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What we do

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.

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researcher spotlight

Samuel Benin

Samuel Benin is the Acting Director for Africa in the Development Strategies and Governance Unit. He conducts research on national strategies and public investment for accelerating food systems transformation in Africa and provides analytical support to the African Union’s CAADP Biennial Review.

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

Research by country and region

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partnerships

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is a Crown corporation of Canada which funds research to promote growth, reduce poverty, and drive large-scale positive change in developing countries. IDRC’s mandate was established by an act of Canada’s parliament. It is mandated “to initiate, encourage, support, and conduct research into the problems of the developing regions of the world and into the means for applying and adapting scientific, technical, and other knowledge to the economic and social advancement of those regions.”

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Projects

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……

Gender-Responsive Policies for Inclusive Agri-Food Systems in Africa

Gender-Responsive Policies for Inclusive Agri-Food Systems in Africa

Boys, girls, men, and women have various roles in global socioeconomic development. However, the norms, behaviors and responsibilities associated with being a boy, girl, man,……

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Publications

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Report

Brief review of Ghana’s food system transformation pathways

2024Asante, Felix A.
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Brief review of Ghana’s food system transformation pathways

Global estimates show over half a billion people go hungry (FAO, 2020) and close to 2 billion people are either obese or overweight with another 2 billion of the world’s population suffering from micronutrient deficiencies (Micha et al., 2020, Fresco et al., 2017). Inarguably, the world faces significant malnutrition problem (including micro- and macro-nutrient deficiencies, obesity, and diet related non-communicable diseases). This is evident in a recent analysis pointing out that effort in achieving the Global Nutrition Targets is likely to be missed. The observed malnutrition threat is accompanied by climate change, which is influencing food production and consumption trends, and thereby leading to undernutrition and affecting overall development. In addition, there are growing incomes, accelerated urbanization, and expanding middle classes which are also causing significant changes in consumer behaviour and nutritional choices, necessitating both public and private expenditures for better food market integration. As a result, there is a pressing need to examine our food systems to guarantee food and nutrition security and to advance sustainable development. It is likely that the COVID-19 impact may further exacerbates the worsening food insecurity and nutritional status of the most vulnerable groups including women, children and adolescents, refugees and displaced people, smallholders in rural areas, and the urban poor.

Year published

2024

Authors

Asante, Felix A.

Citation

Asante, Felix A. 2024. Brief review of Ghana’s food system transformation pathways. Research Report September 2023. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Ghana

Keywords

Western Africa; Africa; Nutrition; Hunger; Non-communicable Diseases; Obesity; Malnutrition; Climate Change; Food Systems; Covid-19; Capacity Development

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Report

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Report

Ghana: Processes and outputs associated with the UN Food Systems Summit

2024Asante, Felix A.
Details

Ghana: Processes and outputs associated with the UN Food Systems Summit

Like other countries in the sub-region particularly West African economies, Ghana is grappling with multiple burdens of malnutrition which is accompanied by climate change that influence food production and consumption trends, and thereby leading to undernutrition and affecting overall development. In addition, growing incomes, accelerated urbanization, and expanding middle classes are also causing significant changes in consumer behavior and nutritional choices, necessitating both public and private expenditures for better food market integration. While food insecurity, and undernutrition (e.g. stunting, micronutrient deficiencies) persist, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases are rising rapidly. General nutrition situation and identification of the highest priority nutrition problems. Various estimates of nutritional status of Ghanaian children under aged 5 years show that 19% were stunted, 5% were wasted, and 11% were underweight. In 2018, the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) showed nearly similar rates of stunting (18%), wasting (7%) and underweight (13%), suggesting that stunting prevalence improved only marginally during the last 5-6 years, whereas child wasting and underweight worsened during the period. Other significant problems of undernutrition in Ghana include a high prevalence anemia in children 6-59 months (55%), adolescent girls (48%) and women of reproductive age (42%). From the foregoing, the high priority nutrition challenges in Ghana, include “stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age; anemia in children 6-59 months of age, adolescent girls, and women of reproductive age; but also, overweight and obesity in school-age children and younger adolescents; and overweight and obesity in women of reproductive age (15-49 y of age). Report of the Demographic and Health Surveys show a significant rising trend in adult obesity – from 10% in 1993 to 40% in 2015 (GSS et al., 2015). Also, the Ghanaian food environments (particularly in the urban areas) is currently characterized by cheap highly-processed foods, with nutrient-dense foods such fruits and vegetables lacking in meals because it is unaffordable (Laar, 2021).

