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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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country program

HarvestPlus

country programs

Overview

HarvestPlus uses a process called biofortification, which adopts conventional breeding to improve crops. Our innovative approach complements other nutrition interventions, and is evidence-based, cost-effective, and sustainable.

HarvestPlus works with partners to tackle hidden hunger on a global scale by breeding vitamins and minerals into everyday food crops. Together, we build sustainable food systems and bridge the gap between agriculture and nutrition.

Visit HarvestPlus Website for more information.

Publications

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Journal Article

Monitoring biofortification program performance and potential for impact: Indicators, methods, and learnings from the commercialization of biofortified crops program in six countries across Africa and Asia

2024Friesen, Valerie M.; Mudyahoto, Bho; Nyangaresi, Annette M.; Gorla, Ishank; Mbuya, Mduduzi NN
Details

Monitoring biofortification program performance and potential for impact: Indicators, methods, and learnings from the commercialization of biofortified crops program in six countries across Africa and Asia

Background Biofortification of staple crops is a food-based strategy to reduce the high global burden of micronutrient deficiencies. Monitoring program performance is essential to ensure biofortification programs have high potential for impact; however, few indicators and methods for doing so are publicly available. Objective We documented the set of standardized indicators and methods used to monitor the Commercialization of Biofortified Crops (CBC) program and reviewed their strengths and limitations. Methods Following the CBC program impact pathway, we identified and defined a set of indicators and corresponding methods. Country-level implementation teams contextualized and operationalized them to monitor 9 country-crop programs (i.e., high iron beans in Kenya and Tanzania, iron pearl millet in India, vitamin A maize in Nigeria and Tanzania, vitamin A cassava in Nigeria, zinc wheat in Pakistan and India, and zinc rice in Bangladesh) from 2020 to 2022. Results Twenty indicators were defined across domains of seed supply, production, availability, awareness, capacity development, advocacy, and consumption of biofortified foods. Data collection methods included external and internal document review, farmer household surveys, rapid market assessments, and modeling. The strengths of these methods were that they were rapid to conduct, low cost, and simple to use. For some methods, the limitations were the potentially reduced accuracy of some results due to the use of external data sources or secondary data inputs and unavailability of data. Conclusions The indicators and methods used in the CBC program are practical and cost effective for monitoring the implementation of biofortification programs because they generate the range of information necessary to understand how effectively a program is delivered and bolster plausibility arguments for attributing observed impacts to program activities. Further testing is needed to confirm their generalizability when applied to different contexts and paired with impact evaluations with the aim of producing publicly available global guidance documents.

Year published

2024

Authors

Friesen, Valerie M.; Mudyahoto, Bho; Nyangaresi, Annette M.; Gorla, Ishank; Mbuya, Mduduzi NN

Citation

Friesen, Valerie M.; Mudyahoto, Bho; Nyangaresi, Annette M.; and Mbuya, Mduduzi NN. 2024. Monitoring biofortification program performance and potential for impact: Indicators, methods, and learnings from the commercialization of biofortified crops program in six countries across Africa and Asia. Current Developments in Nutrition 8(12): 104498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.104498

Country/Region

Kenya; Nigeria; Pakistan; India; Bangladesh

Keywords

Tanzania; Africa; Asia; Sub-saharan Africa; Western Africa; Eastern Africa; Southern Asia; Biofortification; Crops; Capacity Development; Indicators

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.104498 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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Journal Article

An ex-ante analysis of the impact of biofortified zinc rice on dietary zinc inadequacy: Evidence from Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines

2024De Moura, Fabiana F.; Moursi, Mourad; Angel, Moira Donahue; Angeles-Agdeppa, Imelda; Muslimatun, Siti; Atmarita, Atmarita; Gironella, Glen M.; Boy, Erick; Carriquiry, Alicia
Details

An ex-ante analysis of the impact of biofortified zinc rice on dietary zinc inadequacy: Evidence from Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines

Background: South, East, and Southeast Asia are among the regions of the world with the highest estimated prevalence of inadequate zinc intake. Because populations in those regions eat rice as their main staple, zinc biofortification of rice can potentially improve zinc intake, especially among the most vulnerable. Objectives: We modeled the impact of the consumption of zinc-biofortified rice on zinc intake and inadequacy among women of childbearing age and young children nationally in Indonesia, the Philippines, and at a subnational level in Bangladesh. Methods: We conducted an ex-ante analysis by applying increments of zinc content in rice, from a baseline level of 16 parts per million (ppm) to 100 ppm, and based on rice consumption data to substitute levels of conventional rice with zinc-biofortified rice varying between 10% and 70%. Results: Among all datasets evaluated from these 3 countries, the prevalence of dietary zinc inadequacy at baseline was 94%–99% among women of childbearing age, 77%–100% among children 4–5 y old, and 27%–78% among children 1–3 y old. At the current breeding target of 28 ppm, zinc-biofortified rice has the potential to decrease zinc inadequacy by ≤50% among women and children in rural Bangladesh and among children in the Philippines where consumption of rice is higher compared with Indonesia. Conclusions: Our analysis shows that increasing zinc content in rice ≤45 ppm reduces the burden of zinc inadequacy substantially, after which we encourage programs to increase coverage to reach the highest number of beneficiaries.

Year published

2024

Authors

De Moura, Fabiana F.; Moursi, Mourad; Angel, Moira Donahue; Angeles-Agdeppa, Imelda; Muslimatun, Siti; Atmarita, Atmarita; Gironella, Glen M.; Boy, Erick; Carriquiry, Alicia

Citation

De Moura, Fabiana F.; Moursi, Mourad; Angel, Moira Donahue; Angeles-Agdeppa, Imelda; Muslimatun, Siti; et al. 2024. An ex-ante analysis of the impact of biofortified zinc rice on dietary zinc inadequacy: Evidence from Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Journal of Nutrition 154(8): 2575-2582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.06.010

Country/Region

Bangladesh; Indonesia; Philippines

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Oceania; Biofortification; Ex Ante Impact Assessment; Nutrient Intake; Rice; Zinc

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.06.010 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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Opinion Piece

Introduction and executive summary for the supplement micronutrients in Latin America: Current state and research

2024Soto-Méndez, María J.; Boy, Erick
Details

Introduction and executive summary for the supplement micronutrients in Latin America: Current state and research

Global health and nutrition stakeholders are facing a period full of changes and challenges, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Almost every country is experiencing at least, one burden of malnutrition,1 and among them many are facing the triple burden of malnutrition, both associated with unhealthy and nondiverse diets and reduced physical activity. According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report, in 2022, between 691 and 783 million people faced chronic hunger, representing an increase of 122 million people compared to 2019. It also informed that 3.1 billion people could not afford a healthy diet.2 On the one hand, economic shocks, war, violence, and climate-related disruptions are the leading causes of the current steep increase in the global burden of hunger in all its forms. The COVID-19 pandemic and other repeated pandemic shocks further reduce food and nutrition security of poor countries.3 On the other hand, chronic noncommunicable diseases, most of which are associated with overweight-obesity and unhealthy behavioral and environmental risk factors, continue to rise as the principal causes of death and disability worldwide, also disproportionately impacting LMIC.4 While the prevalence of hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is lower than the global average, food insecurity affects a higher proportion of the population in the region (40%) relative to the global prevalence (29.3%). The region also experiences the highest cost of a healthy diet, with 131 million people unable to afford to meet the recommended nutritional requirements that healthy diets would provide.5-7 Consequently, the risks of nutrient deficiency and excess for the region can be inferred, but the scarcity of current nationally representative data on micronutrient deficiencies is neither useful for program planning or evaluation nor conducive to narrowing the equity and justice gaps in the region.

