Given the complexities of rainfed agriculture, experiences from RRA Network members’ work have shown that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work for these landscapes. Solutions need to be landscape-specific, embedded in local contexts, yet contributing to broader systemic transformation. Over the years, the network has documented and implemented diverse models, guided by principles of local ownership, decentralization, ecological sustainability, and community participation.
Examples include community-managed seed systems that ensure local seed security, decentralized approaches for millet revival that integrate production, processing, and nutrition, backyard poultry systems that enhance livelihoods and nutrition, and extensive livestock care systems that strengthen resilience.
Building on this experience, the RRA Foundation aims to sustain and scale these efforts, supporting network members to generate evidence, develop new pilots, and test context-specific solutions that strengthen rainfed agriculture, promote resilient livelihoods, and inform broader policy and practice.
Drawing from the RRA Network’s extensive experience, this portfolio focuses on strengthening the ecosystem of collaboration across the network’s diverse constituents. Over the years, the network has evolved multiple layers—state chapters, regional chapters, and thematic working groups—each playing a unique role.
State chapters, currently active in Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh, work to influence state-level policy, foster synergies among organizations, and create platforms to share experiences and demonstrate replicable models. Regional chapters focus on landscape-level challenges in highly vulnerable areas such as Bundelkhand, Manbhum, and the tribal tri-junction of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, aiming to generate evidence through collaboration among expert organizations.
Thematic working groups, including seeds systems, millet cropping systems, extensive livestock, markets, and institutions, bring together specialized experts who help evolve replicable frameworks, strengthen capacities of network members, and integrate evidence into ongoing programs.
Building on this structure, the RRA Foundation seeks to sustain and expand the work of these constituents, supporting the network to co-create, coordinate, and scale interventions that advance the revival and resilience of rainfed agriculture.
Given the vast scale and diversity of rainfed agriculture in India, achieving systemic impact requires policy action informed by grounded evidence. This portfolio focuses on translating grassroots experiences into actionable insights for policy and practice. Building on RRA Network’s experience, the RRA Foundation supports alternative research, documentation of traditional practices, and collaborative studies that capture locally relevant innovations. Many non-financial collaborations between network members and formal agricultural institutions have already demonstrated how such partnerships can generate robust, field-grounded evidence. By strengthening these efforts, the Foundation aims to ensure that policy and decision-making processes are shaped by community-validated solutions, enabling scalable interventions that addresses the challenges of rainfed agriculture.
Given the complexities of rainfed agriculture, experiences from RRA Network members’ work have shown that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work for these landscapes. Solutions need to be landscape-specific, embedded in local contexts, yet contributing to broader systemic transformation. Over the years, the network has documented and implemented diverse models, guided by principles of local ownership, decentralization, ecological sustainability, and community participation.
Examples include community-managed seed systems that ensure local seed security, decentralized approaches for millet revival that integrate production, processing, and nutrition, backyard poultry systems that enhance livelihoods and nutrition, and extensive livestock care systems that strengthen resilience.
Building on this experience, the RRA Foundation aims to sustain and scale these efforts, supporting network members to generate evidence, develop new pilots, and test context-specific solutions that strengthen rainfed agriculture, promote resilient livelihoods, and inform broader policy and practice.
Drawing from the RRA Network’s extensive experience, this portfolio focuses on strengthening the ecosystem of collaboration across the network’s diverse constituents. Over the years, the network has evolved multiple layers—state chapters, regional chapters, and thematic working groups—each playing a unique role.
State chapters, currently active in Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh, work to influence state-level policy, foster synergies among organizations, and create platforms to share experiences and demonstrate replicable models. Regional chapters focus on landscape-level challenges in highly vulnerable areas such as Bundelkhand, Manbhum, and the tribal tri-junction of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, aiming to generate evidence through collaboration among expert organizations.
Thematic working groups, including seeds systems, millet cropping systems, extensive livestock, markets, and institutions, bring together specialized experts who help evolve replicable frameworks, strengthen capacities of network members, and integrate evidence into ongoing programs.
Building on this structure, the RRA Foundation seeks to sustain and expand the work of these constituents, supporting the network to co-create, coordinate, and scale interventions that advance the revival and resilience of rainfed agriculture.
Given the vast scale and diversity of rainfed agriculture in India, achieving systemic impact requires policy action informed by grounded evidence. This portfolio focuses on translating grassroots experiences into actionable insights for policy and practice. Building on RRA Network’s experience, the RRA Foundation supports alternative research, documentation of traditional practices, and collaborative studies that capture locally relevant innovations. Many non-financial collaborations between network members and formal agricultural institutions have already demonstrated how such partnerships can generate robust, field-grounded evidence. By strengthening these efforts, the Foundation aims to ensure that policy and decision-making processes are shaped by community-validated solutions, enabling scalable interventions that addresses the challenges of rainfed agriculture.
