A systems transformation approach for food, land and water systems requires leaning towards embracing circularity in the use of natural resources, boosting environmental and ecosystem health in step with productivity, diversifying agricultural and food systems, and supporting healthy human diets. These improvements must go hand in hand with more equitable benefits sharing for men, women, and young people, respect for the plurality of cultures and values served by these systems, and a greater degree of co-creation of knowledge with our partners. These principles, which will be fully integrated into the various solutions investigated by the agricultural research systems, align with the principles of agroecology, which call for a redesign of the food, land, and water systems from farm to table to simultaneously achieve ecological, economic, and social sustainability.

This publication highlights the multidisciplinary expertise and global partnerships network of the CGIAR and French research organizations used to conduct research into the process of transforming agricultural and food systems with the aim of equipping them to embrace critical agroecological principles in different contexts. The publication also reflects the enormous opportunity ahead to integrate more of these different disciplines when conducting the transdisciplinary research needed to respond to the challenges facing our food, land, and water systems now, in the 21st century.