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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.

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. 

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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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TOPIC

Food Prices

The world is currently facing another period of volatile and rising food and commodity prices stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, similar to levels witnessed in 2007/08 and 2010/11, and adding to pandemic-related disruptions at a time when high levels of poverty and income inequality have put healthy diets out of reach for 3 billion people worldwide. IFPRI’s new Policy Seminar Series on Food and Fertilizer Price Trends is bringing experts together to discuss the potential impacts of rising prices and policy responses on global food security and nutrition. When food prices rise, food producers and policymakers must respond quickly, but producers are often unprepared to meet increased demand and policymakers lack the evidence-based macroeconomic policy tools needed to take action. Given the differing implications of high and volatile food prices across regions and populations, policy responses must be developed and adapted to country-specific needs and conditions.

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IFPRI has developed innovative food policy analysis tools—such as the Excessive Food Price Variability Early Warning System and the Food Security Portal—to provide stakeholders and policymakers with international, regional, and country-level data, news, and evidence-based research to inform development of food policies in their respective countries. IFPRI’s work on price volatility and its transmission from international to local markets is continuously improving policy analysis and is used by international networks such as the Agricultural Market Information Systems (AMIS) and the Food Security Information Network (FSIN).IFPRI’s new Policy Seminar Series on Food and Fertilizer Price Trends is bringing experts together to discuss the potential impacts of rising prices and policy responses on global food security and nutrition.

Click here for IFPRI Policy Seminar Series on 2021/22 high food and fertilizer prices and here for IFPRI Blogs.

IFPRI’s research on this topic is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1, SDG 2, SDG 10, and SDG 12.

food_prices

topics

Publications

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Journal Article

Sustainability considerations are not influencing meat consumption in the US

2024Downs, Shauna M.; Merchant, Emily V.; Sackey, Joachim; Fox, Elizabeth L.; Davis, Claire; Fanzo, Jessica
Details

Sustainability considerations are not influencing meat consumption in the US

The consumption of animal-source foods, and particularly red meat from ruminants, is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater use, and loss of biodiversity. Reducing red meat consumption has been identified as a key strategy to mitigate climate change; however, little is known about how to effectively intervene to promote its reduction in the United States (US). This study aimed to examine meat (red, unprocessed, and poultry) and seafood consumption patterns, the factors influencing their consumption (including a reduction in their consumption over time), and how these differed based on socioeconomic variables. The study was conducted through an online survey with a representative sample of the US population (n = 1224) in 2021 using KnowledgePanel®. Overall, we found that most participants reported consuming red meat (78%), processed meat (74%), or poultry (79%) 1–4 times per week, with several differences in consumption patterns based on socio-demographic characteristics. A substantial proportion of the population reported reducing their red (70%) and processed meat (64%) consumption over the previous year, which was much higher than those that reported reducing poultry (34%) or seafood (26%). Key factors influencing red meat reduction were health and price, while environmental sustainability and animal welfare were less important, particularly among certain socio-demographic groups. These findings can help provide insight into how best to frame messaging campaigns aimed at shifting red meat consumption in the US to support climate change mitigation. Focusing on the factors that resonate more with consumers is more likely to lead to shifts in consumption patterns.

Year published

2024

Authors

Downs, Shauna M.; Merchant, Emily V.; Sackey, Joachim; Fox, Elizabeth L.; Davis, Claire; Fanzo, Jessica

Citation

Downs, Shauna M.; Merchant, Emily V.; Sackey, Joachim; Fox, Elizabeth L.; Davis, Claire; and Fanzo, Jessica. 2024. Sustainability considerations are not influencing meat consumption in the US. Appetite 203(1 December 2024): 107667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107667

Country/Region

United States

Keywords

Americas; Northern America; Animal Source Foods; Consumer Behaviour; Diet; Feeding Preferences; Meat; Sustainability

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107667 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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Working Paper

The state of food security and nutrition in Myanmar 2021-24: Findings from seven rounds of the Myanmar Household Welfare Survey

2024Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis
Details

The state of food security and nutrition in Myanmar 2021-24: Findings from seven rounds of the Myanmar Household Welfare Survey

