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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.

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. 

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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

Natural Resources and Resilience

Kristin Davis

Senior Research Fellow

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@kristinmkulima
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Bio

Dr. Kristin Davis is a Senior Research Fellow in the Natural Resources and Resilience Unit, based in South Africa. She joined IFPRI in 2004 as a postdoctoral fellow and currently leads projects conducting research and strengthening capacity on agricultural extension and education, gender equality and youth inclusion, nature-positive solutions, human capital, and agricultural innovation systems. She has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and policy briefs and serves as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension. Kristin was the architect of the New Extensionist Learning Kit, a set of modules containing core competencies for the global agricultural extension agent.

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Publications

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Brief

The true costs of food production in Viet Nam

2024Benfica, Rui; Davis, Kristin; Dao, The Anh; Vu, Dang Toan; Naziri, Diego
Details

The true costs of food production in Viet Nam

Key takeaways True cost accounting allows for the measurement of hidden impacts of food production on the environment, human health, and society. • Our findings show that at the national level for all crop sectors: o Environmental externalities account for 73% and social for 27% of external cost structure. o Major environmental impact sources are land occupation, air pollution, and climate change. o Major social impact sources are underpayment of farm workers and the incidence of child labor. • In NATURE+ sites in Sa Pa and Mai Son districts for the crop sector: o External costs represent about 24% of all household crop production costs. o Environmental externalities (61%) are greater than social (39%). o Land occupation is the most important external impact source, followed by soil degradation and climate change. o Under earning (underpayment of workers and/or low famer profits) are significant social costs, followed by the gender wage gap and the incidence of child labor.

Year published

2024

Authors

Benfica, Rui; Davis, Kristin; Dao, The Anh; Vu, Dang Toan; Naziri, Diego

Citation

Benfica, Rui; Davis, Kristin; Dao, The Anh; Vu, Dang Toan; and Naziri, Diego. 2024. The true costs of food production in Viet Nam. Nature-Positive Solutions Initiative Policy Brief. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute

Country/Region

Vietnam

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; True Cost Accounting; Food Production; Sustainability; Crops

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Nature-Positive Solutions

Record type

Brief

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Brief

The true costs of food production in Kenya

2024Benfica, Rui; Davis, Kristin; Oulu, Martin; Termote, Céline; Fadda, Carlo
Details

The true costs of food production in Kenya

Key takeaways • True cost accounting allows for the measurement of hidden impacts of food production on the environment, human health, and society. • Our findings show that at the national level for all crop sectors: o Social costs account for 90% and environmental for 10% of external cost structure. o Major social cost sources are underpayment, child labor, and occupational health risks. o Major environmental cost sources are land-use expansion and climate change. • Findings at farm level in NATURE+ Initiative sites in Kajiado, Kisumu, and Vihiga, for the crop sector show that: o Direct costs (70% of true costs) are predominantly hired labor and seed costs o External costs represent about 30% of the true costs o Social externalities costs (84%) are greater than environmental costs (16%) o Forced labor is the most important impact, followed by child labor, underpayment, and gender wage gaps o Environmental externalities include land occupation (land use) and soil degradation

Year published

2024

Authors

Benfica, Rui; Davis, Kristin; Oulu, Martin; Termote, Céline; Fadda, Carlo

Citation

Benfica, Rui; Davis, Kristin; Oulu, Martin; Termote, Céline; and Fadda, Carlo. 2024. The true costs of food production in Kenya. Nature-Positive Solutions Initiative Policy Brief. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; True Cost Accounting; Food Production; Crops; Climate Change; Labour

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Nature-Positive Solutions

Record type

Brief

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Newsletter

True costs of food production in Kenya and Vietnam

2024Davis, Kristin E.; Benfica, Rui
Details

True costs of food production in Kenya and Vietnam

Many countries aim for sustainable food systems, which provide nutritious food equitably without compromising economic, social and environmental objectives. However, most food systems generate substantial unaccounted impacts in the environmental, social and health spheres. These impacts are not reflected in the market prices of goods or services. True cost accounting (TCA) is a method that adds up both direct and external costs to find the «true cost» of food production (Figure 1). TCA systematically measures and values external costs to facilitate sustainable choices by decisionmakers.

Year published

2024

Authors

Davis, Kristin E.; Benfica, Rui

Citation

Davis, Kristin E.; and Benfica, Rui. 2024. True costs of food production in Kenya and Vietnam. Agriculture & Food Systems SDC Thematic Network Newsletter Article. First published online September 18, 2024. https://www.sdc-foodsystems.ch/en/true-cost-of-food-production

Country/Region

Kenya; Vietnam

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Asia; South-eastern Asia; Cost Accounting; Food Production; Food Systems; Sustainability

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Nature-Positive Solutions

Record type

Newsletter

Blogs

Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC) project: Finding more effective ways to deliver vital information and innovation to farmers
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 19, 2023

Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC) project: Finding more effective ways to deliver vital information and innovation to farmers

By Kristin Davis and Eleanor Jones

Helping smallholders tap new technologies.

