Scientists trained to model climate-smart solutions for mixed farming systems

New Delhi: Twenty-three agricultural scientists from six countries in Asia and Africa participated in a hands-on workshop to enhance their skills in using modern modeling tools. The aim was to build participants’ capacity to analyze the complexities of mixed farming systems and devise sustainable solutions.

The workshop, held from 25 to 29 November at ICRISAT Headquarters, was organized by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) under the CGIAR Initiative on Sustainable Intensification of Mixed Farming Systems (SI-MFS). It was conducted in collaboration with the ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research (IIFSR) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT).

The goal of the workshop was to promote the sustainable intensification of mixed farming systems by integrating systems thinking, incorporating environmental, economic, and social dimensions into bundled solutions, and using tools like Crop-Livestock Enterprise Modeling (CLEM) and Farm Design. These approaches help evaluate solutions, understand trade-offs and synergies, and support resilient, inclusive, and profitable smallholder farming.

Dr Santiago Lopez Ridaura, co-lead of the CGIAR’s SI-MFS, highlighted the complexity of small-scale farms, which often feature a diverse mix of crops, intercrops, livestock, and both on-farm and off-farm enterprises. He emphasized the need for an interdisciplinary approach to understanding system dynamics and trade-offs.

“This is the kind of collaboration we want to see in the CGIAR. Our best success story is when national institutes incorporate these new tools into their work,” said Dr Ridaura.

Highlighting the progress in India, Dr Sunil Kumar, Director of ICAR-IIFSR, spoke about the 75 prototype models developed for various zones and the importance of bridging the lab-to-land gap while aligning with policies.

“Scaling solutions requires understanding on-the-ground constraints and strong policy backing,” said Dr Sunil Kumar, referencing their upcoming International Conference on 28 February 2025.

Dr Stanford Blade, Director General-Interim and Deputy Director General-Research at ICRISAT, stressed the need for balanced interventions.

“A single intervention can sometimes unintentionally disrupt other parts of the system. Utilizing systems tools is essential for analyzing trade-offs and achieving sustainable, balanced solutions,” said Dr Blade.

Dr ML Jat, ICRISAT’s Research Program Director for Resilient Farm and Food Systems, emphasized the importance of scaling farm-level innovations to the landscape level and designing carbon-neutral farming systems.

Dr Shalander Kumar, Deputy Global Research Program Director of Enabling Systems Transformation, highlighted the workshop’s collaborative nature.

The International Training Workshop on Modern Approaches in Systems Analysis for Designing Actionable Systemic Strategies Towards Sustainable Mixed Farming Systems brought together scientists from CGIAR institutions and National Agricultural Research Systems from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Laos, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.

Participants also visited smallholder farms in Latur, Maharashtra, to observe the practical applications of ICRISAT’s work.