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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

Poverty

Today, nearly 10 percent of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty, making them vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition. Though substantial progress has been made in reducing poverty as well as food insecurity in recent decades, recent events, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, and the increasing incidence of weather shocks linked to a changing climate, have slowed that progress.  Poverty is more prevalent in rural areas of developing countries (though it is becoming increasingly common in urban areas), and intersects with gender disparities in rights, assets holdings and economic opportunities, as well as similar inequities experienced by marginalized communities.

Identifying research-based policy solutions to poverty is central to IFPRI’s mission. IFPRI’s researchers explore the linkages between poverty, food security, and nutrition, and evaluate programs and policies that help families move out of poverty.

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IFPRI evaluations focus on multifaceted livelihoods interventions designed to address the multiple constraints faced by households in poverty, in addition to technical and policy innovations that can boost productivity and market access, and financial tools such as insurance that can reduce risks and raise incomes. This research agenda on poverty also links to our research agenda on social protection, given that social protection is a major antipoverty initiative in many countries and a launching point for multifaceted antipoverty initiatives. IFPRI’s research on development strategies uses economic modeling to explain how policies to support food system transformation and agriculture-led growth can create new opportunities both on and off farm and contribute to poverty alleviation. IFPRI also has strong expertise in probing the intersections between poverty and gender.  IFPRI’s research identifies effective and sustainable strategies that ensure that women are empowered to participate in new economic opportunities.

IFPRI’s research on this topic is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG1, and the CGIAR Impact Area on Nutrition, Health, and Food Security; Poverty Reduction, Livelihoods and Jobs; and Gender Equality, Youth, and Social Inclusion.

poverty

topics

Publications

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Working Paper

Would you rather: Voluntary take-up of a poverty graduation program among cash transfer recipients

2024Allen IV, James; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Kurdi, Sikandra; Yassa, Basma
Details

Would you rather: Voluntary take-up of a poverty graduation program among cash transfer recipients

THIS IS AN INITIAL PUBLICATION. THE FINAL VERSION WILL BE AVAILABLE IN DECEMBER 2024. We study how households in Egypt’s national cash transfer program decide to voluntarily join a new government-run poverty graduation program. Using a randomized experiment, we test official video messages providing respondents with new information on: T1) the duration of the cash transfers after joining the graduation program and T2) expected monthly income from the asset provided by the graduation program. Both video messages increase respondents’ beliefs on their respective topics and interest in recommending the graduation program to others. The evidence is consistent with a theoretical model where new information increasing the expected returns for the graduation program consequently increases preferences for the new program, though estimating the model reveals other factors also likely affect household decision-making. The findings highlight the importance of designing poverty graduation programs that provide compelling economic incentives relative to existing social protection programs.

Year published

2024

Authors

Allen IV, James; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Kurdi, Sikandra; Yassa, Basma

Citation

Allen IV, James; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Kurdi, Sikandra; and Yassa, Basma. 2024. Would you rather: Voluntary take-up of a poverty graduation program among cash transfer recipients. MENA Working Paper 44. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/158340

Country/Region

Egypt

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Social Protection; Poverty; Poverty Reduction; Cash Transfers

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

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Dataset

Nature+ Quantitative Baseline Household & Worker Survey, Kenya

2024International Food Policy Research Institute; Kula Vyema Centre
Details

Nature+ Quantitative Baseline Household & Worker Survey, Kenya

In 2023, the Nature Positive Solutions (Nature+) baseline survey was conducted in Kenya, focusing on the Counties of Kisumu, Vihiga, and Kajiado. The study aimed to describe the socio-economic conditions and agricultural systems in these areas, providing a baseline assessment to inform ongoing Nature+ interventions. The survey covered 1,502 smallholder farmer households (752 treated and 750 control) across 25 villages. Data collection employed a two-stage sampling technique and assessed various variables, including socio-economic characteristics, agricultural practices, land use, nutrition, and adoption of Nature+ practices. This data will support the evaluation of Nature+’s impacts on inclusion, poverty reduction, food security, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability. Additionally, the survey included interviews with 1056 workers, covering socio-demographic characteristics, contract types, forced labor, harassment, workplace health and safety, wages, and overtime. All monetary variables are expressed in Kenyan Shilling (KSH).

Year published

2024

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute; Kula Vyema Centre

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); Kula Vyema Centre (KVC). 2024. Nature+ Quantitative Baseline Household & Worker Survey, Kenya. Washington, DC: IFPRI [dataset]. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/QFQURF. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1.

