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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.

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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TOPIC

Governance

Governance refers to how power and authority are used to manage the collective affairs of a community, society, or nation. Institutions are the systems of formal and informal rules that enable the development of policies, cooperation, and innovation. While there is no singular definition of ‘good governance,’ it usually refers to governance systems that are capable of delivering on objectives, are socially inclusive, responsive to information and needs, efficient, and accountable to citizens.

Sound institutions and good governance—from the local to the global level—are central to the effective functioning of food systems, and more broadly to reducing rural poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and social inequality, as well as conserving natural resources. They are equally important for promoting civic participation in political affairs and mutual accountability between leaders and citizens. Poor governance can contribute to economic and social inequities, conflict and a lack of social cohesion, unsustainable and inefficient resource use, poor delivery of public services and infrastructure, and lack of accountability for governments and leaders, all of which can worsen food insecurity and poverty. Governance systems worldwide, meanwhile, are also under increasing pressure from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, debt and fiscal crises, climate change, and inequality.

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IFPRI’s governance research focuses on property rights, collective action, and service delivery, as well as government accountability and elevating the voices and inclusion of marginalized groups in governance, including women. Our work analyzes the role of institutions and governance arrangements, as well as the related policy processes, in promoting food security and nutrition, poverty reduction, resilience to climate change, social cohesion, gender equality, and environmental health. These include policies for strengthening property rights (including land tenure), inclusive and effective collective action, multi-stakeholder deliberations and platforms, pro-poor public investments and policies, and how to improve service delivery. IFPRI’s work also analyzes the political economy of climate change governance and food systems transformation.

governance

topics

Publications

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Journal Article

Understanding differential reductions in undernutrition among districts in Rwanda through the perspectives of mid‐level and community actors on policy commitment and policy coherence

2024Iruhiriye, Elyse; Frongillo, Edward A.; Olney, Deanna K.; Niyongira, Emmanuel; Nanama, Simeon; Blake, Christine E.; Rwibasira, Eugene; Mbonyi, Paul
Details

Understanding differential reductions in undernutrition among districts in Rwanda through the perspectives of mid‐level and community actors on policy commitment and policy coherence

Understanding the drivers of improvements in child undernutrition at only the national level can mask subnational differences. This paper aimed to understand the contributions of factors in the enabling environment to observed differences in stunting reduction between districts in Rwanda. In 2017, we conducted 58 semi-structured interviews with mid-level actors (n = 38) and frontline workers (n = 20) implementing Rwanda’s multi-sectoral nutrition policy in five districts in which stunting decreased (reduced districts) and five where it increased or stagnated (non-reduced districts) based on Rwanda’s 2010 and 2014/15 Demographic and Health Surveys. Mid-level actors are government officials and service providers at the subnational level who represent the frontline of government policy. Interviews focused on political commitment to and policy coherence in nutrition, and contributors to nutrition changes. Responses were coded to capture themes on the changes and challenges of these topics and compared between reduced and non-reduced districts. Descriptive statistics described district characteristics. Political commitment to nutrition was high in both reduced and non-reduced districts. Respondents from reduced districts were more likely to define commitment to nutrition as an optimal implementation of policy, whereas those from non-reduced districts focused more on financial commitment. Regarding coherence, respondents from reduced compared to non-reduced districts were more likely to report the optimal implementation of multi-sectoral nutrition planning meetings, using data to assess plans and progress in nutrition outcomes and integration of nutrition into the agriculture sector. In contrast, respondents from non-reduced districts more often reported challenges in their relationships with national-level stakeholders and nutrition and/or monitoring and evaluation capacities. Enhancing the integration of nutrition in different sectors and improving mid-level actors’ capacity to plan and advocate for nutrition programming may contribute to reductions in stunting.