Year published

2024

Authors

Soto-Méndez, María J.; Boy, Erick

Citation

Soto-Méndez, María J.; and Boy, Erick. 2024. Introduction and executive summary for the supplement micronutrients in Latin America: Current state and research. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 45(2S) S4 -S6. https://doi.org/10.1177/03795721241254610

Keywords

Latin America; Diet; Less Favoured Areas; Hunger; Trace Elements

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1177/03795721241254610 Source record

Record type

Opinion Piece

Blogs

Global Food Policy Report 2024: Leveraging plant-source foods for sustainable healthy diets
IFPRI Blog
 | 
November 04, 2024

Global Food Policy Report 2024: Leveraging plant-source foods for sustainable healthy diets

By Erick Boy, Inge Brouwer, Jen Foley, Natalia Palacios, Samuel Scott, and Victor Taleon

Integrating more fruits, vegetables, and other high-quality crops into food systems.

Potential impact of zinc-enriched rice on zinc intakes in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines
IFPRI Blog
 | 
September 20, 2024

Potential impact of zinc-enriched rice on zinc intakes in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines

By Fabiana F. De Moura, Mourad Moursi, Moira Donahue Angel, and Erick Boy

Nutritional benefits of enhanced biofortification.

Addressing the global, life-long health impacts of zinc deficiency: A call to action
IFPRI Blog
 | 
April 25, 2024

Addressing the global, life-long health impacts of zinc deficiency: A call to action

By Nicola M. Lowe, Andrew G. Hall, Martin R. Broadley, Jen Foley, Erick Boy, and Zulfiqar A. Bhutta

What an array of studies shows about a key nutritional challenge

View all Blogs

News

November 18, 2021 | In the News

Climate change is making food less healthy – and putting millions of people at risk of nutrient deficiencies (Better Nutrition)

Climate change is making food less healthy – and putting millions of people at risk of nutrient deficiencies (Better Nutrition)  November 1y  Better Nutrition published an article stating that excess CO2 reduces the production of protein and other nutrients in crops like corn, wheat, soybeans, and rice. As CO2 levels rise, scientists and economists are […]

April 13, 2015 | Press Release

Two billion people suffering from hidden hunger according to 2014 Global Hunger Index, even as levels of hunger in many developing countries decrease

Report says food quality is equally important as quantity October 13, 2014, Washington D.C.—A staggering 2 billion people get so little essential vitamins and minerals from the foods they eat that they remain undernourished, according to the 2014 Global Hunger Index (GHI) being released today by the International Food Policy Research Institute, Welthungerhilfe, and Concern […]

Events

African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF)
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

September 8 to 11, 2020

African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF)

IFPRI is participating in the African Green Revolution Forum 2020 (AGRF). Considered the world’s most important and impactful forum for African agriculture, AGRF brings together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African agriculture forward as sustained agricultural transformation will remain at the centre of driving Africa’s […]

The changing challenges of hidden hunger: Micronutrients within the nutrition and development landscapes
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

February 3, 2020, 12:15 – 1:45 pm

The changing challenges of hidden hunger: Micronutrients within the nutrition and development landscapes

Current global challenges in malnutrition and other development goals call for integrated, multi-sectoral approaches focusing on the entire food system, leading to healthier and sustainable diets for all. Among these challenges is micronutrient deficiency, known as “hidden hunger.” Micronutrients—vitamins and minerals needed in only very small quantities but with huge impacts on human health and […]

SUN Global Gathering 2019
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

November 4 to 7, 2019

SUN Global Gathering 2019

IFPRI is participating in the SUN Global Gathering, which brings together all SUN Government Focal Points and representatives of their partners from civil society, donor, United Nations agencies, private sector partners, academia, media, parliamentarians and others. It is the flagship event of the SUN Movement and an important moment where members take stock of progress […]

View all Events

Team members

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Erick Boy

Erick Boy

Chief Nutritionist, HarvestPlus, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

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.