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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.

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researcher spotlight

Samuel Benin

Samuel Benin is the Acting Director for Africa in the Development Strategies and Governance Unit. He conducts research on national strategies and public investment for accelerating food systems transformation in Africa and provides analytical support to the African Union’s CAADP Biennial Review.

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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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Kristin Davis

Senior Research Fellow

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Bio

Kristin Davis is a Senior Research Fellow in the Natural Resources and Resilience Unit, based in South Africa. She conducts research on agricultural extension and education, behavior change, gender, nature-positive solutions, human capital, and agricultural innovation systems. She has authored some 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and policy briefs. She serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension (JAEE), and was the architect of the New Extensionist Learning Kit, a set of modules containing core competencies for the global extension agent.

Languages spoken: Swahili, English, French

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Publications

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Working Paper

Assessing agricultural extension agent digital readiness in Rwanda

2024Davis, Kristin; Rosenbach, Gracie; Spielman, David J.; Makhija, Simrin; Mwangi, Lucy
Details

Assessing agricultural extension agent digital readiness in Rwanda

Effective agricultural extension and advisory services are a key component of efforts to achieve sustainable agricultural production, resilient livelihoods, and inclusive economic growth. These are all necessary elements for accelerating Rwanda’s agricultural transformation. Both extension and information and communication technologies (ICT) are important elements in Rwanda’s Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation. This paper examines the capacities of public and private agricultural extension agents in Rwanda and their readiness to use ICT in their work—that is, to be digitally equipped—and provides recommendations for enhancing agricultural extension capacities through expanding and effectively using ICT. To examine capacities and readiness, we use a representative survey of 500 public and private extension agents in Rwanda, augmented by qualitative data from a literature review and key informant interviews. To assess agents’ ‘digital readiness,’ we create two indices focused on their digital experiences and attitudes toward digital modernization.

Year published

2024

Authors

Davis, Kristin; Rosenbach, Gracie; Spielman, David J.; Makhija, Simrin; Mwangi, Lucy

Citation

Davis, Kristin; Rosenbach, Gracie; Spielman, David J.; Makhija, Simrin; and Mwangi, Lucy. 2024. Assessing agricultural extension agent digital readiness in Rwanda. Rwanda SSP Working Paper 12. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Agricultural Extension; Sustainability; Agricultural Production; Livelihoods; Information and Communication Technologies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Working Paper

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Report

A landscape analysis of youth engagement in agripreneurship in Malawi

2024Kabuli, A.; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; Davis, Kristin E.
Details

A landscape analysis of youth engagement in agripreneurship in Malawi

This report aims to explore the multidimensional challenges and opportunities for youth in agripreneurship in Malawi for a better understanding of interventions for youth in agribusiness. It examines the enabling and disenabling environment for young agripreneurs and how best to engage youth within the agribusiness sector. The report draws on in-depth interviews, workshops, and secondary literature to highlight key issues and strategies to engage youth agripreneurs in Malawi. It also offers recommendations for actors, practitioners, and policymakers to enhance transformative interventions for youth participation in agribusiness. Suggested measures include improving access to input, market, and equipment, setting up quota systems targeting youth agripreneurs, and better coordinating youth programs between ministries and the private sectors. The report also emphasized that these strategies are not just to achieve youth inclusion in agribusiness but also for the sustainability of youth programs which contribute to building resilient societies.

Year published

2024

Authors

Kabuli, A.; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; Davis, Kristin E.

Citation

Kabuli, A.; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; Davis, K. 2024. A landscape analysis of youth engagement in agripreneurship in Malawi. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa. 26p.

