IFPRI CGIAR
Subscribe

Back

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

Liangzhi You

Liangzhi You is a Senior Research Fellow and theme leader in the Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit, based in Washington, DC. His research focuses on climate resilience, spatial data and analytics, agroecosystems, and agricultural science policy. Gridded crop production data of the world (SPAM) and the agricultural technology evaluation model (DREAM) are among his research contributions. 

Where we work

Back

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.

IFPRI Regional Programs

IFPRI Country Programs

Research by country and region

Subscribe
Unit

Markets, Trade, and Institutions

Vi Thanh Market is the largest and most special outdoor agricultural market in Vietnam

Drastic changes in the functioning of food markets are needed to achieve food security and adequate nutrition for all people, as well as contributing to poverty reduction and environmental sustainability.

Research units

Overview

The Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit (MTI) provides innovative, evidence-based policy solutions to help drive inclusive and sustainable economic growth for smallholders, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and workers in the agrifood sector. By analyzing local, regional, and global economic environments, trade conditions, and value chains from farm to fork, MTI identifies policies that can transform agricultural and rural economies and build resilience to climatic and market shocks.

These policies include measures toward more effective market institutions and regulation, greater market efficiency, lower transaction costs, and reduced food loss and waste, along with greater market access and income and employment opportunities for smallholders, SMEs, and workers in the agrifood sector. MTI conducts research in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Areas of Focus

Market-based solutions

Market imperfections impede healthy and sustainable food system outcomes. To address these imperfections, MTI conducts research on market-based solutions and adequate policy support for achieving food safety, affordable healthy diets, food loss reduction, and sustainable production. This research includes analysis of options and trade-offs of reorienting existing agricultural support for achieving these multiple objectives for food system change.

Inclusive value chains

Agrifood systems are a major source of employment but fail to provide decent livelihoods for most farmers and workers. MTI research seeks to leverage food value chain innovations, using inclusive business models and process innovations in logistics, wholesale and retail trade, and finance to make food production and distribution more efficient, while creating better incomes, jobs and livelihoods, especially for women and youth. A gender perspective is integrated into all MTI research.

Trade policies

World food markets are volatile, but increasingly important for food security and sustainability. MTI research evaluates the impact of trade barriers, including nontariff barriers and food standards, and the potential for trade policy reform to achieve food system sustainability, food safety, and food security across countries. MTI’s research and expertise also contribute to global agendas, including G20 and World Trade Organization discussions on trade and farm policy.

Shocks and resilience

Conflict, climate change, and global economic shocks pose increasing risks to rural livelihoods and food security. MTI contributes to decision-making for increased food system resilience by providing real-time monitoring of risks, building evidence on risk-management options such as innovative approaches to crop insurance and bundled risk management mechanisms, and tools for assessing impacts of global shocks on domestic food systems.

Methods and tools

MTI researchers use state-of-the-art global trade and economywide modeling tools, causal impact analysis, assessment of risk-management innovations, and farm-to-fork value chain analysis, including measurement of food loss and its causes. MTI contributes to capacity building and knowledge sharing through the Food Security Portal, AGRODEP, the AgIncentives Consortium, the G20 Technical Platform for the Measurement of Food Loss and Waste (TPFLW), G20’s Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), and the Knowledge Platform for Inclusive Markets and Value Chains (KISM).

Explore our latest research

Resource thumbnail

Working Paper

Program pathways for sustainable, nutrition sensitive school meals: An updated framework

2024Gelli, Aulo; Bliznashka, Lilia; Ruel, Marie T.
Details

Program pathways for sustainable, nutrition sensitive school meals: An updated framework

Global burden of disease analyses estimate that 20% of deaths are due to unhealthy diets (Afshin et al., 2019). Micronutrient deficiencies impair children’s physical and mental development (Bailey et al., 2015). The prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents increased from less than 1% in 1975 to 6% for girls and 8% for boys in 2016 (NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), 2017). The modernization of food systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) has led to rapid shifts to unhealthy diets and reductions in physical activity that have contributed to the global increase in rates of overweight and obesity (Popkin et al., 2020). Moreover, current dietary and population trends will exacerbate risks to people and the planet (Willett et al., 2019). Attention to nutrition during all stages of child and adolescent development is necessary to ensure that children can thrive over the 8,000-day period spanning infancy to adulthood, and to protect investments made earlier in the life cycle (Black et al., 2013). School feeding programs, or school meals, is a widely implemented intervention with documented impacts across social protection, education, health and nutrition (Alderman et al., 2024). Globally, programs reach about 368 million children for a total investment of about $70 billion a year (World Food Programme, 2020).

