UNCCD COP16 side event: CGIAR and ILC driving international collaboration for local solutions on land and natural resource tenure

Discover how the partnership between CGIAR and the International Land Coalition (ILC) is working towards sustainable land tenure solutions for agrifood systems.

At the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP 16 in Riyadh, CGIAR and the International Land Coalition (ILC) co-hosted a side event on ‘Land and Natural Resource Tenure’. The event highlighted how CGIAR’s recent membership in ILC could open opportunities to scale research on land and natural resource governance, tenure, and planning – essential building blocks for sustainable agrifood systems.

Participants explored how innovative collaborations between CGIAR centers and ILC have benefited local communities and influenced positive policy outcomes. Discussions also focused on CGIAR’s emerging land tenure work that could be further strengthened through deeper ILC engagement, providing a roadmap for enhancing this collaboration.

Key presentations included:

• Sustainable rangeland management: Fiona Flintan (ILRI) highlighted how projects in Tanzania have influenced national land use planning guidelines, strengthened women’s and indigenous land rights, and provided replicable lessons for neighboring countries.
• Women’s land rights: Ann Larson (ICRISAT) shared initiatives aimed at securing women’s resource rights.
• Participatory rangeland management: Ken Peter Otieno (RECONCILE) presented on participatory approaches developed in collaboration with ILRI.
• Land-water nexus: Mohsin Hafeez (IWMI) examined the critical links between water and food security.
• Peacebuilding in Colombia: Janelle Sylvester (Alliance) discussed how land use interventions have supported peacebuilding efforts, including a position paper launched at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP.

The event concluded with remarks from Cargele Masso, director of the CGIAR Impact Platform on Environment and Biodiversity, who reaffirmed CGIAR’s commitment to the ILC partnership. He emphasized the potential of this collaboration to amplify CGIAR’s contributions to equitable land governance, community resilience, and sustainable food systems.

A more unified CGIAR in the ILC network

CGIAR centers, such as IFPRI, have had a long-standing associated with the International Land Coalition (ILC). By 2022, six centers – IFPRI, IWMI, ICARDA, ILRI, CIFOR-ICRAF – were members of ILC, contributing to its mission of supporting equitable land governance.

In 2023, CGIAR joined ILC as a unified entity, consolidating its engagement and allowing for a more cohesive approach to collaboration. This unified membership expands ILC’s reach across CGIAR centers and conversely, enables CGIAR to tap into ILC’s extensive network of 294 members in 81 countries. Together, they are advancing research and action on land access and tenure, building community resilience, and promoting sustainable food systems.

Land access and tenure in CGIAR’s mission

Secure land access and tenure are critical for global food production and agricultural sustainability. Today, nearly one billion people live under insecure tenure arrangements, with far-reaching consequences for livelihoods, food security, and environmental resilience. Smallholder farmers and pastoralists, who depend heavily on secure land tenure, face mounting challenges such as land grabbing, encroachment, and barriers to adopting innovative livestock and agricultural practices.

For CGIAR, addressing these challenges is central to its mission of promoting sustainable and resilient food, land, and water systems. Programs like CAPRi and the PIM CRP Flagship on Natural Resources Governance have laid a foundation for CGIAR’s work on land tenure. Recent initiatives have explored diverse topics, from gender-transformative approaches to land rights in Kenya and Sudan to participatory land use planning in East Africa. Yet, integrating land tenure research systematically into CGIAR’s broader portfolio remains an unmet need.

Opportunities through the ILC partnership

The ILC’s focus areas align closely with CGIAR’s priorities, including:

1. Land rights and agroecology: Exploring how secure tenure supports sustainable farming practices.
2. Rangeland management: Developing tenure systems to enhance adaptation and restoration of rangelands.
3. Green energy and land conflicts: Understanding how the energy transition impacts land use.
4. Land, biodiversity, and carbon: Investigating tenure’s role in environmental conservation.

This partnership offers a platform to strengthen research, promote collaboration, and drive meaningful solutions at the nexus of land tenure, equity, and sustainability.

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By Polycarp Onyango, CGIAR Livestock and Climate communications manager, with contributions from Mireille Ferrari, ILRI