Country/Region

Malawi

Keywords

Youth; Participation; Agriculture; Entrepreneurship; Agribusiness; Sustainability; Finance; Loans; Market Access; Intervention; Strategies; Policies; Agricultural Value Chains; Land Access; Private Sector; Non-governmental Organizations

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Diversification in East and Southern Africa

Record type

Report

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Working Paper

Ecosystem services may provide large economic values in Kenya and Vietnam: A value transfer application based on results from a systematic literature review

2023Hettiarachchi, Upeksha; Zhang, Wei; Pham, Thuy Thu; Davis, Kristin; Fadda, Carlo
Details

Ecosystem services may provide large economic values in Kenya and Vietnam: A value transfer application based on results from a systematic literature review

This study focuses on the valuation of ecosystem services in Kenya and Vietnam, two countries that have received much attention from the international development community for their biodiversity significance, opportunities for scaling, climate and poverty challenges, and political will. Using The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) framework and the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA), this study estimates per hectare values of ecosystem services in Kenya and Vietnam based on a systematic literature review of studies on the values of ecosystem services in both countries. Provisioning services, such as medicines, timber, and non-timber forest products were better studied than regulating, supporting and cultural ecosystem services, underscoring the need for further research to better estimate the values of non-tangible services which would improve the estimation of total value of ecosystem services in Kenya and Vietnam. To complement the national level analysis, we selected forest biomes to conduct a value transfer analysis. Forests provide ecosystem service benefits worth $25.78 billion for Kenya and $35.6 billion in Vietnam in 2022 USD. In comparison, the agricultural sector contributed $48.50 billion to Vietnam’s GDP and $24.10 billon to Kenya’s GDP in 2021. The per hectare values for ecosystem services are used in a value transfer analysis to estimate the total value of forest ecosystem services in Vietnam and Kenya. The average per hectare value of ecosystem services provided by forests in Kenya is $5,718.50 ha−1 yr−1 estimated within a range spanning $1,609.44 to $15,606.62 ha−1 yr−1 , while Vietnam’s forests demonstrate an average value of $3,650.20 ha−1 yr−1 , with a range of $84.93 to $8,978.16 ha−1 yr−1 . We project the loss of forests into 2050 and estimate the annual economic loss of ecosystem services at $48.08 million for Kenya and $76.29 million for Vietnam, respectively, if deforestation and forest degradation continue at the current rates. Our approach presents a comprehensive overview of diverse ecosystem services, equipping policymakers with a nuanced comprehension of ecosystems’ inherent value. By consolidating values from the literature into a national-level estimate, we provide compelling evidence at a broader scale for informed decision-making. Despite the well-known limitations of value transfer method and with caveats, the values presented in our paper can provide a guiding reference for incorporating these estimations into broader policymaking endeavors.

Year published

2023

Authors

Hettiarachchi, Upeksha; Zhang, Wei; Pham, Thuy Thu; Davis, Kristin; Fadda, Carlo

Citation

Hettiarachchi, Upeksha; Zhang, Wei; Pham, Thuy Thu; Davis, Kristin; and Fadda, Carlo. 2023. Ecosystem services may provide large economic values in Kenya and Vietnam: A value transfer application based on results from a systematic literature review. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2228. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137080

Country/Region

Kenya; Vietnam

Keywords

Africa; Asia; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; South-eastern Asia; Biodiversity; Deforestation; Ecosystem Services; Forests; Policies; Value Theory

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137080 Source record

Project

Nature-Positive Solutions

Record type

Working Paper

Blogs

Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC) project: Finding more effective ways to deliver vital information and innovation to farmers
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 19, 2023

Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC) project: Finding more effective ways to deliver vital information and innovation to farmers

By Kristin Davis and Eleanor Jones

Helping smallholders tap new technologies.

Photo essay: Talking to farmers in Malawi to understand how to improve agricultural cooperative performance
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 09, 2022

Photo essay: Talking to farmers in Malawi to understand how to improve agricultural cooperative performance

By Cynthia Kazembe and Kristin Davis

Focus groups and other approaches help clarify what works.

Unleashing the power of young agripreneurs
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 06, 2022

Unleashing the power of young agripreneurs

By Steven Franzel, Kristin Davis, Johanna Gammelgaard, and John Preissing

A key to improving economic prospects in rural areas around the world.