Year published

2024

Authors

Gelli, Aulo; Bliznashka, Lilia; Ruel, Marie T.

Citation

Gelli, Aulo; Bliznashka, Lilia; and Ruel, Marie T. 2024. Program pathways for sustainable, nutrition sensitive school meals: An updated framework. CGIAR Initiative on Fragility, Conflict, and Migration. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Keywords

Balanced Diets; Micronutrient Deficiencies; Nutrition; School Feeding; Sustainability

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Working Paper

Resource thumbnail

Report

Postharvest packaging and marketing innovation adoption in Nigeria: The case of plastic crate

2024Yami, Mesay; Saweda, Liverpool-Tasie; Wossen, Tesfamicheal; Oyinbo, Oyakhilomen; Yamauchi, Futoshi; Chamberlin, Jordan; Feleke, Shiferaw; Abdoulaye, Tahirou
Details

Postharvest packaging and marketing innovation adoption in Nigeria: The case of plastic crate

Postharvest loss of horticultural crops is high in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where smallholder farmers play a critical role in production (Jarman et al., 2023). Most losses happen during the production and postharvest handling stages, accounting for 38% and 34% of the total losses, respectively (Luo et al., 2021). The significant amounts of food loss are worrisome, particularly given the extent of poverty and food insecurity in SSA (Aragie, 2021). Reducing postharvest losses (PHL) is a key pathway to food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (Affognon et al., 2015). Food losses in SSA are influenced by insufficient infrastructure and technology for postharvest handling and storage, limited access to markets and coordinated logistics, and poor knowledge and skills in food handling and preservation techniques (Yamauchi & Takeshima, 2023; Rutta, 2022). The Green Revolution, intended to boost food production with modern farming methods, has unintentionally led to challenges in food distribution. Food losses grow due to longer supply chains and higher consumer incomes, resulting in greater food consumption away from home. Feeding Africa’s growing urban population of 472 million is becoming daunting with the current PHL (Plaisier et al., 2019). The urban population dependent on agricultural food from rural areas is expected to double over the next 25 years, with an annual growth rate of 4% (Lall et al., 2017). It is essential to tackle PHL in SSA to reduce the food deficit and ensure food and nutrition security (Affognon et al., 2015). SSA countries can reduce food losses by tackling the underlying causes of PHL and implementing effective strategies like upgrading infrastructure and technology for postharvest management, improving market access and transportation, and educating individuals on proper food preservation methods.

Year published

2024

Authors

Yami, Mesay; Saweda, Liverpool-Tasie; Wossen, Tesfamicheal; Oyinbo, Oyakhilomen; Yamauchi, Futoshi; Chamberlin, Jordan; Feleke, Shiferaw; Abdoulaye, Tahirou

Citation

Yami, Mesay; Saweda, Liverpool-Tasie; Wossen, Tesfamicheal; Oyinbo, Oyakhilomen; Yamauchi, Futoshi; Chamberlin, Jordan; Feleke, Shiferaw; and Abdoulaye, Tahirou. 2024. Postharvest packaging and marketing innovation adoption in Nigeria: The case of plastic crate. Rethinking Food Markets Technical Report. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

Western Africa; Africa; Postharvest Technology; Agriculture; Smallholders; Postharvest Losses; Food Security

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Report

Resource thumbnail

Report

Cool transportation in Nigeria: Intervention, baseline and randomized controlled trial

2024Yamauchi, Futoshi; Dauda, Bawa; Balana, Bedru; Edeh, Hyacinth; Shi, Weilun
Details

Cool transportation in Nigeria: Intervention, baseline and randomized controlled trial

In many developing countries, including Nigeria, much of fruit and vegetable production is lost largely because of lack of an adequate cold chain, including postharvest handling, cold storage and temperature-controlled transportation. As a result, not only the availability of fish, fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs and meat but also the safety and nutritional content of the food are affected. Under such conditions, all agents in the supply chain including farmers suffer from income reduction, while consumers face un-stable and lower-quality supply of normally more nutritious foods. Inadequate development of value chains and deficiencies in high costs associated with cooling systems are main causes of such losses.

