Agriculture 2.0:
towards a global revolution
for sustainabilitywater, land and ecosystems research highlights
2015 – 2016
A message from Johan RockströmWLE Steering Committee Chair
Agriculture 2.0
Current farming practices use 70 percent of the Earth’s fresh water, degrade 40 percent of land and contribute to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
But there is a better way: putting sustainability at the center of our food systems will not only reverse climatic degradation, but also accomplish the productivity that is necessary to feed 9 billion people by 2050.Sustainability is not just a necessity. It is an untapped opportunity for improving the livelihoods of male and female smallholders farmers, ensuring the productivity of the land into the future, and better harnessing the services provided by our ecosystems.
The CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) is doing its part to make the sustainable intensification of agriculture a reality by producing evidence-based solutions for water and land management via partnerships that span nationalities, sectors and disciplines.
We invite you to explore highlights from WLE’s work below.
in 2015 wle: field tested 62 technologies and natural resource management practices, helped 125,000 farmers to apply new technologies or management practices, supported improved technologies or management practices on 2.5 million hectares
Solutions for sustainable intensification of agriculture
Sustainably using the hidden water below our feet for food and prosperity
Gender highlights: Rural migration, the feminization of agriculture and empowerment
Waste to wealth: Solutions that recover resources and costs for a circular economy
Healthy soils for healthy agriculture
From conflicting demands to constructive solutions in the Greater Mekong region
Solutions fit for farmers and ecosystems can help double food production
Collective, integrated efforts and diversification for farmer resilience
Cooperation for long-term landscape health
Managing floods by balancing risks and opportunities
Research can underpin improved decision making in an era of uncertainty
Ensuring women’s access to irrigation for food security
In 2015 WLE: established 41 multi-stakeholder platforms and influenced 200 policy processes
Engaging with the global agenda
Practical approaches to regional problems
- Bangladesh
Improved infrastructure and governance increase productivity of polders in Bangladesh
- Sudan and Ethiopia
Harnessing floods for food production and environment in Sudan and Ethiopia
- Laos
Inclusive, participatory process makes for more equitable planning in Laos
- Ghana
Small-scale irrigation to counter food and nutrition insecurity in Ghana
- Nepal
Tackling water scarcity in the mid-hills and plains of Nepal
WLE in 2015 had 110,000 website visits and 43,000 views on CG-space and published 141 ISI publications and 94 open access publications