IFPRI CGIAR
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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.

researcher spotlight

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.

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Unit

Innovation Policy and Scaling

Pratima Baral, Big Data scientist using Plantex app.

Effective innovation systems at the national, regional, and global levels are critical to improving agricultural productivity, nutrition, equity, inclusion, and climate resilience. The Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit provides data-driven, evidence-based solutions to accelerate innovation at scale and advance inclusive and sustainable food systems transformation.

research units

Overview

The Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit’s primary focus is on the generation, exchange, and application of science and technology for agriculture, food, and nutrition. This work also emphasizes improving both policies and practices that shape decision-making by governments, private enterprises, and civil society in global and local food systems.

Research areas range from the global policy regimes governing genetic innovation in agriculture, to private sector investment strategies in the crop sciences, to the behavioral dimensions of technology adoption in farmers’ fields. Applied research is combined with strategic partnerships and capacity development to inform and support key policy, regulatory, and investment choices for food systems in partner countries and organizations.

Areas of Focus

Agricultural and innovation systems strengthening

IPS works with reputable research, scaling, and policy partners in low- and middle-income countries and uses proven approaches to capacity development to strengthen policies, regulations, programs, and investments in agricultural science, technology and innovation, and inclusive and sustainable development.

Innovation policies and practices

State-of-the-art methods, tools, and data are used by IPS researchers to conduct forward-looking scenario analysis, ex-post causal impact evaluation, formative program assessments, and integrated analyses to understand the impacts of innovation policies and practices on genetic resources, seed systems, biofortification, and biosafety policy; agronomy and soil health; gender and equity; and industry structure and market power.

Delivery and scaling mechanisms

To generate evidence on the impact of innovative delivery and scaling strategies and programs, IPS researchers collaborate with country partners and experts in biological and physical sciences to conduct impact evaluations of new agricultural science and technologies, inputs, and practices, bundled with information, financial, digital, and gender-intentional services.

Policy and regulatory implementation

Actionable, evidence-based policy and regulatory options are needed to increase public and private investment in science, technology, and innovation. IPS has an extensive track record of conducting strategic analysis to provide decision-makers with technical guidance and recommendations on biofortification, biosafety, genetic resources, and innovation systems to bridge the policy design to implementation gap.

Explore our latest research

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Working Paper

Soft-skills training, locus of control, and labor market outcomes of youth: Evidence from a randomized intervention in Kenya

2024Abay, Kibrom A.; Alzua, Maria Laura; Barasa, Laura; Machio, Phyllis Mumia; Tabe-Ojong, Martin Paul Jr.
Details

Soft-skills training, locus of control, and labor market outcomes of youth: Evidence from a randomized intervention in Kenya

Africa has the youngest population in the world, but African economies are not creating enough high-productivity jobs, and rates of youth unemployment thus remain a major challenge in the region. Several supply- and demand-side factors may explain these trends, including skill gaps. While traditional technical and vocational education and training (TVET) centers address important gaps in hard (technical) skills, soft-skills trainings have not yet received sufficient attention in the African context. We evaluate the overall and heterogenous impact of a gender-sensitive soft-skills training that aimed to address youths’ unique interests, preferences, and labor market constraints in Kenya. We also examine whether the presence (or absence) of complementary noncognitive skills, such as locus-of-control skills, moderates the impact of the soft-skills training. We use a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a soft-skills training to support young men and women in making the transition from school to work in Kenya. Our evaluation combines baseline, midline, and endline data to understand the dynamics of labor market transitions for youth. We find that although the soft-skills training prepared youth for the labor market by improving their willingness, expectations, and preparedness for jobs, the impact of the soft-skills training on ultimate labor market outcomes varies across individuals with varying psychological traits. The training improved labor market outcomes for those with internal locus of control but not for individuals who lack these attributes. One standard deviation increase in (internal) locus of control is associated with a 5 percentage-point increase in the impact of the soft-skills training on probability of participation in income-earning activities. We also find that returns to locus of control and the soft-skills training are higher for females than males.

Year published

2024

Authors

Abay, Kibrom A.; Alzua, Maria Laura; Barasa, Laura; Machio, Phyllis Mumia; Tabe-Ojong, Martin Paul Jr.

Citation

Abay, Kibrom A.; Alzua, Maria Laura; Barasa, Laura; Machio, Phyllis Mumia; and Tabe-Ojong, Martin Paul Jr. 2024. Soft-skills training, locus of control, and labor market outcomes of youth: Evidence from a randomized intervention in Kenya. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2294. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Communication; Labour Market; Skill Training; Youth

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Working Paper

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Working Paper

Financial inclusion, agricultural inputs use, and household food security evidence from Nigeria

2024Balana, Bedru; Olanrewaju, Opeyemi
Details

Financial inclusion, agricultural inputs use, and household food security evidence from Nigeria

This paper examines the effects of financial inclusion on adoption and intensity of use of agricultural inputs and household welfare indicators using data from the nationally representative Nigerian LSMS wave-3 (2015/2016) survey. For this, we constructed a financial inclusion index from four formal financial services access indicators (bank account, access to credit, insurance coverage, and digital transaction) using multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). We used Cragg’s two-step hurdle, instrumental variables for binary response variables, and a Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) models in the econometric analysis. Results show that households with access to formal financial services are more likely to adopt agricultural inputs and to apply these more intensively. These same households are less likely to experience severe food insecurity and are more likely to consume diverse food items. We also find that these effects are less for female farmers regardless of formal financial inclusion, suggesting that they may bear more non-financial constraints than their male counterparts. The results suggest a need for targeted interventions to increase access to formal financial services of farm households and gender-responsive interventions to address the differential constraints women farmers face.