Year published

2024

Authors

Yamauchi, Futoshi; Dauda, Bawa; Balana, Bedru; Edeh, Hyacinth; Shi, Weilun

Citation

Yamauchi, Futoshi; Dauda, Bawa; Balana, Bedru; Edeh, Hyacinth; and Shi, Weilun. 2024. Cool transportation in Nigeria: Intervention, baseline and randomized controlled trial. CGIAR Initiative on Rethinking Food Markets Technical Report. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

Western Africa; Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Fruits; Vegetables; Agricultural Production; Postharvest Losses; Cold Storage; Food Safety; Agricultural Value Chains; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Report

Blogs

How we used coordinated trials and meta-analysis to evaluate interventions to increase varietal turnover
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 19, 2024

How we used coordinated trials and meta-analysis to evaluate interventions to increase varietal turnover

By Berber Kramer, Carly Trachtman, and Witold Więcek

Assessing impacts of a multi-country project.

How men and women cope with weather-related agricultural production risk: A case study of cereal and tomato farmers in Haryana, India
IFPRI Blog
 | 
November 22, 2024

How men and women cope with weather-related agricultural production risk: A case study of cereal and tomato farmers in Haryana, India

By Samyuktha Kannan and Berber Kramer

Addressing gender differences to build resilience.

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.

View all Blogs

News

September 03, 2024 | Press Release

Ruth Hill joins IFPRI as the new Director of the Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit

Ruth Hill joins IFPRI as the new Director of its Markets, Trade, and Institutions (MTI) Unit, starting September 3, 2024. 

January 25, 2024 | In the News

The timing of the Red Sea attacks could not be worse for Democrats (Politico)

Senior research fellow Joseph Glauber is quoted in a Politico story about how the growing military conflict in a key trade corridor is threatening to unleash economic havoc on the global economy ahead of November. “If energy prices go up and remain high, you’d see food inflation persisting,” said Joe Glauber. He added that potential […]

January 18, 2024 | In the News

Red Sea attacks reverberate in food and ag trade (Successful Farming) 

Successful Farming quotes the IFPRI blog post on the Impacts of Red Sea shipping disruptions on global food security by senior research fellow Joseph Glauber and senior research analyst Abdullah Mamun.  According to the article, Houthi attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea are disrupting grain shipments from Europe, Ukraine, and Russia. “Trade disruptions are most likely to impact […]

View all News

Events

The Pulse of Progress: Harnessing High-Frequency Survey Data for Development Research in the Polycrisis Era
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

December 17 to 18, 2024

The Pulse of Progress: Harnessing High-Frequency Survey Data for Development Research in the Polycrisis Era

The Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS), the World Bank’s flagship household survey program, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are co-organizing a conference, The Pulse of Progress: Harnessing High-Frequency Survey Data for Development Research in the Polycrisis Era, which will take place on December 17-18, 2024, at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, […]

2024 Global Child Nutrition Forum
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

December 9 to 10, 2024

2024 Global Child Nutrition Forum

IFPRI is pleased to participate in the “2024 Global Child Nutrition Forum”. The Global Child Nutrition Foundation works with a global network of governments, businesses, and civil society organizations to support school meal programs that help children and communities thrive. GCNF provides training, technical assistance, and networking opportunities to help governments build national school meal […]

Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia: Connecting the Dots Across Systems
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

December 3 to 5, 2024

Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia: Connecting the Dots Across Systems

South Asia grapples with escalating levels of malnutrition in various forms, including undernutrition, overweight and obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies, alongside increasing incidence of diet-related non-communicable diseases. Malnutrition results from a complex interplay of factors incorporating household and individual decision-making, agriculture and food systems, healthcare services, education, and socio-ecological systems that determine access to services and […]

View all Events

Recent Work

Search Our Publications

right arrow
By Title By Author By Country/Region By Keyword
Essential Reading
The Russia-Ukraine Conflict & Global Food Security
The Russia-Ukraine conflict and global food security

The Russia-Ukraine conflict and global food security

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, sparking fears of a global food crisis, IFPRI responded rapidly to the need for information and policy advice to address the crisis. From the first moments of the conflict, a new IFPRI blog series provided critical information and insights into the impacts on food security, caused by rising food, fertilizer, and fuel prices and trade disruptions, for vulnerable countries and regions. This book is a compilation of those blog posts, which include analysis of trade flows, tracking of food prices and policy responses, and results of impact modeling. Together, they provide an overview of how the crisis has progressed, how the international community and individual countries responded with efforts to ensure food security, and what we are learning about the best ways to ensure food security in the aftermath of a major shock to global food systems.

