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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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Research by country and region

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TOPIC

Agriculture Production

Sustainable food production is critical to meeting growing global food needs amid climate change and natural resource scarcity. It is also the starting point for a shift toward sustainable, equitable food systems. But in many developing countries, underinvestment in agricultural production means that productivity and farmer incomes remain low, with negative impacts on rural development. Lack of knowledge, capital, labor, or other resources can lead to degradation of the natural resources that support agricultural production. As a result, food production is vulnerable to natural and socioeconomic shocks.

Evidence shows that sound and sustained investment in agriculture, especially in research and development, is key to increasing agricultural productivity, reducing poverty, and fostering economywide growth. Yet many developing countries give little consideration to agricultural science and technology in their national development plans.

… read more

IFPRI’s research examines emerging technologies and policy innovations designed to meet global food needs sustainably and equitably. Our researchers consider innovations in natural resource management, climate and energy policies, mechanization and digital options, biosafety systems for biotechnology, agricultural diversity, property rights, and collective action that can lead to improved food production and sustainability.

With proven innovations in hand, improvements in agricultural extension can lead to greater adoption of productivity-enhancing technologies. Work on nutrition and value chain development can help to build demand for diverse agricultural products. IFPRI’s foresight research helps to identify future threats to food production and security and ensure that scarce budgetary resources are directed toward sustainable development investments that achieve the greatest impact.

IFPRI’s agriculture production research is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1, SDG 2, SDG 7, SDG 8, SDG 10, SDG 13, and SDG 15. It also aligns with the CGIAR Impact Areas on Climate Adaptation and Mitigation; Environmental Health and Biodiversity; Nutrition, Health, and Food Security; and Poverty Reduction, Livelihoods, and Jobs.

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topics

Publications

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Journal Article

The technopolitics of agronomic knowledge and tropical(izing) vegetables in Brazil

2024Nehring, Ryan
Details

The technopolitics of agronomic knowledge and tropical(izing) vegetables in Brazil

This article critically analyzes the social and political factors behind the advancement of technoscientific development in modern Brazilian agriculture. In the second half of the 20th century, Brazil underwent a rapid industrialization in the agricultural sector by more than doubling productivity in key global commodities and a widespread migration of people from rural to urban areas. Most observers point to the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) as the technological engine that drove the industrialization of Brazilian agriculture. Existing approaches to analyze technoscientific development tend to overlook the role of the environment and individual scientists in enacting change. I argue that, especially in the case of agriculture, technoscientific development hinges on the extent to which the environment is disregarded or embraced by those who have the institutional support and capacity to innovate. To support my argument, I draw on two contrasting cases of crop development spearheaded by Embrapa scientists: the tropicalization of the carrot and participatory research on non-conventional vegetables. Through those two cases, the article demonstrates how the general and specific, the transnational and local, and the industrial and agroecological are all key contrasting factors for understanding technoscientific development in agriculture. This research is based on extensive interviews and participant observation at Embrapa’s vegetable research center near Brasilia, Brazil.

Year published

2024

Authors

Nehring, Ryan

Citation

Nehring, Ryan. 2024. The technopolitics of agronomic knowledge and tropical(izing) vegetables in Brazil. Environmental Science and Policy 162(December 2024): 103911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103911

Country/Region

Brazil

Keywords

Americas; South America; Agricultural Research; Carrots; Food Systems; Politics; Technology; Tropical Zones; Vegetables

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103911 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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Report

Myanmar Monthly Food Price Report – October 2024

2024Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis
Details

Myanmar Monthly Food Price Report – October 2024

The rapidly evolving food security situation in Myanmar requires a high frequency, systematic and comprehensive approach to monitoring. The Myanmar monthly food price report synthesizes food price trends using publicly available datasets, focusing on key agricultural crops and highlighting regional differences in rice prices. By analyzing these trends, the report aims to provide insights into the broader agricultural market and the factors driving food price fluctuations in Myanmar.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis

Citation

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis. 2024. Myanmar Monthly Food Price Report – October 2024. Monthly Food Price Report: October. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

South-eastern Asia; Asia; Food Security; Food Prices; Crops; Agricultural Marketing

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Report

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Brief

Urban country nutrition profile: Philippines

2024Margolies, Amy; Pather, Kamara; Namara, Rebecca; Sehgal, Mrignyani; San Valentin, Carleneth; Olney, Deanna
Details

Urban country nutrition profile: Philippines

Child stunting is a persistent problem in the Philippines. While stunting prevalence is higher in rural than in urban areas, it still affects one in four children under the age of five in urban areas and coexists with rising overweight in school-age children, adolescents, and adults. Some urban nutrition interventions have focused on reducing diet-related noncommunicable disease (NCD) risks, but they have not addressed the challenges of the double burden of malnutrition (DBM) (e.g., the coexistence of problems of undernutrition and overnutrition) in school-age children and adolescents. Likewise, the lack of evidence on interventions in the urban food environment (FE) signals a need for studies to better understand the role of FEs in driving unhealthy dietary changes and the DBM and to test approaches to shift consumption patterns toward healthier diets and lifestyles. NCDs are the leading cause of mortality in the Philippines, and NCD risks are higher in urban areas than rural ones. National policies support nutrition with multisectoral approaches, particularly through urban farming and gardening to promote healthy and affordable urban diets. Yet the urban-specific programs must be evaluated. Evaluations of urban agricultural initiatives are needed to document any impact on diets and nutrition and to assess the potential for scale up, especially given land scarcity in dense urban areas. Additionally, multisectoral double-duty actions must be developed to address all forms of malnutrition.

Year published

2024

Authors

Margolies, Amy; Pather, Kamara; Namara, Rebecca; Sehgal, Mrignyani; San Valentin, Carleneth; Olney, Deanna

Citation

Margolies, Amy; Pather, Kamara; Namara, Rebecca; Sehgal, Mrignyani; San Valentin, Carleneth; and Olney, Deanna. 2024. Urban country nutrition profile: Philippines. CGIAR Initiative on Resilient Cities. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Philippines

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Agriculture; Child Stunting; Diet; Nutrition; Malnutrition; Urban Areas

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Resilient Cities

Record type

Brief

Blogs

How men and women cope with weather-related agricultural production risk: A case study of cereal and tomato farmers in Haryana, India
IFPRI Blog
 | 
November 22, 2024

How men and women cope with weather-related agricultural production risk: A case study of cereal and tomato farmers in Haryana, India

By Samyuktha Kannan and Berber Kramer

Addressing gender differences to build resilience.

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.

Mercosur Outlook launch: Charting a course for sustainable agricultural growth amid uncertainty
IFPRI Blog
 | 
October 16, 2024

Mercosur Outlook launch: Charting a course for sustainable agricultural growth amid uncertainty

By Juan Pablo Gianatiempo and Brian McNamara

Meeting challenges of the coming growing season and beyond in South America.

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Events

Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia: Connecting the Dots Across Systems
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

December 3 to 5, 2024

Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia: Connecting the Dots Across Systems

South Asia grapples with escalating levels of malnutrition in various forms, including undernutrition, overweight and obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies, alongside increasing incidence of diet-related non-communicable diseases. Malnutrition results from a complex interplay of factors incorporating household and individual decision-making, agriculture and food systems, healthcare services, education, and socio-ecological systems that determine access to services and […]

Advancing Sustainable Agri-food Systems for Climate Resilience, Food Security, and Global Collaboration
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

November 12, 2024, 5:00 – 6:30 pm

Advancing Sustainable Agri-food Systems for Climate Resilience, Food Security, and Global Collaboration

The livestream will be available on Tuesday November 12, 2024 at 5:00 – 6:30 pm (America/Sao_Paulo) / 3:00 – 4:30 pm (US/Eastern). Join us for an in-depth discussion on Avanzar2030, an evidence-based initiative that identifies promising innovations in agri-food systems and estimates the costs of implementing them. Launched in response to the 2021 UN Food […]

Supporting and shaping the global nutrition agenda with evidence: A three-decade journey of research and partnerships for impact
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

October 30, 2024, 10:00 – 11:30 am

Supporting and shaping the global nutrition agenda with evidence: A three-decade journey of research and partnerships for impact

This year’s Forman Lecture will be delivered by Dr. Marie Ruel, Senior Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit at IFPRI. She served as the Director of IFPRI’s Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division from 2004 to 2023, after serving as Senior Research Fellow and Research Fellow in that division beginning in 1996. Dr. […]

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News

February 11, 2024 | In the News

Agricultural growth key to accelerated poverty reduction in Bangladesh (Financial Express)

Senior research fellow and country representative, Akhter Ahmed writes in an op-ed for the Financial Express (Bangladesh) that the country “has witnessed substantial economic growth over the past decade, with an average annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.6 per cent between 2016 and 2022. Notably, the country experienced a 3.4 per cent increase in GDP in 2020, making Bangladesh one […]

November 26, 2023 | In the News

Scientists are racing to protect grass from climate change. Your cheap burger is at stake (Wall Street Journal)

Wall Street Journal (Australia) quotes Keith Wiebe, IFPRI senior research fellow, in an article analyzing how heat waves and drought are threatening pasture on farms worldwide.  “If pasture becomes less productive, prices would be expected to rise, not just for meat, wool and dairy products but also for cereals and other food commodities that would […]

September 05, 2023 | In the News

Russia upends global grain trade (RFI) 

The Black Sea Grain Initiative enabled Ukraine to export more than 30 million tonnes of grain from three Black Sea ports, but Russia withdrew from the initiative in July,” writes RFI (an outlet of Agence France Presse). The corridor “didn’t help Ukraine rebound in terms of their agricultural production” as the invasion deprived it of a […]

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