Cultivating Sustainable Food & Farming Transformations
Consortium for Agroecological Transformations (CAT) is dedicated to guiding India’s 40 million farmers’ agroecological transformations towards a sustainable and just food system by 2030.
ABOUT US
The Consortium for Agroecological Transformations (CAT) is a dynamic force aimed at integrating, scaling, and popularising agroecology across India.
By uniting stakeholders for collaborative action, CAT envisions a transformative journey for the nation’s agricultural landscape. Our goal is to tackle pressing challenges like climate change, nutritional insecurity, farmer debt, biodiversity loss, and resource degradation. Through a united effort, we aim to facilitate a substantial shift towards agroecology-driven farming practices that further fair and equitable food systems, benefitting all stakeholders, from growers to consumers.
OUR VISION
Envisioning an India where agroecological and sustainable farming systems flourish, fostering social justice, food sovereignty, self-reliance and economic aspirations for farmers, with a commitment to provide nutritious, diverse, safe and healthy foods to consumers.
CAT aims to transform Indian agriculture by putting farmers at the centre, using a landscape-level approach. We want to build sustained support through collaboration. Our vision includes:
Unifying Stakeholder Support
Unified Vision: Gather diverse stakeholders with a shared goal, approach and agreed-upon measures of success.
Inclusive Dialogue: Facilitate open discussions to ensure everyone agrees on the overall mission.
Establishing a Collaborative Governance Framework
Inclusive Decision-Making: Create a system where everyone actively participates, defining responsibilities.
Transparency: Make decision-making processes transparent to build trust and accountability.
Tracking Progress Effectively
Common Metrics: Develop shared metrics to track progress on national and state levels.
Real-time Monitoring: Use technology for timely updates on achievements and challenges.
Unifying Stakeholder Support
Unified Vision: Gather diverse stakeholders with a shared goal, approach and agreed-upon measures of success.
Inclusive Dialogue: Facilitate open discussions to ensure everyone agrees on the overall mission.
Establishing a Collaborative Governance Framework
Inclusive Decision-Making: Create a system where everyone actively participates, defining responsibilities.
Transparency: Make decision-making processes transparent to build trust and accountability.
Tracking Progress
Effectively
Common Metrics: Develop shared metrics to track progress on national and state levels.
Real-time Monitoring: Use technology for timely updates on achievements and challenges.
OUR STRUCTURE
Strengthening Action through Coordination
Strengthening Action through Coordination
CAT will bring together various key stakeholders, including domestic and international funders, organisations like CSOs and farmer groups, public agencies, and research institutions. These groups will work together to achieve targets in agroecology, coordinating efforts across four main stakeholder groups: funders, enablers, impacters, and market players.
CAT aims to be inclusive, acting as a custodian of a larger vision. It will involve stakeholders from the private sector and government agencies. A steering committee will ensure efficient decision-making, supported by a dedicated secretariat.
Additionally, CAT will collaborate with other government and non-government initiatives and networks, such as the National Mission for Natural Farming (NMNF), Working Group for Indo-German Lighthouse on Agroecology and NRM, National Coalition of Natural Farming (NCNF), Coalition for Food Systems Transformation in India (CoFTI), etc., aligning efforts toward common goals.
OUR APPROACH
Empowering Farmers: Building Stronger Communities, Landscape by Landscape
We are putting farmers at the heart of our efforts, focusing on landscape-based approaches. We shall support all the services and agencies needed for agroecological change on a large scale for at least ten years. This means working together with our stakeholder groups and ensuring resources are available.
We will start by creating 15,000 clusters, each covering 15-20 villages in smaller landscapes, chosen based on specific criteria.
OUR AGENDA
Guiding Goals for 2024
Partner Convention
A national workshop in 2024 to form a consolidated group of CAT partners, co-design common goals and chart out the action plan with timelines. Finalise and adopt the CAT Charter and Governance Structure. Launch the Blueprint for Agroecological Transformations.
Agroecology Tracker
To launch an open-access online platform which will track and monitor Agroecology related initiatives across India at the cluster level to provide real-time visibility of initiatives and their progress in one dashboard.
CAT Governance
To create a core team which will coordinate and carry out activities of the consortium. Adopting the governance structure of CAT, create committees, working groups and partner groups.
Funders' Alliance
Long-term financial plan to mobilise funds and resources through innovative financing solutions to support critical processes of state and local level initiatives projects leveraging government programmes and schemes.
Metrics of Success Framework
A holistic framework of KPIs, outcomes, and outputs for measuring success for various agroecological interventions. This will result in a consistent and contextualised metric adaptable to all regions and suitable for the intended outcomes.
Partner Convention
A national workshop in 2024 to form a consolidated group of CAT partners, co-design common goals and chart out the action plan with timelines. Finalise and adopt the CAT Charter and Governance Structure. Launch the Blueprint for Agroecological Transformations.
Agroecology Tracker
To launch an open-access online platform which will track and monitor Agroecology related initiatives across India at the cluster level to provide real-time visibility of initiatives and their progress in one dashboard
CAT Governance
To create a core team which will coordinate and carry out activities of the consortium. Adopting the governance structure of CAT, create committees, working groups and partner groups
Funders' Alliance
Long-term financial plan to mobilise funds and resources through innovative financing solutions to support critical processes of state and local level initiatives projects leveraging government programmes and schemes.
