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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

Emily Schmidt

Emily Schmidt is a Senior Research Fellow in the Development Strategies and Governance Unit. Her most recent research explores household livelihood strategies in Papua New Guinea, including linkages between agriculture, poverty, and nutrition outcomes among rural smallholder farmers.

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Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

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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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Africa

countries and regions

Publications

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Journal Article

The digital readiness of agricultural advisory professionals: A South African case study

2024von Maltitz, Lindie; Van Niekerk, Johan A.; Davis, Kristin E.
Details

The digital readiness of agricultural advisory professionals: A South African case study

Agricultural advisory services link producers, the government, the research community, and credit and input supply organisations. This vital role can be enhanced through the efficient use of digital platforms, especially in South Africa, where the advisor-to-producer ratio was last recorded to be 1:1019. According to the last census conducted in South Africa, 92.1% of households own a mobile phone, and only 21.1% do not have access to the internet, providing the platform for timeous interaction between advisors and their clients. The affordability of technology and data services, network coverage, and digital literacy are obstacles in the country that need to be addressed if access to ICTs is to be improved. This article focuses on the readiness of South African agricultural advisors to use digital platforms. Survey research was used to collect data from professionals, and the data was evaluated using a survey instrument that was developed based in part on similar work done in Rwanda. The results show that although most advisors are ready to use digital platforms, many obstacles must be addressed for efficient application.

Year published

2024

Authors

von Maltitz, Lindie; Van Niekerk, Johan A.; Davis, Kristin E.

Citation

von Maltitz, Lindie; Van Niekerk, Johan A.; and Davis, Kristin E. 2024. The digital readiness of agricultural advisory professionals: A South African case study. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension 52(4): 47-65. https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3221/2024/v52n4a16851

Country/Region

South Africa

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Southern Africa; Advisory Services; Agriculture; Digital Technology

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3221/2024/v52n4a16851 Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Journal Article

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Journal Article

Social protection amid a crisis: New evidence from South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant

2024Alloush, Mo; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Malacarne, J. G.
Details

Social protection amid a crisis: New evidence from South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant

This study estimates the effects of South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant on well-being amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With household-level data collected before and during the pandemic, it leverages the age-eligibility threshold of the grant to estimate its effects on households in both periods. Prior to the pandemic, this study finds that grant receipt substantially improves economic well-being and decreases adult hunger at the household level. During the first 18 months of the pandemic, this study finds larger effects on both economic well-being and hunger than prior to the pandemic. In particular, recipient households were less likely to report running out of money for food and hunger among either adults or children. These results, which are stronger when pandemic-related lockdown policies are in place and for more vulnerable households, provide critical insight into the effectiveness of one of the world’s most well-known cash-transfer programs during a massive global health crisis.

Year published

2024

Authors

Alloush, Mo; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Malacarne, J. G.

Citation

Alloush, Mo; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; and Malacarne, J. G. 2024. Social protection amid a crisis: New evidence from South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant. World Bank Economic Review 38(2): 371-393. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhad037

Country/Region

South Africa

Keywords

Africa; Southern Africa; Cash Transfers; Coronavirus; Coronavirus Disease; Coronavirinae; Covid-19; Data; Households; Hunger

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhad037 Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Journal Article

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Working Paper

Chinese artificial intelligence in Africa: Digital colonisation or liberalisation?

2023Tinarwo, Joseph; Babu, Suresh Chandra
Details

Chinese artificial intelligence in Africa: Digital colonisation or liberalisation?

In this era of globalisation and progressive digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of our everyday lives. While AI technology is lauded for increasing economic growth and solving some of the intricate global development challenges, such as climate change as well as disease and natural disaster forecasting, it has become a threat to citizen freedom and democracy and there are concerns of data privacy and security. China is rapidly expanding its AI and has emerged as one of the leading nations in artificial intelligence, research and development, particularly in the global South. Africa is one of the continents that has become a destination of the fast-expanding Chinese AI, notwithstanding that its impacts remain unknown. This research primarily adopted a qualitative research approach to examine the impact of Chinese AI in Africa and identify opportunities for facilitating positive influence of Chinese AI and digital presence in Africa. The study found that the expansion of Chinese AI in the global South, using Zimbabwe and South Africa as case studies, has been associated with mixed results. Since its beginning in the late 1970s after the economic reform, the Chinese AI-led automation has resulted in improved productivity, particularly in agriculture, health, infrastructure and manufacturing industries. However, the Chinese AI has been associated with gross human rights violations and promotion of corrupt practices, such as patronage and rent-seeking behaviour. Additionally, Chinese AI is undermining the rule of law and the functionality and legitimacy of weaker state institutions and processes.

