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Carlo Azzarri

Carlo Azzarri is a Senior Research Fellow in the Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit. His work focuses on the relationships among poverty, nutrition, food security, agriculture, the environment, production, and migration—analyzed at both micro and macroeconomic levels, primarily using quantitative methods.

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IFPRI Publications: Briefs

Explore Our Latest Briefs

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Brief

Uganda: Systematic analysis of world market and domestic production shocks

2025Mukashov, Askar; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James
Details

Uganda: Systematic analysis of world market and domestic production shocks

Achieving development goals is subject to economic uncertainties, yet policymaking rarely accounts for these risks. This Country Brief quantifies the risks facing Uganda’s economy and population, focusing on two primary sources: 1) External risks stemming from shocks in international commodity prices and foreign capital flows and 2) Domestic risks associated with production shocks in volatile sectors of the Uganda economy, such as primary agriculture and hydropower electricity generation, are often caused by extreme weather. The significance of these risks is assessed based on the range of the shocks’ impacts on four main economic and development indicators: total GDP, private consumption, poverty rate, and prevalence of undernourishment. The analysis uses data mining methods to simultaneously sample many shocks from historical data, con structing a comprehensive set of realistic shock scenarios for Uganda. A country-specific, economywide Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model then simulates the impacts of these shocks on both total and sector-specific economic outcomes, deriving changes in poverty and undernourishment for each shock scenario. Finally, machine learning techniques are applied to obtain metrics for the relative im portance of different risk factors. The results suggest that domestic production volatility is the primary risk factor affecting GDP and poverty in Uganda, whereas world markets and domestic risks are equally important for household consumption and undernourishment. Individually, the most critical risk factors identified include production volatility in root crops, volatility in foreign capital flows, and volatility in fishery production, with the latter being particularly significant for rural low-income households. Understanding these economic risks is a critical first step in facilitating discussions on potential risk management strategies, such as promoting domestic productivity growth and diversifying economic activity away from high-risk sectors.

Year published

2025

Authors

Mukashov, Askar; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James

Citation

Mukashov, Askar; Jones, Eleanor; and Thurlow, James. 2025. Uganda: Systematic analysis of world market and domestic production shocks. Country Brief 11. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Uganda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Markets; Domestic Production; Shock; Risk Analysis

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Ghana: Systematic analysis of world market and domestic production shocks

2025Mukashov, Askar; Pauw, Karl; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James
Details

Ghana: Systematic analysis of world market and domestic production shocks

Achieving development goals is subject to economic uncertainties, yet policymaking rarely accounts for these risks. This Country Brief quantifies the risks facing Ghana’s economy and population, focusing on two primary sources: 1) External risks stemming from shocks in international commodity prices and foreign capital flows and 2) Domestic risks associated with production shocks in volatile sectors of the Ghanaian economy, such as primary agriculture and hydropower electricity generation, are often caused by extreme weather. The significance of these risks is assessed based on the range of the shocks’ impacts on four main economic and development indicators: total GDP, private consumption, poverty rate, and prevalence of undernourishment. The analysis uses data mining methods to simultaneously sample many shocks from historical data, con structing a comprehensive set of realistic shock scenarios for Ghana. A country-specific, economywide Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model then simulates the impacts of these shocks on both total and sector-specific economic outcomes, deriving changes in poverty and undernourishment for each shock scenario. Finally, machine learning techniques are applied to obtain metrics for the relative im portance of different risk factors. The results suggest that Ghana’s trade-oriented economy is predominantly exposed to external risks, with fluctuations in world prices of key exports—particularly energy and metals—significantly influencing eco nomic activity and the country’s ability to finance imports. Poverty and undernourishment risks present a more complex picture, with a significant difference between urban and rural risk factors. Rural households, which are generally poorer than urban households and constitute the majority of the poor and undernourished population, are more exposed to domestic production volatility factors. Understanding these economic risks is a critical first step in facilitating discussions on potential risk management strategies, such as promoting domestic productivity growth and diversifying economic activity away from high-risk sectors.

Year published

2025

Authors

Mukashov, Askar; Pauw, Karl; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James

Citation

Mukashov, Askar; Pauw, Karl; Jones, Eleanor; and Thurlow, James. 2025. Ghana: Systematic analysis of world market and domestic production shocks. Country Brief 9. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Ghana

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Markets; Domestic Production; Shock; Risk Analysis

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

IFPRI-Sudan: Generating evidence-based solutions for strengthening humanitarian response and economic resilience

2025Siddig, Khalid; Abay, Kibrom A.; Kirui, Oliver K.; Abushama, Hala; Mohamed, Shima; Rakhy, Tarig
Details

IFPRI-Sudan: Generating evidence-based solutions for strengthening humanitarian response and economic resilience

Sudan is experiencing one of the most severe humanitarian and economic crises in its modern history due to the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Sudan is now suffering the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. The war has devastated livelihoods, displaced millions, and significantly weakened the country’s agrifood systems and broader economic structures. In response, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), along with its partners, has intensified its research and policy engagement in Sudan through the Sudan Strategy Support Program (SSSP), which was launched in 2022. IFPRI’s work on Sudan is centered on addressing fragility, post-conflict recovery, resilience-building, and economic development. Its research and policy engagements focus on food security, economy-wide modeling, social protection, micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSME), and agricultural resilience as it works to provide critical evidence-based insights to support recovery efforts that will enable Sudan to regain peace and economic growth and stability. Through high-frequency data collection, impact evaluations, and policy dialogues, the SSSP team has continued to deliver data-driven solutions to inform humanitarian responses, economic revitalization, and development planning in Sudan. By collaborating with organizations such as the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, and other CGIAR centers and initiatives, IFPRI, through SSSP, has generated information to design effective interventions for conflict-affected populations and institutions working to rebuild Sudan’s economy.

Year published

2025

Authors

Siddig, Khalid; Abay, Kibrom A.; Kirui, Oliver K.; Abushama, Hala; Mohamed, Shima; Rakhy, Tarig

Citation

Siddig, Khalid; Abay, Kibrom A.; Kirui, Oliver K.; Abushama, Hala; Mohamed, Shima; and Rakhy, Tarig. 2025. IFPRI-Sudan: Generating evidence-based solutions for strengthening humanitarian response and economic resilience. Sudan SSP Brief April 2025. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174025

Country/Region

Sudan

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Capacity Development; Economic Crises; Economic Development; Fragility; Resilience

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Foresight

Record type

Brief

Brief

Sudan Strategy Support Program (SSSP): Background and research output

2025International Food Policy Research Institute
Details

Sudan Strategy Support Program (SSSP): Background and research output

The Sudan Strategy Support Program (SSSP), one of the country programs of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), commenced operations in May 2022 from the premises of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, its official host institution in Sudan. Established with funding from USAID, the United States Agency for International Development, the program has also formed partnerships or received support from a number of prominent organizations, including the CGIAR Initiative on Fragility, Conflict, and Migration, the CGIAR Initiative on NEXUS Gains, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, the World Food Programme, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).

Year published

2025

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute. 2025. Sudan Strategy Support Program (SSSP): Background and research output. Sudan SSP Brief. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174016

Country/Region

Sudan

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Capacity Development; Development; Data Collection; Economic Analysis

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Foresight

Record type

Brief

Brief

Ethiopia: Systematic analysis of world market and domestic production shocks

2025Mukashov, Askar; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James
Details

Ethiopia: Systematic analysis of world market and domestic production shocks

This study is part of a series of country briefs by IFPRI that leverages economywide models to deliver detailed risk assessments of key economic indicators. This initial analysis evaluates vulnerabilities across economic sectors and key population groups to answer two questions: (1) How vulnerable are Ethiopia’s national economy and population to world market and domestic production shocks? (2) What are the largest risks to Ethiopia’s overall economic performance, private consumption, and reductions in poverty and undernourishment?

Year published

2025

Authors

Mukashov, Askar; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James

Citation

Mukashov, Askar; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum; Jones, Eleanor; and Thurlow, James. 2025. Ethiopia: Systematic analysis of world market and domestic production shocks. Country Brief 8. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Eastern Africa; Domestic Production; Shock; World Markets

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Egypt: Systematic analysis of world market and domestic production shocks

2025Mukashov, Askar; Diao, Xinshen; Ecker, Olivier; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James
Details

Egypt: Systematic analysis of world market and domestic production shocks

This study is part of a series of country briefs by IFPRI that leverages economywide models to deliver detailed risk assessments of key economic indicators. This initial analysis evaluates vulnerabilities across economic sectors and key population groups to answer two questions: (1) How vulnerable are Egypt’s national economy and population to world market and domestic production shocks? (2) What are the largest risks to Egypt’s overall economic performance, private consumption, and reductions in poverty and undernourishment?

Year published

2025

Authors

Mukashov, Askar; Diao, Xinshen; Ecker, Olivier; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James

Citation

Mukashov, Askar; Diao, Xinshen; Ecker, Olivier; Jones, Eleanor; and Thurlow, James. 2025. Egypt: Systematic analysis of world market and domestic production shocks. Country Brief 7. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Egypt

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Eastern Africa; Domestic Production; Shock; World Markets

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Synopsis: Commercialization and dietary diversity of Rwandan smallholder farmers: a focus on women and youth headed households

2025Mukangabo, Emerence; Warner, James
Details

Synopsis: Commercialization and dietary diversity of Rwandan smallholder farmers: a focus on women and youth headed households

In the last two decades, the government of Rwanda has significantly lowered stunting among children under five years from 48% in 2000 to 33% in 2020 and recognizes dietary diversity as one the approaches to overcome malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. A key priority of the Second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) is to tackle malnutrition and to reduce stunting rates among children. Therefore, using a household dietary diversity score as a proxy for household access to nutritious foods, this policy note outlines how commercialization impacts dietary diversity, with a focus on women and youth headed households. Key findings include: The rural smallholder farmers diet is predominantly based on cereals, roots and tubers as well as vegetables. Even when controlling for relevant variables, women do not have more diverse consumption patterns, however, they do, relative to male headed households, consume more diverse foods the greater their level of commercialization. Despite an overall lack of resources and income, youth-headed households show a positive relationship with household dietary diversity when compared to mature-headed households. Determinants that positively influence household dietary diversity include the level of commercialization, household non-farm assets, market access, education of the household head, the presence of children under five in the household, irrigation, land size, and livestock holdings.

Year published

2025

Authors

Mukangabo, Emerence; Warner, James

Citation

Mukangabo, Emerence; and Warner, James. 2025. Synopsis: Commercialization and dietary diversity of Rwandan smallholder farmers: a focus on women and youth headed households. Rwanda SSP Policy Note 19. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174068

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Stunting; Diet; Children; Nutrition; Trace Elements; Smallholders; Women; Age

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Brief

Aid budget cuts have dire consequences for malnutrition among the world’s most vulnerable children

2025
Standing Together for Nutrition; Osendarp, Saskia; Bhutta, Zulfiqar; Ahmed, Tahmeed; Brown, Molly; Bryan, Elizabeth; Campbell, Bruce M.; Dinku, Tufa; Ekesa, B.; Fanzo, Jess
…more Haddad, Lawrence; Ho, Melissa; Loboguerrero Rodriguez, Ana María; Zougamoré, Robert
Details

Aid budget cuts have dire consequences for malnutrition among the world’s most vulnerable children

Recent aid budgets announced by governments in the US and Europe could cut 2.3 million children off from lifesaving severe acute malnutrition treatment, resulting in 369,000 additional child deaths annually. The US government cuts alone will cause an estimated additional 163,500 annual child deaths that could have been prevented with funding for adequate treatment.

Year published

2025

Authors

Standing Together for Nutrition; Osendarp, Saskia; Bhutta, Zulfiqar; Ahmed, Tahmeed; Brown, Molly; Bryan, Elizabeth; Campbell, Bruce M.; Dinku, Tufa; Ekesa, B.; Fanzo, Jess; Haddad, Lawrence; Ho, Melissa; Loboguerrero Rodriguez, Ana María; Zougamoré, Robert

Citation

Standing Together for Nutrition. 2025. Aid budget cuts have dire consequences for malnutrition among the world’s most vulnerable children. Policy Brief. Washington, DC: Micronutrient Forum. https://micronutrientforum.org/standing-together-for-nutrition/aid-budget-cuts-have-dire-consequences-for-malnutrition/

Keywords

Development Aid; Malnutrition; Children

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Synopsis: The dynamic impact of alternative livestock sector interventions and spending options in Rwanda

2025Aragie, Emerta A.; Bahta, Sirak T.; Baltenweck, Isabelle; Enahoro, Dolapo K.; Karugia, Joseph T.; Thurlow, James; Warner, James
Details

Synopsis: The dynamic impact of alternative livestock sector interventions and spending options in Rwanda

This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of various livestock interventions—feed, breeding, and health—and budget allocation strategies (balanced, feed-oriented, breeding-oriented, and health oriented) in the context of Rwanda’s economic and livestock systems. Using an economic and livestock systems integrated framework, the research highlights moderate yet sustained impacts on agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and significant improvements in the livestock sector. Breeding interventions have the largest cumulative effect on agricultural GDP, while health measures, particularly dewormers, yield long-term gains in livestock productivity. Under the balanced scenario, breeding contributes significantly to both meat and milk sector GDP, while feed interventions show a smaller impact overall. The model estimates the economic and livestock systems over a period of five years (t1-t5) from a base year at t0, which corresponds to the Fifth Structural Transformation in Agriculture (PSTA5) period.

Year published

2025

Authors

Aragie, Emerta A.; Bahta, Sirak T.; Baltenweck, Isabelle; Enahoro, Dolapo K.; Karugia, Joseph T.; Thurlow, James; Warner, James

Citation

Aragie, Emerta; Bahta, Sirak; Baltenweck, Isabelle; Enahoro, Dolapo; Karugia, Joseph; Thurlow, James; and Warner, James. 2025. Synopsis: The dynamic impact of alternative livestock sector interventions and spending options in Rwanda. Rwanda SSP Policy Note 20. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173823

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Livestock; Budgets; Economic Aspects; Agriculture; Agricultural Productivity

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Brief

Preferences for ecosystem payment programs in Papua New Guinea

2025Mukerjee, Rishabh; Schmidt, Emily; Holtemeyer, Brian; Gimiseve, Harry; Safi, Wendy
Details

Preferences for ecosystem payment programs in Papua New Guinea

We evaluate forest landholders’ preferences to enter a hypothetical Payment for Ecosystem Service (PES) contract (i.e., voluntary carbon credit contract) and assess the relative importance of different program attributes that influence forest landholder preference for such contracts. When evaluating the attractiveness of PES contracts for forest landholders, analysis suggests that on average, forest landholders are not inclined to enter a PES contract. However, when evaluating differences among households, a variety of characteristics shape the willingness to accept a PES contract, including:  Landholders that are aware of climate change impacts and those from communities that previously participated in forest protection programs are more likely to accept a PES contract.  Households that use forested land for commercial logging or hunting grounds are more inclined to accept a PES contract, viewing these contracts as an opportunity to protect forest goods and services.  Households that rely on forested land for timber harvesting for personal building purposes are less likely to join a PES program, viewing contracts as restrictive to personal land use needs. When assessing different levels of contract attributes (e.g., payment amount, forest area requirement, and contract length), analysis suggests that forest landholders are more likely to accept a contract that:  Offers higher financial incentives  Requires half of their forested land to be under contract (compared to all of their forested land). On average, forest landholders require an additional annual compensation of $39.07 USD (152 PGK) per hectare to accept PES contracts that require full forested land preservation compared to preserving half of their forested land.

