CGIAR's Dryland Systems program aims to improve food security and livelihoods for people living in dryland areas over the next 10 years. The program focuses on developing more resilient and productive agricultural systems through research on crops, livestock, and natural resource management. It aims to directly benefit over 8 million people in research sites and millions more as innovations are adopted more widely. The theory of change outlines how improving agricultural innovation, markets, resource management, and other elements can boost household well-being and incomes while managing resources sustainably. Key strategies include developing options to improve resilience for vulnerable households and intensification for others, as well as better access to food, assets, and opportunities for women and youth.

1. CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food secure future
Dryland Systems: Value for Money
Over 10 years - more secure income and stable food security for 8 million people in the research action sites; increased
productivity of natural resources; and reduced environmental degradation across 22 million hectares. As innovations
are scaled out, millions more people can benefit.
THEORY of CHANGE
Key elements of the agricultural system interact to improve human
welfare and management of natural resources
From outcome to impact: Behavior change targets for Dryland Systems stakeholders
6. More integrated, effective and connected
SERVICE DELIVERY institutions underpinning
system intensification and resilience
Elements of a theory of change
Agricultural
innovation
systems
Market rural
non-farm
economy
Livelihood system
resilience
Well Being
Service
delivery
Livelihood system
intensification
Managing
common and
farm
resources
Policies,
Safety nets
FEWS
3. NARS & their partners and
health sector organizations
work together and adopt
diagnostic and systematic
research approaches to
promoting and developing
interventions to IMPROVE
VULNERABLE WOMEN AND
CHILDREN’S ACCESS TO, AND
CONTROL OF, MORE AND
MORE DIVERSE FOOD
SOURCES, throughout the year
Drivers: short term (shocks, migration); medium term (population, climate variability)
Unique Research Value
1. NARES & their partners use
tools, methods and processes to
generate and customize
IMPROVED RESILIENCE OPTIONS
for targeted groups of vulnerable
households.
2.NARES & their partners use
tools, methods and processes to
generate and customize
IMPROVED INTENSIFICATION
OPTIONS for targeted groups of
intensifiable households
5. Farmers and pastoralists have better
access TO MORE DIVERSE, EFFICIENT AND
EQUITABLE MARKETS
7. POLICY REFORM to remove constraints
and improve incentives to rational
management of natural recourses
4. Multiple stakeholders in
pastoral/agropastoral area,
use EVIDENCE BASED
ECOSYSTEM
MANAGEMENT, at
community level, in the
governance of common
and privately managed
land and water resources
Well Being
8.WOMEN AND YOUTH HAVE
BETTER ACCESS TO AND CONTROL
OVER productive assets, inputs,
information, market opportunities,
and capture a more equitable share
of increased income and other
benefits
Dryland Systems is bringing sustainable benefits to dry areas that cover 41% of
the world’s land surface – home to 30% of the world’s population and some of
the poorest and most marginalized people in the world.
Gender & Youth Strategy
In marginal lands:
• 10-20% increase in productivity in production systems
• More resilient livelihoods for vulnerable households
In high potential areas:
• 20-30% increase in sustainable productivity in systems
• More stable and higher per capita income for intensifiable households
For women and children in dry areas:
• Access to greater quantity and nutrition year round through diversity of food
sources in vulnerable households
For pastoral and agro-pastoral lands:
• More sustainable and equitable management of land and water resources
Impacts: women targeted (out-scaling from core sites)
South Asia
9.1 million
West Africa
400,000
East & Southern Africa
2.9 million
Central
2.1 million
North Africa, West Asia
8.3 million
Lessons
Common constraints and solutions across regions. Dryland production systems
have highly diverse biophysical and socioeconomic settings. Despite this the
program sees common constraints to and opportunities for reducing
vulnerability and increasing productivity.
Systems approaches are complex. Systems thinking produces lasting results,
but require working in new ways, with new core skills, partners and tools.
A key Intermediate Development Outcome is promoting
more gender and youth focused development in dryland
production systems.
Research Outputs and
Opportunities
Our systems approach taps the best of interventions
from across the dry areas -- combining technologies,
policies and practices that are effective in various
dryland production systems.
• Testing and delivering technology and policy packages
for improved agricultural performance for specific
agro-ecosystems.
• Innovation systems platforms linking rural
communities‘ needs, with development experts,
policy options and the international research
community.
• Catalyzing learning and innovation across drylands
production systems worldwide.
Key contacts
Dr. Bill Payne, Program Director – c/o ICARDA, b.payne@cgiar.org
• National Research and Extension Systems • Advanced research institutions • Farming
communities • The Global Forum for Agricultural Research and its sub-regional organizations
• Development agencies • Sub-regional organizations • Civil society organizations • Private
sector
www.drylandsystems.cgiar.org