Inclusive dialogue and exchange for smallholder climate preparedness and human wellbeing – and the health of agricultural ecosystems
Project Summary
Inclusive dialogue and exchange for smallholder climate preparedness and human wellbeing – and the health of agricultural ecosystems. This is a partnership between two organisations in the Global South and explores two parallel trajectories – the impact of interventions to diversify and strengthen agricultural food systems, and the effectiveness of different participatory research and M&E approaches. In India, ATREE leads a partnership that will explore the impact of different interventions introduced by local partner Wassan to diversify the smallholders’ rice-based systems, while in South Africa, the INR is partnering with local NGO Mahlathini Rural Foundation. The focus of the research is on exploring ways to strengthen farmers’ abilities to cope with climate change, as well as exploring how more diversified agricultural systems that minimise the use of external inputs can improve the health of both people and planet.
Organisation Snapshot
This PoC is a partnership between two like-minded organisations. The Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), which is based in Bangalore, India, is a non-profit organisation focused on environmental conservation and sustainable, socially just development. Similarly, the Institute of Natural Resources (INR) is a non-profit company based in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, which works towards ensuring the wise use of resources for the benefit of people and the environment. Both organisations have strong research and academic programmes while also partnering with communities to create solutions and build bodies of evidence to inform policy and practice.
Project Team
Abi Vanak
Director, Centre for Policy Design (ATREE)
Abi T Vanak is the Director of the Centre for Policy Design at ATREE. He’s an Ecologist by disciplinary training and has a Ph.D. in Wildlife Science. His broad research interests include disease ecology, OneHealth, savanna ecosystems, invasive species, and wildlife in human-dominated systems. He works closely on the Science-Policy-Practice interface in ATREE’s key areas of expertise in land conservation and restoration, livelihoods and human well-being.
Anuja Malhotra
Policy Manager, Centre for Policy Design (ATREE)
Anuja Malhotra is the Policy Manager at the Centre for Policy Design at ATREE. Her academic training is in Economics, with specialisation in Ecological Economics. Her research interests are in Environmental Policy, Public Finance, and the Economics of Ecological Restoration. She currently coordinates the implementation of ATREE’s grassland restoration programs in Maharashtra as well as policy advocacy for Open Natural Ecosystems in India. Additionally, she has experience in community engagement and outreach focused on promoting inclusivity and bringing stakeholders together.
Giridhar Dasari
Researcher
Giridhar Dasari from ATREE is a postgraduate in Environmental sciences, working as a researcher in sustainable agriculture with a strong focus on soil health and soil science, as well as a practicing farmer. He is currently working with indigenous tribal farming communities in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, supporting the adoption and assessment of sustainable agricultural practices. His firsthand experience as a farmer enables a deep understanding of the challenges faced in the field and informs the design of adaptable, real-world solutions.
Asmi Khushi
Project Consultant
Asmi Khushi works as a Project Consultant for the Centre for Policy Design at ATREE. She is trained in economics, and received the Felix Scholarship to study MSc. in Economics for Development at the University of Oxford. She has worked in multiple interdisciplinary research centres and initiatives, ranging from sustainability to frameworks for using narratives as quantitative research units, and is interested in using participatory approaches to research and action and working on frameworks for bridging science, complexity and community engagement.
Brigid Letty
Head, Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods Theme (INR)
Brigid Letty, who heads up the Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods Theme at INR, has a PhD that focused on agroforestry and more than 25 years of experience with smallholder farming systems. Brigid engages in a range of agricultural development work including research with smallholder farmers, support to local innovation processes, restoration of degraded landscapes, technical support to livestock farmers, transdisciplinary research, consultancies that draw on her agricultural expertise, facilitating workshops and capacity building events and convening of multi-stakeholder partnerships.
Thabo Makhubedu
Senior Scientist (INR)
Thabo Makhubedu is a Senior Scientist at INR and has a PhD in Crop Science. His primary research and career focus is on understanding how nodulated legume species are able to accumulate greater concentrations of macro-and micronutrients in nutrient-poor environments. He works across a wide range of projects ranging from catchment restoration, agroforestry and joint innovation processes, and also has experience in monitoring the utilisation and conservation of threatened wild medicinal plants in both protected and unprotected areas.
Erna Kruger
Founder, Mahlathini Development Foundation
Erna Kruger is the founder of Mahlathini Development Foundation, a small, specialised organisation at the nexus of research, learning, and implementation. Their work spans agriculture and food systems, water and natural resource management, and local governance, focusing on sustainable solutions tailored to the unique needs of smallholder farmers. Currently, their primary focus is on community-level climate change adaptation and resilience, fostering transformative, restorative, and regenerative solutions.
Mallika Sardeshpande
Team Member (ATREE)
Mallika Sardeshpande, who is part of the ATREE team, holds a doctorate in environmental science. She has worked in both India and South Africa and understands the functioning of the two partner organisations, which allows her to play the role of effectively linking the learning processes across the sites. Mallika has experience and interest in community- and use-based biodiversity conservation, ecological economics, and urban green infrastructure.