Connecting Efforts, Scaling Impact: The ILA Launchpad 

The India Landscape Accelerator (ILA), launched by WBCSD and BCG under the COP Action Agenda on Regenerative Landscapes (AARL), brings together companies and partners to accelerate investment in more productive, climate-smart and resilient agricultural landscapes in India. Drawing on extensive analysis and stakeholder engagement, its new flagship publication, the ILA Launchpad: A Practical Guide for Partnerships, Investment, and Impact, consolidates practical pathways for strengthening and scaling climate-smart agriculture. The publication officially launched at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s (FICCI) 16th Climate Policy and Business Conclave in New Delhi. 

The case for coordinated action 

Accelerating the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) across India is critical to strengthening farmer livelihoods, managing climate risks, and building more productive and resilient agricultural systems. Yet despite its agricultural scale, with 141 million hectares of net sown area, only an estimated 4-5% of India’s farmland is currently covered by CSA programs. The urgency is growing: climate change could reduce agricultural yields by up to 20% by 2050, while droughts, erratic rainfall and natural resource degradation continue to increase risks to farmers and agricultural supply chains. With 22% of Indian farmers living below the poverty line, scaling resilient farming systems is both an economic and environmental priority.  

Despite growing investment and innovation, progress remains constrained by fragmented efforts, limited visibility of successful models, duplication across programs, and persistent barriers to scale. Consultations with companies, technical experts, development partners, and financial institutions highlighted a clear need for greater coordination, shared learning, and practical guidance. Drawing on lessons from more than 80 CSA programs across India, consultations with over 20 companies and partners, and deep dives into key design elements and implementation approaches, the publication provides practical guidance for strengthening and scaling CSA programs. 

From lessons learned to scalable action  

The Launchpad is organized around five critical questions for scaling impact: where to focus for high-potential scaling opportunities; how to enable lasting farmer adoption; how to measure outcomes credibly and cost-effectively; how to mobilize finance and other enabling conditions; and how to support continuous improvement and innovation. It addresses these questions through practical frameworks, implementation pathways, governance and financing approaches, and examples from successful programs. The emphasis is not only on what organizations should do, but how they can be put into practice.

The publication places farmers at the center of successful transitions and emphasizes the importance of landscape-level collaboration and harmonized approaches to measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) for scaling. It proposes a ‘shared MRV backbone’ designed to reduce fragmentation and improve credibility and interoperability. The Regenerative Production Landscape Collaborative in Madhya Pradesh illustrates this approach, with a harmonized framework covering 64 performance indicators, adopted by 99,000 farmers across large production landscapes.  

It also explores how public and private actors can mobilize capital and create the enabling conditions for scale. With farmer transition costs estimated at INR 3,000–8,000 per hectare (approximately USD 35–90/ha), the Launchpad highlights blended-capital approaches that combine corporate demand, concessional finance, philanthropy and public support to help farmers adopt CSA at scale. 

A call to collaborate 

Whether you are a company strengthening a sourcing program, an implementer supporting farmers, a financial institution exploring investment opportunities, or an organization advancing landscape-scale collaboration, the ILA Launchpad provides practical guidance grounded in evidence and implementation experience. 

Download the ILA Launchpad to explore proven models, implementation pathways, and opportunities for collaboration. Organizations interested in contributing expertise, building partnerships, or strengthening and scaling climate-smart agriculture in India are invited to engage with ILA and join the growing effort to turn ambition into action. 

Learn more about our work on our website and reach out to Deviah Aiama (aiama@wbcsd.org) to explore collaboration opportunities.