AgriBusiness Global interviewed IFPRI Director General Johan Swinnen in their recent 2025 World Report. Swinnen, along with other experts, provided comments on the challenges and opportunities facing global agriculture.
“Policy choices will influence which countries and people are able to participate in and benefit from growth. For those who face barriers to participating, including gender-based ones, we must provide social safety nets… In Egypt, we (IFPRI) found that cash transfers under the Takaful and Karama social protection program were effective, leading the program to be continued and expanded to 12 million beneficiaries in 2020,” Swinnen said.
Swinnen also discussed food system transformation. “The time to transform food systems is now…Agribusinesses can digitize food systems and close the digital divide in agriculture. They can insure farmers against crises and create industrial corridors for food production and free trade of agricultural products. The private sector can allocate venture capital for innovation, provide equal access to financial services, and truly climate-proof food systems for the future,” Swinnen said.
Read the full report for more details.