Year published

2025

Authors

Mukerjee, Rishabh; Schmidt, Emily; Holtemeyer, Brian; Gimiseve, Harry; Safi, Wendy

Citation

Mukerjee, Rishabh; Schmidt, Emily; Holtemeyer, Brian; Gimiseve, Harry; and Safi, Wendy. 2025. Preferences for ecosystem payment programs in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea Project Note 17. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173596

Country/Region

Papua New Guinea

Keywords

Asia; Melanesia; Ecosystem Management; Forestry; Carbon; Climate Change

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Climate Resilience

Record type

Brief

Brief

Papua New Guinea: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks

2025Mukashov, Askar; Dorosh, Paul A.; Schmidt, Emily; Thurlow, James
Details

Papua New Guinea: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks

Using an economy-wide, multi-sectoral model, this study explores potential vulnerability of Papua New Guinea (PNG) to economic shocks and identifies factors that contribute most to economic uncertainty. Economic scenarios were developed using historical data on volatile domestic sectors (e.g., primary agriculture and hydropower electricity generation) and world prices of goods and services in which PNG trades. The Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model of PNG was used to simulate a range of potential economic outcomes under these scenarios. In addition, data mining and machine learning methods were applied to quantify the contribution of each shock to the uncertainty of economic outcomes. Key findings suggest that Papua New Guinea’s economy is predominantly exposed to external risks, with world prices and foreign capital volatility together accounting for approximately two-thirds of the potential variation in GDP and three-fourths of the potential variation in private consumption, poverty, and undernourishment (domestic production volatility contributes the remaining one-third and one-fourth, respectively). The current structure of the PNG economy underpins these results. While agriculture is the most uncertain sector, it is relatively less important compared to the overall economy; export earnings from energy and metals, as well as volatile foreign exchange capital inflows, play a much more significant role in the country’s current economic risks. Understanding how potential shocks might impact various segments of the PNG economy and population is a critical first step in facilitating discussions on relevant risk mitigation strategies, such as increasing sectoral productivity or diversifying production away from high-risk sectors.

Year published

2025

Authors

Mukashov, Askar; Dorosh, Paul A.; Schmidt, Emily; Thurlow, James

Citation

Mukashov, Askar; Dorosh, Paul A.; Schmidt, Emily; and Thurlow, James. 2025. Papua New Guinea: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks. Papua New Guinea Project Note 18. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173653

Country/Region

Papua New Guinea

Keywords

Oceania; Computable General Equilibrium Models; Domestic Production; Machine Learning; Shock; Vulnerability; World Markets

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Climate Resilience

Record type

Brief

Brief

Climate change and the impact on taro in Papua New Guinea

2025Thomas, Timothy S.; Robertson, Richard D.
Details

Climate change and the impact on taro in Papua New Guinea

In this paper we present a brief summary of recent historical climate of Papua New Guinea (PNG), finding that rainfall has been increasing greatly compared to pre-1995 levels, but that temperature has only been rising at a moderate rate. We then examine the 5 climate models used in this study from the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) / ISIMIP / CMIP3b, discovering one – IPSL – which best reflects the climate trends noted in PNG since 1995. The climate model projections show that temperature changes in PNG are expected to be less than most other places in the world and precipitation changes in PNG are projected to be higher than most other places in the world. Despite noting that IPSL seems to best represent climate changes observed thus far, we use all 5 climate models in the DSSAT crop model for taro, investigating how each climate model will lead to changes in taro yields at each half-degree pixel. In the aggregate, we find that the IPSL model leads to the greatest projected reduction in taro yield at -6.4% for the nation, with Southern region projected to have greater than 10% yield reduction for taro. Across the 5 climate models, the median across model results suggest only a 1.6% yield reduction, while the most optimistic model projects a 4.4% gain. Because of uncertainty across climate models and different impacts across regions, as well as potentially increasing climate variability which would lead to more extreme events including droughts and floods, we recommend developing a suite of options to help farmers navigate future climate uncertainty. For example, developing and testing crop varieties that would offer better yields whether the future is wetter or drier, as well as varieties that are less sensitive to temperature extremes. These could include new varieties of taro but might also include alternative crops and farming techniques designed to protect the plants during ad-verse climate events.

Year published

2025

Authors

Thomas, Timothy S.; Robertson, Richard D.

Citation

Thomas, Timothy S.; and Robertson, Richard D. 2025. Climate change and the impact on taro in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea Project Note 19. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173654

Country/Region

Papua New Guinea

Keywords

Oceania; Climate Change; Crop Yield; Rainfall; Taro

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Climate Resilience

Record type

Brief

Brief

Impact of rice export ban on Indian economy

2025V. R., Renjini; Ajmani, Manmeet Singh; Pal, Barun Deb; Singh, Alka; Nandi, Sukhendu; Naik, P. Bhargav; Naorem, Yoihenba; Mazumder, Chiranjit; Rao, Ch. Srinivasa
Details

Impact of rice export ban on Indian economy

In India, rice is an important crop that provides livelihood opportunity for millions of farmers and ensures food security for the 1.4 billion population. India also contributes 25 percent of global rice production and 40 percent of global rice exports, exporting 16 percent of its domestic rice production (FAO 2022). On the other hand, delayed onset of monsoon, extreme weather events, and weather variability significantly affect rice production and the domestic price of rice in the country (Palanisami et al. 201 7; Bowden, Foster, Parkes 2023). In response to this situation, policymakers frequently reassess export strategies to ensure adequate domestic supply and to control price fluctuations. Given India’s significant contribution to the global rice market, any change in rice trade policy to stabilize the domestic rice market in India will affect the global supply chain of rice and the livelihood of lndian farmers. In 2022/2023, in an effort to control rice prices, the government-imposed export restrictions on different varieties of rice such as broken, brown, non-basmati, basmati, and parboiled rice. Figure 1 reveals that total rice exports from India declined from 16.55 lakh metric tons (mt) to 7.58 lakh mt between July 2023 and November 2023, following the July 2023 ban on non-basmati white rice exports. In August 2023, exports of non-basmati white rice declined sharply from 3.81 lakh mt to 0.40 lakh mt, and exports remained negligible until the ban was lifted in February 2024. Parboiled rice also saw a decline, though it was less severe due to selective export allowances. Exports began recovering from early 2024, driven by basmati and parboiled rice. This recovery aligned with India’s October 2024 decision to remove the 20 percent export duty on parboiled rice. India’s global market share dropped from 35.48 percent in 2022 to 30.46 percent in 2023, creating opportunities for other major rice ­exporting countries. Vietnam saw an increase in its exports from 10.52 percent of global share to 11.23 percent, while Pakistan’s share rose from 7.75 percent to 8.39 percent. Thailand maintained a steady presence at around 15 percent and the US share rose marginally from 5.62 percent to 5.87 percent. These shifts highlight how India’s policy decision disrupted global trade patterns, benefitting competing exporters and altering the international rice market dynamics. Even so, the economywide impact of these restrictions on the Indian economy remains underexplored. While the government aims to maintain domestic price stability, it is unclear how effectively the export ban shields consumers from inflation and how this compares to the income losses experienced by exporters and farmers. Questions also persist about the policy’s spill over effects on overall market dynamics. In this note, we examine the impact of the rice export ban on GDP (by sector), employment, and household income in India. We also provide insights aimed at helping policymakers balance affordability for consumers with stable incomes for producers.

Year published

2025

Authors

V. R., Renjini; Ajmani, Manmeet Singh; Pal, Barun Deb; Singh, Alka; Nandi, Sukhendu; Naik, P. Bhargav; Naorem, Yoihenba; Mazumder, Chiranjit; Rao, Ch. Srinivasa

Citation

V. R., Renjini; Ajmani, Manmeet Singh; Pal, Barun Deb; Singh, Alka; Nandi, Sukhendu; et al. 2025. Impact of rice export ban on Indian economy. ICAR-IARI Policy Brief. New Delhi, India: Indian Council of Agricultural Research. https://www.iari.res.in/files/Divisions/Economics/Policy_brief_rice_export_04042025.pdf

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Rice; Exports; Export Controls; Economics

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Foresight

Record type

Brief

Brief

Repurposing fertilizer subsidies in India: An economywide modelling analysis

2025Devi, Asha; Praveen, K. V.; Sharma, Kriti; Pal, Barun Deb; Singh, Alka; Barman, Subrata; Reddy, K. R.; Hanji, Shreya; Rao, Ch. Srinivasa
Details

Repurposing fertilizer subsidies in India: An economywide modelling analysis

Between 1980 and 2023-pushed by green revolution technology and fertilizer subsidy policy-fertilizer consumption in India increased from 31.95 kg/ha to 136.05 kg/ha {FAI 2024). The fiscal burden of fertilizer subsidies in India has surged dramatically, increasing from INR 505 crores in 1980/1981 to INR 2,25,220 crores in 2022/2023 ( ibid). As of 2022/2023, the budgetary allocation for fertilizer subsidy was 1.02 percent of India’s gross value added (GVA). Fertilizer subsidies have led to greater price increases for phosphorus and potassium fertilizers than for urea, making urea the preferred choice among farmers. This consequent overreliance on urea has created significant imbalances in soil nutrient composition, and subsidized urea is also often diverted to other industries undermining its intended benefit for the agricultural sector.

Year published

2025

Authors

Devi, Asha; Praveen, K. V.; Sharma, Kriti; Pal, Barun Deb; Singh, Alka; Barman, Subrata; Reddy, K. R.; Hanji, Shreya; Rao, Ch. Srinivasa

Citation

Devi, Asha; Praveen, K. V.; Sharma, Kriti; Pal, Barun Deb; Singh, Alka; Barman, Subrata; et al. 2025. Repurposing fertilizer subsidies in India: An economywide modelling analysis. ICAR-IARI Policy Brief. New Delhi, India: Indian Council of Agricultural Research. https://www.iari.res.in/files/Divisions/Economics/Policy_brief_fertilizer_subsidy_04042025.pdf

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Economics; Fertilizers; Subsidies; Urea

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Foresight

Record type

Brief

Brief

Market monitoring in Rwanda’s rice sector: Insights from recent events

2025Warner, James; Mukamugema, Alice; Mutabazi, Egide; Benimana, Gilberthe Uwera
Details

Market monitoring in Rwanda’s rice sector: Insights from recent events

Summary • While domestic rice production has risen 16% over the past five years, district level growth rates are varied and suggest strong growth in some districts but reductions in others. Leveraging higher growth area’s successes could be used to further expand production in declining growth districts. • Microeconomic data suggests that smallholder rice farmers have slightly larger than average landholdings, grow at lower elevations, and sell about twice the percentage of crop value when compared to typical smallholders. • A declining Tanzanian rice premium over the last five years (2019-2024) suggests a greater substitutability between Rwandan and Tanzanian rice but specific reasons for this trend are unclear and warrant further research. Overall, a 50 percent premium has been reduced to currently about 20 percent. • Following a dramatic price increase in 2022, a subsequent large decrease in Tanzanian wholesale rice prices may have undermined government price setting in August 2024. Domestic producer rice price setting has been based on costs of production but appears to not consider other factors, such as the effects of imported prices of direct substitutes. A price analysis reveals that Tanzanian wholesale prices, valued in USD, fell about 37 percent from October 2023 to August 2024, while Rwandan retail rice prices were down only 14 percent. This relative price decrease could have effectively squeezed Rwandan processors when faced with government determined local producer prices that constricted potential profitability against rapidly declining Tanzanian prices. • Research presented below indicates that Tanzanian wholesale prices have large, immediate impacts on rice prices in Rwanda, but Rwandan prices have little to no effect on either imported or wholesale Tanzanian rice prices. Therefore, dramatic changes of Tanzania wholesale prices have large effects on both retail Tanzanian and Rwandan rice prices in Rwanda. This unidirectional effect highlights the importance of monitoring domestic and important international prices and studying prices which could have potentially helped policymakers adjust to market dynamics more effectively and better inform target interventions. We recommend developing an improved market monitoring and forecasting unit to better incorporate the food systems approach promoted in PSTA 5.

Year published

2025

Authors

Warner, James; Mukamugema, Alice; Mutabazi, Egide; Benimana, Gilberthe Uwera

Citation

Warner, James; Mukamugema, Alice; Mutabazi, Egide; and Benimana, Gilberthe. 2025. Market monitoring in Rwanda’s rice sector: Insights from recent events. Rwanda SSP Policy Note 17. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173279

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Rice; Agricultural Production; Data; Smallholders; Altitude; Prices; Markets

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Advancing women’s voice and empowerment in the agrifood policy process: Findings and recommendations from the WEAGov India Pilot Study

2025Ragasa, Catherine; Kyle, Jordan; Yasmin, Sabina; Pande, Harshita; Basu, Sampurna; Sharma, Aanshi; Najjar, Dina
Details

Advancing women’s voice and empowerment in the agrifood policy process: Findings and recommendations from the WEAGov India Pilot Study

Women’s equal participation and leadership in political and public life can boost a country’s long-run economic growth, foster social inclusion, and help countries reach the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Beyond these important outcomes, women’s inclusion in public life is a basic human right: women deserve a role in making decisions, controlling resources, and shaping policies. Yet, globally, only 22 percent of members of parliament and 16 percent of cabinet secretaries are women. Although disproportionately employed in the agrifood system, women lack decision-making power regarding the policies that govern it. And beyond high-level statistics like the share of women in national parliaments, there is a lack of tools for measuring and tracking gender equality in national- and state-level governance (ElDidi et al., 2021; Quisumbing et al., 2023; Ragasa et al., 2022). Yet, achieving meaningful progress on gender equality within governance requires identifying specific gaps and opportunities within a country’s policy process.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ragasa, Catherine; Kyle, Jordan; Yasmin, Sabina; Pande, Harshita; Basu, Sampurna; Sharma, Aanshi; Najjar, Dina

Citation

Ragasa, Catherine; Kyle, Jordan; Yasmin, Sabina; Pande, Harshita; Basu, Sampurna; Sharma, Aanshi; and Najjar, Dina. 2025. Advancing women’s voice and empowerment in the agrifood policy process: Findings and recommendations from the WEAGov India Pilot Study. WEAGov Brief 2025. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173280

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agrifood Systems; Capacity Development; Decision Making; Women’s Empowerment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Brief

Brief

Unique datasets on shocks, food security, and household coping strategies: Creating new analytical playgrounds to study coping behavior in the multi-shock environments of Mali, Chad, Niger, and Burkina Faso (2018-2023)

2025Marivoet, Wim; Sib, Ollo; Samake, Aliou Badara; Dieme, Ndeye Fatou; Hema, Aboubacar; Doehnert, Federico; Suzuki, Mina
Details

Unique datasets on shocks, food security, and household coping strategies: Creating new analytical playgrounds to study coping behavior in the multi-shock environments of Mali, Chad, Niger, and Burkina Faso (2018-2023)

To inform the Cadre Harmonisé process in West Africa, large-scale national household surveys are usually implemented twice a year to capture data on household food security and several forms of consumption- and livelihood-based coping strategies. These cross-sectional surveys typically take place around February-March (before the start of the lean season) and September-October (at the end of the lean season or beginning of the harvesting period), and they are generally representative at the second-tier administrative level. Despite their different names (that is, ENSAN in Mali, ENSA in Chad, EVIAM in Niger, and ENISAN in Burkina Faso) and the methodological revisions introduced over the years, these surveys have a large common set of variables that were pooled together by standardizing the modalities of all common variables found across the multiple survey waves between 2018 and 2023. Apart from reconsolidation and reprocessing of initial data files, this process also involved the re-computation of several key indicators on food security and household coping as to assure maximum methodological consistency over time.