Year published

2024

Authors

Iruhiriye, Elyse; Frongillo, Edward A.; Olney, Deanna K.; Niyongira, Emmanuel; Nanama, Simeon; Blake, Christine E.; Rwibasira, Eugene; Mbonyi, Paul

Citation

Iruhiriye, Elyse; Frongillo, Edward A.; Olney, Deanna K.; Niyongira, Emmanuel; Nanama, Simeon; Blake, Christine E.; Rwibasira, Eugene; Mbonyi, Paul. Understanding differential reductions in undernutrition among districts in Rwanda through the perspectives of mid‐level and community actors on policy commitment and policy coherence. Maternal and Child Nutrition 20(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13640

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Child Nutrition; Stunting; Nutrition Policies; Governance; Capacity Development

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13640 Source record

Project

Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

Record type

Journal Article

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Brief

Supporting agrifood systems transformation in Indonesia with governance innovation

2024Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Details

Supporting agrifood systems transformation in Indonesia with governance innovation

This policy brief summarizes the background, evidence and insights from the innovative governance modelling and analysis work developed in Indonesia under the “Governance Innovation for Sustainable Development of Food Systems” subprogramme. In addition, the brief offers guiding points and recommendations to support Indonesia’s agrifood systems transformation efforts. The FVC subprogramme was carried out between 2020 and 2023 with funds from FAO’s Flexible Voluntary Contribution (FVC). Together with Indonesia’s national agency for planning and the Ministry of Agriculture as co-convener, the subprogramme supported the Directorate for Food and Agriculture in the Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS) leading the consolidation and implementation of the agrifood systems transformation agenda, including the UNFSS follow-up. The modelling and analytical work was conducted by a pool of researchers from the Christian Albrechts University of Kiel (CAU), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). The researchers elaborated their analysis on the concrete priorities of the country and provided insights about the agrifood systems’ performance, mapping synergies and potential trade-offs across identified interventions. The information package included an examination of the interests, roles, and contributions of stakeholders, allowing for the identification of alliances and coordination needed to ensure the coordination needed to ensure the political feasibility of their agrifood systems transformation plans.

Year published

2024

Authors

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Citation

FAO. 2024. Supporting agrifood systems transformation in Indonesia with governance innovation. Policy brief. Second edition. Rome: FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd1032en

Country/Region

Indonesia

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Agrifood Systems; Governance; Modelling

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-SA-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.4060/cd1032en Source record

Record type

Brief

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Report

Modelling the impacts of policy interventions for agrifood systems transformation in Indonesia

2024
Woolfrey, Sean; Bizikova, Livia; Henning, Christian; Boere, Esther; Kozicka, Marta; Laborde, David; Piñeiro, Valeria; Augustynczik, Andrey; Grunenberg, Michael; Havlik, Petr
…more Illescas, Nelson; Khalifa, Sherin; McConnell, Claire; Olivetti, Elsa; Ziesmer, Johannes
Details

Modelling the impacts of policy interventions for agrifood systems transformation in Indonesia

The Government of Indonesia and FAO have recognized the need for thorough analysis and modelling of Indonesia’s agrifood systems to support agrifood systems transformation efforts in the country. This is needed to provide a better understanding of the governance context in agrifood systems, including the political economy dynamics influencing performance, as well as to identify synergies and trade-offs across different policy goals and optimal policy mixes for achieving multiple policy objectives. In this regard, FAO facilitated a project to pilot an innovative approach to modelling for food systems transformation. This modelling approach was developed and implemented by a team of researchers from IFPRI, IIASA, IISD and Christian-Albrechts- University of Kiel. It uses three different economic models to generate insights that can assist Indonesian policymakers in developing technically sound and politically feasible policy interventions for agrifood systems transformation. This report provides context for agrifood systems transformation in Indonesia and describes the overall modelling approach before synthesizing the results of the individual modelling activities and distilling these into the overall findings of the modelling. It concludes with implications from these findings for policymaking for agrifood systems transformation in Indonesia and suggestions for the next steps. The results of this modelling and the insights drawn from these results are expected to support efforts to translate Indonesia’s commitments on agrifood systems transformation into concrete policy interventions and to inform medium- and long-term development planning by the Indonesian Government.

