MANAN 2026 Brings Leaders Together in Bhopal to Shape Climate-Resilient Agriculture
MANAN 2026, a two-day multistakeholder forum on climate-resilient agriculture, was held in Bhopal, India, from 5–6 February 2026. The event brought together policymakers, researchers, financiers, and industry representatives to discuss strategies for integrating resilience into agricultural systems, markets, and institutions.
MANAN 2026 (Multistakeholder Forum for Agriculture, Nature, and Net Zero Transition), a two-day conference on climate-resilient farms and landscapes, concluded in Bhopal with discussions emphasizing the need for coordinated approaches beyond isolated interventions.
The conference was organised by the Regenerative Production Landscape Collaborative (RPLC) and co-convened with the Government of Madhya Pradesh, with IDH serving as the Knowledge Partner. MANAN 2026 convened policymakers, companies, financiers, civil society organisations, multilaterals, researchers, and practitioners to explore operationalising climate resilience at scale for smallholder farmers and rural communities.
Plenary sessions and thematic panels addressed climate risks affecting Indian agriculture, including groundwater depletion, rising heat stress, and land degradation, while noting that many current responses remain fragmented.
Vikramjeet Sharma, Program Lead – RPLC (India), said, “MANAN 2026 reinforced a shared recognition that climate resilience in agriculture cannot be delivered through isolated pilots or sector-by-sector approaches. The conversations over these two days highlighted the urgency of integrating policy, markets, finance, and on-ground practice to build resilient livelihoods and landscapes. The focus now must shift to translating this collective understanding into coordinated action at scale.”
The forum highlighted the importance of aligning climate ambition with on-ground realities, covering areas such as scaling regenerative and climate-resilient production systems, advancing decent work in global supply chains, promoting gender equity in value chains, and restoring degraded landscapes through community-led initiatives.
Nishant Warwade, Secretary – Farmer Welfare and Agriculture Development, Government of Madhya Pradesh, said, “Farmer welfare must remain at the centre of our efforts. Climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture requires strong partnerships across government, civil society, and the private sector. Madhya Pradesh’s digital initiatives like AgriStack are connecting markets directly to farmers while meeting global standards such as EUDR. Going forward, responsible use of data and technology will be key to boosting productivity, improving post-harvest systems, and empowering women in agriculture. Platforms like MANAN demonstrate how collaboration can translate ideas into action at scale.”
During the two-day discussions, participants stressed the shift from fragmented pilots to integrated approaches that enhance farmer livelihoods, improve land productivity, promote sustainable practices, and restore natural capital. The conversations also addressed inclusive growth, ensuring women’s participation leads to economic opportunity, alongside stronger traceability, digitisation, and responsible use of technology to meet market and regulatory requirements. Partnerships were identified as essential for translating shared knowledge into scalable action.
MANAN 2026 concluded with calls for ongoing collaboration beyond the forum, linking policy discussions with implementation, financing, and market engagement. The outcomes are expected to guide future partnerships, state-level programs, and value-chain strategies aimed at strengthening climate resilience in Indian agriculture.