Year published

2025

Authors

Marivoet, Wim; Sib, Ollo; Samake, Aliou Badara; Dieme, Ndeye Fatou; Hema, Aboubacar; Doehnert, Federico; Suzuki, Mina

Citation

Marivoet, Wim; Sib, Ollo; Samake, Aliou Badara; Dieme, Ndeye Fatou; Hema, Aboubacar; Doehnert, Federico; and Suzuki, Mina. 2025. Unique datasets on shocks, food security, and household coping strategies: Creating new analytical playgrounds to study coping behavior in the multi-shock environments of Mali, Chad, Niger, and Burkina Faso (2018-2023). CGIAR Initiative on Fragility, Conflict, and Migration. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173063

Country/Region

Mali; Chad; Niger; Burkina Faso

Keywords

Western Africa; Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Datasets; Shock; Food Security; Households

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

Methodology [of the PEDAL project]

2025Resnick, Danielle
Details

Methodology [of the PEDAL project]

Large-scale food fortification (LSFF) is considered one of the most cost-effective ways of addressing micronutrient deficiencies. The intervention involves adding essential minerals and vitamins to widely consumed foods and requires minimal changes to consumption patterns while relying on existing food delivery systems. However, there is a lot of variability across countries in the adoption of mandatory and voluntary LSFF standards, that is, the government legislation requiring that specific staple foods or condiments be fortified. In fact, there are more than 80 countries where micronutrient deficiencies are widespread but a mandatory fortification standard has not been adopted. Even in countries where standards have been adopted, implementation could not be financially sustained over the years or laboratory tests revealed that designated food vehicles lacked the stipulated micronutrients. The Political Economy Diagnostic for Assessing Large-Scale Food Fortification (PEDAL) is designed to identify the ways in which political and institutional factors may contribute to differences in the uptake and implementation of LSFF standards. While political economy is acknowledged to be an important factor underlying the success or failure of LSFF, few studies on LSFF explicitly incorporate it into their analyses. By reducing LSFF to a purely technical intervention, bottlenecks to policy traction can worsen and derail uptake. In contrast, PEDAL offers a systematic diagnostic of the political economy environment for LSFF to identify these bottlenecks ex ante and to calibrate policy interventions accordingly. In doing so, PEDAL aims to help countries advance toward achieving healthier diets and reducing micronutrient deficiencies. PEDAL focuses on two core elements of the enabling environment: political will and implementation capacity (see Figure 1). Political will consists of the range of interests that motivate different stakeholders, the ideational goals that underlie their policy preferences, and their degree of leverage to exert their preferences. Implementation capacity consists of both the institutional architecture established to make continuous decisions related to LSFF policy and the technical capacity to ensure regulations are adhered to at the processing and retail levels. Across both dimensions, the diagnostic examines three sets of actors: the public sector (including government ministries, agencies, executives, legislators, and bureaucrats), the private sector (such as food producers, processors, and retailers) and civil society (including consumers, research institutes, universities, journalists, and nongovernmental organizations). The remainder of this brief examines these components in more detail and highlights how they can be assessed by researchers and practitioners.

Year published

2025

Authors

Resnick, Danielle

Citation

Resnick, Danielle. 2025. Methodology. PEDAL Brief 1. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172758

Keywords

Economics; Food Fortification; Implementation; Micronutrient Deficiencies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Madagascar assessment

2025Resnick, Danielle
Details

Madagascar assessment

Large-scale food fortification (LSFF) presents a promising intervention in Madagascar, where approximately 75% of the population lives below the poverty line and faces multiple malnutrition burdens. For instance, 39.8% of children under age five are stunted, and 37.8% of reproductive age women suffer from anemia (Development Initiatives 2022). These trends persist despite a long history of nutrition programs and alliances, including the introduction of a mandatory salt iodization program in 1995, several national nutrition policies and action plans since 2004, and the country’s participation in the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement since 2021. Moreover, despite several voluntary standards in place, progress in implementing mandatory LSFF for widely consumed foods remains stalled, lagging behind LSFF in many other African countries.

Year published

2025

Authors

Resnick, Danielle

Citation

Resnick, Danielle. 2025. Madagascar assessment. PEDAL Brief 2. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172757

Country/Region

Madagascar

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Food Fortification; Micronutrient Deficiencies; Poverty; Stakeholders; Assessment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Conditional contracts in indirect local procurement of maize from smallholder farmers in Uganda: A study design to assess impacts

2025Raghunathan, Kalyani; Abate, Gashaw T.; Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Nabwire, Leocardia; Mukangabo, Emerence; Mugabo, Serge; Benin, Samuel
Details

Conditional contracts in indirect local procurement of maize from smallholder farmers in Uganda: A study design to assess impacts

Improving smallholder farmers’ access to reliable markets can have significant impacts on their wellbeing, income, poverty reduction, dietary diversity, and rural economic growth. As the choice of marketing channels may influence outcomes differently depending on the context, a key issue is understanding the effectiveness of different marketing instruments. One such modality is a conditional contract between a buyer and the traders supplying it. Such a contract requires traders to source a certain percentage of their supplies directly from smallholder farmers. This raises the question of whether conditional contracts create access to reliable markets for smallholder farmers, result in value chain transformation, and sustain market engagement between traders and smallholder farmers.

Year published

2025

Authors

Raghunathan, Kalyani; Abate, Gashaw T.; Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Nabwire, Leocardia; Mukangabo, Emerence; Mugabo, Serge; Benin, Samuel

Citation

Raghunathan, Kalyani; Abate, Gashaw T.; Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Nabwire, Leocardia; Mukangabo, Emerence; Mugabo, Serge; and Benin, Samuel. 2025. Conditional contracts in indirect local procurement of maize from smallholder farmers in Uganda: A study design to assess impacts. SFS4Youth Project Note 2. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172818

Country/Region

Uganda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Contracts; Maize; Smallholders; Value Chains

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Country profile – Senegal: Gender, climate change, and nutrition linkages

2025Marivoet, Wim; Diatta, Ampa Dogui; Thomas, Timothy S.; Ferguson, Nathaniel; Bryan, Elizabeth
Details

Country profile – Senegal: Gender, climate change, and nutrition linkages

This country brief supports GCAN’s goal of integrating gender, climate resilience, and nutrition considerations into policies, interventions, and research by providing policymakers, program officers, and researchers with an analysis of Senegal’s current situation and policy landscape in these areas. In 2019, the agrifood system of Senegal accounted for 36% of total GDP and employed 43% of the total work force. The off-farm components (i.e., processing, trade/transport, food services, and input supply) are slightly more (less) important than primary agriculture in terms of GDP (employment), which implies that labor productivity is higher for off-farm activities. The most important value chains as a percentage of total agrifood system’s GDP are groundnuts (15%), cattle/dairy (14%), and sorghum/millet and fish (both around 11%) (Diao et al. 2023). In part due to important food losses observed during storage and distribution, Senegal’s agrifood system is generally failing to provide nutritious and affordable diets to its population. In fact, total food supplies are dominated by energy-dense food items, with supplies in fruit and pulses amounting to only 55 and 15 grams per capita per day, respectively, resulting in 50% of all Senegalese being unable to afford a healthy diet in 2022.

Year published

2025

Authors

Marivoet, Wim; Diatta, Ampa Dogui; Thomas, Timothy S.; Ferguson, Nathaniel; Bryan, Elizabeth

Citation

Marivoet, Wim; Diatta, Ampa Dogui; Thomas, Timothy S.; Ferguson, Nathaniel; and Bryan, Elizabeth. 2025. Country profile – Senegal: Gender, climate change, and nutrition linkages. Project Note February 2025. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173369

Country/Region

Senegal

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Agrifood Systems; Climate Change; Climate Resilience; Gender; Nutrition; Policies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Household wellbeing in rural Papua New Guinea: Analysis from the 2023 PNG Rural Household Survey

2025Mahrt, Kristi; Schmidt, Emily; Fang, Peixun; Mukerjee, Rishabh
Details

Household wellbeing in rural Papua New Guinea: Analysis from the 2023 PNG Rural Household Survey

Key Messages  The PNG 2023 Rural Household Survey collected detailed consumption and expenditure data, which allows the first cost of basic needs poverty assessment since the 2009/10 Household Income Expenditure Survey. However, it is important to note that the survey is not nationally representative.  43% of sample individuals are estimated to be poor relative to the standard cost of basic needs poverty lines (poor is defined as those who live in households that do not have sufficient resources to acquire calorie adequate diets while also meeting basic non-food needs).  64% of sample individuals are estimated to be poor relative to the healthy diet poverty lines (poor is defined as those who live in households that do not have sufficient resources to meet healthy dietary guidelines while also meeting basic non-food needs).  The healthy diet poverty line incorporates a higher share of nutrient dense food groups (vegetables, fruits, meat and fish, etc.) and thus is about 1/3 more costly than the standard poverty line.  On average, households within the survey sample over-consume staples and fats compared to healthy guidelines and under-consume vegetables, fruits, animal source foods, and nuts/pulses.  Smaller households and households with greater production assets (land and labor), education completion, market access, and income diversification (via non-farm businesses and migrant remittances) are associated with higher household consumption-expenditure (income proxy).  Among households engaged in cash crop sales (i.e., cocoa, coffee, betelnut, horticulture) only cocoa farming households have significantly higher consumption-expenditure (income proxy).  Targeted safety net and community asset building programs could reduce rural poverty by increasing agriculture productivity, supporting rural-urban market linkages, improving demand for rural goods, and incentivizing off-farm employment.  Facilitating remittance transfers from migrants to rural households and facilitating access to primary education could improve rural incomes in the short and long term, respectively.

Year published

2025

Authors

Mahrt, Kristi; Schmidt, Emily; Fang, Peixun; Mukerjee, Rishabh

Citation

Mahrt, Kristi; Schmidt, Emily; Fang, Peixun; and Mukerjee, Rishabh. 2025. Household wellbeing in rural Papua New Guinea: Analysis from the 2023 PNG Rural Household Survey. Papua New Guinea Project Note 16. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173466

Country/Region

Papua New Guinea

Keywords

Oceania; Healthy Diets; Households; Poverty; Rural Areas

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Assessing the projected impacts of alternative PSTA5 spending trajectories on the Rwandan economy

2025Aragie, Emerta A.; Ingabire, Chantal; Knudsen, Mads; Thurlow, James; Warner, James
Details

Assessing the projected impacts of alternative PSTA5 spending trajectories on the Rwandan economy

Data-driven and evidence-based approaches are critical for shaping public policy, investment, and expenditure decisions, ensuring that development plans are effective and well-informed. The RIAPA model, utilized in this study, has played a key role in informing policy discussions, including the identification of national priorities and strategies, the mid-term assessment of the Rwanda’s fourth Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA 4), and the post-COVID-19 recovery and relief efforts. This policy note employs a Rwanda-specific RIAPA model integrated with an investment module to analyze the expected benefits from agricultural investments outlined in the Fifth Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA 5) for 2025-2029. Results show that, compared to PSTA 4 spending trends, a moderate spending scenario under PSTA 5 could accelerate agricultural transformation and inclusive growth by 2.8 percentage points. A higher budget scenario, re quiring an average annual expenditure of $610 million, is projected to reach an ambitious eight percent agricultural growth target. Faster agricultural growth would further stimulate the off-farm components of the agri-food system, reinforcing agriculture’s role as an economic growth engine. By 2029, PSTA 5 could reduce poverty and undernourishment by 1.6 million people, contingent on managing potentially significant climatic and external economic risks.

Year published

2025

Authors

Aragie, Emerta A.; Ingabire, Chantal; Knudsen, Mads; Thurlow, James; Warner, James

Citation

Aragie, Emerta A.; Ingabire, Chantal; Knudsen, Mads; Thurlow, James; and Warner, James. 2025. Assessing the projected impacts of alternative PSTA5 spending trajectories on the Rwandan economy. Rwanda SSP Policy Note 18. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173824

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Modelling; Policies; Agriculture; Agrifood Systems; Public Expenditure

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Brief

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: January 2025

2025International Food Policy Research Institute; Schmidt, Emily; Kedir Jemal, Mekamu
Details

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: January 2025

Download time series food price data, and build graphs and tables for over 20 different food crops at our food price database webpage: https://www.ifpri.org/project/fresh-food-price-analysis-papua-new-guinea/ Price trends: Quarterly comparisons (Q4 2024 vs. Q4 2023 and Q4 2022) Sweet potato prices in Q4 of 2024 were 20.4 percent higher in all markets compared to Q4 of 2023 (averaging 1.64 PGK/kg in Q4 of 2023, and 1.79 PGK/kg in 2024). However, sweet potato prices in Kokopo were 13 percent lower in 2024 (1.35 PGK/kg) compared to 2023 Q4 price (1.55/PGK/kg) Rice prices have increased slowly (but remained stable) since 2022. Compared to Q4 2023, rice prices in 2024 were 14 percent higher in Kokopo, Lae and Port Moresby. Vegetable prices, on average, in Q4 of 2024 were 23.6 lower in Goroka compared to Q4 of 2023. Compared to Q4 2022, the price of vegetables, on average, in 2024 were 22.1 percent lower in highland markets. Fruits saw mixed price movements between 2023 and 2024: lemon prices in Q4 2024 were 28.4 percent lower, on average, across all markets.

