Telling the NATURE+ stories, hundreds of photographs at a time

Community commitment and action are vital to the successful adoption of nature-positive solutions. This was particularly true for the CGIAR Nature-Positive Solutions Initiative, which launched ambitious, community-needs-driven research and interventions across multiple sites in five countries. Yet successfully telling the stories of the people of the Initiative is always challenging.

An innovative NATURE+ collaboration with The Lexicon and communities in Colombia, India and Kenya captured the people, places and science of NATURE+. The work comprised a stunning visual exhibit – individual artworks comprised of up to 200 photographs – released during the 2024 Convention of Biological Diversity meeting in Cali. The Lexicon also launched a nature-positive website for the Initiative, using The Lexicon’s Ecological Benefit Framework to explore the matrix of environmental and social benefits derived from nature-positive action at the Initiative’s worksites in those three countries.

By Rachel Kibui, NATURE+, and Alberto Miti, The Lexicon

With special thanks to Dr. Carlo Fadda (NATURE+/Alliance), Douglas Gayeton (The Lexicon) and Fidel Chiriboga (My Farm Trees/Alliance)

Nature-positive solutions are practices that enhance biodiversity, regenerate ecosystems, and minimize environmental harm within agri-food systems. CGIAR is advancing research and collecting data to promote these practices to accelerate the development of more regenerative food systems across five countries. However, data alone is not enough to convey the value of these solutions.

People are not just moved by data—they are moved by stories and the people behind them. So, how can we effectively capture and communicate the impact of nature-positive solutions on a global scale while mobilizing a community of supporters?

To address this challenge, the CGIAR Initiative on Nature Positive Solutions (NATURE+) partnered with The Lexicon to develop innovative tools showcasing the transformative potential of these practices through storytelling and the Ecological Benefits Framework (EBF).The EBF enables communities and organizations to visualize and communicate the benefits of nature-positive practices. It highlights their role in creating healthier ecosystems and fostering sustainable outcomes for people and the planet. These benefits are organized into six interconnected areas that reflect the holistic nature of ecosystems: air, water, soil, biodiversity, equity, and climate.

Through a collaborative process involving key stakeholders, this partnership launched a knowledge-rich website featuring contributions from experts worldwide. The platform presents information in an engaging and accessible format, including explainers, Lex Icons, guiding principles, and vibrant information artworks. These elements work together to illustrate what success looks like—and who makes it possible—when nature-positive solutions are applied effectively.

The visual tools excel at making complex concepts understandable, turning data into actionable knowledge. Using a shared visual language of Lex Icons and information artworks, audiences can emotionally and rationally connect with global stories, experiencing them as if they were there.

Showing the diversity of Kenya’s agri-food systems

The visual-tools approach was successfully applied by NATURE+ to document transformative efforts in the Kenyan counties of Kisumu, Siaya, Vihiga and Turkana. In collaboration with The Lexicon, NATURE+ created compelling tools and narratives to highlight sustainable food systems, agricultural solutions, and environmental conservation efforts.

“The information artworks and digital fingerprints that we built reveal the diversity of Kenya’s agri-food systems and the resilience of its communities,” said Dr. Carlo Fadda, the leader of NATURE+ and agrobiodiversity research at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. “These tools, crafted with creativity and precision, highlight the challenges and triumphs of local communities in building resilience and adapting to climate change.”

If a picture tells 1,000 words, what can 1,000 pictures do? The Lexicon uses a unique technique called “Information Artworks,” which blends numerous photos of a single subject and handwrites the words of the protagonists on the images to create detailed and engaging visuals. These artworks, which can convey a complete narrative of a single subject, are designed to immerse the audience into the story with a combination of data and emotion to create a lasting impact on the viewer.

“These success stories using nature-positive solutions are so much more powerful when people can share their experiences using their own words,” said Douglas Gayeton, Co-Founder of The Lexicon. “It’s inspiring to see how their work addresses global challenges and positively impacts the planet.”

