Our focus Food From Promise to Practice: Scaling Agroecology in Madhya Pradesh From Promise to Practice: Scaling Agroecology in Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh is India's leading agricultural states. Yet many of the practices that have driven production gains have also contributed to declining soil health, water stress, biodiversity loss and increasing dependence on external inputs. At the same time, farmers are navigating climate uncertainty, rising input costs and growing pressure on livelihoods. The focus is no longer on increasing food production to address food security challenges. It is now aboutproducing food in ways that can sustain farmers, ecosystems and rural economies over the long term. Agroecology offers one pathway towards a more resilient future. Yet despite growing evidence of its benefits, adoption remains limited and fragmented. This raises a critical question: if agroecology works, why has it not scaled? What conditions are needed to enable its widespread adoption across Madhya Pradesh? Exploring pathways to scale agroecology Growing Our Future (GoF) Madhya Pradesh brought together more than 30 organisations across civil society, farmer producer organisations (FPOs), research institutions, philanthropy, government and market systems to explore this a central question: What needs to change for agroecology to become a viable and attractive choice for farmers at scale? The process also generated a portfolio of catalytic interventions designed to accelerate progress, including creating bio-resource centre hubs, district-level finance playbooks, dedicated FPO capacity-building support and farmer-centred data commons. What we learned From isolated success stories to system-wide change Many organisations across Madhya Pradesh are already advancing different aspects of agroecology. However, these efforts often operate in isolation, limiting their collective impact. Growing Our Future demonstrated the value of bringing diverse stakeholders together around a shared vision and practical pathways for change. The programme helped build greater alignment across the system, strengthened systems leadership within civil society, identified high-potential opportunities for collaboration and created a stronger foundation for coordinated action towards agroecological transition. Reducing the risks of transition One of the clearest insights from the process was that the biggest barrier to agroecological transition is not a lack of farmer interest or evidence of impact. It is the level of risk that farmers face during the transition period. For many farmers, transitioning to agroecological practices can involve uncertainty around yields, incomes, market access and the availability of trusted alternatives to conventional inputs. If agroecology is to scale, the risks of transition cannot sit with farmers alone – the system must de-risk this. Creating the conditions for change Rather than focusing solely on farmer adoption, the initiative examined the wider systems around farmers — including finance, markets, institutions, knowledge networks and input ecosystems — that shape decision-making and determine whether agroecological transitions succeed. Together, participants identified the key enablers needed to support agroecological transition at scale and developed five interconnected pathways for change. These represent not simply recommendations, but the critical shifts needed to create the conditions in which farmers, communities, and ecosystems can thrive. New reports and resources Aligning pathways for civil society action for an agroecological transition What will it take to make agroecology the easiest and most rewarding choice for farmers in Madhya Pradesh? Drawing on insights from over 30 organisations working across the state's food system, this report identifies five interconnected pathways needed to accelerate the agroecological transition. Designed for civil society organisations, it explores the enabling conditions, partnerships and catalytic interventions required to strengthen farmer resilience, restore natural resources and create sustainable livelihoods. The report provides practical guidance on these pathways and opportunities for collaboration to help organisations move beyond isolated projects and contribute to a shared vision for systemic change. Download Report Investing in the future of food: Pathways for Agroecological transition in Madhya Pradesh The transition to agroecology requires requires strategic investment in the systems that enable change. This report outlines five priority pathways and six catalytic interventions identified through a collaborative process involving over 30 food system stakeholders in Madhya Pradesh. Designed for funders, philanthropies, financial institutions and impact investors, it highlights where targeted investments can unlock the greatest leverage for farmer resilience, ecological regeneration and long-term food system transformation. The report provides a strategy for supporting a transition that is scalable, inclusive, and rooted in farmer realities. Download Report Why this matters beyond Madhya Pradesh While the findings emerged from Madhya Pradesh, many of the challenges identified are relevant across India and other agricultural regions navigating similar transitions. The work highlights an important lesson: scaling agroecology is not primarily a technical challenge. It is a systems challenge that requires coordinated action across markets, finance, institutions and policy. 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