening of this year’s Assembly, which also marked 80 years of the founding of the Organization. The high-level event brought together global leaders and experts to explore data-driven solutions and technological innovations. . FAO Director-General QU Dongyu highlighted the Organization’s commitment to soil health said “Pioneering next-generation soil mapping with cutting-edge technology, FAO has consistently been a champion of soil health as a foundation of global food security”. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/84/2708/groundbreaking-research-confirms-seaweed-farmings-potential-as-a-blue-carbon-solution.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/84/2708/groundbreaking-research-confirms-seaweed-farmings-potential-as-a-blue-carbon-solution.html Wed, 05 Feb 2025 10:43:10 +0530 Demonstrates the feasibility of creating a new blue carbon market that can support both climate mitigation and sustainable Blue Economy. A study published by Oceans 2050 has demonstrated that seaweed farming can significantly mitigate climate change. The findings also underscore the need for robust frameworks to develop carbon credits for seaweed farming, ensuring that this promising Blue Carbon strategy can be integrated into carbon markets. By prioritizing marine spatial planning and sustainability, seaweed farming has the potential to become a cornerstone of the regenerative Blue Economy. By quantifying the carbon sequestration potential of seaweed farms, the Global Seaweed Project demonstrates the feasibility of creating a new blue carbon market that can support both climate mitigation and the development of a sustainable Blue Economy. This study, entitled "Carbon burial in sediments below seaweed farms matches that of Blue Carbon habitats," represents the first comprehensive and empirical study of carbon burial rates beneath seaweed farms worldwide. President Alexandra Cousteau, along with Chief Scientist Professor Carlos Duarte, unveiled landmark findings. Conducted across 20 seaweed farms spanning five continents, the study confirms that seaweed farming can sequester carbon in the sediments below at rates comparable to vegetated coastal ecosystems like mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses. This research highlights the dual benefits of seaweed farming: meeting food security and economic development goals while advancing climate change mitigation efforts. Key findings include: Seaweed farms bury carbon at rates similar to mangroves and seagrasses, two ecosystems already known for their climate benefits. Older and larger seaweed farms store more carbon, showing that sustainable farming can have lasting impacts. If expanded worldwide, seaweed farming could remove up to 140 million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere by 2050. “This research provides compelling evidence of the critical role seaweed farming can play in addressing the climate crisis,” said Alexandra Cousteau, President of Oceans 2050. “By quantifying its carbon sequestration potential, we hope to unlock new avenues for investment in sustainable aquaculture as a climate solution.” Professor Carlos Duarte, lead author and Chief Scientist of Oceans 2050, emphasized the study’s broader implications: “Seaweed farming offers a scalable, nature-based solution for carbon removal while delivering co-benefits such as biodiversity enhancement, economic opportunities, and food security. This research is a pivotal step towards integrating seaweed aquaculture into global climate strategies.” This research is part of Oceans 2050’s Global Seaweed Project, launched in September 2020, and marks a pivotal milestone in the advancement of the seaweed industry, providing a robust scientific foundation for the creation of a verified carbon credit methodology. The project highlights the significant social impact of seaweed farming, with over 99% of participating farmers, most of whom are women, coming from coastal communities in developing countries. This underscores seaweed farming’s potential to promote gender equity, improve food security, and strengthen local resilience to climate change. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/84/2488/state-of-agricultural-payments-new-bushel-report-shows-payment-trends-in-agriculture.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/84/2488/state-of-agricultural-payments-new-bushel-report-shows-payment-trends-in-agriculture.html Wed, 02 Oct 2024 11:18:30 +0530 Farmers are embracing technology to simplify their operations and enhance financial security Bushel, an independently-owned software technology company focused on developing digital tools for the agricultural supply chain, has released a special report based on its 2024 State of the Farm survey data, highlighting significant changes in payment trends within agriculture. Bushel's 2024 State of the Farm Special Report: Payments in Agriculture reveals a notable 12% decrease in paper check payments to farmers over the past year, reflecting a broader industry shift towards digital solutions. Despite this shift, over 70% of grain settlements are still processed via paper checks, even as the USPS warns of increasing fraud risks. However, the use of digital payment platforms has surged, with adoption rates climbing from 39% last year to 76% this year. The report identifies key demographics driving this change, including younger farmers and those with aggressive growth plans. Nearly 50% of those respondents are now using or planning to use digital payment options. "Farmers are embracing technology to simplify their operations and enhance financial security," said Jake Joraanstad, CEO of Bushel. "The rise in digital payment adoption is promising, but there's still a long way to go to reduce reliance on paper checks. Our goal at Bushel is to provide tools that make these transitions easier and more beneficial for everyone involved including the farmer, lenders, and agribusinesses." To support agribusinesses in navigating this digital shift, the report includes actionable steps industry leaders can take to enhance payment security and streamline operations. Key recommendations include implementing digital payment platforms, offering flexible payment options to farmers, and using integrated tools to automate payment reconciliation. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/84/1378/syngenta-launches-agcelerators-campaign-to-promote-collaborative-sustainable-agriculture.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/84/1378/syngenta-launches-agcelerators-campaign-to-promote-collaborative-sustainable-agriculture.html Mon, 11 Sep 2023 06:26:00 +0530 Syngenta has launched a multi-media campaign called Agcelerators to encourage creativity, collaboration, and impact for sustainable agriculture. In order to promote more sustainable agricultural practices, the campaign will feature people transforming agriculture and run initially in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.  According to the 2019 World Resources Report: “Creating a Sustainable Food Future”, meeting this challenge will require closing three gaps: A 56 percent “food gap” between what was produced in 2010 and food that will be needed in 2050; A nearly 600 million-hectare “land gap” (an area nearly twice the size of India) between global agricultural land area in 2010 and expected agricultural expansion by 2050 An 11-gigaton “greenhouse gas mitigation gap” between expected emissions from agriculture in 2050 and the level needed to meet the Paris Agreement. Sustainability in agriculture involves balancing the need to increase food production with the need to protect the environment, conserve natural resources, and ensure long-term viability of agricultural systems. Agcelerators help accelerate the transformation of agriculture in this regard. Through Agcelerators, Syngenta will highlight its enduring commitment to environmental stewardship, innovation, and support for farmers, showcasing people, products and services that are making a positive difference. The campaign humanizes the efforts through telling real-life stories, demonstrating the positive and tangible impact being made on the lives of individuals and communities around the world. Alexandra Brand, Regional Director, Syngenta Crop Protection, Europe, Africa and Middle East said, "Agcelerators are champions developing and embracing new ideas and establishing new partnerships and ways of working. They are the driving force behind sustainable farming practices that will have a lasting impact on our planet. It is now time we hear their stories.” Syngenta is addressing critical farming challenges while showcasing cutting-edge technologies and pioneering approaches, Syngenta seeks to catalyze a movement that leverages the collective strength of farmers, stakeholders, and the broader community to shape a new era for agriculture. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/84/1646/agriculture-industry-demand-rising-sharply-for-ai-automation-and-advanced-data-analytics.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/84/1646/agriculture-industry-demand-rising-sharply-for-ai-automation-and-advanced-data-analytics.html Wed, 04 Jan 2023 10:25:07 +0530 AgTech Trends 2023 survey indicates that 9 in 10 see AI and data analytics as very important to their future and believe it will drastically change agriculture jobs within the next five years Research findings from the AgTech Trends 2023 survey reveal that while there has been a significant surge in digital transformation initiatives across agribusinesses, many still grapple with deriving actionable insights from their data. The majority of agribusinesses are facing on-farm and off-farm challenges resulting from inaccurate yield predictions and inconsistencies due to complexities in data collection and analysis. Respondents signaled a strong need and desire for digital technology advancements that include AI and automation to support more precise, data-driven decision making across the agrifood value chain. The feedback from 807 U.S.-based agribusiness workers, including executive decision-makers, on-farm managers, agronomists, data scientists, IT specialists and go-to-market professionals, offers a comprehensive look into the agrifood industry’s current state and future trajectory. Key findings include: Anticipating the AI revolution: 9 out of 10 respondents view artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics as crucial, transformative forces for their future, anticipating substantial changes in agriculture jobs over the next five years. Challenges in data utilization: An overwhelming 92% of respondents find it hard to improve on-farm activities using the current data at their disposal. The road to precision is via automation and AI: More than half of respondents plan to increase investment in on-farm robotics or autonomous systems in the next 24 months in the field (54.8%), for harvesting (60.5%) and for packing (51.3%). Moreover, greater than three-quarters of agribusiness professionals (76.7%) believe that given the amount of data their organization needs to analyze, AI can improve data analysis and the accuracy of yield prediction and estimation. AgTech investment on the rise, investing in the future: In the upcoming year, 60% of agribusinesses are planning to increase their AgTech budget. Their main purchasing priorities are precision agriculture tools (66%), farm management software (60%) and data consolidation (45%). The top three areas of investment in specialty crops are precision agriculture tools, farm management software and data consolidation. A cry for unified data platforms: A significant 96% of respondents expressed the need for a consolidated platform to access essential data and apps for their operations from diverse vendors. Impact of extreme weather: Unpredictable weather, largely due to climate change, is a major concern, with 76% of agribusinesses identifying it as a primary stressor, underscoring the broader concerns about climate change’s impact on yield outputs. The independent industry research delves into the challenges and opportunities faced by agribusinesses concerning data quality, yield prediction accuracy, ROI, benefits and potential of AgTech solutions to transform the agriculture sector. The Yield sponsored the survey to validate the need for its precision yield management solution for specialty crops. Industry optimistic that consistent data collection, predictive analytics, AI and precision agriculture tools will boost profitability amidst climate unpredictability and rising costs The study underscores the urgency to establish consistency in data collection and interpretation. The hurdles, including labor shortages, escalating costs, supply chain inconsistencies and the effects of climate change, have pressed teams to seek more precise future crop yield predictions. Climate change and its ramifications remain a focal concern, with 81.7% worried about its future implications on crop yields. Even with data from established sources like the NOAA, trust in weather predictions remains low. Enhanced and precise weather forecasting stands out as a potential solution, with many seeing it as a way to boost crop quality and reduce weather-related risks. The silver lining is in the industry’s optimism. A vast majority believe that AI and predictive analytics can refine their data analysis processes, driving better and more profitable outcomes. Furthermore, there is a strong and growing inclination towards agricultural technologies, with professionals in the sector foreseeing significant improvements in both on-farm and off-farm processes through AgTech. Interestingly, despite the current challenges, respondents shared a clear positive disposition towards digital tools to comprehend their data and automation to collect data more accurately at scale. This is evident from the notable increases in budget allocations for precision agriculture tools and a future-forward approach to on-farm robotics and autonomous systems. Agribusinesses also recognized the obstacles that stand in the way of digital technology adoption, such as connectivity issues, budget constraints and an overall skepticism towards AI-generated predictions. However, external pressures, including inflation and supply chain inconsistencies, act as catalysts pushing them towards AgTech adoption. Ros Harvey, founder and CEO of The Yield, observed, “Despite a growing interest in and adoption of digital transformation initiatives, many agribusinesses today are struggling to get accurate yield predictions. The biggest challenge is leveraging available data effectively. As the 2023 AgTech Trends research reveals, there exists a palpable need for improving consistency across data collection and interpretation methods, especially as businesses aim for higher yield outcomes at reduced costs. As businesses navigate the complexities of data management, digital transformation emerges as the beacon for a more efficient, accurate and sustainable future. Our Precision Yield Management platform delivers AI-powered on-farm recommendations and yield predictions along the value chain to improve profitability and sustainability.” Key Findings from the Survey Data collection challenges: While nearly 80% of businesses are at the “data exploration” stage or beyond, a mere 21.3% have fully automated their data collection processes. The remaining majority still rely on traditional means such as machinery, field apps and sensors. The consequence? An overwhelming 73.5% of businesses are dedicating 11 or more hours weekly just for data collection, consolidation and analysis. Over a quarter (26.4%) are spending more than 16 hours per week. The power of accurate predictions: The survey emphasizes the weight placed by agribusinesses on accurate yield predictions. Such predictions are vital not only for on-farm decisions but also play pivotal roles in logistics, distribution, post-harvest processing and achieving the best pricing. Given the current state of data, the inaccurate predictions are posing significant risks throughout the supply chain. The impact of weather unpredictability: A significant 90.2% of agribusinesses acknowledge that climate change is affecting their crop yields, with 36.7% observing it makes yields highly unpredictable. The need for better, more accurate weather forecasting is evident, with nearly 80% of specialty crop respondents believing improved forecasts would enhance crop quality. Barriers and drivers for AgTech adoption: Several barriers to AgTech adoption persist, including connectivity issues, mistrust in digital technology and budget constraints. However, the urgency of various macro-economic and environmental factors, such as inflation, potential recessions and supply chain inconsistencies, are pushing agribusinesses toward more aggressive AgTech adoption. Notably, nearly 60.5% of respondents cite labor shortages, adding to the urgency. A glimpse into the future: The findings from the 2023 AgTech Trends research convey a tech-positive mindset. Agribusinesses are hopeful that the convergence of their various data sources into a unified platform and the adoption of modern technologies like AI will not just simplify data interpretation but revolutionize agriculture itself ]]>