This working paper explores the state of food security and nutrition in Myanmar using seven rounds of nationally representative household panel data collected from December 2021 to July 2024. Overall, the state of food security and nutrition has deteriorated in Myanmar in 2021-24. More than three percent of households were in moderate to severe hunger in April-July 2024. Hunger was highest in Chin (14.4 percent), as well as Rakhine (8.0 percent) and Kayah (5.2 percent) in the latest survey round. Households with a low food consumption score increased from 9.4 percent in December 2021-February 2022 to 17.7 percent in April-June 2023 and remains high at 13.5 percent in April-July 2024. The shares in April-July 2024 were highest in Kayah (52.3 percent), Chin (33.9 percent), and Shan (21.1 percent). Inadequate diet diversity among adults rose from 20.6 percent to 25 percent over December 2021-February 2022 to April-July 2024. Women saw a faster decline in diet quality from December-February 2022 to April-July 2024 (6.3 percentage points increase in poor diet quality vs 2.4 percentage points for men). Decreases in diet quality among adults are driven by lower consumption of nuts and seeds and milk/dairy products. 29.5 percent of all children aged 6-23 months and 20.9 percent of all children aged 6-59 months had inadequate diet quality in the latest round of survey. Regression analysis reveals low income and limited assets to be important risk factors for food security and adequate diet quality. Wage workers and low wage communities are found to be particularly vulnerable. Rising food prices, conflict and physical insecurity increase the likelihood of poor diet quality. Receiving remittances is a source of resilience; remittance-receiving households are less likely to experience hunger or poor dietary diversity at the household, adult, and child level. To avert a full-blown nutrition crisis in Myanmar, effective multisectoral steps are required to protect nutritionally vulnerable populations. Expanded implementation of nutrition- and gender-sensitive social protection programs, including maternal and child cash transfers, particularly to vulnerable groups is called for. Further, given the importance of remittances as an effective coping mechanism, supporting migration and the flow of remittances would help to improve the welfare of the Myanmar population.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis

Citation

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis. 2024. The state of food security and nutrition in Myanmar 2021-24: Findings from seven rounds of the Myanmar Household Welfare Survey. Myanmar SSP Working Paper 62. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Dietary Diversity; Food Security; Households; Hunger; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

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

Blogs

India lifts export restrictions on rice
IFPRI Blog
 | 
November 08, 2024

India lifts export restrictions on rice

By Joseph Glauber and Abdullah Mamun

Assessing impacts on global markets and African consumers.

The likely U.S. longshoreman strike and its implications for agricultural trade
IFPRI Blog
 | 
September 30, 2024

The likely U.S. longshoreman strike and its implications for agricultural trade

By Joseph Glauber

Disruptions ahead for some developing countries exporting to the U.S.

Higher wheat prices push Egypt to increase price of subsidized bread for first time since 1989
IFPRI Blog
 | 
August 07, 2024

Higher wheat prices push Egypt to increase price of subsidized bread for first time since 1989

By Nina Jovanovic and Joseph Glauber

Navigating an economic crisis.

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Events

The Role of Private Philanthropy in Funding Climate Solutions
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

October 23, 2024, 12:00 – 5:00 pm

The Role of Private Philanthropy in Funding Climate Solutions

The Linkages Series is a mini-conference format designed to spark learning and action around current issues shaping the field. Together, they bridge funder, practitioner, & network constellations. Join this virtual conference for a deep dive into how and where private philanthropy plays a key role in funding climate change solutions globally and hear from leaders […]

Fruit & Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets: 2024 FRESH Science Conference
Series/Special Event

 | 

August 26 to 27, 2024

Fruit & Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets: 2024 FRESH Science Conference

Poor diets are a primary cause of malnutrition and the leading cause of disease worldwide. Improving diets, especially through increasing fruit and vegetable intake, can help to address these health and nutrition challenges. However, fruit and vegetable intake falls below recommended levels globally. The factors contributing to low fruit and vegetable consumption are complex, requiring […]

Nourish the Dialogue: Investing in nutrition and diets as significant determinants of health
Series/Special Event

 | 

April 19, 2024, 11:30 – 12:30 pm

Nourish the Dialogue: Investing in nutrition and diets as significant determinants of health

Hybrid Special Event: April 19, 2024 – 11:30 PM- 12:30 PM EDT. This special event will convene nutrition and climate experts to discuss the vital role of healthy diets; showcase a suite of proven solutions across the agrifood value chain for improving diets in low- and middle-income countries; and examine how best to scale these solutions so that everyone can reap the benefits of sustainable healthy diets.

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News

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 […]

October 29, 2023 | In the News

India is pushing the world toward another rice crisis (Bloomberg)

“With duties, export bans, and other restrictions, New Delhi is harming the same developing nations it claims to want to lead,” writes Mihir Sharma, a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and a senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. Sharma adds, “Three calamities have caused grain supplies to dry up: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine […]

September 28, 2023 | In the News

Food prices are rising as countries limit exports. Blame climate change, El Nino and Russia’s war (Associated Press)

“Countries have imposed restrictions on the food they export to protect their own supplies from the combined effect of the war in Ukraine, El Nino’s threat to food production and increasing damage from climate change,” writes the Associated Press. “Tanzania’s onion limits this year are part of the “contagion” of food restrictions from countries spooked by supply […]

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Our experts

Shahidur Rashid

Shahidur Rashid

Director, South Asia Office, South
Asia, Development Strategies and Governance

Jan Duchoslav

Jan Duchoslav

Research Fellow, Development
Strategies and Governance

Manuel Hernandez

Manuel Hernandez

Senior Research Fellow, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions, Latin America and the Caribbean

Razin Kabir

Razin Kabir

Senior Program Manager, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

Ester Jimmy

Ester Jimmy

Research Associate, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

Kristi Mahrt

Kristi Mahrt

Senior Research Analyst, Development
Strategies and Governance

Abdullah Mamun

Abdullah Mamun

Senior Research Analyst, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions

Brendan Rice

Brendan Rice

Research Specialist, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions