In today’s changing climate, many farmers are seeing the effects of lost biodiversity—less variety in crops, declining soil health, and reduced resilience against pests and extreme weather. The Biodiversity for Resilient Ecosystems in Agricultural Landscapes (B-REAL) project is helping turn that tide by putting nature back into farming.

Funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and led by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, B-REAL is working in Kenya, Peru, and Colombia to revive biodiversity directly on farmland. It does this by promoting agroecological practices tailored to local conditions—giving cooperatives and farmers tools to restore soil, increase productivity, and improve climate resilience without relying heavily on chemical inputs.

By March 2026, B-REAL aims to help farming communities adopt site-specific solutions drawn from cutting-edge research by CGIAR, supported by a network of more than 10,000 scientists. Core partners include CIFOR-ICRAF, the Coady Institute, and technical experts from organizations like IWMI, IFPRI, ICRISAT, CIP, and ICARDA.

For cooperatives, B-REAL offers:

• Practical agroecological methods that fit different climates and farming systems.
• Connections to local and global research partners, enabling learning and adaptation.
• Improved productivity and climate resilience, while safeguarding biodiversity.

This initiative shows that reviving nature on farms isn’t just good for the planet—it’s good for people, livelihoods, and long-term prosperity. It’s a model farming cooperative across Africa can look to as they build more sustainable futures from the soil up.