Metrics of Success Framework
A holistic framework of KPIs, outcomes, and outputs for measuring success for various agroecological interventions. This will result in a consistent and contextualised metric adaptable to all regions and suitable for the intended outcomes.
OUR STAKEHOLDERS
CAT has created a space built on mutual respect and trust for its stakeholders, who are grouped into Impactors, Enablers, Funders, and Market Players within the agroecology field.
IMPACTORS
Impactors are the architects of change, comprising networks, champion organisations, and individuals working directly with communities. Their efforts, supported by other stakeholders, drive tangible and sustainable results through on-ground initiatives.
CAT: Declaration (Work in progress)
ENABLERS
Enablers, including researchers, think tanks, consultancies, support organisations, governments, and thought leaders, form the backbone of CAT. They contribute to ground-level efforts and collaboration, focusing on developing and deploying Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) frameworks for agroecology. Enablers customise approaches based on evidence, ensuring the transformative impact of agroecology is measured accurately and refined.
CAT: Declaration (Work in progress)
FUNDERS
Funders play a crucial role in driving transformation by reflecting on long-term outcomes and directing funds towards innovation and capacity building in agroecology. They avoid duplication of efforts, leverage funds, and engage diverse donor groups to propel agroecological initiatives forward.
CAT: Declaration (Work in progress)
MARKET PLAYERS
Market Players further innovate and bridge gaps in the agroecology sector, connecting consumers to Farmers’ Producer Organisations (FPOs), organic stores, and entrepreneurs. They facilitate cross-sectional partnerships and empower consumers to make informed and sustainable choices while linking financial institutions to agroecological investments.
CAT: Declaration (Work in progress)
IMPACTORS
Impactors are the architects of change, comprising networks, champion organisations, and individuals working directly with communities. Their efforts, supported by other stakeholders, drive tangible and sustainable results through on-ground initiatives.
CAT: Declaration (Work in progress)
ENABLERS
Enablers, including researchers, think tanks, consultancies, support organisations, governments, and thought leaders, form the backbone of CAT. They contribute to ground-level efforts and collaboration, focusing on developing and deploying Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) frameworks for agroecology. Enablers customise approaches based on evidence, ensuring the transformative impact of agroecology is measured accurately and refined.
CAT: Declaration (Work in progress)
FUNDERS
Funders play a crucial role in driving transformation by reflecting on long-term outcomes and directing funds towards innovation and capacity building in agroecology. They avoid duplication of efforts, leverage funds, and engage diverse donor groups to propel agroecological initiatives forward.
CAT: Declaration (Work in progress)
MARKET PLAYERS
Market Players further innovate and bridge gaps in the agroecology sector, connecting consumers to Farmers’ Producer Organisations (FPOs), organic stores, and entrepreneurs. They facilitate cross-sectional partnerships and empower consumers to make informed and sustainable choices while linking financial institutions to agroecological investments.
CAT: Declaration (Work in progress)
CAT WORKING GROUP
RESOURCES
Charter
CAT’s mission is to catalyse and coordinate transformative agroecological processes in India. These processes encompass evidence building, policy discussions and implementation, knowledge management and sharing, capacity building for all stakeholders, efficient resource mobilisation and allocation, and the development and dissemination of successful models and approaches.
The charter provided is a starting point, subject to evolution through nationwide discussions with key stakeholders.
Read our charter here.
Blueprint
Our Blueprint for scaling agroecological transformation in India is a plan to change the way farming is done in the country. With agroecology-based farming, it aims to fix problems such as low farmer incomes, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, etc.
Indian agriculture is in trouble because it costs more to grow crops, and the soil isn’t as good as it used to be. Agroecology can help by improving the climate, improving soil health, and strengthening farming communities.
Read our detailed plan here.
Concept Note
The transition to agroecology has begun, with various stakeholders like CSOs, governments, scientists, private sector, donors, and farmers’ movements supporting its adoption. Programmes like the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) and the Odisha Millets Mission show successful efforts at significant scales.
However, achieving widespread adoption and mainstreaming remains challenging. Currently, only 1.6% of agricultural land is under organic cultivation. Agroecological interventions are fragmented and often lack sustained, comprehensive, long-term support for farmers and their value chains. Read our concept note to learn more about the future of agroecological transformations in India.
Read our concept note here.
Agroecology Tracker
The Agroecology Tracker is envisioned as an openly accessible online platform that tracks and monitors initiatives related to Agroecology and Natural Farming at a cluster level. The platform will enable the continuous collection of real-time data, offering valuable insights, identifying service gaps, and facilitating the planning and design of required interventions. The data collected on the platform will be accessible to implementers, funders, policymakers and other ecosystem stakeholders.
Read about the tracker here.
CONTACT US
For inquiries and collaboration opportunities, reach out to Nivedita Ravindranath at coordinator@agroecologyindia.org.
Stay connected as we work together for a sustainable and transformative agroecological future.
CONTACT US
For inquiries and collaboration opportunities, reach out to Nivedita Ravindranath at coordinator@agroecologyindia.org.
Stay connected as we work together for a sustainable and transformative agroecological future.
OUR COMMITMENT TO THE SDGs
CAT: Transforming Agriculture, Transforming Lives
We approach agroecology holistically: Connecting people, planet, and prosperity. This is our contribution and commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.