Photo essay: Talking to farmers in Malawi to understand how to improve agricultural cooperative performance
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 09, 2022

Photo essay: Talking to farmers in Malawi to understand how to improve agricultural cooperative performance

By Cynthia Kazembe and Kristin Davis

Focus groups and other approaches help clarify what works.

Unleashing the power of young agripreneurs
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 06, 2022

Unleashing the power of young agripreneurs

By Steven Franzel, Kristin Davis, Johanna Gammelgaard, and John Preissing

A key to improving economic prospects in rural areas around the world.

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Events

Multidimensional digitally-enabled agricultural extension in Africa: Accelerating agricultural transformation in the face of global crises
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

August 26, 2022, 6:30 – 9:15 am

Multidimensional digitally-enabled agricultural extension in Africa: Accelerating agricultural transformation in the face of global crises

Virtual Event: August 26, 2022 – 6:30 AM to 9:15 AM EDT. This event will highlight trends, good practices, and recommendations for multidimensional, digitally-enables agricultural extension.

Tropentag 2021
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

September 14, 2021, 8:00 – 11:00 am

Tropentag 2021

SEP 14, 2021 – 08:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT. IFPRI is participating in Tropentag 2021. 

UNFSS Independent Dialogue: The Critical Role of Agricultural Extension in Advancing the 2030 Agenda: Lessons from the Field and Empirical Evidence
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

August 6, 2021, 7:00 – 9:30 am

UNFSS Independent Dialogue: The Critical Role of Agricultural Extension in Advancing the 2030 Agenda: Lessons from the Field and Empirical Evidence

Virtual Event: AUG 6, 2021 – 07:00 AM to 09:30 AM EDT. The objective of this dialogue is to come to a common understanding of how extension can contribute to the SDGs and adapt to future needs. 

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News

December 12, 2023 | Press Release

Re-imagining Africa’s food security within the context of climate change and ecological sustainability

This press-release was initially published by WWF on December 12, 2023.  WWF, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, IFPRI, CGIAR, and AfDB have released a new report to help African countries to achieve food security and implement climate and nature commitments. The report is based on a joint study, executed with the technical support […]

Research

Projects

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Awards

  • Outstanding Journal Article of the Year Award, 2004, International Journal of Agricultural and Extension Education 11(1). 2004. Davis, K, Irani, T. & Payson, K. Going forward in education on agricultural biotechnology: Extension’s role internationally.
  • Outstanding Paper Presentation (2006) for the 22nd Annual Conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education, Clearwater Beach, Florida. Davis, K. Institutional Arrangements for Increasing the Dissemination Role of Farmer Groups in Agricultural Innovation Systems.
  • Ochieng, Cosmas, and Davis, Kristin. 2006. Bronze prize winner of the International Finance Corporation-Financial Times Research Essay Competition “Business and Development: The Private Path to Prosperity.” ICTs as Appropriate Technologies for African Development. Forthcoming in the Financial Times.
  • Second Runner-up Article of the Year for 2007. International Journal of Agricultural and Extension Education. Anandajayasekeram, P., K. Davis, and S. Workneh. 2007. Farmer Field Schools: An Alternative to Existing Extension Systems? Experience from Eastern and Southern Africa. Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education 14(1): 81-93.
  • Second Runner Up, Journal Article of the Year Award for 2008. Davis, K. 2008. Extension in Sub-Saharan Africa: Overview and Assessment of Past and Current Models and Future Prospects. Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education 15(3): 15—28.
  • Journal Article of the Year, 2008. Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 14(1): 35-51. Davis, K., J. Ekboir and Spielman, D. J. Agricultural education and training in sub-Saharan Africa from an innovation systems perspective: A case study of Mozambique.
  • Early Achievement Award for the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education in 2009. The Early Achievement Award is presented to a member who early in their career (less than five years) has demonstrated a combination of service, leadership, and scholarly activity in international agricultural and extension education.
  • “Presidential Plaque in Recognition of Exceptional Leadership” as President of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE), 2014-2015.
  • Outstanding Achievement Award (2014). The Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education presents this award to a professional who during their career has demonstrated a combination of service, leadership, and scholarly activity.
  • Outstanding Service Award (2013). The Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education presents this award to an international agricultural and extension educator who has made meritorious service contributions beyond his or her regular employment. Other elements include peer recognition for services beyond normal expectations, dedication and personal sacrifice, and sustained effort over time.