Year published

2023

Authors

Tinarwo, Joseph; Babu, Suresh Chandra

Citation

Tinarwo, Joseph; and Babu, Suresh Chandra. 2023. Chinese artificial intelligence in Africa: Digital colonisation or liberalisation? Tayarisha Working Paper 12. Johannesburg, South Africa: University of the Witwatersrand.

Country/Region

South Africa; Zimbabwe

Keywords

Africa; Southern Africa; Eastern Africa; Artificial Intelligence; Digital Technology; Economic Aspects; Development

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

Datasets

Dataset

ASTI South Africa Database

2018Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators
Details

ASTI South Africa Database

This dataset includes national-level time series data on researcher capacity by qualification level, age bracket, discipline mix, and commodity, as well as a detailed breakdown of agricultural research investment across government, higher education, nonprofit, and (where possible) private for-profit agricultural research agencies. These data were derived through a series of primary survey rounds conducted by IFPRI’s Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) and in close collaboration with a large network of national collaborators. The ASTI data constitute a powerful resource for national and regional research managers, policymakers, donor organizations, and other stakeholders. ASTI’s key indicators provide both a diagnostic tool for assessing the allocation and use of existing resources and an advocacy tool for increasing resources and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of resource use. The ASTI website offers interactive pages that allow users to access country-level time series data, make cross-country comparisons, create graphs, and download country datasets and publications as well as detailed institutional information on agencies involved in agricultural research. The interactive benchmarking tool on the ASTI website is a convenient map-based instrument allowing users to make cross-country comparisons and rankings based on a wide set of financial and human resource indicators. The detailed ASTI datasets are available in an easy-to-use data download tool. Detailed information on definitions, methodology, and calculation procedures are available at www.asti.cgiar.org

Year published

2018

Authors

Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators

Citation

Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators. 2018. ASTI South Africa Database. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://www.asti.cgiar.org/south_africa. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1. https://www.asti.cgiar.org/south_africa

Country/Region

South Africa

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Southern Africa; Agricultural Research

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-3.0

Source

Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Dataset

Dataset

A 2009 Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) Database for South Africa

2014Human Sciences Research Council; International Food Policy Research Institute
Details

A 2009 Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) Database for South Africa

This data study includes South African Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) for the year 2009. The national SAM is built using official supply-use tables, national accounts, state budgets, and balance of payments, and so provides a detailed representation of the South African economy. It separates 49 activities and 85 commodities; labor is disaggregated by education level; and households by per capita expenditure deciles. Information on labor is d rawn from the 2009 Quarterly Labor Force Survey and on households from the 2005 Income and Expenditure Survey. Finally, the SAM identifies government, investment and foreign accounts. It is therefore an ideal database for conducting economywide impact assessments, including SAM-based multiplier analysis and computable general equilibrium (CGE) modeling.

Year published

2014

Authors

Human Sciences Research Council; International Food Policy Research Institute

Citation

Human Sciences Research Council; International Food Policy Research Institute. 2014. A 2009 Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) Database for South Africa. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/24774. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1.

Country/Region

South Africa

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Southern Africa; National Accounting; Social Accounting Matrix

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-3.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.7910/dvn/24774 Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Dataset

Dataset

South Africa Limpopo Basin Climate Change Adaptation Dataset

2010Ringler, Claudia; Sun, Yan
Details

South Africa Limpopo Basin Climate Change Adaptation Dataset

This household survey was conducted as part of a project aimed to provide policymakers and stakeholders in South Africa with tools to better understand, analyze, and form policy decisions to adapt to global change. The survey was conducted in the Limpopo River Basin in South Africa during 2005. A total of 794 households from 19 districts, in 5 Water Management Areas (WMAs), across 4 provinces of South Africa were sampled. The South Africa sample was designed to capture the diverse agricultural patterns in the basin area: farming strata, type of cultivation (dry land and irrigation), major and minor crops and livestock, and all the sub-catchment areas in each of the 5 WMAs. Topics covered include household roaster including background information, farm and non-farm activities, assets, basic services, disease, shocks; land ownership and land holdings; farm machinery, farm buildings, wells and pumps, and wage rates; crop production including production cost and income for seasonal crops and for perennial crops; crop water use; livestock production; access to extension, markets and credit; expenditures on food and income; and climate change and adaptation options.