Restoring Landscapes in Turkana and Siaya Counties

In Turkana and Siaya – two regions that face different challenges in forest and tree cover – The Lexicon’s lens captures the transformative efforts of the My Farm Trees platform (MFT) to empower local communities and democratize incentives to restore degraded landscapes using native trees. Additionally, the app appprovides access to digital mobile technology for knowledge sharing, capacity development, monitoring, verification, and payments to landholders involved in forest landscape restoration. Siaya is rated the last among Kenya’s 47 counties in terms of forest cover at 0.23% and Turkana is only ahead of three other counties at number 44 in tree cover at 5.23 percent.

Turkana, an Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) in Northern Kenya, grapples with sparse vegetation, frequent droughts, and flash floods, all exacerbated by climate change. The loss of indigenous trees in Turkana has further weakened biodiversity and climate resilience.

In this context, the overarching goals of MFT and collaboration with the local communities is to mainstream biodiversity in production sites while promoting entrepreneurship, livelihood diversification, nutritional diets, ecosystem services, and carbon sequestration. The platform includes a set of mobile applications, including the MyGeoFarm App, which enables farmers to register, monitor, and report the progress of tree seedlings from planting to maturity, combining technology and community action to nurture the environment.

Promoting Sustainable and Diverse Diets in Vihiga County

In the densely populated peri-urban Vihiga County, where smallholder farmers often manage less than two acres of land, NATURE+ introduced permaculture training and established a demonstration farm. These efforts highlight the value of traditional foods and simple, high-impact innovations in preparing diverse, nutritious cuisines.

Vihiga’s visuals tell a story of culture, community, and resilience, showcasing diet diversification and sustainable agri-systems that unite communities. This work addresses global challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change and presents scalable solutions rooted in local traditions.

Building Seed Security and Enhancing Access in Communities

NATURE+ prioritized improving seed access and security by supporting community seed banks to foster agricultural resilience and biodiversity. With three primary seed banks in operation—one in Vihiga and two in Kisumu—these efforts are a testament to the transformative power of community-driven solutions.

Visuals from the Kabudi Agoro Community Seedbank in Kisumu highlight the commitment of approximately 25 women dedicated to enhancing access to diverse seeds. Previously, farmers face significant challenges in accessing seeds because agriculture supply shops are located far from their farms. The commercial seed system often restricts them to a narrow range of crops and requires high expenditures on chemical fertilizers and pest controls.

The imagery vividly portrays seeds as symbols of freedom and resilience, with seed banks serving as a unifying force within the community. Additionally, seed exchanges are showcased as a way to increase crop diversity, contributing to enhanced nutritional options and food security. These visuals not only tell the story of overcoming barriers but also celebrate the empowerment of communities through sustainable agricultural practices.

Transformative solutions

Through their innovative visual framework, the Nature+ initiative and The Lexicon highlight the impacts of sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation, and the recognition of collective efforts by diverse stakeholders. The information artworks bring to light the transformative solutions these communities are employing to restore and regenerate their agricultural ecosystems, and the ecological benefits their collaboration with scientists generates. The EBF powered website, on the one hand educates partners and onlookers about what nature-positive solutions are, and on the other, it provides a set of tools to visualize and communicate the activities and outcomes of the initiative sites, allowing them to see the project’s direction toward building positive impacts.

From promoting seed security and restoring landscapes to showcasing the cultural wealth of diversified diets, this work resonates with the essence of community-driven solutions that bridge tradition and innovation. These stories inspire action, emphasizing the importance of uniting technology, creativity, and local knowledge to combat climate change and ensure food security.

By merging the power of compelling visuals with community narratives, Nature+ demonstrates that impactful solutions can be scaled and shared not only in other parts of Kenya, but also beyond the country’s borders, inspiring and empowering communities to support sustainable agri-systems.

About The Lexicon

The Lexicon is a USA-based NGO working at the intersection of food, agriculture and climate action. It mobilizes changemakers and helps them devise solutions to some of our food systems’ greatest challenges. This work helps people pay closer attention to what they buy, how they live, and where their responsibility begins for creating a healthier and safer planet for all.