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Who we are

With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

Kalyani Raghunathan

Kalyani Raghunathan is Research Fellow in the Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit, based in New Delhi, India. Her research lies at the intersection of agriculture, gender, social protection, and public health and nutrition, with a specific focus on South Asia and Africa. 

Where we work

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Where we work

IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

TOPIC

Climate Change

Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to the world’s agrifood systems. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events threaten agricultural production, as well as the biodiversity and ecosystem services that underpin agriculture. Climate change also affects all aspects of food value chains, including food processing, storage, transport, and retailing. At the same time, food systems generate one-third of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily in developing countries.

These growing climate risks impact food security, nutrition, and human health, as well as livelihoods. Because these impacts are not evenly distributed, climate change also contributes to growing inequalities by gender, socioeconomic status, and other characteristics. For farmers, climate change makes agriculture a riskier source of income, disrupts livelihoods, and contributes to hunger and malnutrition.

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Current research

To help farmers adapt to climate change, increase or stabilize crop yields, increase carbon sinks and lower GHG emissions, IFPRI develops and uses research tools to support our partners in developing adaptation and mitigation strategies. Our global and country-level general and partial equilibrium models provide economywide outlooks or agrifood sector analysis on climate change scenarios and reveal how alternative policies, institutions, and investments to address climate change can benefit agriculture, food and nutrition security, and poor people. Our integrated land use and ecosystem services modeling analysis can explore ways to balance the economic and environmental performance of production across seasons and space, including crop area reallocation, increased fertilizer use efficiency, and others.

IFPRI researchers test a range of innovations for adaptation and mitigation, including through agricultural extension, social protection, clean energy use in irrigation and food value chains, and new tools for farmers to manage risk. This work is complemented by the Living Labs for People approach to low-emission food system development, building on the principles of co-production of knowledge, gender equality and social inclusion, and governance and institutional sustainability to advance existing and novel innovation processes.

IFPRI also works at the local, national, and global levels to help create an enabling environment for public and private investments in adaptation, resilience-building, and equitable low-emissions development. This includes work with communities on locally appropriate adaptations, with governments on strategic planning and investment, and with international organizations setting goals for climate change responses.

Crisis response will become even more important as climate change intensifies. Our work in this area addresses the need for better early warning systems and long-term responses that improve resilience. IFPRI’s work considers the importance of gender in responses to climate change and the need for women’s voices to be included in developing solutions. IFPRI also participates in the CGIAR Research Initiatives on Low-Emission Food Systems (Mitigate+), Gender Equality (HER+), and NEXUS Gains, which examine the linkages between water, energy, food, and ecosystems.

IFPRI’s climate change research is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1SDG 2, and SDG 13, and with the CGIAR Impact Areas on Climate Adaptation and Mitigation; Poverty Reduction, Livelihoods, and Jobs; and Gender Equality, Youth, and Social Inclusion.

climate_change

Report

IFPRI research and engagement: Climate change and agrifood systems

2023International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Details

IFPRI research and engagement: Climate change and agrifood systems

Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to the world’s food systems. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events threaten agricultural production and the biodiversity and ecosystem services that underpin agriculture. Within food systems, climate change affects processing, storage, transport, and retailing of food and affects our food environments. These growing climate risks impact food security, nutrition, and human health, as well as equity and livelihoods, with poor food producers and consumers hit hardest. They make food systems a riskier source of income and reduce the availability of food — worsening poverty and inequity, disrupting livelihoods, and contributing to hunger and malnutrition. At the same time, food systems are failing to provide healthy diets for all, and are generating one-third of human-caused greenhouse gases. Solutions must address this complex nexus of problems. Climate change adaptation and resilience-building efforts for food systems must be accelerated to reverse growing malnutrition, ensure that all people can access healthy diets, and provide sustainable livelihoods. At the same time, efforts to transform food systems work to reduce their environmental footprint. Farmers and small businesses along food value chains in low- and middle-income countries will have to adapt their practices to a climate marked by extreme weather events and changing seasonal patterns in order to meet growing and changing food demand, while also contributing to mitigation. Support for this critical transformation requires not only the development, dissemination, and adoption of appropriate low-emissions, climate-smart technologies and practices, but also a focus on the policies, institutions, governance, and behavior change that can promote sustainable, inclusive food systems.

Year published

2023

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). 2023. IFPRI research and engagement: Climate change and agrifood systems. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136977

Country/Region

World

Keywords

Agrifood Systems; Climate Change Adaptation; Gender; Healthy Diets; Hunger; Livelihoods; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Peer review status

Non-PR

Project

Natural Resources and Resilience (NRR); Transformation Strategies

Record type

Report


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