Agriculture Innovations for Livelihood Security : LI-BIRD has been promoting participatory approaches to agricultural production by building on farmers' local knowledge and innovation. The goal of the programme is to improve livelihoods of resource poor and marginalized people through increased food security, nutrition and income generation.

Biodiversity for Sustainable Livelihoods : The genetic resource base is narrowing and biodiversity is being lost at an alarming rate, due to changes in technological innovation, production systems, lifestyle and consumption patterns and other  factors. The goal of the programme is to secure livelihoods of marginal and resource poor farmers through sustainable management of agricultural biodiversity.

Ecosystem Health and Services :  In recent years, the unbalanced use of biodiversity and natural resources has resulted in increasingly deteriorating ecosystem health and services. The goal of the programme is to improve the livelihoods of poor and vulnerable communities through better management of ecosystem health and services.

Policy and Social Research for wider and inclusive impacts : LI-BIRD has actively been engaged in policy and social research to create wider and inclusive impacts. The goal of the programme is to safeguard the rights and livelihoods of resource poor farmers and farming communities through advocacy and  formulation of appropriate policy and legal instruments.

Knowledge Management and Capacity Building : LI-BIRD is regarded as a Centre of Excellence for participatory crop improvement and community-based on-farm biodiversity management. The goal of the programme is to generate wider and inclusive impacts through sharing knowledge and innovative approaches to capacity development.