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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.

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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.

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experts

Communications and Public Affairs (CPA)

Charlotte Hebebrand

Director of Communications and Public Affairs

Charlotte Hebebrand

Bio

Charlotte Hebebrand is the Director of Communications and Public Affairs. She has extensive experience researching as well as writing and communicating about food and agricultural policy topics.

Charlotte served most recently as Director General of the Paris-based International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA), a 500+ member association composed of different companies in the fertilizer value chain and other organizations with an interest in plant nutrition, with some two-thirds of the membership based in emerging and developing economies. During her tenure, she worked to modernize the governance structure of the association, to update the market intelligence and conference offerings, and to strengthen outreach to UN agencies and other international organizations. Working closely with the membership and external stakeholders, she led a strategic review that resulted in a major pivot to sustainability/ESG in IFA’s work program. She was formerly the President of the Washington, DC-based International Food & Agricultural Trade Policy Council, a membership organization composed of former trade negotiators, academics, and private sector players dedicated to the pursuit of an open and fair trading system for food and agricultural products.

Charlotte began to work on food and agricultural topics at the EU Delegation in Washington, where she held positions in the Development, Trade and Agriculture & Food Safety divisions. She presently serves on the Board of the International Fertilizer Development Center, and on the advisory board of ag tech start-up Phospholutions. She is a former member of the Independent Steering Committee of CGIAR’s Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security and previously served as a member of DuPont’s Advisory Committee on Agricultural Innovation & Productivity for the 21st Century. She holds an MA in International Relations and Economics from the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.

Languages spoken: English, German, French, Spanish

Communications and Public Affairs (CPA)

CV

Publications

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Book Chapter

Short-term policy considerations to respond to Russia-Ukraine crisis disruptions in fertilizer availability and affordability

2023Hebebrand, Charlotte; Laborde Debucquet, David
Details

Short-term policy considerations to respond to Russia-Ukraine crisis disruptions in fertilizer availability and affordability

As discussed in an earlier post, fertilizer prices have increased drastically, up 230% between May 2020 and May 2022. Now — driven upward by supply disruptions stemming from the Russia-Ukraine conflict — they are nearing the peak reached in August 2008 during the last major food price crisis. Spiking fertilizer prices are likely to have major impacts on agriculture and food production — and thus, food security — around the world, as farmers struggle to pay for a key input and face potential supply disruptions, and governments look for ways to cushion the economic blow.

Year published

2023

Authors

Hebebrand, Charlotte; Laborde Debucquet, David

Citation

Hebebrand, Charlotte; and Laborde Debucquet, David. 2023. Short-term policy considerations to respond to Russia-Ukraine crisis disruptions in fertilizer availability and affordability. In The Russia-Ukraine Conflict and Global Food Security, eds. Joseph Glauber and David Laborde Debucquet. Section Two: Policy Recommendations, Chapter 13, Pp. 69-74. https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896294394_13

Keywords

Fertilizers; Food Production; Shock; Policies; War; Coronavirus; Covid-19; Supply; Agriculture; Markets; Trade; Coronavirinae; Russia; Food Security; Ukraine; Conflicts; Coronavirus Disease; Prices; Climate Change

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896294394_13 Source record

Record type

Book Chapter

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Book Chapter

High fertilizer prices contribute to rising global food security concerns

2023Hebebrand, Charlotte; Laborde Debucquet, David
Details

High fertilizer prices contribute to rising global food security concerns

Like people, plants need a multitude of nutrients to thrive. These are categorized into micronutrients, such as zinc and iron; secondary macronutrients, such as calcium and magnesium; and three primary macronutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Mineral fertilizers provide higher and more plant-accessible nutrients, while organic minerals importantly also provide carbon, which contributes to healthy soils. While efforts to reduce nutrient losses to the environment must be continued and stepped up, it bears emphasizing that fertilizers play a crucial role in agricultural productivity. World market prices for both food and fertilizer (here we focus only on N, P, and K) increased significantly over the past year and a half and have climbed to even higher levels following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, hitting their highest levels yet in March (see Figure 1, +125% from January 2021 to January 2022, +17% from January 2022 to March 2022). While there is an immediate concern about the impact of high food prices on food security, especially in low and middle-income countries, fertilizer price spikes and concerns about availability cast a shadow on future harvests, and thus risk keeping food prices high for a longer period. In this blog post — which draws on data from the new IFPRI fertilizer dashboard; IFASTAT, compiled by the International Fertilizer Association (IFA); and FAOSTAT — we discuss the underlying drivers of current high pric es, explain why the global fertilizer market is particularly susceptible to shocks, and examine which countries are most vulnerable to fertilizer market disruptions. A subsequent post will explore short- and medium-term solutions to address the serious affordability and availability concerns.

Year published

2023

Authors

Hebebrand, Charlotte; Laborde Debucquet, David

Citation

Hebebrand, Charlotte; and Laborde Debucquet, David. 2023. High fertilizer prices contribute to rising global food security concerns. In The Russia-Ukraine Conflict and Global Food Security, eds. Joseph Glauber and David Laborde Debucquet. Section One: A Conflict with Global Consequences, Chapter 7, Pp. 38-42. https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896294394_07

Keywords

Fertilizers; Shock; Policies; War; Coronavirus; Covid-19; Agriculture; Markets; Trade; Coronavirinae; Trace Elements; Russia; Soil Quality; Food Security; Ukraine; Conflicts; Agricultural Productivity; Coronavirus Disease; Prices; Climate Change

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896294394_07 Source record

Record type

Book Chapter

Resource thumbnail

Book Chapter

The Russia-Ukraine war after a year: Impacts on fertilizer production, prices, and trade flows

2023Hebebrand, Charlotte; Glauber, Joseph W.
Details

The Russia-Ukraine war after a year: Impacts on fertilizer production, prices, and trade flows

Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine triggered global disruptions in markets for key food crops and fertilizers, threatening food security worldwide. With the war now entering its second year, high international food prices have moderated, though domestic price levels remain high in many low- and middle-income countries. Here, we turn to global fertilizer markets, examining how they weathered the past year, and the likely impacts going forward for agricultural production and food security.

Year published

2023

Authors

Hebebrand, Charlotte; Glauber, Joseph W.

Citation

Hebebrand, Charlotte; and Glauber, Joseph W. 2023. The Russia-Ukraine war after a year: Impacts on fertilizer production, prices, and trade flows. In The Russia-Ukraine Conflict and Global Food Security, eds. Joseph Glauber and David Laborde Debucquet. Section One: A Conflict with Global Consequences, Chapter 8, Pp. 43-47. https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896294394_08

Country/Region

Belarus; Ukraine

Keywords

Russia; Eastern Europe; Europe; Penalties; Fertilizers; Shock; Policies; War; Coronavirus; Covid-19; Crops; Agriculture; Markets; Trade; Coronavirinae; Food Security; Conflicts; Coronavirus Disease; Prices; Climate Change

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896294394_08 Source record

Record type

Book Chapter

Blogs

Global fertilizer trade 2021-2023: What happened after war-related price spikes
IFPRI Blog
 | 
April 05, 2024

Global fertilizer trade 2021-2023: What happened after war-related price spikes

By Charlotte Hebebrand and Joseph Glauber

Impacts of shifting market flows.

Grappling with compounding crises in domestic fertilizer markets in Africa: The case of Ethiopia
IFPRI Blog
 | 
January 16, 2024

Grappling with compounding crises in domestic fertilizer markets in Africa: The case of Ethiopia

By Kibrom Abay, Thomas W. Assefa, Guush Berhane, Gashaw Tadesse Abate, and Charlotte Hebebrand

Local effects of global shocks persist.

Fertilizer policies amid global supply and price shocks
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 11, 2023

Fertilizer policies amid global supply and price shocks

By Kibrom Abay, Jordan Chamberlin, Pauline Chivenge, Charlotte Hebebrand, and David J. Spielman

Global prices have moderated but many countries still face difficulties.

Events

Famines and Fragility: Making humanitarian, developmental, and peacebuilding responses work
Series/Special Event

 | 

June 11, 2024, 9:30 – 11:15 am

Famines and Fragility: Making humanitarian, developmental, and peacebuilding responses work

Virtual Event: June 11, 2024 – 9:30 AM- 11:15 AM EDT. This seminar will take stock of what we know of key drivers about protracted food crises and persistent fragility and about the obstacles to successful HDP action.

Understanding the New Dynamics of Agrifood Trade, Perspectives by Pascal Lamy
Series/Special Event

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May 30, 2024, 2:30 – 4:00 pm

Understanding the New Dynamics of Agrifood Trade, Perspectives by Pascal Lamy

Hybrid Event: May 30, 2024 at 2:30pm-4:00pm EDT. Please join us for a lecture by IFPRI Board Chair Pascal Lamy, a foremost expert in international trade matters, who served as the European Union’s Trade Commissioner and as the World Trade Organization’s Director General. The lecture will be followed by comments from a panel of international trade experts and a Q&A session.

2024 Global Food Policy Report: Improving Diets and Nutrition through Food Systems: What Will it Take?
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

May 29, 2024, 9:30 – 11:00 am

2024 Global Food Policy Report: Improving Diets and Nutrition through Food Systems: What Will it Take?

Hybrid Event: May 29, 2024 at 9:30am-11:00am EDT. IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy Report on Food Systems for Healthy Diets, presents evidence-based policy and governance solutions to strengthen diet quality and nutrition in low- and middle-income countries, and examines priorities for future research on food systems for better nutrition.

News

August 10, 2023 | In the News

Russia’s shift to divert fertilizer exports toward China and India raises food security concerns (Nikkei)

Nikkei (Japan) quotes IFPRI’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs Charlotte Hebebrand who noted, “Russia is clearly concerned about fertilizer exports. With rising fertilizer prices and ongoing conflict in Ukraine, securing revenue through exports has become even more crucial.” “According to analysis by IFPRI, the export volumes of urea fertilizer and diammonium phosphate (DAP) from […]

July 23, 2023 | Press Release

IFPRI researchers receive AAEA 2023 Quality of Communication and Publication of Enduring Quality awards

Work on the implications of the Ukraine crisis on food systems and research on trade, food standards, and poverty recognized Washington, D.C. June 24, 2023 – Researchers at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) were recognized today with two prestigious awards from the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA). Joseph Glauber (Senior Research Fellow), David […]

February 24, 2023 | In the News

When the war in Ukraine has consequences in the Global South (Le Devoir) 

The price of DAP fertilizer in Kenya has gone from 2600 shillings per bag in 2019 to 6500 today, motivating the government to subsidize so that farmers pay 3500 writes Le Devoir (France). The aim is to reach some 5 million farmers, but only around 20 percent seem to be receiving subsidized DAP given the difficulties/costs […]