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Baseline Studies; Farming Systems; Smallholders; Agricultural Practices; Land Use; Nutrition; Impact Assessment; Inclusion; Poverty Alleviation; Food Security; Community Involvement

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.7910/dvn/qfqurf Source record

Project

Nature-Positive Solutions

Record type

Dataset

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Dataset

Nature+ Quantitative Baseline Household and Worker Survey, Viet Nam

2024International Food Policy Research Institute; Development and Policies Research Center
Details

Nature+ Quantitative Baseline Household and Worker Survey, Viet Nam

In 2023, the Nature Positive Solutions (Nature+) baseline survey was conducted in Vietnam, focusing on the districts of Sa Pa and Mai Son. The study aimed to describe the socio-economic conditions and agricultural systems in these areas, providing a baseline assessment to inform ongoing Nature+ interventions. The survey covered 1,153 smallholder farmer households (858 treated and 295 control) across 23 villages. Data collection employed a two-stage sampling technique and assessed various variables, including socio-economic characteristics, agricultural practices, land use, nutrition, and adoption of Nature+ practices. This data will support the evaluation of Nature+’s impacts on inclusion, poverty reduction, food security, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability. Additionally, the survey included interviews with 334 workers, covering socio-demographic characteristics, contract types, forced labor, harassment, workplace health and safety, wages, and overtime. Furthermore, community-level data were collected through interviews conducted by the team’s supervisors in all 23 surveyed villages. Each discussion involved at least three community leaders as key informants.

Year published

2024

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute; Development and Policies Research Center

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); Development and Policies Research Center (DEPOCEN). 2024. Nature+ Quantitative Baseline Household and Worker Survey, Viet Nam. Washington, DC: IFPRI [dataset]. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/PZVGOH. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1.

Country/Region

Vietnam

Keywords

South-eastern Asia; Asia; Baseline Studies; Farming Systems; Smallholders; Agricultural Practices; Land Use; Nutrition; Impact Assessment; Inclusion; Poverty Alleviation; Food Security; Community Involvement

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.7910/dvn/pzvgoh Source record

Project

Nature-Positive Solutions

Record type

Dataset

Blogs

Beyond the Health Extension Program: Developing a focused approach to improve nutrition in Ethiopia
IFPRI Blog
 | 
September 11, 2024

Beyond the Health Extension Program: Developing a focused approach to improve nutrition in Ethiopia

By Taddese Zerfu

A study points to reforms.

Tackling gender inequality in a climate-changed world: How agrifood and social protection systems can empower women and girls to build climate resilience
IFPRI Blog
 | 
June 18, 2024

Tackling gender inequality in a climate-changed world: How agrifood and social protection systems can empower women and girls to build climate resilience

By Clara Ceravolo, Ilaria Sisto, Lauren Whitehead, Matthew Walsham, Morane Verhoeven, and Shalini Roy

Five key ways to promote adaptation.

Adapt, assess, progress: Integrating measures of women’s empowerment into rural development projects
IFPRI Blog
 | 
May 13, 2024

Adapt, assess, progress: Integrating measures of women’s empowerment into rural development projects

By Carlo Azzarri, Sedi-Anne Boukaka, Jessica Heckert, Ruth Meinzen-Dick, Greg Seymour, and Sara Savastano

A new tool developed by IFPRI and IFAD.

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Events

Conventional wisdoms about food value chain innovations and policies: Options for new directions
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

December 11, 2024, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Conventional wisdoms about food value chain innovations and policies: Options for new directions

Also streaming on Please type your questions into the chat box with name, affiliation, and country. The event video, presenter slides, and podcast will be available in the days following the event. Food value chains in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are undergoing significant changes, despite a common perception that they are stagnant and undynamic. […]

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 […]

Improving Diets and Nutrition through Food Systems: What Will it Take? A Dialogue on IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy Report
Series/Special Event

 | 

November 6, 2024, 1:00 – 5:00 pm

Improving Diets and Nutrition through Food Systems: What Will it Take? A Dialogue on IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy Report

IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy flagship publication arrives at a pivotal moment, as the importance of addressing food systems for better nutrition continues to gain global recognition. With United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 29th Conference of the Parties taking place in November, the SUN Global Gathering on the horizon and the Nutrition […]

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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 […]

March 06, 2023 | In the News

Real-time monitoring of imports, national supply for key commodities needed (The Daily Star)

Johan Swinnen, Managing Director, Systems Transformation, CGIAR and Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute gave an extensive interview to the Daily Star (Bangladesh).  Bangladesh should conduct real-time monitoring of imports and national supply chains for critical commodities to forecast and respond in a timely manner to policy challenges and tackle the impacts […]

March 05, 2023 | Press Release

IFPRI-BIMSTEC Secretariat formalize partnership to promote  sustainable and inclusive food systems transformation

Dhaka, Bangladesh: The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today in Dhaka. IFPRI, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the BIMSTEC Secretariat, is conducting research and facilitating capacity sharing in […]

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Our experts

Daniel Gilligan

Daniel Gilligan

Director, Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion (PGI), Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

James Thurlow

James Thurlow

Director, Foresight and Policy Modeling (FPM), Foresight
and Policy Modeling

Thomas Assefa

Thomas Assefa

Associate Research Fellow, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

Katrina Kosec

Katrina Kosec

Senior Research Fellow, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

Neha Kumar

Neha Kumar

Senior Research Fellow, Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Amit Burman

Amit Burman

Project Coordinator, Development
Strategies and Governance

Mariam Dawoud

Mariam Dawoud

Program Manager, Development
Strategies and Governance

Razin Kabir

Razin Kabir

Senior Program Manager, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

Antoine Bouet

Antoine Bouet

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions

Soyra Gune

Soyra Gune

Research Analyst, Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Emily Myers

Emily Myers

Senior Research Analyst, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion