To achieve our vision of global food systems that nourish both people and planet, we redoubled our efforts to promote the conservation of critical tree species through the use and widescale adoption of agroecological approaches, while also generating more evidence on how forests and trees contribute to people’s diets.

A research partnership including three CIFOR-ICRAF scientists has won the coveted National Academy of Sciences’ 2023 Cozzarelli Prize, alongside five other winners in recognition of “scientific excellence and originality”. This research underscores the importance of diversifying sub-Saharan African food production as the climate changes. Through the Nutri-scapes Transformative Partnership Platform, CIFOR-ICRAF is exploring how wild and cultivated tree-based landscapes can exist together to improve nutrition security.

The Agroecology Transformative Partnership Platform (AE-TPP) was founded on the belief that everyone should take part in the transition to healthier, more sustainable food systems. In 2023, its Community of Practice grew to over 450 members as the AE-TPP announced digital innovations, including a form for anyone to “Talk to a Scientist” and the One Million Voices of Agroecology app, which allows users to share their agroecological experiences on an interactive map. The TPP also expanded its project portfolio, facilitated high-level sessions at World Water Week and the 78^th United Nations General Assembly, and launched an open electronic consultation to revise the 13 HLPE agroecological principles to explicitly mention aquatic food sources.

The Yangambi Engagement Landscape is the premier example of CIFOR-ICRAF’s ‘engagement landscapes’ approach, in which we work with national and local stakeholders over the long term. In 2023, with support from Resilient Landscapes, a private-public partnership on sustainable development was signed by HE Minister of Scientific Innovation. The programme planted 710 hectares with over 500,000 fast-growing and indigenous trees, employing over 1,300 people, and published results of the first efforts to integrate agroforestry with charcoal production. Agroecology teams supported local farmers with improved seeds, and four small- and medium-sized enterprises obtained micro-credit for the first time, producing an additional 20,000 improved cookstoves. A new biomass cogeneration plant started producing both thermal and electric energy. Our ongoing partnership with the University of Kisangani saw 13 MSc and 4 PhD students receive scholarships. And the 12,000 ha Community Forest of Yalikandja-Yanonge received formal government approval.  

We wrapped up two complementary flagship projects in Peru consolidating an approach called “tailored” agroforestry that shaped the national policy on agroforestry concessions (AgroFor) and informed the design of an innovative rural advisory model to enforce farmer-centred interventions at deforestation frontiers (PARA). Complementary to that within the framework of the San Martín Engagement Landscape, we launched the SMART knowledge platform for agroforestry – which has been declared of interest by the regional government. 

In reference to the workshop that presented the Rural Advisory Service for Agroforestry Concessions at the close of the PARA project and launched the SMART platform, Einar Telnes, Climate Change and Forestry Advisor at Norad, said: “This was one of the best and most practical events I have attended during my time in Peru. It highlighted an innovative mix of applied science, practical policy administration and stakeholder consultations and interactions.”

The Genetic Resources Unit developed two new tools that aim to make their work more accessible to farmers, land managers, and civil society: an online gene bank that allows users to order quality-tested seeds for over 240 agroforestry tree species and the Tree Globally Observed Environmental Ranges database (TreeGOER), which predicts how climate change could affect where tree species will thrive in the future. We also partnered with AFR100, lending expertise and tools to ensure investments in tree planting initiatives are not wasted, and furthered our work on gender-inclusive tree nurseries in Kenya and youth-led Rural Resource Centres in Ethiopia.

In 2023, our Soil and Land Health Team achieved significant milestones both locally and internationally as we continued to develop innovations in rapid and robust soil health assessments combining field sampling, soil spectroscopy, machine learning and remote sensing to contribute to the development of carbon projects, among others. We launched a new project with FCDO and UK PACT to implement nature-based solutions for landscape restoration in Kenya, collaborating with the African Wildlife Foundation and FAO Kenya. Leveraging the Global Land Degradation Surveillance Framework database, we addressed soil organic matter persistence and hydrologic function drivers with university partners. Alongside the Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH), we hosted World Soil Day at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) to showcase soil’s critical role in the climate, biodiversity and food crises. And leading up to COP 28, we collaborated with Member States to ensure the concept of enhancing soil health was included in the UAE Food Systems Declaration. Finally, we hosted over 350 visitors from international universities and local organizations in our soil-plant spectral diagnostics and living soils laboratories, and look forward to sharing our work with many more.

The GCRF Trade, Development and the Environment Hub – which has found that international demand for agricultural commodities is driving 35% of deforestation – launched two roadmaps in 2023: a global roadmap to just and sustainable trade in agricultural commodities and wildlife, and a national roadmap to a just and sustainable palm oil trade in Indonesia. In September, a regional stakeholder consultation focused on nature-positive trade for sustainable agriculture supply chains and inclusive development in Asia.