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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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Kenya

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Publications

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Journal Article

Inclusive and gender-transformative seed systems: Concepts and applications

2025Galiè, Alessandra; Kramer, Berber; Spielman, David J.; Kawarazuka, Nozomi; Rietveld, Anne M.; Aju, Stellamaris
Details

Inclusive and gender-transformative seed systems: Concepts and applications

CONTEXT Seed is vital to the nutrition and livelihoods of millions of women and men small-scale farmers in low- and middle-income countries. Seed systems interventions can significantly enhance food security and nutrition by accelerating the adoption of improved varieties and the use of quality seed, which in turn increase the rate of genetic gain, productivity, and household welfare. These interventions can be particularly effective when advancing gender equality by supporting women’s empowerment and addressing discriminatory gender norms. However, there is relatively little evidence on the ways in which seed systems can be an entry point for advancing gender equality by transforming discriminatory gender norms. OBJECTIVES We develop and illustrate a gender transformative approach applied to seed sector development. Our first objective is to provide a framework to better understand how seed systems interventions can contribute to gender equality by (1) integrating gender-accommodative and gender-transformative approaches; and (2) assessing their gendered impacts. Our second objective is to apply this framework to a particular innovation – gender messaging via information and communications technologies (ICTs) – and explore how seed system interventions can be made more gender-transformative. METHODS We first reviewed the existing literature to develop a framework that defines gender-transformative and accommodative seed system interventions and their impacts. We then synthesized lessons learned from the application of this framework to case studies from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda that used ICTs that contained gendered components. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION We discuss how a gender-accommodative approach aims for gender considerations to improve seed systems, while a gender-transformative approach flips the goal around by aiming at progress toward gender equality through seed systems. We find growing evidence on the potential of gender-transformative seed systems interventions to influence positively the empowerment of women and also men, and to create more conducive gender norms, as shown by three case studies on ICT enablers. These case studies also show that accommodative and transformative approaches are often complementary. SIGNIFICANCE We introduce research questions that research and development practitioners can ask to develop accommodative or transformative approaches in seed system interventions, and show the potential of both approaches to progress toward gender equality. The case studies indicate the feasibility of gender-transformative, ICT-enabled seed system interventions, with clear indications of the potential for low-cost adaptation at scale. However, the transformative potential of these interventions requires careful consideration of messaging content, format, and context, as well as strategic public investment and strong political will.

Year published

2025

Authors

Galiè, Alessandra; Kramer, Berber; Spielman, David J.; Kawarazuka, Nozomi; Rietveld, Anne M.; Aju, Stellamaris

Citation

Galiè A., Kramer, B., Spielman, D.J., Kawarazuka, N., Rietveld, A. and Aju, S. 2025. Inclusive and gender-transformative seed systems: Concepts and applications. Agricultural Systems 226: 104320

Country/Region

Ethiopia; Kenya; Uganda

Keywords

Tanzania; Africa; Eastern Africa; Southern Africa; Gender; Crops; Research

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104320 Source record

Project

Market Intelligence

Record type

Journal Article

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Journal Article

Adapting the Women’s Empowerment in Nutrition Index: Lessons from Kenya

2025Lentz, Erin; Jensen, Nathaniel D.; Lepariyo, Watson; Narayanan, Sudha; Bageant, Elizabeth
Details

Adapting the Women’s Empowerment in Nutrition Index: Lessons from Kenya

Women face a disproportionate burden of malnutrition and food insecurity. Research has shown that women’s empowerment can buffer women against nutritional problems. This paper contributes to ongoing efforts to measure women’s empowerment that are both context-sensitive and universal, focusing on the recently developed Women’s Empowerment in Nutrition Index (WENI). Earlier research has shown it is both a valid construct and positively related to dietary and nutritional outcomes of women in South Asia. We establish that WENI is generalizable to agropastoral and pastoral Kenya, an area with substantially different livelihoods, food system, norms, and institutions than South Asia. We find that a locally contextualized WENI is strongly associated with women’s body mass index and dietary diversity as well as household level food insecurity. We also present findings for two shorter variations of WENI: an abbreviated WENI (A-WENI) and a cross context WENI (CC-WENI). A-WENI contains a small subset of WENI indicators identified using machine learning with South Asian data and therefore is context-specific. CC-WENI does not contain indicators specific to the validation context. We find that they perform comparably well with caveats. Thus, as use of WENI expands we recommend adapting WENI for in-depth analyses of women’s nutritional empowerment; using CC-WENI for cross-context comparisons; and using A-WENI for rapid appraisals of community level progress in a given context.

Year published

2025

Authors

Lentz, Erin; Jensen, Nathaniel D.; Lepariyo, Watson; Narayanan, Sudha; Bageant, Elizabeth

Citation

Lentz, E., Jensen, N., Lepariyo, W., Narayanan, S. and Bageant, E. 2025. Adapting the Women’s Empowerment in Nutrition Index: Lessons from Kenya. World Development 188: 106887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2024.106887

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Nutrition; Women; Malnutrition; Food Security; Food Systems; Indicators; Women’s Empowerment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2024.106887 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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Journal Article

Understanding pastoralist adaptations to drought via games and choice experiments: Field testing among Borana communities

2025Bell, Andrew Reid; Rakotonarivo, O. Sarobidy; Zhang, Wei; De Petris, Caterina; Kipchumba, Adams; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.
Details

Understanding pastoralist adaptations to drought via games and choice experiments: Field testing among Borana communities

Transhumant and nomadic pastoralism in arid and semi-arid spaces from West through Central, East, and Southern Africa is regarded as critical to regional system resilience and food security. Although pastoral systems are highly adapted and adaptive to uncertainty and change, recent decades of severe climatic events and increasing resource pressure are pushing pastoral systems to adopt novel norms and practices. Importantly, forage residue conservation and private forage enclosures are becoming important practices among herders and non-herders alike. As one part of considering the relevance of these responses in shaping the future trajectory of transhumant pastoralism, we developed a multi-part intervention for measuring and observing preferences in pastoral systems, including a novel experimental game called GreenReserve, and tested it in Borana communities in northern Kenya. We found that GreenReserve captured dimensions of human-environment dilemmas faced by pastoralists, and shifted preferences around herd size, losses, and the use of time, as measured through a repeated discrete choice experiment. We found game groups with younger players and with more female players to include more exploration of pastoral adaptations such as the use of grass reserves and the harvesting of grass, as well as to have less conflict within the game. We also observed both preferences as well as game strategy to shift along the length of the study: as the region moved further into a drought and failed short rainy season, players were more conscious of large herds, bad rainfall-year losses, and made better use of reserves in game play, though it was beyond the scope of the current study to determine causality. Future research is needed to unpack the mechanisms underlying the variations and possible shift in preferences and subsequently help identify entry points for targeted interventions (including agricultural extension services) to support pastoral communities in climate change adaptation. Further, these first fieldwork findings suggest two key dimensions for expanded work beyond this study to identify whether mixed methods approaches such as this aid experiential learning in agriculture contexts.

Year published

2025

Authors

Bell, Andrew Reid; Rakotonarivo, O. Sarobidy; Zhang, Wei; De Petris, Caterina; Kipchumba, Adams; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.

Citation

Bell, Andrew Reid; Rakotonarivo, O. Sarobidy; Zhang, Wei; De Petris, Caterina; Kipchumba, Adams; and Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S. 2025. Understanding pastoralist adaptations to drought via games and choice experiments: Field testing among Borana communities. Ecology and Society 30(1): 25. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-15836-300125

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Pastoralists; Drought; Food Security; Experiential Learning; Climate Change Adaptation; Climate Change

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.5751/es-15836-300125 Source record

Project

Low-Emission Food Systems

Record type

Journal Article

Datasets

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

Dataset

2021 Social Accounting Matrix for Kenya

2023The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis; Kenya National Bureau of Statistics; International Food Policy Research Institute
Details

2021 Social Accounting Matrix for Kenya

The Nexus Project is a collaboration between IFPRI and its partners, including national statistical agencies and research institutions. Our aim is to improve the quality of social accounting matrices (SAMs) used for computable general equilibrium (CGE) modeling. The Nexus Project develops toolkits and establishes common data standards, procedures, and classification systems for constructing and updating national SAMs. The 2021 Kenya SAM follows the Standard Nexus Structure. The open access version of the Kenya SAM separates domestic production into 42 activities. Factors are disaggregated into labor, land, and capital. Labor is further disaggregated across three education categories. Representative households are disaggregated by rural and urban areas and by per capita expenditure quintile. The remaining accounts include enterprises, government, taxes, savings-and-investment, and the rest of the word.

Year published

2023

Authors

The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis; Kenya National Bureau of Statistics; International Food Policy Research Institute

Citation

The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA); Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS); International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). 2023. 2021 Social Accounting Matrix for Kenya. Washington, DC: IFPRI [dataset]. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/XLKGGA. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1.

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; National Accounting; Social Accounting Matrix; Household Consumption; Household Expenditure; Economic Indicators; Labour

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

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

Record type

Dataset

Dataset

Food Security Simulator — Kenya

2023International Food Policy Research Institute
Details

Food Security Simulator — Kenya

The Food Security Simulator is an innovative and easy to use, MS-Excel-based tool for assessing the potential short-term impacts of food price or household income shocks on food security and people’s diets. The Simulator is an ideal tool for first-cut forward-looking evaluations of direct, household-level outcomes of economic crises and policy responses in a timely manner. Key indicator results are summarized in concise overview tables and visualized in graphs. The underlying data include estimates from representative household survey data and rigorous, sophisticated food demand models to capture consumer behavior. The dataset is publicly available and can be downloaded from: https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/NS1A7V.

Year published

2023

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). 2023. Food Security Simulator – Kenya. Washington, DC: IFPRI [dataset]. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/NS1A7V. Harvard Dataverse. Version 4. https://www.cgiar.org/research/tool/food-systems-simulator-kenya/

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Food Security; Prices; Income; Shocks; Diet

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.7910/dvn/ns1a7v Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Dataset

Blogs

The promise of digital farmer services: Sifting reality from hype in Kenya
IFPRI Blog
 | 
January 22, 2025

The promise of digital farmer services: Sifting reality from hype in Kenya

By Michael Keenan, Erwin Bulte, Luc Christiaensen, Thomas Reardon, and Hannah Reed

Accelerating technology adoption.

Workshop: Assessing on-the-ground impacts of genetic innovation in agriculture
IFPRI Blog
 | 
January 15, 2025

Workshop: Assessing on-the-ground impacts of genetic innovation in agriculture

By Emily Kilonzi, Berber Kramer, and Carly Trachtman

A coordinated multi-country approach.

From space to soil: Advancing crop mapping and ecosystem insights for smallholder agriculture in Kenya
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 31, 2024

From space to soil: Advancing crop mapping and ecosystem insights for smallholder agriculture in Kenya

By Zhe Guo, Upeksha Hettiarachchi, and Wei Zhang

Using machine learning to track land use.

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Events

Two Years of Crisis: Impact and Pathways to Recovery and Resilience
Series/Special Event

 | 

April 14 to 15, 2025

Two Years of Crisis: Impact and Pathways to Recovery and Resilience

The Sudan conflict, now entering its second year, continues to devastate the country’s socioeconomic fabric. As of January 2025, more than 8.8 million people were internally displaced, and over 3.3 million had sought refuge in neighboring countries. Conservative reports estimate over 32,000 fatalities occurred between the start of the war on April 15, 2023, and […]

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 […]

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

January 08, 2024 | Press Release

A new book provides a roadmap for food systems transformation in Kenya

The past few years have seen Kenya, along with many other countries, confronted with multifaceted and compounding challenges. The disruptions caused by COVID-19, high levels of food price inflation, and environmental crises, such as locust infestations and droughts, have severely tested the resilience of Kenya’s food systems and the affordability of food for its citizens. […]

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 […]

September 18, 2023 | In the News

Kenya’s new urban school meal plan is ambitious – it could offer lessons for scaling up (The Conversation) 

More than 250,000 children in public primary schools in Nairobi will receive regular subsidized school meals provided by the county government. The Dishi Na County program is Kenya’s first in an urban setting. The national school meal program set up in 2009 serves more than 1.5 million children in rural drought-affected counties. The Conversation asked Elisheba Kiru (African Population and […]

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Projects

Economywide Risk Assessments

Economywide Risk Assessments

Developed using advanced machine learning, simulation, and data mining techniques, these country briefs provide detailed risk assessments of key economic indicators. Produced by IFPRI, the……

Food Security Simulator

Food Security Simulator

The Food Security Simulator is an innovative, easy-to-use MS-Excel-based tool for assessing the potential short-term impacts of food price or household income shocks on food……

Strengthening National Capacities and Policies for Food Systems Analysis and Transformation in Kenya, Ghana, and Senegal

Strengthening National Capacities and Policies for Food Systems Analysis and Transformation in Kenya, Ghana, and Senegal

Food systems encompass the entire range of actors and their interlinked value-adding activities involved in the production, aggregation, processing, distribution, consumption, and disposal of food……

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