WP5: Understanding and influencing agency and behaviour change in India: Activity 5.1 country brief

Agroecology, as an interdisciplinary approach to sustainable agriculture, has gained considerable attention in India over the years. The advent of the Green Revolution in India although ensured food security but at the same time also exacerbated agrarian and environmental crisis in India (Pingali, 2012). The prevalent industrial mode of production relies heavily on expensive inputs to boost yields, creating an unsustainable dependence and undermining the viability of small-scale farmers and their natural resources (Vyas, 1994). In this context, a form of agroecology known as "natural farming†“organic farming†has emerged in India offering promising alternatives. Agroecology is a scientific approach, a set of practices, and a social movement with the collective aim of fostering more sustainable, beneficial, and equitable food and agriculture systems (HLPE, 2019). The CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology (AE-I) in India embodies a transdisciplinary, participatory, and action-oriented approach dedicated to enhancing the resilience, equity, and sustainability of food systems through agroecological principles. Operating within various socioecological contexts, AE-I focuses on establishing Agroecological Living Landscapes (ALLs) as localized hubs for collaborative knowledge creation and innovation. The initiative seeks to develop and scale agroecological innovations in partnership with small-scale farmers and other policies, civil society, research, and business actors within the agri-food system. In India, AE-I ALLs operates across diverse regions, contributing to the transformation of agriculture practices. In Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) AE-I has partnered up with RySS (Rythu Sadhikara Samstha- A farmers empowerment organization under Government of Andhra Pradesh) which is spearheading APCNF (Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming) program. The program aims to shift towards crop diversification by promoting ‘natural farming,’ a word used synonymously for agroecological farming methods. In Mandla (Madhya Pradesh) AE-I has partnered with local civil society organizations known as FES (Foundation for Ecological Security) and PRADAN (implementing partner), Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research (ICAR-IIFSR) as technical partner. AE-I aims to develop and scale agroecological innovations for small-scale farmers, and other agricultural and food-system actors in the regions. The initiative will co-design, test and adapt agroecological practices, from food production to consumption, linking markets and investments, while considering policy dimensions and consumer behaviours. This document is a Work Package 5 (WP5) output within the CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology (AE-I). WP5 focuses on understanding and then influencing individual and collective agency, behaviour change among food system actors (FSAs) to drive inclusive and equitable agroecological transformation. This document attempts to understand the drivers of behaviour change that either facilitated or hindered agroecological transition in India through initiatives from the past 20 years. The review identified relevant initiatives and then mapped the nature of initiatives, the AE principles promoted, and the primary activities undertaken to address these principles. Furthermore, a detailed analysis was conducted on five selected initiatives to comprehend their theories of change (ToC), factors influencing success and failure in achieving behavioural change, and the motives and interests of diverse actor groups engaged in agroecological transformation. The insights gained from interviews with individuals possessing in-depth knowledge about these initiatives serve as valuable evidence to comprehend the driving forces behind agri-food system actor engagement in agroecological transitions