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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

Research by country and region

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Farm land in Giza in Egypt

country program

Egypt Strategy Support Program

Farm land in Giza in Egypt

country programs

Overview

The Egypt Strategy Support Program (Egypt SSP) is a policy research, capacity strengthening, and communication program, which aims to reduce poverty and improve food and nutrition security in Egypt. This IFPRI program is hosted by the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA).

In line with IFPRI’s mandate and mission of providing research-based policy solutions that sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition, the Egypt SSP aims to support development policy and project design and to strengthen the capacity of Egyptian institutions in the areas of impact evaluation and monitoring.

To learn more, visit the IFPRI Egypt website.

Links/Projects

IFPRI Egypt Website

Arab FNS Blog (English)

Arab FNS Blog (Arabic)

Africa Regional Website

Donors

Partners

Duration

2016 – Ongoing

Publications

Resource thumbnail

Brief

Targeting in development projects in Egypt: Approaches, challenges, and lessons learned

2024Shokry, Nada; Jovanovic, Nina; Kurdi, Sikandra; Hamdy, Adham; Elkaramany, Mohamed
Details

Targeting in development projects in Egypt: Approaches, challenges, and lessons learned

Effective targeting strategies are vital for almost all development programs. Universal approaches which provide aid to all individuals regardless of need are not always feasible given limited budgets and varying development priorities. Conversely, targeting directs resources to those in greatest need, ensures efficient allocation while upholding principles of social justice, equality, and the right to assistance. This policy note summarizes the outcomes of a workshop held in Cairo on October 20, 2023, which brought together researchers, development practitioners, and policymakers. The high-level dialogue was part of the “Bridging Evidence and Policy” (BEP) seminar series, a collaborative initiative by the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD). The BEP series serves as a platform for knowledge exchange and collaborative learning among donors, local and international implementers, and government representatives, with a focus on improving targeting in development projects. This note highlights the key discussions, offering insights into best practices and recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of program targeting.

Year published

2024

Authors

Shokry, Nada; Jovanovic, Nina; Kurdi, Sikandra; Hamdy, Adham; Elkaramany, Mohamed

Citation

Shokry, Nada; Jovanovic, Nina; Kurdi, Sikandra; Hamdy, Adham; and Elkaramany, Mohamed. 2024. Targeting in development projects in Egypt: Approaches, challenges, and lessons learned. MENA Policy Note 26. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168420

Country/Region

Egypt

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Targeting; Development Projects

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

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Working Paper

Would you rather? Household choice between cash transfers or an economic inclusion program

2024Allen IV, James; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Kurdi, Sikandra; Yassa, Basma
Details

Would you rather? Household choice between cash transfers or an economic inclusion program

We study households’ choice between continued cash transfers and a new economic inclusion program—two global prevalent social protection programs—offered by the Egyptian government. Lower-than-expected early adoption of the new program is correlated with differing perceptions on its design. We randomize official messaging to households describing the new program’s (i) consumption support duration and (ii) income-earning potential. Both treatments increase respondents’ likelihood of recommending the new program. A theoretical model estimated using households’ perceptions of program design predicts interest in the new program, and how it diminishes with increasing effort costs, asset loss probability, risk aversion and loss aversion.

Year published

2024

Authors

Allen IV, James; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Kurdi, Sikandra; Yassa, Basma

Citation

Allen IV, James; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Kurdi, Sikandra; and Yassa, Basma. 2024. Would you rather? Household choice between cash transfers or an economic inclusion program. MENA Working Paper 44. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/158340

Country/Region

Egypt

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Social Protection; Poverty; Poverty Reduction; Cash Transfers

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

Resource thumbnail

Brief

Challenges for private sector job matching in rural Egypt: Results from a survey of Forsa employers

2024Shokry, Nada; Yassa, Basma; Kurdi, Sikandra
Details

Challenges for private sector job matching in rural Egypt: Results from a survey of Forsa employers

Increasing formal employment for youth and women is a key goal of the Forsa pilot graduation intervention and Egyptian government policy in general. As detailed in Forsa evaluation reports, matching Takaful beneficiaries with jobs in the private sector is a major challenge on the household and on the beneficiary level. In this policy note, however, we examine the challenges from the perspective of potential employers. We review literature of the market failures that may contribute to difficulties with job matching in rural Egypt and present results from a small telephone survey of Forsa employers.

