Newsletter | Issue # 05 | September 2026

At the Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali on September 1, the CGIAR Policy Innovations team convened a high-level session on food sovereignty, bringing together policy leaders and experts, including Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari. Opening the discussion, CGIAR Chief Scientist Dr. Sandra Milack reframed food sovereignty as a nation's strategic capability to balance domestic production with regional trade, rather than pursuing total self-sufficiency. Building on this, IFPRI’s James Thurlow highlighted that Africa’s food security challenges stem primarily from distribution inefficiencies rather than production deficits alone. To address these systemic bottlenecks, panelists examined concrete trade interventions already yielding results on the ground, such as single-window cargo tracking systems that have halved corridor costs and one-stop border posts that streamline cross-border delays. Minister Kyari illustrated national resilience strategies in action, detailing how Nigeria used targeted fertilizer subsidies to stabilize domestic agricultural markets following severe disruptions caused by the 2022 currency redesign. Emphasizing that real impact requires moving beyond published research, Gates Foundation’s Joshua Ariga urged leaders to measure success by practical on-the-ground implementation. Grounded in this focus, CGIAR closed the session by reaffirming its commitment to translating evidence into actionable policy, expanding AI-enabled decision-support tools for government leadership, and investing in sustainable national capacity. Catch the session highlights on LinkedIn.

At Stockholm World Water Week on August 24, 2026, we co-convened a high-level session on operationalizing the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus across Asia. With agriculture accounting for nearly 70% of freshwater withdrawals in the region, discussions centered on transforming water management through evidence-driven policies, digital innovation, and integrated basin governance. Panelists, including IFPRI’s Claudia Ringler, highlighted strategies to break sectoral silos, scale climate-smart irrigation, and balance competing demands. The session emphasized moving from commitments to action by deploying nature-based solutions, strengthening regional partnerships, and launching targeted digital tools for equitable, climate-resilient water security. Read the full event report here.

At UNCCD COP17 Water Day in Ulaanbaatar on August 25, we brought together global leaders, scientists, and ministers to position water as the vital link uniting land, climate, biodiversity, and food security. Led by Dr. Mohsin Hafeez from IWMI, four high-level sessions highlighted nature-based solutions, wetlands, integrated landscape restoration, and agricultural water management. Discussions focused on shifting from isolated interventions to hybrid green-grey infrastructure, AI-driven demand forecasting, and integrated basin governance. The consensus emphasized that restoring degraded land requires restoring the entire water cycle, laying a concrete roadmap toward the 2026 UN Water Conference.

In a study by Valeria Piñeiro et al., the authors examine how rising geopolitical tensions, climate pressures, and trade disruptions are fundamentally reshaping global agrifood systems. Moving beyond traditional tariff disputes, current dynamics reflect a structural shift toward a fragmented, strategically driven trade environment. Utilizing computable general equilibrium modeling, the analysis explores potential trade war scenarios, widespread tariff escalations, and retaliatory measures, demonstrating how shifting policy regimes can drastically contract exports, trigger market realignments, and alter global supply chains. The authors emphasize that navigating this uncertainty requires strengthening domestic resilience, diversifying trade partnerships, and reinforcing evidence-based policy frameworks. Read full paper: Scenarios for agricultural trade in a changing world

In a new policy brief, Ramasamy Paramasivam et al. analyze the drivers of chickpea supply response across India's primary producing states. As India's dominant pulse, chickpea is central to national protein security and closing the gap on pulse imports. However, the authors find that relying solely on Minimum Support Price announcements is insufficient to sustain growth. Achieving self-sufficiency requires evidence-based policy reforms beyond price guarantees, including targeted investments in heat-tolerant crop varieties, improved market infrastructure, climate-resilient production practices, and efficient input delivery. Read more.

In a new study, Elisabetta Gotor et al. highlight the critical role of feed system transformation in advancing sustainable livestock production across low- and middle-income countries. As the global demand for animal-source foods grows, the authors argue that improving livestock productivity and reducing environmental impacts require a "feed first" strategy. Addressing feed shortages, low nutritional quality, and resource competition is essential for sustainable intensification. The study emphasizes that strategic investments in high-quality forage varieties, climate-smart feed practices, and efficient supply chains are key to strengthening food security, rural livelihoods, and environmental resilience. Read more.