Year published

2024

Authors

Asante, Felix A.

Citation

Asante, Felix A. 2024. Ghana: Processes and outputs associated with the UN Food Systems Summit. Stocktaking Report September 2023. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Ghana

Keywords

Western Africa; Africa; Malnutrition; Climate Change; Food Production; Consumer Behaviour; Food Security; Non-communicable Diseases; Capacity Development

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Report

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Report

Global food 50/50 report 2023/2024: Analysis of family-friendly workplace policies and gender equality in 51 global food system organizations

2024Global Health 50/50; International Food Policy Research Institute; UN Women; Tanaka, Sonja; Malapit, Hazel J.; Njuki, Jemimah
Details

Global food 50/50 report 2023/2024: Analysis of family-friendly workplace policies and gender equality in 51 global food system organizations

The third annual Global Food 50/50 Report, a joint initiative of Global Health 50/50, the International Food Policy Research Institute, and UN Women, reviews the gender- and equity-related policies and practices of 51 global food system organizations to assess two interlinked dimensions of inequality: inequality of opportunity in careers within organizations and inequality in who benefits from the global food system. The Report highlights the progress, or lack thereof, made by food organizations in promoting diversity and equality in their leadership and decision-making. For the first time, the 2023/2024 Report expands its focus to address a policy area that plays a decisive role in promoting equality of opportunity in the workplace: the extent to which workplace policies recognize and support employees’ care responsibilities.

Year published

2024

Authors

Global Health 50/50; International Food Policy Research Institute; UN Women; Tanaka, Sonja; Malapit, Hazel J.; Njuki, Jemimah

Citation

Global Health 50/50; International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); and UN Women. 2024. Global food 50/50 report 2023/2024: Analysis of family-friendly workplace policies and gender equality in 51 global food system organizations. Washington, DC: Global Health 50/50; International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); and UN Women. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139832

Keywords

Food Systems; Gender; Gender Equality; Policies; Women; Working Conditions; Working Hours; Parental Behaviour

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.56649/ddxd8983 Source record

Project

Gender

Record type

Report

Events

Canadian perspectives on the 2018 Global Food Policy Report
Series/Special Event

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May 1, 2018, 9:00 – 10:30 am

Canadian perspectives on the 2018 Global Food Policy Report

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC), partnering with CGIAR’s International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and with the collaboration of Global Affairs Canada, is hosting the Canadian launch of IFPRI’s 2018 Global Food Policy Report. Open to the public through registration, this event will showcase Canadian perspectives on the current opportunities—and challenges—facing public servants, researchers, […]

Blogs

Improving child and adolescent diets at school: An evaluation of Chile’s Food Labeling and Advertising Law
IFPRI Blog
 | 
June 23, 2023

Improving child and adolescent diets at school: An evaluation of Chile’s Food Labeling and Advertising Law

By Gabriela Fretes

Creating a healthier food environment.

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.

Ethiopia’s social safety net effective in limiting COVID-19 impacts on rural food insecurity
IFPRI Blog
 | 
January 28, 2021

Ethiopia’s social safety net effective in limiting COVID-19 impacts on rural food insecurity

By Kibrom A. Abay, Guush Berhane, John Hoddinott, and Kibrom Tafere

A survey shows such programs can be effective in addressing the impacts of sudden shocks.