Year published

2023

Project

Markets, Trade, and Institutions (MTI); Food and Nutrition Policy

Engaging women's groups to improve nutrition
Engaging women’s groups to improve nutrition: Findings from an evaluation of the Jeevika multisectoral convergence pilot in Saharsa, Bihar

Engaging women’s groups to improve nutrition: Findings from an evaluation of the Jeevika multisectoral convergence pilot in Saharsa, Bihar

This report presents the endline findings of an impact evaluation of the JEEViKA Multisectoral Convergence pilot, designed as an effectiveness trial, in one district in Bihar, India. JEEViKA, a rural livelihoods project, supports self-help groups (SHGs) – savings and credit-based groups of about 15-20 women, mostly targeted toward those from poor households – with the aim of improving their livelihoods and enhancing household incomes. The JEEViKA Multisectoral Convergence (JEEViKA-MC) pilot went a step further, leveraging these SHGs to address the immediate and underlying determinants of undernutrition among women and children. The multisectoral convergence model, developed by the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society with technical support from the World Bank, was piloted in 12 Gram Panchayats of Saharsa district in Bihar. Two complementary sets of interventions-health and nutrition behavior change communication (BCC) to improve women’s knowledge and household practices, and efforts to improve service access through convergence -were layered onto the existing core package of JEEViKA activities and were targeted to women who were members of the SHGs already formed by JEEViKA. Within this target population, households with young children, mothers of young children, and pregnant women were the primary focus of the JEEViKA-MC pilot.

Year published

2019

Project

PHND; A4NH

show me what you eat
Show me what you eat: Assessing diets remotely through pictures

Show me what you eat: Assessing diets remotely through pictures

Goal: Using real-time smartphone meal pictures sent by rural or urban households to better monitor and assess the quality of their diets, and provide tailored recommendations to improve them. Detailed information on household and individual dietary intake is crucial for adequate nutritional monitoring and designing interventions to improve diets. Common recall-based methods are generally time consuming, costly, and subject to non-negligible measurement errors and potential biases. In addition, the scope of information that can be obtained in a regular survey is typically limited. Detailed diaries, in turn, are effort- and time-intensive and prone to errors. With increasing mobile penetration in both urban and rural areas, meal pictures can overcome some of these difficulties, providing real-time, detailed food intake information of individuals remotely and at a minimal cost. Moreover, pictures can be obtained over extended periods of time, beyond the standard short spans (i.e. 24-hours) in recall survey questions, with little to no data quality loss. Such rich consumption data can help identify and better understand vulnerabilities and nutritional imbalances —including specific macronutrient or micronutrient gaps or excesses—, and open the door for low-cost, individually tailored digital interventions to promote healthier diets. Moreover, crowdsourced data allow to identify locally available, affordable foods rich in specific nutrients consumed by similar households in the area. Interventions, in turn, can be delivered through text messages, interactive voice response (IVR), or phone calls, or videos or interactive games integrated into an app, benefitting from a two-way communication channel with individuals.

Year published

2021

Project

MTID

Our experts

Ruth Hill

Ruth Hill

Director, Markets, Trade, and Institutions, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions

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

Valeria Piñeiro

Valeria Piñeiro

Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Latin
America and the Caribbean, Markets, Trade, and Institutions

Manuel Hernandez

Manuel Hernandez

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

Antoine Bouet

Antoine Bouet

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions

Aditi Chugh

Aditi Chugh

Research Analyst, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions

Cynthia Paz

Cynthia Paz

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

Brendan Rice

Brendan Rice

Research Specialist, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions

Weilun Shi

Weilun Shi

Research Analyst, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions