This document outlines research questions related to dryland agricultural livelihood systems. It addresses three main areas: 1. Diagnosing systems and identifying entry points for change through integrated analysis of socioeconomic, gender, political, and ecological drivers. 2. Promoting transformation through innovation mechanisms that optimize use of resources to reduce vulnerability and sustainably intensify agriculture. 3. Catalyzing development at scale through prioritizing investments, assessing impact, and strategic alliances between organizations.

1. DS RESEARCH QUESTIONS
A. How to identifybestentryor leverage pointsfor change inAgricultural LivelihoodSystems,
through integratedscience-baseddiagnosisofsocio-economic,gender,political,ecological
driversand trendsand resultingconstraints,opportunities, and optionsin context?
B. How to promote a transformative environmentthrough innovationmechanisms,processes
and capacity that optimallyuse natural, physical, human,financial,social capital to reduce
vulnerabilityandsustainably intensifyagriculture?
C. How to catalyze developmentat scale through prioritizationof investments,impact
assessmentand strategic alliancesbetweenthe CRPs and publicand private sector
developmentstakeholders?
Main general questionsdrivingthe Dryland systemsresearch
I. DiagnosingAgricultural Livelihoodsystemsand identifyingentrypoints
1. How to applyscience –baseddiagnosisof Drylandsystemsconstraints,and
opportunitieswithfullaccountof the contextual andhistorical trendsof the ecological,
social , economicandpolitical factors
II. Transforming through innovationmechanisms/processes
1. How to buildthe capacityof menand womenfarmersandlivestockkeepersindryareasto
innovate forimprovingtheirlivelihoods
2. How to combine the limitednatural resourceswithpolicyandintuitional supportto
optimallyusestheseresourcesandreduce the vulnerabilitytowaterscarcityindry areas
3. How to combine natural resourceswithmarketopportunitiestosustainablyintensityand
increase farmincome inthe more favorable dryareas
III. Catalyzingdevelopmentat scale
1. How to applyscience inassessingthe scalabilityandmeasuringthe potential impactsof
innovationsatscale forsupportingdecision-makingindevelopmentinvestment
2. How to developeffective andstrategicallianceswithdevelopmentcommunity(national
governmentsandinternationaldevelopmentinvestors) andsecure longtermjoint
commitmenttoout-scale provenresearchoutputstolargernumberbeneficiaries.
DiagnosingALS and identifyingentrypoints
1. How to implementdiagnosticanalysiswithall partners

2. 2. How can the differentinter-relatedfactorsandincentivescontributingtoecological,economic,
social resilience indrylandsystemscontribute tosustainable livelihoodoptions?
3. What the alternative optionstoimprove systemperformanceandwhatpolicyinstrumentsare
needtooperationalize thesealternatives?
4. Withinthe actionsiteshowdowe most effectively prioritizeinvestmentsindrylands
developmenttoaddressdiverse,nestedconstraintsandopportunities
5. Once an investmentismade whatare the keyconstraints/incentivestochanging/optimizingthe
drylandsystems (systemanalysis)
6. What re the potential consequencesof removingthose constraints?
a. Socio-economicandbio-physical
b. Actionsite level
c. ALS andinterrelations
7. How to use emergingsocial,technological trendsinaddressingdrylandsystems (constraints,
trends,context,options)
8. Farmerincome/well-being:howcanthe drylandsystemincrease of secure farmincome and
otherassetsso that farmersare betterpositionedtoimprove theirlivelihoods(health,
education, nutrition,shelteretc)
Transfer examplesthroughinnovation mechanisms/processes(adaptation,PTD)
1. How to developtechnical,social,economic,institutions,innovationstoincrease resilience to
ecological andeconomicneedshocksand diversify/improve livelihoodsandequitable benefits
2. How to transformcurrentdrylandagricultural livelihood systems intomore resilientand
productive andsustainablesystem
3. How to bringinnovationstomake drylandsystemsmore resilienttodroughtandclimate
change
4. How can agricultural researchfordevelopment(AR4D) indrylandsystemsreverse trendsof
natural resource degradationwhileimprovinglivelihoods
5. Withinactionsites – howdo we effectivelyincorporatelocal knowledge andperspectiveswith
global scientificapproachedandpolicy
6. How to improve watermanagementinthe contextof drylandsystems
7. How to influence policytoimprove efficiencyof ALSinthe drylands
8. Why isagriculture increasinglynotattractive tothe rural youth?How to provide optionsand
incentivestoattractthem?
9. Natural resource management:consideringIDOsof intensificationandresilienceenhancement
howto achieve sustainable andequitable use of natural resourcesconsideringsocial andgender
inequity,resource limitationandoverutilizationasdriversof change andoptionsto change for
the thoroughinnovationandanenablingenvironment
Catalyzingdevelopmentat scale
1. How to assessscalabilityof technological processesacrosscountries
2. What isthe extrapolationforscalingoutof an intervention(scenarioanalysis)

3. 3. Agree impactisaimedat (who,where,when)
4. Withinthe actionsites: howdowe nurture the emergence of global relevantoutcomesfrom
place basedresearch?
5. How to measure andquantifythe impactof a systemresearchincludingpotential trade offs
6. Withinthe actionsites:howdowe effectivelyworkacrosspublicandprivate sectorstospeed
up innovationsandscale outbenefits?
7. Adoption:howdowe promote adoptionwhile takingalivelihoodperspective and
understandingfarmerdecisionmakingregardingadoption,capturingfarmerperspectives
includingbenefits,synergies,constraints,tradeoffsandrisks –usinga multiple constraint
approach inproblemsolving
8. How to promote adoptionwithinlivelihoodscontext
9. How to analyze systemsinthe contextof dryland