Year published

2024

Authors

Shokry, Nada; Yassa, Basma; Kurdi, Sikandra

Citation

Shokry, Nada; Yassa, Basma; and Kurdi, Sikandra. 2024. Challenges for private sector job matching in rural Egypt: Results from a survey of Forsa employers. MENA Regional Program Policy Note 25. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Egypt

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Northern Africa; Employment; Rural Areas; Women; Youth

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Blogs

Takaful program: Giving Egypt’s poor a hand up, not just a handout
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 26, 2024

Takaful program: Giving Egypt’s poor a hand up, not just a handout

By Naureen Karachiwalla, Daniel Gilligan, and Sikandra Kurdi

Assessing impacts of cash transfers.

The Russia-Ukraine crisis poses a serious food security threat for Egypt
IFPRI Blog
 | 
March 14, 2022

The Russia-Ukraine crisis poses a serious food security threat for Egypt

By Kibrom Abay, Lina Abdelfattah, Clemens Breisinger, Joseph Glauber, and David Laborde

A country heavily dependent on wheat faces supply disruptions and spiking prices.

The links between food-related trade and fiscal policies and obesity rates in low- and middle-income countries
IFPRI Blog
 | 
January 21, 2022

The links between food-related trade and fiscal policies and obesity rates in low- and middle-income countries

By Kibrom Abay, Hosam Ibrahim, Clemens Breisinger, and Ali Abdelhadi

Nutrition impacts of tariffs and subsidies.

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News

October 26, 2023 | In the News

Sharp energy solutions Europe delivers 900 bifacial solar panels to Egypt for IFPRI’s innovative solar-powered irrigation project (PV Magazine)

“Sharp Energy Solutions Europe has successfully delivered 900 units of the NB-JD550 bifacial solar panel to Egypt as part of a high-impact project introduced by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan,” writes PV Magazine (International). “In collaboration with Sharp Energy Solutions Europe, IFPRI’s project […]

October 04, 2023 | In the News

In Middle East, poor miss out as ‘faulty’ algorithms target aid (Reuters) 

“Poverty assessment methods powered by algorithms are supposed to make payments fairer, but activists and researchers say such tools often wrongly exclude people,” writes Reuters in a story on new tools to benefit social protection.  Sikandra Kurdi, a researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), which was hired by the World Bank to […]

May 26, 2023 | In the News

Losses that harm everyone.. Any solutions to the meat crisis in Egypt? (Al Jazeera)

“The sharp increase in the price of red meat led to a decline in its consumption in Egypt,” reports Al Jazeera.   “According to a study conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in October and November of last year, involving over 6,000 poor and near-poor households from across Egypt, 85% of the households reduced […]

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Events

UNFSS Independent Dialogue in Egypt: “The Role of Water Security for Food Systems Transformation
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

April 19, 2021, 7:00 – 9:30 am

UNFSS Independent Dialogue in Egypt: “The Role of Water Security for Food Systems Transformation

Water scarcity remains a key challenge for agricultural development in the MENA region, including Egypt. Scarcity is rapidly growing as a result of climate change and rapid increases in water demand for other uses. Considering that Egypt’s agri-food system provided critical cushioning for economic growth, jobs, and household income negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, […]

Beyond COVID-19: Recommendations from Five Years of Policy Research in Egypt and Directions for the Future
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

December 8, 2020, 2:00 – 4:00 pm

Beyond COVID-19: Recommendations from Five Years of Policy Research in Egypt and Directions for the Future

Recommendations from five years of policy research in Egypt and directions for the future.