Year published

2025

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute; Schmidt, Emily; Kedir Jemal, Mekamu

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute. 2025. Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: January 2025. Papua New Guinea Food Price Bulletin January 2025. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172690

Country/Region

Papua New Guinea

Keywords

Melanesia; Asia; Markets; Food Prices; Rice; Sweet Potatoes; Fruits

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

The case for food system knowledge support system (FS-KSS)

2025Ulimwengu, John M.; Mutyasira, Vine; Keizire, Boaz
Details

The case for food system knowledge support system (FS-KSS)

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035) is a key framework aimed at transforming Africa’s agrifood systems to achieve sustainable agricultural growth, food security, and economic development across the continent. Building on the lessons from the Malabo Declaration, the Plan emphasizes the need for sustainable food production, inclusivity, and resilience in the face of climate change and other challenges. However, achieving these ambitious goals requires a robust and integrated support system that can provide accurate, real time data, facilitate evidence-based decision-making, and promote accountability among stakeholders. Without a well-functioning knowledge system, the efforts to transform agrifood systems may be hindered by data gaps, limited analytical capacity, and a lack of coordination among various actors. The effectiveness of food systems in Africa is often hindered by data gaps, inconsistencies, and limited capacity for data analysis. These issues compromise the ability of governments and other stakeholders to make informed decisions, implement sound policies, and monitor progress toward national and continental goals such as food security and climate resilience. This is where the Food System Knowledge Support System (FS-KSS) becomes crucial, as it provides the necessary tools to ensure effective implementation of the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ulimwengu, John M.; Mutyasira, Vine; Keizire, Boaz

Citation

Ulimwengu, John; Mutyasira, Vine; and Keizire, Boaz. 2024. The case for food system knowledge support system (FS-KSS). AGRA-IFPRI Policy Brief 3. Nairobi, Kenya: AGRA, IFPRI, and IDRC.

Keywords

Africa; Sustainable Agriculture; Sustainable Development; Agrifood Systems; Caadp; Food Security; Data Analysis

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Comprehensive mapping of food systems is necessary to guide transformation efforts: The case of Rwanda

2025Ulimwengu, John M.; Warner, James; Mutyasira, Vine; Keizire, Boaz
Details

Comprehensive mapping of food systems is necessary to guide transformation efforts: The case of Rwanda

Rwanda has made significant strides in improving its food systems, with notable progress in reducing malnutrition and stunting, especially among children. Stunting rates declined from over 50% in the early 2000s to 33% by 2020, reflecting the government’s commitment to addressing food insecurity and enhancing nutrition through a range of agricultural and public health initiatives. The country’s Crop Intensification Program (CIP) has played a pivotal role in increasing agricultural productivity, especially for staple crops like maize, beans, and Irish potatoes, which has contributed to better food availability across the country. Despite these achievements, substantial challenges persist. Almost 19% of households still face food insecurity, with the highest prevalence in rural areas. Additionally, malnutrition continues to affect vulnerable populations, with anemia rates among women of reproductive age at 37%, signaling gaps in nutrition security. Environmental concerns, including soil degradation, water scarcity, and climate change, further complicate efforts to sustain agricultural productivity. Approximately 40% of Rwanda’s land is affected by soil erosion, and shifting climate patterns pose increasing risks to agricultural yields. These challenges indicate the need for a more strategic, research-based approach to understanding and transforming Rwanda’s food system.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ulimwengu, John M.; Warner, James; Mutyasira, Vine; Keizire, Boaz

Citation

Ulimwengu, John; Warner, James; Mutyasira, Vine; and Keizire, Boaz. 2025. Comprehensive mapping of food systems is necessary to guide transformation efforts: The case of Rwanda. AGRA-IFPRI Policy Brief 4. Nairobi: AGRA, IFPRI, and IDRC. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/169384

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Southern Africa; Food Systems; Malnutrition; Stunting; Food Security; Agriculture; Public Health; Intensification; Agricultural Productivity; Sustainability

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

The case for post Malabo Agenda implementation guidelines

2025Ulimwengu, John M.; Mutyasira, Vine; Keizire, Boaz
Details

The case for post Malabo Agenda implementation guidelines

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), developed by the African Union (AU) in 2003, marked a significant turning point for Africa’s agricultural development. CAADP’s objective was to transform agriculture into a key driver of economic growth, poverty reduction, and food security across the continent. Through a focus on increasing agricultural productivity and ensuring that agricultural development was aligned with national and regional priorities, CAADP sought to tackle Africa’s persistent challenges of hunger, malnutrition, and economic stagnation. In 2014, the Malabo Declaration was introduced as the second phase of CAADP implementation, with a new set of ambitious targets aimed at ending hunger and halving poverty by 2025. The declaration reinforced the importance of agricultural-led growth and committed African governments to specific goals, including increasing agricultural productivity by at least 6% annually and allocating at least 10% of national budgets to agriculture. It also emphasized sustainable agriculture, resilience to climate change, and equitable access to resources, particularly for women and smallholder farmers.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ulimwengu, John M.; Mutyasira, Vine; Keizire, Boaz

Citation

Ulimwengu, John; Mutyasira, Vine; and Keizire, Boaz. 2025. The case for post Malabo Agenda implementation guidelines. AGRA-IFPRI Policy Brief 2. Nairobi: AGRA, IFPRI, and IDRC. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/169385

Keywords

Africa; Caadp; Agricultural Development; Agriculture; Economic Development; Food Security; Poverty; Malnutrition; Hunger; Climate Resilience

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Use of fertilizers in agriculture sector of Tajikistan

2025Ashurov, Timur; Khakimov, Parviz; Aliev, Jovidon; Goibov, Manuchehr
Details

Use of fertilizers in agriculture sector of Tajikistan

Tajikistan’s heavily relies on imported mineral fertilizers. Fertilizers, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, are crucial for enhancing crop yields, increasing income and supporting farmers’ livelihoods. However, limited access to this input, along with rising global fertilizer prices, has restricted farmers’ ability to fully benefit from them. Particularly due to the result of this, agricultural productivity has been constrained, affecting food security and farmer incomes. Key challenges • Fertilizer application rates, particularly for both mineral and organic types, remain below the recommended norms set by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). Farmers across the country, especially smallholders, struggle to apply adequate amounts of fertilizers due to high costs and limited access. • Access to high-quality mineral fertilizers is further hindered by the country’s dependency on imports, which can exacerbate local price volatility. • Fertilizer use varies across different regions of Tajikistan. In Khatlon and Sughd regions fertilizer use is higher, particularly for cotton and vegetable farming. However, in other regions fertilizer use remains comparatively low, limiting agricultural productivity. • While fertilizers are essential for improving crop yields, excessive or inefficient use can lead to environmental risks, including soil salinity and degradation. Careful management of fertilizer use is needed to prevent harm to biodiversity and soil ecosystems, particularly in regions with intensive farming, such as those producing cotton. Recommended actions • Promote training on organic fertilizer benefits and sustainable practices like composting. Support better manure management to increase organic fertilizer application. • Abolishing or reducing value added tax and import tariffs for fertilizers could make them more cost-effective and attainable for farmers. • Introduce targeted subsidies for mineral fertilizers to make fertilizers more affordable and accessible. • Promote efficient fertilizer use and broader sustainable practices like soil conservation and integrated pest management to ensure long-term productivity.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ashurov, Timur; Khakimov, Parviz; Aliev, Jovidon; Goibov, Manuchehr

Citation

Ashurov, Timur; Khakimov, Parviz; Aliev, Jovidon; and Goibov, Manuchehr. 2025. Use of fertilizers in agriculture sector of Tajikistan. Central Asia Policy Brief 19. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168662

Country/Region

Tajikistan

Keywords

Asia; Central Asia; Fertilizers; Agricultural Sector; Inorganic Fertilizers; Farmers; Crop Yield; Prices; Food Security; Income; Sustainability

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Agricultural advisory services in Tajikistan: Private sector role

2025Aliev, Jovidon; Khakimov, Parviz; Ashurov, Timur; Goibov, Manuchehr
Details

Agricultural advisory services in Tajikistan: Private sector role

Agricultural advisory services (AAS) may play a crucial role in supporting Tajikistan’s food security and rural development by helping farmers to increase productivity, adopt new technologies, and access to the markets. Despite their significance, AAS remain underdeveloped with limited coverage and accessibility. Strengthening AAS through government support, private sector engagement, and in partnership with NGOs can address the challenges and contribute to sustainable growth of the sector. Key challenges and developments • Limited coverage and accessibility: In 2021, around 5 percent of Tajikistan’s farms and 14 percent of arable land benefited from professional AAS, while over 90 percent of farmers need these services. • Resource constraints: Financial needs and limited number of AAS providers are the main constraints to scaling-up the services to meet nationwide farmers’ needs. • Positive impacts of current initiatives: Despite limited resources, Sarob and Neksigol Mushovir private and non-profit cooperatives through providing AAS to the farmers contributes on yield increases across the country, at the same time reduce an irrigation water use. • Digital innovation: Neksigol Mushovir’s AgroSpace platform, with mobile applications, e-library resources, and online consultations, has significantly improved access to agricultural knowledge. • Climate-smart agriculture: Sarob’s initiatives in climate-smart practices, such as zero tillage and water-saving technologies, have reduced inputs use and an increased crops yield. Recommended actions • Expand institutional support: Public support to scaling up of the AAS is crucial. • Enhance public-private partnerships: Encourage collaboration between public institutions, private sector, and NGOs to pool resources and knowledge is vital to expanding AAS to the farmers. • Enhance digital solutions for AAS: Invest in digital platforms to provide accessible, low-cost advisory services, real-time market information, and climate adaptation tools to the farmers. • Focus on climate resilience: Scale up climate-smart agricultural practices and provide training in water management, pest control, and sustainable farming techniques to enhance productivity under changing climate conditions.

Year published

2025

Authors

Aliev, Jovidon; Khakimov, Parviz; Ashurov, Timur; Goibov, Manuchehr

Citation

Aliev, Jovidon; Khakimov, Parviz; Ashurov, Timur; and Goibov, Manuchehr. 2025. Agricultural advisory services in Tajikistan: Private sector role. Central Asia Policy Brief 21. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168661

Country/Region

Tajikistan

Keywords

Asia; Central Asia; Agriculture; Advisory Services; Food Security; Rural Development; Digital Innovation; Climate-smart Agriculture; Private Sector

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Agrifood trade in Tajikistan

2025Khakimov, Parviz; Ashurov, Timur; Aliev, Jovidon; Goibov, Manuchehr
Details

Agrifood trade in Tajikistan

Despite being an agrarian economy, Tajikistan heavily relies on agrifood imports. Agrifood imports have increased sharply in recent years, while export growth has been modest. This brief outline the key trends in Tajikistan’s agrifood trade and provides policy recommendations to reduce import dependence and boost domestic agricultural production. Key trends in agrifood trade • Between 2000 and 2023, Tajikistan’s agrifood imports grew 16 times, with vegetable products (primarily cereals) and prepared foodstuffs (sugar, animal fodder, flour, oil) accounting for 83 percent of total imports. • While imports have surged, agrifood exports have grown by only 2.2 times during the same period. Exports remain concentrated in a few products, with dry fruits and nuts making up 75 percent of total agrifood exports in 2023. • Processed food imports have significantly increased, reflecting both changing consumer preferences and domestic production gaps. This shift, particularly in urban areas, underscores the growing role of imports in meeting demand for food products beyond basic staples. • Tajikistan’s agrifood imports and exports are dominated by trade with Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. These long-standing trade ties reflect logistical advantages and shared histories. However, this reliance on a narrow set of trading partners limits the potential to access new, more lucrative markets. Recommended actions • Tajikistan needs to focus on modernizing its agricultural sector to raise productivity and lessening the country’s reliance on imports. • Strengthening Tajikistan’s agrifood processing sector will help reduce the growing dependency on processed food imports. Investments in food processing infrastructure and the promotion of local agribusinesses could meet the rising demand for processed products. • Diversifying the range of exported agrifood products is crucial. Developing processing industries and value added products can help reduce dependency on a few commodities and open doors to new export markets. • While CIS countries are important trading partners, Tajikistan should explore opportunities to expand market access outside the region. Improving the quality of agrifood exports and meeting international standards will enable the country to participate in more global value chains and trade agreements.

Year published

2025

Authors

Khakimov, Parviz; Ashurov, Timur; Aliev, Jovidon; Goibov, Manuchehr

Citation

Khakimov, Parviz; Ashurov, Timur; Aliev, Jovidon; and Goibov, Manuchehr. 2025. Agrifood trade in Tajikistan. Central Asia Policy Brief 17. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168644

Country/Region

Tajikistan

Keywords

Asia; Central Asia; Agrifood Systems; Imports; Exports; Agricultural Sector; Trade; Markets

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Agriculture sector reform and sectoral programs in Tajikistan

2025Goibov, Manuchehr; Khakimov, Parviz; Ashurov, Timur; Aliev, Jovidon
Details

Agriculture sector reform and sectoral programs in Tajikistan

Tajikistan’s agricultural sector, despite its challenging environment and limited natural resources, remains a vital component of the national economy, providing employment and income for a significant portion of the rural population. However, the sector faces critical challenges including inefficient land use, outdated farming practices, inadequate infrastructure, and the lingering influence of Soviet-era agricultural systems. Since the early 1990s, Tajikistan has embarked on a series of agricultural reforms aimed at improving productivity and sustainability. Key reforms include land redistribution, water sector restructuring, and the adoption of policies to modernize the agricultural sector. The “Agriculture Reform Program” (ARP) for 2012-2020 was a major initiative targeting structural changes in land and water management, as well as the reorientation of the Ministry of Agriculture from a central planning body to a facilitator and regulator.

Year published

2025

Authors

Goibov, Manuchehr; Khakimov, Parviz; Ashurov, Timur; Aliev, Jovidon

Citation

Goibov, Manuchehr; Khakimov, Parviz; Ashurov, Timur; and Aliev, Jovidon. 2025. Agriculture sector reform and sectoral programs in Tajikistan. Central Asia Policy Brief 15. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168561

Country/Region

Tajikistan

Keywords

Asia; Central Asia; Agricultural Sector; Employment; Rural Population; Agricultural Productivity; Sustainability; Reforms

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Brief

PEDAL Country Snapshot: Madagascar

2025Resnick, Danielle
Details

PEDAL Country Snapshot: Madagascar

Large-scale food fortification (LSFF) helps combat micronutrient deficiencies by adding essential vitamins and minerals to staple foods. This PEDAL assessment identifies key priorities for Madagascar by evaluating its political will and implementation capacity for LSFF. For more information about PEDAL and the detailed Madagascar case study, please see PEDAL for Madagascar brief.

Year published

2025

Authors

Resnick, Danielle

Citation

Resnick, Danielle. 2025. PEDAL Country Snapshot: Madagascar. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172892

Country/Region

Madagascar

Keywords

Africa; Southern Africa; Eastern Africa; Food Fortification; Micronutrient Deficiencies; Minerals; Vitamins

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

US tariffs on the horizon: How will India’s economy be affected?

2025Pal, Barun Deb; Ajmani, Manmeet Singh
Details

US tariffs on the horizon: How will India’s economy be affected?

US trade policy is expected to change significantly under the new administration, with an anticipated average tariff increase of 10 to 20 percentage points on all imports. Tariffs as high as 100 percent may be imposed on imports from select countries to address trade imbalances and to boost domestic manufacturing in the United States. India is one of the countries that may be significantly impacted by this policy change. Total merchandise trade between India and the United States increased rapidly in the past decade, rising from US$53 billion in 2014 to US$78 billion in 2022 (World Bank, 2024). The United States became India’s top trading partner in 2022, accounting for 11 percent of India’s total trade. India, in turn, accounts for around 2.5 percent of the total US trade.