Year published

2024

Authors

Woolfrey, Sean; Bizikova, Livia; Henning, Christian; Boere, Esther; Kozicka, Marta; Laborde, David; Piñeiro, Valeria; Augustynczik, Andrey; Grunenberg, Michael; Havlik, Petr; Illescas, Nelson; Khalifa, Sherin; McConnell, Claire; Olivetti, Elsa; Ziesmer, Johannes

Citation

Woolfrey, Sean; Bizikova, Livia; Henning, Christian; Boere, Esther; Kozicka, Marta; Laborde, David; Piñeiro, Valeria; et al. 2024. Modelling the impacts of policy interventions for agrifood systems transformation in Indonesia Report. Second edition. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd1119en

Country/Region

Indonesia

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Agrifood Systems; Governance; Policies; Modelling; Economic Analysis

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-SA-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.4060/cd1119en Source record

Record type

Report

Blogs

Playing the right game: A decision tree for choosing approaches to strengthen water governance
IFPRI Blog
 | 
March 13, 2024

Playing the right game: A decision tree for choosing approaches to strengthen water governance

By Thomas Falk, Vishwambhar Duche, Richu Sanil, Pratiti Priyadarshini, Hagar ElDidi, Ruth Meinzen-Dick, and Bryan Bruns

Fostering cooperative natural resource management.

Book launch: Transforming the global food system in a politically polarized world
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 13, 2023

Book launch: Transforming the global food system in a politically polarized world

By Jennifer Johnson and Evgeniya Anisimova

Navigating policy challenges to feed a hungry planet.

Changing the game: Experiential learning for triggering large scale change towards sustainable water management in India
IFPRI Blog
 | 
November 10, 2023

Changing the game: Experiential learning for triggering large scale change towards sustainable water management in India

By Thomas Falk, Richu Sanil, Ruth Meinzen-Dick, and Pratiti Priyadarshini

Fostering cooperative local governance.

Events

Food for All: International Organizations and the Transformation of Agriculture
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

March 22, 2022, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Food for All: International Organizations and the Transformation of Agriculture

Virtual Event: March 22, 2022 – 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM EDT. This event features a panel discussion on global governance, food security and nutrition, poverty reduction, and gender.

Can agricultural policies deliver better value for money for people, the planet, and the economy?
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

February 2, 2022, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Can agricultural policies deliver better value for money for people, the planet, and the economy?

Virtual Event: Feb 02, 2022 – 09:30 AM to 11:00 AM EST. This policy seminar will present a summary of the latest IFPRI-World Bank research findings and feature speakers discussing the need for more rapid adoption of technological solutions that foster less emissions-intensive productivity growth across developed and developing countries alike.

Innovation for Agribusiness (InovAgro) Project Impact Evaluation Results Dissemination Workshop
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

October 28, 2021, 2:00 – 3:30 pm

Innovation for Agribusiness (InovAgro) Project Impact Evaluation Results Dissemination Workshop

Virtual Event: OCT 28, 2021 – 02:00 PM to 03:30 PM CAT. This workshop will disseminate the results of the impact evaluation of the InovAgro project's interventions. 

News

February 27, 2024 | In the News

What’s driving the farmer protests sweeping Europe? (CNN)

Senior research fellow Danielle Resnick was interviewed by CNN on the reasons behind farmers’ protests throughout Europe. Resnick says, “These protests reflect some complex political economy dynamics, especially as European governments are trying to navigate the fiscal and climate crisis. Farmers have a lot of grievances, but one that they noted was their own returns on investment has really shifted over […]

June 16, 2023 | In the News

Building popular support for post-conflict constitutions: Lessons from Nepal (The Brookings Institution) 

“In early 2023, the United Nations announced that the world is facing the highest number of violent conflicts since World War II, with a majority of these being civil conflicts. Historically, ending civil conflict and fostering democratic transitions has involved constitutional reforms that address the grievances that originally sparked violence,” write IFPRI research fellow Jordan Kyle and […]

April 17, 2023 | In the News

MGNREGA attendance app a govt ploy to discourage workers, contain expenses? (The Federal) 

The Federal (India) writes in a piece that “workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) are now required to mark attendance twice a day with onsite, geo-tagged photos through the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) app.  Sudha Narayanan a researcher at IFPRI, has evaluated MGNREGA through studies and surveys since it […]

Our experts

Purnima Menon

Purnima Menon

Senior Director, Food and Nutrition Policy, CGIAR and IFPRI, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions, Nutrition, Diets, and Health, Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion

Thomas Falk

Thomas Falk

Research Fellow, Natural
Resources and Resilience

Jordan Kyle

Jordan Kyle

Research Fellow, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

Edward Kato

Edward Kato

Senior Research Analyst, Natural
Resources and Resilience