Details & Registration

COVID-19 and social protection: From effective crisis protection to self-reliance
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

September 22, 2020, 3:00 – 4:00 pm

COVID-19 and social protection: From effective crisis protection to self-reliance

IFPRI’s Egypt Strategy Support Program (Egypt SSP) is organizing a seminar on “COVID-19 and social protection: From effective crisis protection to self-reliance.” The economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are increasing poverty around the world. As one of the key immediate policy responses to cushion the negative impacts of COVID-19 on the most vulnerable, many […]

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Team members

Sikandra Kurdi

Sikandra Kurdi

Research Fellow and Country Program Leader, Egypt, Development
Strategies and Governance

Daniel Gilligan

Daniel Gilligan

Director, Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion (PGI), Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

Olivier Ecker

Olivier Ecker

Senior Research Fellow, Foresight
and Policy Modeling

Jef L. Leroy

Jef L. Leroy

Senior Research Fellow, Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Claudia Ringler

Claudia Ringler

Director, Natural Resources and Resilience (NRR), Natural
Resources and Resilience

James Thurlow

James Thurlow

Director, Foresight and Policy Modeling (FPM), Foresight
and Policy Modeling

Liangzhi You

Liangzhi You

Senior Research Fellow, Foresight
and Policy Modeling

Xiaobo Zhang

Xiaobo Zhang

Senior Research Fellow, Development
Strategies and Governance

Kibrom Abay

Kibrom Abay

Senior Research Fellow , Development
Strategies and Governance

Fatma Abdelaziz

Fatma Abdelaziz

Senior Research Associate, Development
Strategies and Governance

Hagar ElDidi

Hagar ElDidi

Senior Research Analyst, Natural
Resources and Resilience

Zhe Guo

Zhe Guo

Senior GIS Coordinator, Foresight
and Policy Modeling

Mariam Raouf

Mariam Raouf

Senior Research Associate, Development
Strategies and Governance

profile

Basma Yassa

Research Associate, Development
Strategies and Governance

The Programs

  • Kutubdia Island in the Bay of Bengal

    Bangladesh Policy Research and Strategy Support Program

    Improving food and nutrition security is of paramount concern to millions in Bangladesh.

  • Wuxi, the fast growing city that was formerly known as White Horse Village.

    China Strategy Support Program

    Supports joint research & capacity strengthening as well as policy dialogues & communication to improve policymaking.

  • Farm land in Giza in Egypt

    Egypt Strategy Support Program

    Egypt SSP's main objective is to raise incomes of the rural poor and to improve food and nutrition security in Egypt.

  • Gayo village, Ethiopia

    Ethiopia Strategy Support Program

    ESSP is a collaborative program undertaken by IFPRI and the Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI)

  • amevi-wisdom-wiul_nyafcy-unsplash

    Ghana Strategy Support Program

    Conduct research & advise on policy to support agricultural growth, rural development & economic transformation.

  • Local vendors selling vegetables at a market in Kenya,Africa

    Kenya Strategy Support Program

    KSSP is a policy research, capacity strengthening and policy communication program with the main objectives to accelerate poverty reduction and to improve food security.

  • Mitundu Market, Lilongwe, Malawi

    Malawi Strategy Support Program

    This project facilitates and promotes evidence-based dialogue and decision-making in support of agricultural development, food security, and economic growth in Malawi.

  • Country program Myanmar

    Myanmar Strategy Support Program

    The project supports agricultural transformation and other development policy goals by enhancing national technical, institutional, and policy analysis capacities.

  • Nigeria Strategy Support Program

    NSSP responds to the research, analysis, and capacity needs of stakeholders in the Nigerian agricultural research and policy community.

  • Papua New Guinea Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Policy Support Program

    The Papua New Guinea Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Policy Support Program (PNG-AFNP) is an initiative aligned with the Government of Papua New Guinea’s vision to revitalize and transform its agricultural sector to improve economic opportunities, livelihoods, and food security.

  • Fertile field at sunset in the countryside (Rwanda/ Africa)

    Rwanda Strategy Support Program

    Rwanda SSP is an initiative aligned with the Government of Rwanda’s vision to accelerate agricultural transformation and rural development in Rwanda.

  • A sunset view of river Nile in Khartoum, Sudan

    Sudan Strategy Support Program

    The Sudan Country Strategy Support Program (CSSP), with key team members based in Khartoum, can provide needed analytical support to the Government of Sudan, local and international partners.