Growing Forward: Where is the future of Agri-Food Systems Headed?

As climate volatility becomes a structural feature of agricultural planning rather than a risk to be managed, decisions across agri-food systems carry increasing consequences for farmers, businesses, and food security.

Against this backdrop, TechnoServe India convened Growing Forward: Decisions That Could Define the Future of Agri-Food Systems, a closed-door gathering in New Delhi that brought together leaders from business, government, philanthropy, finance, technology, and civil society to discuss some of the most pressing questions facing the sector today.

The conversation explored how companies can build more resilient and sustainable supply chains through shared value, how technology and artificial intelligence are changing what is possible for smallholder farmers, and what it will take to coordinate efforts at the scale required to address increasingly complex challenges.

This report captures insights from discussions on sustainable sourcing, the application of AI in agriculture and rural contexts, India’s ambitions to strengthen its position in global dairy markets, and the role of consortium-based approaches in accelerating innovation and impact across agri-food systems.

Participants included representatives from organizations such as ADM, PepsiCo, Cargill, ITC, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, IFC, IFAD, the Gates Foundation, IDH, Digital Green, Environmental Defense Fund, McKinsey, CEEW, and other organizations working across the agri-food ecosystem.

Dive into the report to explore the ideas, debates, and practical perspectives shared throughout the convening and what they reveal about the decisions that could define the future of agri-food systems.