Year published

2010

Authors

Ringler, Claudia; Sun, Yan

Citation

Ringler, Claudia; Sun, Yan. 2010. South Africa Limpopo Basin Climate Change Adaptation Dataset. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. http://hdl.handle.net/1902.1/17092. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1.

Country/Region

South Africa

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Southern Africa; Water Security; Food Security; Climate Change

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-3.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Dataset

Blogs

High global phosphate prices pose potential food security risks
IFPRI Blog
 | 
March 20, 2025

High global phosphate prices pose potential food security risks

By Delphine Leconte-Demarsy and Brendan Rice

Pandemic and Ukraine crisis impacts linger.

Transform Nutrition West Africa builds knowledge for decision-makers
IFPRI Blog
 | 
March 07, 2025

Transform Nutrition West Africa builds knowledge for decision-makers

By Tamsin Zandstra, Roos Verstraeten, Ampa Dogui Diatta, Loty Diop, and Mariama Touré

Informing policies in four countries.

How countries have coped with recent agricultural trade disruptions
IFPRI Blog
 | 
February 26, 2025

How countries have coped with recent agricultural trade disruptions

By Abdullah Mamun and Joseph Glauber

Lessons from IFPRI research.

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Events

IFPRI @ CGIAR Science Week
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

April 7 to 12, 2025

IFPRI @ CGIAR Science Week

When humanity has faced its greatest challenges, science and innovation have provided solutions. Today, major and connected global challenges threaten the sustainability of food, land, and water systems, with the most vulnerable people and communities at greatest risk. Recognizing the urgency of these challenges, CGIAR and the Kenyan Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) are […]

Extraordinary Summit on Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

January 9 to 11, 2025

Extraordinary Summit on Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)

IFPRI is pleased to participate in the Extraordinary Summit on Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), organized by the African Union Commission and hosted by the Government of Uganda on January 9 to 11, 2025. The summit will focus on adopting the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Acton Plan for 2026-2035. This […]

Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Nutrition: Africa Regional Launch of IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy Report
Series/Special Event

 | 

November 14, 2024, 2:30 – 4:30 pm

Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Nutrition: Africa Regional Launch of IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy Report

Despite significant progress in addressing hunger and undernutrition in the early 2000s, malnutrition, in all its forms, remains a major challenge in all regions of the world. Unhealthy diets remain the primary drivers of many forms of malnutrition, including undernutrition, overweight and obesity, micronutrient deficiencies, and diet-related noncommunicable diseases. Today, the number of people who […]

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News

November 28, 2024 | Press Release

New paper calls for harnessing agrifood value chains to help farmers be climate-smart

The global food system is uniquely vulnerable to climate impacts, making adaptation of paramount importance.

October 24, 2024 | In the News

At high level dialogue, Stakeholders Rally Support for Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture (National Update/Punch)

This article published by National Update (Nigeria) wrote about a recent high-level dialogue on the CGIAR HER+ initiative in Abuja held on October 9, 2024, that aimed to address barriers women face in Nigeria’s agrifood sector.

October 07, 2024 | Press Release

Steven Were Omamo joins IFPRI as the new Director of the Development Strategies and Governance Unit

IFPRI is pleased to announce that Steven Were Omamo joins IFPRI as the new Director of the DSG Unit.

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Projects

Supporting ReSAKSS and CAADP

Supporting ReSAKSS and CAADP

From 2006 to 2020, IFPRI facilitated the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) to support the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development……

Strengthening CAADP Biennial Review (BR)

Strengthening CAADP Biennial Review (BR)

The Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Biennial Review (BR) is a powerful instrument for triggering policy actions for agricultural transformation in Africa. It is……

Prioritizing agricultural investments for income, poverty reduction, and nutrition

Prioritizing agricultural investments for income, poverty reduction, and nutrition

…

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