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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

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

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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.

IFPRI Regional Programs

IFPRI Country Programs

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partnerships

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), one of fifteen CGIAR research centers, helps to improve the lives in developing countries by encouraging more productive, sustainable maize and wheat farming. CIMMYT aims to reducing food insecurity and malnutrition, climate change and environmental destruction. CIMMYT, and its partnerships, help to build and strengthen a new generation of national agricultural research and extension services in maize- and wheat-growing nations.

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Publications

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Brief

Supporting Sudan’s entrepreneurs in crisis: Policy insights from micro, small, and medium enterprises

2024Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Fisher, Monica; Cavicchioli, Martina; Chamberlin, Jordan
Details

Supporting Sudan’s entrepreneurs in crisis: Policy insights from micro, small, and medium enterprises

The current conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, which began in April 2023, has had a profound impact on the nation’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME). Such enterprises are a vital part of the country’s economy and important to the food security of many Sudanese households. All MSMEs, including those in the agrifood sector, have faced severe disruptions due to the instability, rising inflation, and supply chain breakdowns brought on by the conflict. These challenges have destabilized MSMEs, affecting their financial viability, operations, and capacity to support local food security and provide employment. Agrifood MSMEs, in particular, serve as critical intermediaries between large firms and smallholders, supporting local economies and national food systems.2 The conflict has disrupted every aspect of agrifood value chains in Sudan, from input supplies and production to market accessibility. Agrifood entrepreneurs—especially women—have borne some of the heaviest impacts. Female entrepreneurs already face significant gender-based barriers in operating successful businesses, such as more limited access to finance, restrictive social norms, and mobility constraints. In this period of conflict, they now confront even greater challenges.

Year published

2024

Authors

Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Fisher, Monica; Cavicchioli, Martina; Chamberlin, Jordan

Citation

Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Fisher, Monica; Cavicchioli, Martina; and Chamberlin, Jordan. 2024. Supporting Sudan’s entrepreneurs in crisis: Policy insights from micro, small, and medium enterprises. Sudan Strategy Support Program Policy Note 9. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163749

Country/Region

Sudan

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Enterprises; Conflicts; Food Security; Food Supply Chains; Economics; Gender

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

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Brief

Evolution of food insecurity in Sudan during the ongoing conflict

2024Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Fisher, Monica; Abushama, Hala; Ahmed, Mosab; Raouf, Mariam; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum
Details

Evolution of food insecurity in Sudan during the ongoing conflict

Sudan’s food security landscape has been dramatically impacted by the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which began in April 2023. The conflict has exacerbated an already precarious situation for the country, characterized by macroeconomic instability, climate shocks, and persistent discord and tension. This policy note analyzes the evolution of food insecurity in Sudan during the conflict, drawing from analysis of four nationwide surveys conducted before and during the conflict, namely the 2022 Sudan Labor Market Panel Survey (SLMPS),1 the 2023/24 Sudan Rural Household Survey,2 the 2024 Sudan Urban Survey,3 and the recently completed 2024 Rural Household Survey. The findings highlight significant deterioration in food security across rural and urban areas of Sudan. Based on insights from these surveys, policy recommendations are offered to address food insecurity in the context of the conflict in Sudan. Before the outbreak of the conflict in 2023, Sudan was already facing significant food insecurity challenges. The 2022 SLMPS, a nationwide survey conducted in person, revealed that approximately 49 percent of Sudanese households were food secure. Factors such as high inflation, climate-related shocks, and underinvestment in agriculture have led to many households facing problems accessing sufficient healthy food, adversely affecting their food consumption. The reliance of Sudan on imports for a significant share of food consumption, coupled with a devaluating Sudanese Pound and rising inflation, strained household purchasing power, further limiting access to essential foodstuffs. Food insecurity was uneven across the country. Rural areas, where consumption of own agricultural production is essential for household food security, had higher food insecurity than urban areas. Some regions were particularly vulnerable to food insecurity, including the Darfur and Kordofan regions and Blue Nile states. Localized conflicts in these areas disrupted agricultural activities and displaced communities even before broader-scale fighting between SAF and RSF began.

Year published

2024

Authors

Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Fisher, Monica; Abushama, Hala; Ahmed, Mosab; Raouf, Mariam; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum

Citation

Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Fisher, Monica; Abushama, Hala; Ahmed, Mosab; Raouf, Mariam; and Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum. 2024. Evolution of food insecurity in Sudan during the ongoing conflict. Sudan Strategy Support Policy Note 8. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Sudan

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Capacity Development; Conflicts; Food Insecurity; Macroeconomics; Policy Innovation

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

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Conference Proceedings

Navigating Sudan’s conflict: Research insights and policy implications: Proceedings of a conference

2024Ahmed, Mosab; Abushama, Hala; Siddig, Khalid; Kirui, Oliver K.; Dorosh, Paul A.; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum
Details

Navigating Sudan’s conflict: Research insights and policy implications: Proceedings of a conference

This report synthesizes the key discussions and outcomes of the “Navigating Sudan’s Conflict: Research Insights and Policy Implications” conference, held on March 5, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya. Convening a diverse group of experts in research, development, and humanitarian efforts, the conference aimed to explore actionable solutions for the socioeconomic challenges triggered by Sudan’s ongoing conflict. Participants at the conference delved into the conflict’s adverse impacts on agriculture, markets, employment, and food security, as well as its wider regional impacts. Notably, the conference findings underscore the urgent need for supporting smallholder farmers, stabilizing markets, generating employment opportunities, and enhancing agricultural productivity within a comprehensive recovery strategy. Furthermore, conference participants stressed the importance of innovative data gathering, collaborative policy formulation, international support, and coordination to ensure effective interventions. This report succinctly presents the interventions discussed in the conference’s research and panel discussion sessions, particularly the pivotal insights offered in each to guide policy that will build peace, strengthen resilience, and relaunch and accelerate human and economic development efforts in Sudan.

Year published

2024

Authors

Ahmed, Mosab; Abushama, Hala; Siddig, Khalid; Kirui, Oliver K.; Dorosh, Paul A.; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum

Citation

Ahmed, Mosab; Abushama, Hala; Siddig, Khalid; Kirui, Oliver; Dorosh, Paul; and Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum. 2024. Navigating Sudan’s conflict: Research insights and policy implications: Proceedings of a conference. Sudan SSP Conference Proceedings. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140775

Country/Region

Sudan

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Armed Conflicts; Data Collection; Policy Innovation; Food Security; Agriculture; Resilience; Markets

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Conference Proceedings

Events

Virtual Event - Building back better: How can public food and agricultural research institutions be strengthened and rebuilt after the COVID-19 pandemic?
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

February 2, 2021, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Virtual Event – Building back better: How can public food and agricultural research institutions be strengthened and rebuilt after the COVID-19 pandemic?

How can public food and agricultural research institutions be strengthened and rebuilt after the COVID-19 pandemic?

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Blogs

What can we really learn from sex-disaggregated data?
IFPRI Blog
 | 
January 11, 2022

What can we really learn from sex-disaggregated data?

By Bjorn Van Campenhout, Els Lecoutere, and David Spielman

Parsing sometimes contradictory responses in household surveys.

Providing information to empower women in agriculture: Evidence from Uganda
IFPRI Blog
 | 
May 08, 2020

Providing information to empower women in agriculture: Evidence from Uganda

By Bjorn Van Campenhout, Els Lecoutere, and David Spielman

A study shows that viewing videos on farming techniques has a range of gender equity benefits.

Gaining a better understanding of local fertilizer prices for African smallholder farmers
IFPRI Blog
 | 
January 16, 2020

Gaining a better understanding of local fertilizer prices for African smallholder farmers

By Joshua Masinde

A new study uses spatial interpolation models to estimate local fertilizer prices where data are unavailable.

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