Year published

2024

Authors

Balana, Bedru; Olanrewaju, Opeyemi

Citation

Balana, Bedru; and Olanrewaju, Opeyemi. 2024. Financial inclusion, agricultural inputs use, and household food security evidence from Nigeria. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2293. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Farm Inputs; Financial Inclusion; Food Security; Households; Inorganic Fertilizers; Seeds

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Working Paper

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Blog Post

Workshop: Coming together to leverage India’s national workfare program for resilient livelihoods for women

2024Bhubaneshwar consortium
Details

Workshop: Coming together to leverage India’s national workfare program for resilient livelihoods for women

Public works programs have the potential to reduce poverty, provide resilience for workers to economic shocks, and improve infrastructure. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), India’s large national workfare program, has provided 3.07 billion person-days of work at a guaranteed minimum wage in the 2024 fiscal year alone, and received attention for both its scale and its role as a safety net for workers. The program also has significant potential to empower women. It guarantees equal pay for men and women and has a bottom-up participatory planning process in which anyone working in the program can propose the construction of assets that could improve their lives, livelihoods, and resilience to shocks. Yet as with any program, the success of MGNREGA critically depends on how it is implemented in practice, and whether (and which) individuals can leverage program resources to meet their goals. A September 28 IFPRI workshop in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India explored these issues. The event, “Leveraging the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA for resilient livelihoods for women: New insights, old bottlenecks, innovative solutions,” brought together members of civil society organizations, researchers, and representatives of international donor organizations, financial institutions, and government agencies. They discussed the challenges facing the MGNREGA in Odisha and elsewhere and to highlight potential solutions for improving women’s role in the selection of assets under the program and utilizing these assets to build resilient livelihoods.

Year published

2024

Authors

Bhubaneshwar consortium

Citation

Bhubaneshwar consortium. 2024. Workshop: Coming together to leverage India’s national workfare program for resilient livelihoods for women. IFPRI Blog. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://www.ifpri.org/blog/workshop-coming-together-to-leverage-indias-national-workfare-program-for-resilient-livelihoods-for-women/

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Livelihoods; Women; Resilience; Employment; Social Safety Nets; Public Works

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Blog Post

Blogs

Resource-poor rice farmers in Myanmar suffer double impact from political conflict
IFPRI Blog
 | 
November 12, 2024

Resource-poor rice farmers in Myanmar suffer double impact from political conflict

By Hiroyuki Takeshima, Zin Wai Aung, Ian Masias, and Bart Minten

Productivity erodes amid turmoil.

Global Food Policy Report 2024: Leveraging plant-source foods for sustainable healthy diets
IFPRI Blog
 | 
November 04, 2024

Global Food Policy Report 2024: Leveraging plant-source foods for sustainable healthy diets

By Erick Boy, Inge Brouwer, Jen Foley, Natalia Palacios, Samuel Scott, and Victor Taleon

Integrating more fruits, vegetables, and other high-quality crops into food systems.

Potential impact of zinc-enriched rice on zinc intakes in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines
IFPRI Blog
 | 
September 20, 2024

Potential impact of zinc-enriched rice on zinc intakes in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines

By Fabiana F. De Moura, Mourad Moursi, Moira Donahue Angel, and Erick Boy

Nutritional benefits of enhanced biofortification.

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Events

IFPRI @ UNCCD 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16)
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

December 2 to 13, 2024

IFPRI @ UNCCD 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16)

The 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from December 2 to 13, 2024. IFPRI is pleased to participate in UNCCD COP16, where leaders from governments, the private sector, civil society, and global stakeholders will unite to […]

IFPRI @ 29th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP29)
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

November 11 to 22, 2024

IFPRI @ 29th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP29)

IFPRI is pleased to participate in the 29th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP29) being held in Baku, Azerbaijan from November 11 to November 22, 2024. COP29 is a pivotal opportunity to accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis. With global temperatures hitting record highs, and extreme weather events affecting people around the globe. […]

32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

August 2 to 7, 2024

32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists

The triennial International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE-2024), centred on the theme “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems” is scheduled from August 2-7, 2024, in New Delhi, India. The conference offers a distinctive platform, providing a golden opportunity for the agricultural academic institutions and researchers to convene in person, exchange knowledge, and actively contribute to the […]

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Recent Work

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Essential Reading
The Russia-Ukraine Conflict & Global Food Security
The Russia-Ukraine conflict and global food security

The Russia-Ukraine conflict and global food security

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, sparking fears of a global food crisis, IFPRI responded rapidly to the need for information and policy advice to address the crisis. From the first moments of the conflict, a new IFPRI blog series provided critical information and insights into the impacts on food security, caused by rising food, fertilizer, and fuel prices and trade disruptions, for vulnerable countries and regions. This book is a compilation of those blog posts, which include analysis of trade flows, tracking of food prices and policy responses, and results of impact modeling. Together, they provide an overview of how the crisis has progressed, how the international community and individual countries responded with efforts to ensure food security, and what we are learning about the best ways to ensure food security in the aftermath of a major shock to global food systems.

Year published

2023

Project

Markets, Trade, and Institutions (MTI); Food and Nutrition Policy

Engaging women's groups to improve nutrition
Engaging women’s groups to improve nutrition: Findings from an evaluation of the Jeevika multisectoral convergence pilot in Saharsa, Bihar

Engaging women’s groups to improve nutrition: Findings from an evaluation of the Jeevika multisectoral convergence pilot in Saharsa, Bihar

This report presents the endline findings of an impact evaluation of the JEEViKA Multisectoral Convergence pilot, designed as an effectiveness trial, in one district in Bihar, India. JEEViKA, a rural livelihoods project, supports self-help groups (SHGs) – savings and credit-based groups of about 15-20 women, mostly targeted toward those from poor households – with the aim of improving their livelihoods and enhancing household incomes. The JEEViKA Multisectoral Convergence (JEEViKA-MC) pilot went a step further, leveraging these SHGs to address the immediate and underlying determinants of undernutrition among women and children. The multisectoral convergence model, developed by the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society with technical support from the World Bank, was piloted in 12 Gram Panchayats of Saharsa district in Bihar. Two complementary sets of interventions-health and nutrition behavior change communication (BCC) to improve women’s knowledge and household practices, and efforts to improve service access through convergence -were layered onto the existing core package of JEEViKA activities and were targeted to women who were members of the SHGs already formed by JEEViKA. Within this target population, households with young children, mothers of young children, and pregnant women were the primary focus of the JEEViKA-MC pilot.

Year published

2019

Project

PHND; A4NH

show me what you eat
Show me what you eat: Assessing diets remotely through pictures

Show me what you eat: Assessing diets remotely through pictures

Goal: Using real-time smartphone meal pictures sent by rural or urban households to better monitor and assess the quality of their diets, and provide tailored recommendations to improve them. Detailed information on household and individual dietary intake is crucial for adequate nutritional monitoring and designing interventions to improve diets. Common recall-based methods are generally time consuming, costly, and subject to non-negligible measurement errors and potential biases. In addition, the scope of information that can be obtained in a regular survey is typically limited. Detailed diaries, in turn, are effort- and time-intensive and prone to errors. With increasing mobile penetration in both urban and rural areas, meal pictures can overcome some of these difficulties, providing real-time, detailed food intake information of individuals remotely and at a minimal cost. Moreover, pictures can be obtained over extended periods of time, beyond the standard short spans (i.e. 24-hours) in recall survey questions, with little to no data quality loss. Such rich consumption data can help identify and better understand vulnerabilities and nutritional imbalances —including specific macronutrient or micronutrient gaps or excesses—, and open the door for low-cost, individually tailored digital interventions to promote healthier diets. Moreover, crowdsourced data allow to identify locally available, affordable foods rich in specific nutrients consumed by similar households in the area. Interventions, in turn, can be delivered through text messages, interactive voice response (IVR), or phone calls, or videos or interactive games integrated into an app, benefitting from a two-way communication channel with individuals.

Year published

2021

Project

MTID

Our experts

Channing Arndt

Channing Arndt

Senior Director, Transformation Strategies, CGIAR and IFPRI, Development
Strategies and Governance, Foresight and Policy Modeling, Natural Resources and Resilience, Innovation Policy and Scaling

David Spielman

David Spielman

Director, Innovation Policy and Scaling (IPS), Innovation
Policy and Scaling

Carlo Azzarri

Carlo Azzarri

Senior Research Fellow, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

Wahidul Amin

Wahidul Amin

Senior Program Manager, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

Binu Cherian

Binu Cherian

Senior Country Manager, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

Ravinder Giri

Ravinder Giri

Senior Project Manager, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

Biren Mendali

Biren Mendali

Senior Project Manager, HarvestPlus, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

Emely Band

Emely Band

Country Representative, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

Arun Baral

Arun Baral

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), HarvestPlus, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

Maggie Biruri

Maggie Biruri

Head, Resource Mobilization & Partnerships, HarvestPlus, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

Liliane Adeke

Liliane Adeke

Seed System Officer, HarvestPlus, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

Lilas Misenga

Lilas Misenga

Research Associate – Nutrition, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

William Ndeko

William Ndeko

Research Associate – Demand Creation, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

Mozibar Rahman

Mozibar Rahman

Coordinator, Seed Systems and Marketing, Innovation
Policy and Scaling