Events

Multidimensional digitally-enabled agricultural extension in Africa: Accelerating agricultural transformation in the face of global crises
IFPRI at External Event

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August 26, 2022, 6:30 – 9:15 am

Multidimensional digitally-enabled agricultural extension in Africa: Accelerating agricultural transformation in the face of global crises

Virtual Event: August 26, 2022 – 6:30 AM to 9:15 AM EDT. This event will highlight trends, good practices, and recommendations for multidimensional, digitally-enables agricultural extension.

Tropentag 2021
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

September 14, 2021, 8:00 – 11:00 am

Tropentag 2021

SEP 14, 2021 – 08:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT. IFPRI is participating in Tropentag 2021. 

UNFSS Independent Dialogue: The Critical Role of Agricultural Extension in Advancing the 2030 Agenda: Lessons from the Field and Empirical Evidence
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

August 6, 2021, 7:00 – 9:30 am

UNFSS Independent Dialogue: The Critical Role of Agricultural Extension in Advancing the 2030 Agenda: Lessons from the Field and Empirical Evidence

Virtual Event: AUG 6, 2021 – 07:00 AM to 09:30 AM EDT. The objective of this dialogue is to come to a common understanding of how extension can contribute to the SDGs and adapt to future needs. 

News

December 12, 2023 | Press Release

Re-imagining Africa’s food security within the context of climate change and ecological sustainability

This press-release was initially published by WWF on December 12, 2023.  WWF, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, IFPRI, CGIAR, and AfDB have released a new report to help African countries to achieve food security and implement climate and nature commitments. The report is based on a joint study, executed with the technical support […]

Research

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Awards

  • Outstanding Journal Article of the Year Award, 2004, International Journal of Agricultural and Extension Education 11(1). 2004. Davis, K, Irani, T. & Payson, K. Going forward in education on agricultural biotechnology: Extension’s role internationally.
  • Outstanding Paper Presentation (2006) for the 22nd Annual Conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education, Clearwater Beach, Florida. Davis, K. Institutional Arrangements for Increasing the Dissemination Role of Farmer Groups in Agricultural Innovation Systems.
  • Ochieng, Cosmas, and Davis, Kristin. 2006. Bronze prize winner of the International Finance Corporation-Financial Times Research Essay Competition “Business and Development: The Private Path to Prosperity.” ICTs as Appropriate Technologies for African Development. Forthcoming in the Financial Times.
  • Second Runner-up Article of the Year for 2007. International Journal of Agricultural and Extension Education. Anandajayasekeram, P., K. Davis, and S. Workneh. 2007. Farmer Field Schools: An Alternative to Existing Extension Systems? Experience from Eastern and Southern Africa. Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education 14(1): 81-93.
  • Second Runner Up, Journal Article of the Year Award for 2008. Davis, K. 2008. Extension in Sub-Saharan Africa: Overview and Assessment of Past and Current Models and Future Prospects. Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education 15(3): 15—28.
  • Journal Article of the Year, 2008. Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 14(1): 35-51. Davis, K., J. Ekboir and Spielman, D. J. Agricultural education and training in sub-Saharan Africa from an innovation systems perspective: A case study of Mozambique.
  • Early Achievement Award for the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education in 2009. The Early Achievement Award is presented to a member who early in their career (less than five years) has demonstrated a combination of service, leadership, and scholarly activity in international agricultural and extension education.
  • “Presidential Plaque in Recognition of Exceptional Leadership” as President of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE), 2014-2015.
  • Outstanding Achievement Award (2014). The Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education presents this award to a professional who during their career has demonstrated a combination of service, leadership, and scholarly activity.
  • Outstanding Service Award (2013). The Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education presents this award to an international agricultural and extension educator who has made meritorious service contributions beyond his or her regular employment. Other elements include peer recognition for services beyond normal expectations, dedication and personal sacrifice, and sustained effort over time.