ACCESS Hosts Agroecology Summit for Resilience

 ACCESS Development Services, in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), convened an Agroecology Summit named “Pathways to Sustainable Food Systems” in New Delhi. The event served as a dynamic platform for policymakers, investors, Farmer Patron Organizations (FPOs), and agri-enterprises to explore strategies that can transfigure India’s agrarian geography through ecological balance and sustainable practices. 

The peak marked a significant step toward advancing climate-flexible and inclusive agrarian growth, emphasizing that smallholder growers form the backbone of India’s food systems and must be empowered to lead the shift toward sustainability. The event also witnessed the release of five comprehensive value chain reports on cashew, turmeric, capsicum, garlic, and black pepper. These reports were developed under the IFAD-supported entitlement for the Agroecology Programme (GAP) Fund, managed by ACCESS Development Services, and aim to strengthen request liaison, reduce post-harvest losses, and encourage value addition at the original position. 

Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India, stressed the government’s commitment to empowering smallholders through adaptation, sustainability, and collaborative enterprise. He noted that India’s approach to agrarian development is deeply embedded in supporting farmer patron organizations as machines of pastoral metamorphosis. “By nurturing FPOs as machines of pastoral metamorphosis, we’re ensuring that growers aren’t only directors but also active actors in value chains,” said Dr. Chaturvedi. He lauded IFAD and ACCESS Development Services for their cooperative efforts in strengthening FPO capacities, erecting requested liaison, and creating a more flexible and inclusive agrarian ecosystem. 

Adding to the discussion, Mr. James Marc de Sousa-Shields, Country Director (India) at IFAD, underlined the transformative eventuality of agroecology. He remarked that agroecology isn’t simply a sustainability strategy but a pathway to combined substance. “Agroecology offers not just sustainability but participated substance by empowering growers, restoring ecosystems, and strengthening requests,” he stated. He further emphasized that the GAP Fund action reflects IFAD’s fidelity to advancing smallholder husbandry as part of a global agroecological metamorphosis that fosters both environmental balance and profitable addition. 

Among the distinguished speakers were Mr. Sanjeev Asthana, Chairman of ACCESS Development Services and CEO of Patanjali Foods; Mr. Pravesh Sharma, Chairman of the Samunnati Foundation; Mr. Vivek Sinha, Lead – GAP Fund, ACCESS Development Services; and Mr. Vipin Sharma, CEO of ACCESS Development Services. Each of them corroborated the significance of ecosystem-grounded approaches to husbandry that not only cover natural coffers but also produce feasible livelihoods for growers and pastoral communities. 

One of the crucial highlights of the peak was the launch of five agroecological value chain studies focusing on cashew, turmeric, capsicum, garlic, and black pepper. Conducted by ACCESS Development Services under the GAP Fund, the studies give in-depth analysis of product systems, request trends, recycling openings, and investment precedences. Drawing from public datasets, secondary exploration, and stakeholder consultations, these studies shed light on the critical challenges faced by India’s small and borderline growers. 

The findings reveal that while husbandry contributes over 17% to the country’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and supports nearly half of the Indian population, smallholders continue to struggle with fractured value chains, limited processing capacity, and high post-harvest losses, especially in perishable crops. These gaps not only impact planter income but also constrain the overall effectiveness and sustainability of India’s food system. 

Speaking about the significance of agroecology in addressing these challenges, Mr. Vipin Sharma, CEO of ACCESS Development Services, emphasized that ecological and profitable adaptability must go hand in hand. “Agroecology represents the future of Indian husbandry anchored in ecological balance and profitable adaptability,” he said. “Through enterprises like the GAP Fund, we’re demonstrating that ecological enterprises can grow commercially while restoring natural coffers and strengthening livelihoods. The value chain studies are an important step in relating where investments and inventions can help smallholders thrive within a sustainable food system.” 

Following the launch, the event also featured a Grantees Award Ceremony feting enterprises that have shown exemplary invention, measurable impact, and leadership in advancing agroecology-grounded business models. These enterprises, through their innovative practices, have illustrated how environmental sustainability and business profitability can attend, paving the way for scalable, community-driven models across India’s pastoral geography. 

The Summit further hosted multiple expert-led panel conversations that explored pressing issues in the agroecology sphere. Sessions similar to “Programmes Driving Agroecology Openings, Challenges, and Way Forward” and “Beyond Markers: Are Instruments Enough to Drive Real Change in Agro-Food Systems?” “Agroecology as a Pathway to Climate Resilience and Food Sovereignty” and “Sustainability Beyond Catalytic Funding—Do Agroecology Systems Make Business Sense?” brought together different voices from the development sector, private enterprises, government bodies, and exploration institutions. These reflections concentrated on the need for cooperative fabrics that integrate policy, finance, technology, and capacity structure to gauge agroecological practices across India. 

Speakers during the sessions stressed that achieving sustainability in husbandry requires moving beyond instruments or short-term design interventions. Rather, long-term systemic change must be pursued through stronger collaboration among policymakers, investors, planter groups, and interpreters. They also called for mainstreaming agroecology within India’s agrarian and pastoral development programs to ensure the adaptability of food systems in the face of climate change, resource decline, and request volatility. 

The Agroecology Summit reflected ACCESS Development Services’ broader charge of promoting inclusive growth through sustainable development and invention. The association’s tripartite thing—to synthesize and showcase successful agroecology-grounded models, ground critical gaps through multi-stakeholder collaboration, and co-create a roadmap for spanning sustainable business models—was at the core of the conversations. 

By the end of the event, actors agreed that the path toward sustainable and climate-flexible husbandry lies in empowering growers through knowledge, technology, and collaborative enterprise. The peak corroborated that agroecology isn’t simply an indispensable approach but a necessary elaboration of India’s agrarian system—one that harmonizes productivity with ecological integrity, ensures access for smallholders, and creates long-term adaptability against climate challenges. 

As India continues to pursue its agrarian metamorphosis docket, enterprises like the GAP Fund and platforms like the Agroecology Summit stand as important exemplifications of how hookups, invention, and policy alignment can together drive meaningful change toward sustainable food systems that profit both people and the earth.