Green Shoots: Nature positive innovation as a route to increased food security

17 September 2026 – A briefing by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) examines how emerging innovations can be nurtured and scaled through coordinated action across the public, private and financial sectors.

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Many of the innovations needed to address today's economic, environmental and social challenges already exist. However, moving from early promise to widespread adoption remains a significant hurdle.

Green Shoots explores the conditions that enable new ideas, technologies and business models to grow beyond niche applications and achieve meaningful impact. Focusing on innovations in the food and agriculture sectors, It sets out the importance of supportive policy environments, patient capital, collaborative partnerships and market-shaping institutions in helping innovation flourish.

The briefing argues that successful innovation ecosystems do not emerge by chance. They are the product of purposeful collaboration between governments, businesses, investors, researchers and intermediaries. By aligning incentives and reducing barriers to adoption, these actors can help promising solutions attract investment, build markets and scale more rapidly.

Developed as part of CISL's A-Track work, the briefing places innovation within a broader systems perspective. Rather than viewing innovation solely as a technological challenge, it highlights the institutional, financial and governance factors that determine whether new solutions can deliver transformative change. The findings offer insights for decision-makers seeking to strengthen innovation ecosystems and accelerate progress towards a more sustainable economy.