Year published

2025

Authors

Pal, Barun Deb; Ajmani, Manmeet Singh

Citation

Pal, Barun Deb; and Ajmani, Manmeet Singh. 2025. US tariffs on the horizon: How will India’s economy be affected? Policy Note January 2025. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172451

Country/Region

India; United States

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Americas; Northern America; Economic Systems; Policies; Tariffs; Trade

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Enhancing agricultural resilience in Uzbekistan through farmers’ decisionmaking autonomy

2025Djanibekov, Nodir; Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Mirkasimov, Bakhrom; Akramov, Kamiljon T.
Details

Enhancing agricultural resilience in Uzbekistan through farmers’ decisionmaking autonomy

KEY MESSAGE • Greater farmer’s decision-making autonomy enhances resilience in technical efficiency during economic shocks. • Technical efficiency improves with autonomy, as farmers can adjust resource use, sustain productivity, and make adaptive choices regarding crop selection and input management. • Eliminating top-down land allocations, granting secure land use rights, expanding financial and market access, and decentralizing training programs can improve the capacity of farmers to become more productive and adaptable in the face of current and future challenges.

Year published

2025

Authors

Djanibekov, Nodir; Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Mirkasimov, Bakhrom; Akramov, Kamiljon T.

Citation

Djanibekov, Nodir; Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Mirkasimov, Bakhrom; and Akramov, Kamiljon T. 2025. Enhancing agricultural resilience in Uzbekistan through farmers’ decisionmaking autonomy. CPRO Policy Brief 2025-01/2. Tashkent: Center For Policy Research and Outreach. https://doi.org/10.70735/DUTV1060

Country/Region

Uzbekistan

Keywords

Asia; Central Asia; Agriculture; Decision Making; Farmers; Resilience

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.70735/dutv1060 Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

Unlocking Innovation in homestead farms: Exploring drivers and barriers to innovation adoption among farming households in Uzbekistan

2024Rajiv, Sharanya; Akramov, Kamiljon T.; Dhehibi, Boubaker
Details

Unlocking Innovation in homestead farms: Exploring drivers and barriers to innovation adoption among farming households in Uzbekistan

Homestead, or tomorqa, farms play a key role in agriculture and food security in Uzbekistan. These small-scale farms are integral to the livelihoods of more than 5.5 million rural households, collectively utilizing over 500,000 hectares of agricultural land, which accounts for nearly 15 percent of the country’s total arable agricultural land area.1 The significance of homestead farms is also underscored by their substantial contribution to the overall agricultural output of the country, producing the majority of horticulture and livestock products. In 2023, homestead farms produced approximately 62 percent of agricultural products, 37 percent of crop output, and an impressive 88 percent of livestock production. Recognizing their critical importance, the Uzbek government has positioned homestead farms at the heart of its poverty reduction strategy. This strategy includes the allocation of additional land to rural households, thereby expanding their capacity for agricultural production and improving the economic stability of rural communities. Furthermore, the government actively promotes the adoption of innovative agricultural technologies and practices by homestead farms.

Year published

2024

Authors

Rajiv, Sharanya; Akramov, Kamiljon T.; Dhehibi, Boubaker

Citation

Rajiv, Sharanya; Akramov, Kamiljon; and Dhehibi, Boubaker. 2024. Unlocking Innovation in homestead farms: Exploring drivers and barriers to innovation adoption among farming households in Uzbekistan. IFPRI Project Note December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168427

Country/Region

Uzbekistan

Keywords

Asia; Central Asia; Innovation Adoption; Farms; Agriculture; Food Security; Poverty Reduction; Capacity Development; Climate-smart Agriculture

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Brief

Brief

Stakeholder feedback on a slaughterhouse hygiene intervention in western Kenya

2024Otoigo, Lilian; Jasada, Ijudai; Hoffmann, Vivian; Ambler, Kate; Kiarie, Alice; Cook, Elizabeth A.J.
Details

Stakeholder feedback on a slaughterhouse hygiene intervention in western Kenya

The intervention implemented evaluated through the Improving Hygiene Practices in Slaughterhouses in Western Kenya study (Ambler, et al., 2024) aimed to address poor hygiene practices in slaughterhouses, which contribute to foodborne illnesses and unsafe meat. Conducted in 140 slaughterhouses across 6 counties in Western Kenya, the intervention focused on training workers, provision of basic hygiene equipment, and the use of monetary incentives to improve compliance with recommended hygiene practices. After the intervention period, key informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted with stakeholders including six County Directors of Veterinary Services (CDVSs), nine sub-county veterinary Officers (SCVOs), one Public Health Officer (PHO), and ten meat inspectors (MIs). This report summarizes findings from the KIIs regarding perspectives on the intervention, sustainability, challenges with implementation, and provides a basis for recommendations on refining and scaling up or this approach.

Year published

2024

Authors

Otoigo, Lilian; Jasada, Ijudai; Hoffmann, Vivian; Ambler, Kate; Kiarie, Alice; Cook, Elizabeth A.J.

Citation

Otoigo, Lilian; Jasada, Ijudai; Hoffmann, Vivian; Ambler, Kate; Kiarie, Alice; and Cook, Elizabeth A.J. 2024. Stakeholder feedback on a slaughterhouse hygiene intervention in western Kenya. IFPRI Project Note December 2024. Washington, DC: Internaitonal Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168518

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Capacity Building; Stakeholders; Abattoirs; Meat Hygiene; Food Hygiene

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

One Health

Record type

Brief

Brief

Evaluating hydropower and irrigation development in Sudan under climate change uncertainties

2024Basheer, Mohammed; Elnour, Zuhal; Pérez, Cristo Facundo; Liao, Wenxi; Siddig, Khalid; Ringler, Claudia
Details

Evaluating hydropower and irrigation development in Sudan under climate change uncertainties

Hydropower and irrigation development on the Nile in Sudan can help meet growing food and energy needs. However, these potential infrastructures must be evaluated considering climate change uncertainties and multisector socioeconomic trade-offs. Increased streamflow combined with the recently constructed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam would provide reliable irrigation water supplies in Sudan under most climate change scenarios but there are distributional impacts.

Year published

2024

Authors

Basheer, Mohammed; Elnour, Zuhal; Pérez, Cristo Facundo; Liao, Wenxi; Siddig, Khalid; Ringler, Claudia

Citation

Basheer, Mohammed; Elnour, Zuhal; Pérez, Cristo Facundo; Liao, Wenxi; Siddig, Khalid; and Ringler, Claudia. 2024. Evaluating hydropower and irrigation development in Sudan under climate change uncertainties. IFPRI Policy Note December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168426

Country/Region

Sudan

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Water Power; Irrigation; Infrastructure; Climate Change; Food; Energy Consumption

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Brief

Brief

Small groceries in Viet Nam

2024de Brauw, Alan; The Anh, Dao; Tho, Pham Thi Hanh
Details

Small groceries in Viet Nam

The food environment represents the place in which demand for food meets supply—consumers purchase foods in the food environment, while retailers of the food consumers purchase represent the end of the value chain. In many countries, the food environment is undergoing rapid change as economies grow and populations urbanize; a consequence is that a larger share of food consumed is purchased by the end consumer (de Bruin and Holleman 2023). Viet Nam is no different. Viet Nam’s growing and urbanizing economy has, over time, led to a changing food environment. This note focuses on one type of retailer in Viet Nam’s food environment: the small grocery. We define small groceries as stores that are not supermarkets, are not part of a chain, and have a fixed storefront from which they do business on a daily or near daily basis. These stores play a small but important role in Viet Nam’s food environment, particularly in rural areas, and as we will demonstrate, almost all these groceries sell at least one component of a sustainable healthy diet. As a result, what they sell could help play a role in improving the diets of Viet Nam’s population. To focus on learning more about small groceries, this note makes use of two datasets. One is a listing exercise that enumerated all the businesses selling food in sampled wards of three districts: Dong Da, in urban Ha Noi; Dong Anh, which is in peri-urban Ha Noi; and Moc Chau, which is a rural district northwest of Ha Noi. The second survey used the first survey as a sample frame, and was specifically designed to learn about the constraints and opportunities that micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) face in considering selling more healthy foods (Ceballos et al. 2023). Small groceries are one type of business in the food environment, and all can be considered MSMEs.

Year published

2024

Authors

de Brauw, Alan; The Anh, Dao; Tho, Pham Thi Hanh

Citation

de Brauw, Alan; The Anh, Dao; and Tho, Pham Thi Hanh. 2024. Small groceries in Viet Nam. SHiFT Initiative Project Note December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168651

Country/Region

Vietnam

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Food Environment; Food Consumption; Sustainability; Nutrition; Health; Small and Medium Enterprises

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Formative study on slaughterhouse hygiene in Western Kenya: Summary Report

2024Otoigo, Lilian; Alumasa, Lorren; Majiwa, Hamilton; Hoffmann, Vivian; Ambler, Kate; Kiarie, Alice; Cook, Elizabeth A.J.
Details

Formative study on slaughterhouse hygiene in Western Kenya: Summary Report

Slaughterhouses in Western Kenya face critical challenges, including inadequate hygiene practices, poor infrastructure, insufficient water supply, and weak enforcement of regulatory standards. These deficiencies contribute to meat contamination and the transmission of zoonotic diseases such as Rift Valley Fever, brucellosis, and anthrax, as well as foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella sp. and pathogenic E.coli. Globally, foodborne illnesses result in millions of illnesses and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually, particularly among children under five. The public health and economic consequences of these risks in low and middle-income countries are significant (Havelaar et al., 2015; Jaffee et al., 2018). A qualitative study, based on interviews of key informants in the slaughter industry in Western Kenya and associated regulatory authorities, was undertaken in 2022 to document the state of slaughterhouse infrastructure and practices, explore barriers to compliance with regulatory standards, and identify practical solutions for improving conditions and enabling safer meat handling practices. This report summarizes the findings of that study and presents recommendations for interventions to improve slaughter hygiene practices.

Year published

2024

Authors

Otoigo, Lilian; Alumasa, Lorren; Majiwa, Hamilton; Hoffmann, Vivian; Ambler, Kate; Kiarie, Alice; Cook, Elizabeth A.J.

Citation

Otoigo, Lilian; Alumasa, Lorren; Majiwa, Hamilton; Hoffmann, Vivian; Ambler, Kate; Kiarie, Alice; and Cook, Elizabeth A.J. 2024. Formative study on slaughterhouse hygiene in Western Kenya: Summary Report. IFPRI Project Note December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168525

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Abattoirs; Meat Industry; Hygiene; Food Safety; Contamination; Diseases; Regulations

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

One Health

Record type

Brief

Brief

Enhancing women’s economic empowerment in rural Nigeria through advocacy trainings

2024Kosec, Katrina; Kyle, Jordan; Mo, Cecilia H.
Details

Enhancing women’s economic empowerment in rural Nigeria through advocacy trainings

This policy brief shares quantitative results from a project examining the effectiveness of advocacy and leadership training for women, along with allyship training for men (their husbands), in improving women’s economic outcomes. We share insights from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted across three states of southwestern Nigeria (Oyo, Ogun, and Osun) involving over 5,800 women participants from 450 communities. We causally test whether training women alone, as well as whether training them in tandem (though in separate sessions) with their husbands, can increase women’s access to and investments in livelihood opportunities. While the trainings were designed to train women in the skills needed for engaging in the local policy process in rural communities in Nigeria and to train their husbands on the benefits of women’s participation in community affairs as well as in how to practically support their wives’ participation, we posit that increased efficacy combined with advocacy skills and husbands’ support could additionally have profound economic spillovers. Indeed, we show causal improvements in these outcomes when women are trained and present some emerging policy lessons.

Year published

2024

Authors

Kosec, Katrina; Kyle, Jordan; Mo, Cecilia H.

Citation

Kosec, Katrina; Kyle, Jordan; and Mo, Cecilia H. 2024. Enhancing women’s economic empowerment in rural Nigeria through advocacy trainings. IFPRI Project Note December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168455

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Women’s Empowerment; Economic Activities; Gender; Women; Training; Policies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

Impact of a slaughterhouse hygiene intervention in western Kenya

2024Ambler, Kate; Cook, Elizabeth A.J.; Hoffmann, Vivian; Kiarie, Alice; Otoigo, Lilian; Wagner, Julia
Details

Impact of a slaughterhouse hygiene intervention in western Kenya

Adherence to strict hygiene standards in slaughterhouses is critical for ensuring food safety and protecting workers from zoonotic disease. The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) conducted a study to evaluate the impact of low-cost interventions on hygiene practices in slaughterhouses in western Kenya.

Year published

2024

Authors

Ambler, Kate; Cook, Elizabeth A.J.; Hoffmann, Vivian; Kiarie, Alice; Otoigo, Lilian; Wagner, Julia

Citation

Ambler, Kate; Cook, Elizabeth A.J.; Hoffmann, Vivian; Kiarie, Alice; Otoigo, Lilian; and Wagner, Julia. 2024. Impact of a slaughterhouse hygiene intervention in western Kenya. IFPRI Project Note December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168522

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Capacity Building; Abattoirs; Meat Hygiene; Food Safety; Contamination

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

One Health

Record type

Brief

Brief

National seminar on Regulations and Governance Issues in India’s Seed Sector: 26-27 September 2023, New Delhi

2024Dadlani, Narendra; Kumar, Anjani; Spielman, David J.
Details

National seminar on Regulations and Governance Issues in India’s Seed Sector: 26-27 September 2023, New Delhi

India has a very mature and vibrant seed sector with a wide network of public and private sector enterprises working closely together to make quality seeds available to farmers at affordable prices, ensuring seed security in the country. Ranked fifth in the global seed trade with a reported turnover of more than USD 6 billion, India is likely to double this figure by 2028 due to a healthy growth rate (CAGR) which is already faster than the global rate. With improved seed replacement rate (SRR) of major food security crops, better variety replacement rate (VRR) in most crops and a declining informal trade of farm saved seed (FSS), the industry is showing a strong upswing in its growth. Much of this progress can be at tributed to the continued scientific contributions of both the public and private sector which were assisted by the enabling policies of the government.

Year published

2024

Authors

Dadlani, Narendra; Kumar, Anjani; Spielman, David J.

Citation

Dadlani, Narendra; Kumar, Anjani; and Spielman, David. 2024. National seminar on Regulations and Governance Issues in India’s Seed Sector: 26-27 September 2023, New Delhi. IFPRI Program Note February 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168571

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Regulations; Governance; Agricultural Sector; Seeds; Food Security; Economic Growth; Policies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Seed Equal

Record type

Brief

Brief

Integrating surface water games into community water management toolkits: A reflection from practitioners in Odisha, India

2024Melesse, Mequanint B.; Duche, Vishwambhar; Guvvalavenkata, Anupama; Kumar, Dron; Sanil, Richu; Falk, Thomas; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.
Details

Integrating surface water games into community water management toolkits: A reflection from practitioners in Odisha, India

Water is a vital resource for agricultural production, sustaining ecosystem services, and supporting livelihoods of communities. However, population growth and climate change coupled with unsustainable water use and management are increasingly pushing the limits of water resources. In many parts of India, water scarcity is already posing a threat to agricultural systems and livelihoods due to prolonged droughts and climate variability. Water scarcity is more pronounced in semi-arid and arid dryland regions of India, where the majority of these regions are characterized as high to extreme water stress areas. Effective management and governance of water resources is crucial to sustain productivity of dryland agricultural systems and livelihoods in these regions.

Year published

2024

Authors

Melesse, Mequanint B.; Duche, Vishwambhar; Guvvalavenkata, Anupama; Kumar, Dron; Sanil, Richu; Falk, Thomas; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.

Citation

Melesse, Mequanint B.; Duche, Vishwambhar; Guvvalavenkata, Anupama; Kumar, Dron; Sanil, Richu; Falk, Thomas; and Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S. 2024. Integrating surface water games into community water management toolkits: A reflection from practitioners in Odisha, India. Scaling Up Experiential Learning Tools Project Note 4. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168925

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Capacity Building; Water; Water Management; Surface Water

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Brief

Brief

Effect of organic fertilizer use on crop yield and soil health in maize production in Kenya

2024Xie, Hua
Details

Effect of organic fertilizer use on crop yield and soil health in maize production in Kenya

Sub-Saharan Africa faces an elevated risk of food insecurity. The agricultural sector in Sub-Saharan African countries encounters significant challenges in increasing crop production to meet the ever-growing food demand driven by population growth and economic development. Nutrient management is a critical component of crop production, yet nutrient input levels in the region are notably low. In many areas of cropland, nutrient balances are in deficit (Liu et al., 2010). At the recent Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit, African leaders pledged to strengthen nutrient management practices to enhance food production through increased fertilizer use. Fertilizers can be categorized into different types. Most discussions on fertilizer policy to date have focused on inorganic fertilizers, which are produced through industrial processes. In contrast, organic fertilizers are derived from naturally occurring materials. The use of organic fertilizers may offer additional long-term benefits, particularly for improving soil health. Notably, soil organic carbon is a key indicator of soil health, and organic fertilizers, being rich in carbon, can contribute to increasing soil carbon content. A study was conducted to evaluate the impact of organic fertilizers on crop productivity and soil health, focusing on maize production in Kenya. Maize is the primary staple crop in Kenya, with a harvested area of 2.1 million hectares, representing about 40% of the total harvested area for all crops in the country (FAOSTAT). Maize is also the largest consumer of fertilizers in Kenya. It is estimated that maize cultivation uses 2.8 million tons of fertilizers annually, accounting for approximately 50% of the country’s total fertilizer consumption. Fertilizers are applied on about 70% of the maize-planted area (IFDC & AFAP, 2018). However, the average maize yield in Kenya remains low, at less than 2 metric tons per hectare (FAOSTAT), indicating suboptimal management practices or inadequate input levels, including insufficient fertilizer use (De Groote, 2023).

Year published

2024

Authors

Xie, Hua

Citation

Xie, Hua. 2024. Effect of organic fertilizer use on crop yield and soil health in maize production in Kenya. Policy Note December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/169881

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Fertilizers; Crop Yield; Soil Quality; Maize; Agricultural Production; Food Security

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Agroecology

Record type

Brief

Brief

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Rice millers – September 2024 survey round

2024Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis
Details

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Rice millers – September 2024 survey round

In September 2024, we surveyed 256 rice millers from 12 states and regions across Myanmar to assess the impacts of the monsoon floods and the political crisis and related disruptions. This report presents the key results and analysis from those interviews. Key findings  Flooding has significantly affected monsoon paddy production, with 74 percent of millers reporting flood-related impacts, particularly in the main rice-growing regions. Consequently, 63 percent of millers expect local production to decline compared to last year, with 73 percent of millers in flood-affected areas anticipating reduced output.  Labor shortages have emerged as a critical challenge for milling businesses, with 53 percent of millers identifying it as a significant issue and 7 percent considering it the most severe disruption.  Mills continue to face ongoing difficulties accessing electricity and fuel, alongside rising transportation costs. Moreover, reports about disruptions in banking and finance have doubled compared to last year, indicating increasingly widespread and persistent challenges.  Mill-level paddy and rice prices continued to rise in September 2024. Rice prices increased by 17–19 percent compared to one year earlier, while paddy prices rose by a more modest 8 percent on average. This discrepancy suggests that higher milling margins account for a significant share of the price increases. Looking forward  There will be lower paddy production from the 2024 monsoon season due to floods and pests, which is expected to further drive-up rice prices for consumers. Rice prices have already risen rapidly over the past three years, raising serious concerns about affordability and food security.  Labor availability is a rising concern and rising costs of labor and fuel together with volatile byproduct markets and other business disruptions have likely contributed to rising milling margins, with a smaller share of rice price increases passed through to producers. This trend underscores the impacts of business disruptions and the need for stability.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis

Citation

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis. 2024. Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Rice millers – September 2024 survey round. Myanmar SSP Research Note 120. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168423

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Agrifood Systems; Milling; Monsoons; Flooding; Rice; Labour Shortage; Prices; Fuels

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Village agricultural practices: Baseline findings from the FRESH End-to-End Evaluation

2024Reynolds, Elise; Mwombeki, Wiston; Kinabo, Joyce; Jeremiah, Kidola; Malindisa, Evangelista; Olney, Deanna K.; Kumar, Neha; Bliznashka, Lilia
Details

Village agricultural practices: Baseline findings from the FRESH End-to-End Evaluation

Fruit and vegetable (F&V) production is growing rapidly across Tanzania, particularly among rural smallholder farmers. Increased F&V production could help improve diets within these communities and beyond. However, farmers face barriers in increasing production due to lack of access to key agricultural inputs including seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation, among others. Farmers also require financing to access these inputs as well as extension services to increase training and use of these agricultural practices. In response to these needs, the FRESH end-to end approach implemented in two regions in Northern Tanzania aims to increase the desirability, affordability, accessibility, and availability of F&V through interventions at various points of the food system, including demand creation, food environments and supply (production and post-harvest management). More information on the FRESH end-to-end approach and evaluation can be found in the FRESH Research Brief 1. The effectiveness of the FRESH end-to-end approach in improving vegetable production and F&V intake is being assessed through an impact evaluation conducted in 33 villages across 5 districts in the Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions of Northern Tanzania. In this research brief, we describe findings on the baseline characteristics of the villages included in the evaluation with a specific emphasis on agricultural inputs, F&V storage and processing facilities, and other relevant agricultural characteristics. We explore these characteristics for the full sample of 33 villages, as well as at the district and regional levels.

Year published

2024

Authors

Reynolds, Elise; Mwombeki, Wiston; Kinabo, Joyce; Jeremiah, Kidola; Malindisa, Evangelista; Olney, Deanna K.; Kumar, Neha; Bliznashka, Lilia

Citation

Reynolds, Elise; Mwombeki, Wiston; Kinabo, Joyce; Jeremiah, Kidola; Malindisa, Evangelista; Olney, Deanna; Kumar, Neha; and Bliznashka, Lilia. 2024. Village agricultural practices: Baseline findings from the FRESH End-to-End Evaluation. FRESH Initiative Tanzania Evaluation Research Brief 2. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173282

Keywords

Tanzania; Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Agriculture; Smallholders; Inputs; Extension Programmes

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Impact of conflict on employment, income, and household welfare in Sudan

2024Ahmed, Mosab O. M.; Kirui, Oliver K.; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum; Abushama, Hala; Siddig, Khalid
Details

Impact of conflict on employment, income, and household welfare in Sudan

Sudan has been embroiled in a high-intensity conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023, leading to widespread displacement and an escalating humanitarian crisis. This conflict, centered on Khartoum, an economic hub contributing nearly one-third of Sudan’s GDP, has caused unprecedented economic and social upheaval. As of December 2024, over 12 million1 people have been displaced, and fatalities have exceeded 29,6002. Sudan’s GDP has contracted sharply, with estimates from the IMF, World Bank, and African Development Bank projecting declines of 18.3% to 37.5% in 2023 alone, compounded by further drops in 2024. Unemployment has surged from 32% in 2022 to 46% in 2023, with household incomes declining nearly 50% relative to pre-conflict levels. Urban households, especially in Khartoum, have been disproportionately affected due to the destruction of infrastructure and loss of industrial jobs, while rural households face severe disruptions in agriculture and access to essential inputs. The conflict has strained household welfare systems and exacerbated food insecurity, with many families increasingly reliant on remittances and humanitarian aid to meet basic needs. These dynamics underscore the urgent need for effective policy interventions to address both immediate humanitarian needs and long-term recovery challenges.

Year published

2024

Authors

Ahmed, Mosab O. M.; Kirui, Oliver K.; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum; Abushama, Hala; Siddig, Khalid

Citation

Ahmed, Mosab; Kirui, Oliver K.; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum; Abushama, Hala; and Siddig, Khalid. 2024. Impact of conflict on employment, income, and household welfare in Sudan. SSSP Policy Note 10. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168999

Country/Region

Sudan

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Conflicts; Employment; Income; Welfare

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

Effet de l’insécurité (conflit armé) sur l’autonomisation des femmes au Burkina Faso

2024Heckert, Jessica; Sow, Doulo; Tranchant, Jean-Pierre; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Paz, Florencia; Gelli, Aulo
Details

Effet de l’insécurité (conflit armé) sur l’autonomisation des femmes au Burkina Faso

Le présent synopsis est un résumé succinct des résultats et conclusions de l’analyse des effets de l’in sécurité (conflits armés) au Burkina Faso sur de multiples domaines de l’autonomisation des femmes mesurés dans l’indice d’autonomisation des femmes dans l’agriculture au niveau du projet (pro-WEAI, acronyme Anglais). En utilisant les données de la première phase du projet « Soutenir l’Exploitation fa miliale pour Lancer l’Elevage de la Volaille et valoriser l’Economie Rurale » (SELEVER), l’étude a exa miné si une proximité accrue avec les événements violents affectait l’autonomisation et si le pro gramme SELEVER contribuait à protéger l’autonomisation des effets négatifs du conflit durant la phase.

Year published

2024

Authors

Heckert, Jessica; Sow, Doulo; Tranchant, Jean-Pierre; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Paz, Florencia; Gelli, Aulo

Citation

Heckert, Jessica; Sow, Doulo; Tranchant, Jean-Pierre; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Paz, Flor; and Gelli, Aulo. 2024. Effet de l’insécurité (conflit armé) sur l’autonomisation des femmes au Burkina Faso. CGIAR Initiative on Fragility, Conflict, and Migration. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168567

Country/Region

Burkina Faso

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Conflicts; Women’s Empowerment; Agriculture; Poultry; Rural Economics

Language

French

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

Assessing the gender dimensions in the true costs of food production in Kenya

2024Geoffrey, Baragu; Boukaka, Sedi Anne; Benfica, Rui
Details

Assessing the gender dimensions in the true costs of food production in Kenya

Key takeaways: Gender-based environmental and social external costs create substantial economic inefficiencies in the agricultural sector. The gender wage gap contributes 12.8% to total external costs. Women’s limited access to resources leads to reduced productivity, with female farmers investing 36% less in inputs than their male counterparts. Workplace harassment, which disproportionately affects women, accounts for 10.8% of total external costs. Unequal land management practices (women managing smaller plots) and having restricted access to improved agricultural inputs create additional inefficiencies in resource allocation and production outcomes.

Year published

2024

Authors

Geoffrey, Baragu; Boukaka, Sedi Anne; Benfica, Rui

Citation

Geoffrey, Baragu; Boukaka, Sedi-Anne; and Benfica, Rui. 2024. Assessing the gender dimensions in the true costs of food production in Kenya. CGIAR Initiative on Nature-Postitive Solutions Policy Brief. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172444

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Southern Africa; Gender; Accounting; Food Production; Agricultural Sector; Remuneration; Resource Allocation

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Nature-Positive Solutions

Record type

Brief

Brief

Strengthening women’s voice and agency in Nigeria: Evidence from a randomized control trial on women’s advocacy and men’s allyship trainings

2024Adida, Claire; Kosec, Katrina; Kyle, Jordan; Mo, Cecilia H.; Arriola, Leonardo; Adeyanju, Dolapo; Fisher, Rachel
Details

Strengthening women’s voice and agency in Nigeria: Evidence from a randomized control trial on women’s advocacy and men’s allyship trainings

This policy brief presents insights from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted across three states of southwestern Nigeria (Oyo, Ogun, and Osun), examining the effectiveness of advocacy and leadership training for women, along with allyship training for men (their husbands), in improving women’s voice and agency in community governance. With over 5,800 women participants across 450 communities, this study tested whether training women alone, as well as whether training them in tandem (though in separate sessions) with their husbands, can increase women’s political participation in local governance or the responsiveness of local leaders to women’s priorities. We show causal improvements in both when women are trained and chart out emerging policy lessons.

Year published

2024

Authors

Adida, Claire; Kosec, Katrina; Kyle, Jordan; Mo, Cecilia H.; Arriola, Leonardo; Adeyanju, Dolapo; Fisher, Rachel

Citation

Adida, Claire; Kosec, Katrina; Kyle, Jordan; Mo, Cecilia H.; Arriola, Leonardo; Adeyanju, Dolapo; and Fisher, Rachel. 2024. Strengthening women’s voice and agency in Nigeria: Evidence from a randomized control trial on women’s advocacy and men’s allyship trainings. IFPRI Policy Note December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168449

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Women; Women’s Empowerment; Gender; Governance; Policies; Training

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

Integrating consumer traits is key to increasing uptake of improved crop varieties: Evidence and policy insights from seed sample packs and cooking events in Uganda

2024Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Nabwire, Leocardia; Kramer, Berber; Trachtman, Carly; Abate, Gashaw T.
Details

Integrating consumer traits is key to increasing uptake of improved crop varieties: Evidence and policy insights from seed sample packs and cooking events in Uganda

 Semi-subsistence farmers in developing countries often play dual roles as both consumers and producers of the same crops. Consequently, decisions regarding crop selection are influenced by a com bination of household consumption needs and market-oriented considerations.  In this policy note, we summarize findings from a field experiment suggesting that integrating con sumption-oriented traits such as taste, color, and ease of cooking alongside production advantages is crucial for driving demand for improved crop varieties.  The field experiment consists of two interventions designed to enhance the adoption of improved maize seed varieties among smallholder farmers in eastern Uganda. The first intervention involves providing farmers with free seed sample packs to plant and directly experience the production related benefits, such as higher yield potential and drought resistance. The second intervention consists of organizing cooking demonstrations and blind tasting sessions to compare maize from improved variety with local varieties, focusing on consumption traits like palatability, texture, and ease of cooking.  We find that the seed sample packs significantly enhance farmers’ perceptions of the seed’s production traits, while the cooking demonstrations improve appreciation for its consumption traits. We also find that the cooking demonstration and tasting session increased the use of fresh Bazooka seed, with some indications that this also led to higher maize productivity. On the other hand, farmers who received the sample packs are more likely to reuse/recycle the grain harvested from the sample pack as seed in the subsequent season, essentially crowding out the demand for fresh/purchased seed. We argue that this may be a rational response in the context of positive transaction costs related to the use of improved seed varieties

Year published

2024

Authors

Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Nabwire, Leocardia; Kramer, Berber; Trachtman, Carly; Abate, Gashaw T.

Citation

Campenhout, Bjorn Van; Nabwire, Leocardia; Kramer, Berber; Trachtman, Carly; and Abate, Gashaw T. 2024. Integrating consumer traits is key to increasing uptake of improved crop varieties: Evidence and policy insights from seed sample packs and cooking events in Uganda. IFPRI Policy Brief December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168659

Country/Region

Uganda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Consumer Behaviour; Crops; Varieties; Seeds; Farmers; Cooking; Maize

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Market Intelligence

Record type

Brief

Brief

Mapping energy use portfolios and household outcomes in Nepal: Insights from farm and household surveys in the Terai and the Mid-hills

2024Alvi, Muzna; Sufian, Farha; Singh, Tushar
Details

Mapping energy use portfolios and household outcomes in Nepal: Insights from farm and household surveys in the Terai and the Mid-hills

Rural energy access remains a critical challenge in developing economies, with profound implications for agricultural productivity, household welfare, and gender dynamics. Nepal’s diverse geographical landscape—spanning the plains of Terai to the challenging Mid-hills and mountain regions—presents a unique context for understanding energy poverty and its multifaceted impacts. This study examines the intricate relationships between energy infrastructure, household economic status, and social outcomes in rural Nepalese communities. By investigating electricity access, cooking fuel technologies, and agricultural mechanization, we reveal how energy transitions are not merely technical interventions but complex social processes that reshape household labor, economic opportunities, and gender relations. Our research highlights the significant disparities in energy access between different geographical regions and wealth quintiles. Beyond infrastructure, we explore how energy technologies interact with dietary diversity, women’s empowerment, and agricultural productivity. The findings underscore the need for nuanced, context-specific energy policies that consider local socioeconomic and geographical variations.

Year published

2024

Authors

Alvi, Muzna; Sufian, Farha; Singh, Tushar

Citation

Alvi, Muzna; Sufian, Farha; and Singh, Tushar. 2024. Mapping energy use portfolios and household outcomes in Nepal: Insights from farm and household surveys in the Terai and the Mid-hills. NEXUS Gains Initiative Policy Note. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168399

Country/Region

Nepal

Keywords

Southern Asia; Asia; Agricultural Productivity; Energy Consumption; Energy Sources; Household Surveys; Dietary Diversity; Women; Agricultural Mechanization

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Brief

Brief

Building pathways out of poverty in Baidoa: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial at endline

2024Leight, Jessica; Karachiwalla, Naureen; Hirvonen, Kalle; Rakshit, Deboleena
Details

Building pathways out of poverty in Baidoa: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial at endline

Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world, and severe poverty, ongoing armed conflict, and recurring droughts and floods have created a humanitarian crisis characterized by a high level of inter nal displacement. Baidoa city—the site of this evaluation—hosts 517 sites for internally displaced per sons (IDP), with almost 600,000 households, and 64 percent of the individuals living in these sites are women and girls. According to the second Somali High Frequency Survey (Pape and Karamba 2019), IDP settlements (along with rural areas) face a particularly high level of poverty, exacerbated by high unemployment rates and the absence of income-generating opportunities. This brief reports on endline findings from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the project Building Pathways Out of Poverty for Ultra-poor IDPs and Vulnerable Host Communities in Baidoa, an ultra-poor graduation (UPG) intervention implemented by World Vision and funded by the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA). The project seeks to enable ultra-poor internally displaced households to graduate from extreme poverty and begin the upward trajectory to self-reliance for displacement-affected communities by enabling gender-sensitive, context-appropriate, and sustainable livelihoods in an urban setting. IFPRI is collaborating with World Vision to conduct the trial.

Year published

2024

Authors

Leight, Jessica; Karachiwalla, Naureen; Hirvonen, Kalle; Rakshit, Deboleena

Citation

Leight, Jessica; Karachiwalla, Naureen; Hirvonen, Kalle; and Rakshit, Deboleena. 2024. Building pathways out of poverty in Baidoa: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial at endline. Learning Brief December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168400

Country/Region

Somalia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Poverty; Conflicts; Natural Disasters; Displacement; Women; Unemployment; Gender

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

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

Brief

Financial and environmental outlook of groundwater-solar irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa

2024Xie, Hua; Zeng, Ruijie; Ringler, Claudia
Details

Financial and environmental outlook of groundwater-solar irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa

Groundwater-fed irrigation holds great promise for enhancing food production in Sub-Saharan Africa. Solar energy offers a renewable and cost-effective solution to power groundwater irrigation; however, unregulated use may threaten the long term sustainability of groundwater resources.

Year published

2024

Authors

Xie, Hua; Zeng, Ruijie; Ringler, Claudia

Citation

Xie, Hua; Zeng, Ruijie; and Ringler, Claudia. 2024. Financial and environmental outlook of groundwater-solar irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa. IFPRI Policy Note December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168413

Keywords

Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Groundwater Irrigation; Food Production; Solar Energy; Renewable Energy; Groundwater; Agriculture

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Brief

Brief

Nepal: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks

2024Mukashov, Askar; Thurlow, James; Dorosh, Paul A.; Jones, Eleanor
Details

Nepal: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks

This study explores Nepal’s vulnerability to economic shocks and identifies those contributing most to economic uncertainty. Our analysis is based on an empirically based estimation of the probability distribution of these shocks and a machine learning summary of several thousand simulations of their impacts using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model for Nepal. In this way, we are able to quantify the contribution of each shock to the uncer-tainty of economic outcomes (gross domestic product [GDP], private consumption, poverty, and undernourishment). Our findings indicate that, given the very high import intensity of the economy, world market price and foreign exchange (FX) flow volatility have the largest impact on household welfare (consumption, poverty and undernour-ishment). However, domestic yield volatility, especially cereal yield volatility, is the most important risk to Nepal’s GDP. However, Overall, these findings suggest that risk mitigation strategies, such as increasing average crop yields, adopting technologies and practices that narrow yield uncertainties, or diversifying production away from risky crops and sectors, can have major benefits for Nepal’s households and the overall economy.

Year published

2024

Authors

Mukashov, Askar; Thurlow, James; Dorosh, Paul A.; Jones, Eleanor

Citation

Mukashov, Askar; Thurlow, James; Dorosh, Paul A.; and Jones, Eleanor. 2024. Nepal: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks. Country Brief 5. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168723

Country/Region

Nepal

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Risk Assessment; Climate; Shock; Economic Shock; Market Prices; Computable General Equilibrium Models; Machine Learning; Agriculture; Crop Yield

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Foresight

Record type

Brief

Brief

Bangladesh: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks

2024Mukashov, Askar; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James
Details

Bangladesh: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks

This study explores Bangladesh’s vulnerability to economic shocks and identifies those contributing most to eco-nomic uncertainty. The Bangladesh Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model was employed to simulate a range of potential economic outcomes under various shock scenarios sampled using historical data to capture domestic agricultural yield volatilities and world market price uncertainty for traded goods. Data mining and machine learning methods were applied to quantify the contribution of each shock to the uncertainty of economic outcomes (gross domestic product [GDP], private consumption, poverty, and undernourishment). Our findings suggest that potential variation in Bangladesh’s GDP ranges from +0.8 to -1.0 percent to baseline, with domestic shocks ac-counting for 53.7 percent of uncertainty, and remaining 41.7 percent are explained by the volatility of world market prices and Foreign Exchange (FX) flows. At the same time, private consumption is more uncertain (from +4.0 to -3.5 percent to base), and external factors are the most important risk contributors (70.1 percent is world prices and 2.9 percent is FX flows). Similarly, external factors contribute roughly two-thirds to the potential variation of national poverty and undernourishment rates that fluctuate from -2.4 to +1.8 and –2.2 to +1.9 relative to the baseline rates percentage points respectively. Understanding how potential shocks might impact various segments of the Bang-ladesh economy and population is a critical first step in facilitating a discussion on risk mitigation strategies that include increasing sectoral productivity or diversifying production to reduce reliance on high-risk sectors.

Year published

2024

Authors

Mukashov, Askar; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James

Citation

Mukashov, Askar; Jones, Eleanor; and Thurlow, James. 2025. Bangladesh: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks. Country Brief 6. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/169665

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Shock; Economic Shock; Computable General Equilibrium Models; Agriculture; Market Prices; Machine Learning; Climate Change

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Foresight

Record type

Brief

Brief

Social assistance and adaptation to flooding in Bangladesh

2024Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John F.; Mueller, Valerie; Quabili, Wahid; Rakshit, Deboleena; Roy, Shalini; Thiede, Brian
Details

Social assistance and adaptation to flooding in Bangladesh

As climate change exacerbates weather shocks, there is growing interest in understanding whether social assistance programs can support coping among poor rural households and whether program effects vary by gender. We assess whether a social assistance program – the Transfer Modality Research Initiative (TMRI) –influenced the effects of prior monsoon flooding on household consumption and adult diets in southern Bangladesh. TMRI provided cash or food transfers, with or without nutrition behavior change communication, from 2012-2014. Within the study sites and years, flooding was substantial but moderate. Our findings suggest that, without TMRI, a one-standard-deviation increase in lagged flooding led to households smoothing consumption by drawing down savings and reducing diet quality among both men and women. In contrast, among TMRI treatment households, lagged flooding did not reduce savings, and both men’s and women’s diet quality improved. Effects on diet quality appeared largely driven by legumes and by fruits and vegetables, and improvements appeared strongest among households receiving both transfers and behavior change communication. Results indicate that social assistance can help households cope with effects of moderate flooding in southern Bangladesh, protecting household savings and improving both men’s and women’s diets.

Year published

2024

Authors

Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John F.; Mueller, Valerie; Quabili, Wahid; Rakshit, Deboleena; Roy, Shalini; Thiede, Brian

Citation

Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, Mehrab; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John; Mueller, Valerie; Quabili, Wahid; Rakshit, Deboleena; Roy, Shalini; and Thiede, Brian. 2024. Social assistance and adaptation to flooding in Bangladesh. Gender Equality Initiative Brief. CGIAR System Organization. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168418

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Southern Asia; Asia; Extreme Weather Events; Climate Change; Rural Areas; Flooding; Cash Transfers; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Brief

Brief

Is it a myth? Market power among intermediaries in agri-food value chains

2024de Brauw, Alan; Maruyama, Eduardo; Wagner, Julia
Details

Is it a myth? Market power among intermediaries in agri-food value chains

A common narrative about agri-food value chains (AVCs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is that smallholders are paid substantially less for their agricultural products relative to the prices consumers pay for them. Some of that difference can be attributed to market channels—even in competitive and efficient agricultural markets, there are costs involved as agricultural products move from producers to consumers, including expenses for transportation, collection and aggregation, grading, processing, distribution, packaging, and retailing.

Year published

2024

Authors

de Brauw, Alan; Maruyama, Eduardo; Wagner, Julia

Citation

de Brauw, Alan; Maruyama, Eduardo; and Wagner, Julia. 2024. Is it a myth? Market power among intermediaries in agri-food value chains. CGIAR Initiative on Rethinking Food Markets Background Paper. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168165

Keywords

Markets; Agrifood Systems; Value Chains; Agricultural Value Chains

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Migration and women’s voice and agency in Senegal: Introducing a new survey

2024Beber, Bernd; Ebert, Cara; Kyle, Jordan; Riaz, Zara
Details

Migration and women’s voice and agency in Senegal: Introducing a new survey

Millions of poor households around the world rely on migration to improve their economic circumstances and, increasingly, for resilience in the face of a changing climate. In vulnerable contexts, slow-onset climate impacts like water scarcity, rising temperatures, and more variable weather conditions are diminishing local economic opportunities and increasing food insecurity. Such climate impacts are projected to accelerate migration patterns, particularly out-migration from rural areas (Rigaud et al., 2018; SVR, 2023). While news reports on climate migration often emphasize communities leaving an area en masse due to a natural disaster, climate migration due to slow-onset climate shifts, which gradually lower crop yields and hinder agricultural livelihoods, more commonly implies a male household member migrating within a country, often seasonally, in order to send remittances back to his family.

Year published

2024

Authors

Beber, Bernd; Ebert, Cara; Kyle, Jordan; Riaz, Zara

Citation

Beber, Bernd; Ebert, Cara; Kyle, Jordan; and Riaz, Zara. 2024. Migration and women’s voice and agency in Senegal: Introducing a new survey. IFPRI Project Note December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168164

Country/Region

Senegal

Keywords

Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Gender; Migration; Women’s Empowerment; Surveys; Rural Communities

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Brief

Brief

Women’s empowerment and migration: A review of the current literature and promising areas for future work

2024Heckert, Jessica; Ceballos, Francisco
Details

Women’s empowerment and migration: A review of the current literature and promising areas for future work

When individuals migrate— whether domestically or internationally, short- or long-term—migrants and their families experience dramatic changes in household dynamics and are exposed to new contexts and ideas (Hugo 2002). This phenomenon has driven a body of research focused on the linkages between women’s empowerment and migration, which primarily focuses on changes to the empowerment of wives when their husbands migrate (Fernández-Sánchez et al. 2020). To a lesser extent there is also literature on whether empowerment status contributes to the decision to migrate and migration experiences, as well as whether individuals might become more, or less, empowered during migration and at their ultimate destinations. Herein we synthesize these literatures and identify priority areas for future work.

Year published

2024

Authors

Heckert, Jessica; Ceballos, Francisco

Citation

Heckert, Jessica; and Ceballos, Francisco. 2024. Women’s empowerment and migration: A review of the current literature and promising areas for future work. CGIAR Initiative on Fragility, Conflict, and Migration. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168186

Keywords

Households; Literature Reviews; Migration; Women’s Empowerment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

Kenya: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks

2024Mukashov, Askar; Mbuthia, Juneweenex; Omune, Lensa; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James
Details

Kenya: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks

This study explores Kenya’s vulnerability to economic shocks and identifies those contributing most to economic uncertainty. The Kenyan Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model was employed to simulate a range of po-tential economic outcomes under various sampled shock scenarios developed using historical data to capture do-mestic agricultural yield volatilities and world market prices uncertainty for traded goods. Data mining and machine learning methods were applied to quantify the contribution of each shock to the uncertainty of economic outcomes (gross domestic product [GDP], private consumption, poverty, and undernourishment). Key findings suggest that domestic yield volatility is the key risk factor for GDP, urban consumption and poverty, while external risks, partic-ularly world beverage crop prices, are more significant for rural consumption and poverty. As the majority of those below the poverty line are rural farmers, world beverage price volatility is the top risk for national poverty levels. Finally, for undernourishment outcomes, domestic cereal yield volatility is the dominant risk factor for all household types. Understanding how possible shocks would impact various segments of the Kenyan economy and population is a critical first step in facilitating discussions on relevant risk mitigation strategies, such as increasing average crop yields, adopting technologies and practices that narrow yield uncertainties, or diversifying production away from risky crops and sectors.

Year published

2024

Authors

Mukashov, Askar; Mbuthia, Juneweenex; Omune, Lensa; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James

Citation

Mukashov, Askar; Mbuthia, Juneweenex; Omune, Lensa; Jones, Eleanor; and Thurlow, James. 2024. Kenya: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks. Country Brief 2. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168180

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Climate; Shock; Market Prices; Computable General Equilibrium Models; Agriculture; Crop Yield; Poverty; Nutrition; Machine Learning; Risk Assessment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Foresight

Record type

Brief

Brief

Advancing climate-smart financial solutions for smallholder farmers: Lessons from the CGIAR Climate Resilience Initiative

2024
Timu, Anne G.; Laborte, Alice; Attoh, Emmanuel; Kikulwe, Enock; Kiundu, Paul; Guo, Zhe; Mayanja, Brian; Mbithi, Anthony; Sartas, Murat; Vyas, Shalika
…more You, Liangzhi
Details

Advancing climate-smart financial solutions for smallholder farmers: Lessons from the CGIAR Climate Resilience Initiative

Smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries face climate-related risks that increase their income volatility and compromise their well-being. The CGIAR Initiative on Climate Resilience (ClimBeR) has developed and implemented a suite of innovative instruments aimed at transforming the climate adaptation capacity of smallholder farmers. This brief examines the potential of these bundled financial solutions in enhancing smallholder farmers’ resilience to climate risks and documents ClimBeR’s experience in implementing and scaling these instruments.

Year published

2024

Authors

Timu, Anne G.; Laborte, Alice; Attoh, Emmanuel; Kikulwe, Enock; Kiundu, Paul; Guo, Zhe; Mayanja, Brian; Mbithi, Anthony; Sartas, Murat; Vyas, Shalika; You, Liangzhi

Citation

Timu, A, G., Laborte, A., Attoh, E., Kikulwe, E., Kiundu, P., Guo, Z., Mayanja, B., Mbithi, A., Sartas, M., Vyas, S., You, Liangzhi. 2024. Advancing climate-smart financial solutions for smallholder farmers: Lessons from the CGIAR Climate Resilience Initiative. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/169396

Country/Region

Kenya; Philippines; Zambia; Ethiopia

Keywords

Climate Change Adaptation; Finance; Economics

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Climate Resilience

Record type

Brief

Brief

Development of the rural household energy insecurity experiences scale with insights from Ethiopia

2024Arega, Tiruwork; Ringler, Claudia
Details

Development of the rural household energy insecurity experiences scale with insights from Ethiopia

There is little evidence on how energy poverty affects rural households in low- and middle-income countries. To address this, the CGIAR NEXUS Gains Initiative developed the Rural Household Energy Insecurity Experiences Scale (RHEIES) and piloted the tool in Ethiopia using in-depth interviews. We find heterogeneous energy insecurity experiences across locations and gender dimensions.

Year published

2024

Authors

Arega, Tiruwork; Ringler, Claudia

Citation

Arega, Tiruwork; and Ringler, Claudia. 2024. Development of the rural household energy insecurity experiences scale with insights from Ethiopia. CGIAR Initiative on NEXUS Gains Policy Note November 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168170

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Rural Population; Households; Energy Resources; Poverty; Economic Development

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Brief

Brief

Malawi: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks

2024Mukashov, Askar; Duchoslav, Jan; Kankwamba, Henry; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James
Details

Malawi: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks

This study explores Malawi’s vulnerability to economic shocks and identifies those contributing most to economic uncertainty. The Malawian Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model was employed to simulate a range of potential economic outcomes under various sampled shock scenarios developed using historical data to capture domestic agricultural yield volatilities and world market prices uncertainty for traded goods. Data mining and ma-chine learning methods were applied to quantify the contribution of each shock to the uncertainty of economic outcomes (gross domestic product [GDP], private consumption, poverty, and undernourishment). Key findings sug-gest that domestic cereals and oilseeds yield volatility risks are the most important for the uncertainty of total GDP and consumption across all household types except rural low-income households. Rural low-income households’ consumption and poverty are exposed to a wide range of risks, including production volatility of livestock, yield volatility of oilseeds, cereals, vegetables and world market price of beverage crops. Finally, for undernourishment outcomes, volatility in the yields of staple cereals is the dominant risk factor for all household types. Understanding how possible shocks would impact various segments of the Malawian economy and population is a critical first step in facilitating discussions on relevant risk mitigation strategies, such as increasing average crop yields, adopting technologies and practices that narrow yield uncertainties, or diversifying production away from risky crops and sectors.

Year published

2024

Authors

Mukashov, Askar; Duchoslav, Jan; Kankwamba, Henry; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James

Citation

Mukashov, Askar; Duchoslav, Jan; Kankwamba, Henry; Jones, Eleanor; and Thurlow, James. 2024. Malawi: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks. Country Brief 3. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168174

Country/Region

Malawi

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Shock; Economic Shock; Computable General Equilibrium Models; Agriculture; Market Prices; Poverty; Nutrition; Crop Yield; Machine Learning; Climate

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Foresight

Record type

Brief

Brief

Zambia: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks

2024Mukashov, Askar; Diao, Xinshen; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James
Details

Zambia: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks

This study explores Zambia’s vulnerability to economic shocks and identifies those contributing most to economic uncertainty. The Zambian Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model was employed to simulate a range of potential economic outcomes under various sampled shock scenarios developed using historical data on domestic agricultural yield volatilities and world market prices for traded goods. Data mining and machine learning methods were applied to quantify the contribution of each shock to the uncertainty of these outcomes. We find that Zambia’s economy is predominantly exposed to external risks, with foreign capital flows and world market price volatility together accounting for approximately three-fourths of potential variations in GDP, private consumption, poverty, and undernourishment. Domestic agricultural yield volatilities contribute the remaining one-fourth. The current struc-ture of the Zambian economy underpins these results. While agriculture is the most uncertain sector, its relatively small contribution to GDP limits its economywide and macroeconomic impacts. Instead, export earnings from cop-per and foreign exchange capital flows play a much more significant role in shaping Zambia’s economic risks and their social and economic impacts. Understanding how potential shocks might impact various segments of the Zambian economy and population is a critical first step in facilitating a discussion on risk mitigation strategies that include increasing sectoral productivity or diversifying production to reduce reliance on high-risk sectors.

Year published

2024

Authors

Mukashov, Askar; Diao, Xinshen; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James

Citation

Mukashov, Askar; Diao, Xinshen; Jones, Eleanor; and Thurlow, James. 2024. Zambia: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks. Country Brief 4. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168167

Country/Region

Zambia

Keywords

Africa; Southern Africa; Shock; Economic Shock; Computable General Equilibrium Models; Agriculture; Market Prices; Exports; Climate; Machine Learning

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Foresight

Record type

Brief

Brief

Rwanda: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks

2024Mukashov, Askar; Warner, James; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James
Details

Rwanda: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks

This study explores Rwanda’s vulnerability to economic shocks and identifies those contributing most to economic uncertainty. The Rwandan Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model was employed to simulate a range of potential economic outcomes under various sampled shock scenarios developed using historical data to capture domestic agricultural yield volatilities and world market prices uncertainty for traded goods. Data mining and machine learning methods were applied to quantify the contribution of each shock to the uncertainty of economic outcomes (gross domestic product [GDP], private consumption, poverty, and undernourishment). Key findings suggest that domestic root and cereal yield volatility risks are the most important for GDP, poverty, and undernourishment outcomes, while external factors like world energy prices pose the most significant risks to high-income households’ consumption. Understanding how possible shocks would impact various segments of the Rwandan economy and population is a critical first step in facilitating discussions on relevant risk mitigation strategies, such as increasing average crop yields, adopting technologies and practices that narrow yield uncertainties, or diversifying production away from risky crops and sectors.

Year published

2024

Authors

Mukashov, Askar; Warner, James; Jones, Eleanor; Thurlow, James

Citation

Mukashov, Askar; Warner, James; Jones, Eleanor; and Thurlow, James. 2024. Rwanda: Systematic analysis of domestic production and world market shocks. Country Brief 1. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168183

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Risk Assessment; Climate; Shock; Economic Shock; Market Prices; Computable General Equilibrium Models; Machine Learning; Agriculture; Crop Yield

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Foresight

Record type

Brief

Brief

Understanding migration within countries: A global perspective

2024Maystadt, Jean-François; Peracchi, Silvia; Sargsyan, Ella; You, Liangzhi
Details

Understanding migration within countries: A global perspective

The majority of migrants remain within their own borders. While 281 million people have migrated in another country in 2020, the number of internal migrants is estimated to stand at around 763 million (UN DESA, 2016; IOM, 2021). At the global level, the existing literature has mainly focused on understanding the drivers of international migration (Karemera et al., 2000; Mayda, 2010; Kim and Cohen, 2010). Understanding the dynamics of internal migration is key for conjecturing future prospects in terms of poverty, food insecurity, urbanization, within-country inequalities and geopolitical instability.

Year published

2024

Authors

Maystadt, Jean-François; Peracchi, Silvia; Sargsyan, Ella; You, Liangzhi

Citation

Maystadt, Jean-François; Peracchi, Silvia; Sargsyan, Ella; and You, Liangzhi. 2024. Understanding migration within countries: A global perspective. CGIAR Initiative on Fragility, Conflict, and Migration. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168105

Keywords

Migration; Poverty; Food Security; Urbanization; Conflicts; Climate Change; Economic Shock

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

IFPRI Nexus SAMs: Annual Release Note 2024

2024Randriamamonjy, Josee; Jones, Eleanor; Pauw, Karl; Thurlow, James
Details

IFPRI Nexus SAMs: Annual Release Note 2024

The Nexus Project is pleased to provide an update on the Nexus Social Accounting Matrices (SAMs) developed and released by IFPRI in collaboration with national statistical agencies and research institutions in 2024. This Annual Release Note provides a brief overview of SAMs and the Nexus Project. It serves as a useful one-stop shop for obtaining links to the latest versions of all Nexus SAMs. For more information or questions, please email IFPRI-Nexus@cgiar.or

Year published

2024

Authors

Randriamamonjy, Josee; Jones, Eleanor; Pauw, Karl; Thurlow, James

Citation

Randriamamonjy, Josee; Jones, Eleanor; Pauw, Karl; and Thurlow, James. 2024. IFPRI Nexus SAMs: Annual Release Note 2024. IFPRI Project Note December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168090

Keywords

Data; Economic Sectors; Agrifood Systems; Databases; Computable General Equilibrium Models

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Foresight

Record type

Brief

Brief

Effects of experiential learning on women’s participation in agricultural decision making in India

2024Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.; ElDidi, Hagar; Falk, Thomas; Sanil, Richu
Details

Effects of experiential learning on women’s participation in agricultural decision making in India

Women’s decision-making in agriculture has received considerable research and policy attention in recent years. Decision-making is a key aspect of empowerment. For example, women’s input in productive decisions is a key indicator in the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI). Inclusion of women in decision-making can also help ensure that their knowledge and priorities are considered, which can lead to better agricultural outcomes and resource conditions. A cross-sectional study found that in Burkina Faso, India, Malawi, and Tanzania, households where women were more included in decision making on agricultural production produced more varied food-group crops with higher nutrient density. The question is how to strengthen women’s decision-making ability. A review of 12 agricultural development projects with explicit aims for women’s empowerment found that only 3 had a significant impact on women’s participation in agricultural and livelihood decision-making. An evidence scan on programmatic approaches to increasing women’s decision-making power found that the majority of such interventions focused on household- or community-level changes to social norms, technical training, or leadership, role models, and mentoring. The study notes the need for more contextualized studies of different programmatic approaches to increase women’s decision-making power and outcomes associated with the interventions.

Year published

2024

Authors

Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.; ElDidi, Hagar; Falk, Thomas; Sanil, Richu

Citation

Meinzen-Dick, Ruth; ElDidi, Hagar; Falk, Thomas; and Sanil, Richu. 2024. Effects of experiential learning on women’s participation in agricultural decision making in India. Scaling Up Experiential Learning Tools Project Note 3. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163731

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Experiential Learning; Women’s Participation; Agriculture; Women’s Empowerment; Social Norms

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Brief

Brief

Supporting Sudan’s entrepreneurs in crisis: Policy insights from micro, small, and medium enterprises

2024Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Fisher, Monica; Cavicchioli, Martina; Chamberlin, Jordan
Details

Supporting Sudan’s entrepreneurs in crisis: Policy insights from micro, small, and medium enterprises

The current conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, which began in April 2023, has had a profound impact on the nation’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME). Such enterprises are a vital part of the country’s economy and important to the food security of many Sudanese households. All MSMEs, including those in the agrifood sector, have faced severe disruptions due to the instability, rising inflation, and supply chain breakdowns brought on by the conflict. These challenges have destabilized MSMEs, affecting their financial viability, operations, and capacity to support local food security and provide employment. Agrifood MSMEs, in particular, serve as critical intermediaries between large firms and smallholders, supporting local economies and national food systems.2 The conflict has disrupted every aspect of agrifood value chains in Sudan, from input supplies and production to market accessibility. Agrifood entrepreneurs—especially women—have borne some of the heaviest impacts. Female entrepreneurs already face significant gender-based barriers in operating successful businesses, such as more limited access to finance, restrictive social norms, and mobility constraints. In this period of conflict, they now confront even greater challenges.

Year published

2024

Authors

Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Fisher, Monica; Cavicchioli, Martina; Chamberlin, Jordan

Citation

Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Fisher, Monica; Cavicchioli, Martina; and Chamberlin, Jordan. 2024. Supporting Sudan’s entrepreneurs in crisis: Policy insights from micro, small, and medium enterprises. Sudan Strategy Support Program Policy Note 9. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163749

Country/Region

Sudan

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Enterprises; Conflicts; Food Security; Food Supply Chains; Economics; Gender

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

From space to soil: Advancing crop mapping and ecosystem insights for smallholder agriculture

2024Guo, Zhe
Details

From space to soil: Advancing crop mapping and ecosystem insights for smallholder agriculture

This project centers on in-season crop type mapping in Nandi County, Kenya, utilizing time-series Sentinel-2 imagery and supervised machine learning techniques. The objective is to produce accurate crop-type maps to support agricultural management activities such as yield estimation, acreage statistics, disaster damage assessment, and ecosystem evaluation. The approach leverages cloud-based computing, offering a customized and flexible solution that requires no prior knowledge of cloud infrastructure.

Year published

2024

Authors

Guo, Zhe

Citation

Guo, Zhe. 2024. From space to soil: Advancing crop mapping and ecosystem insights for smallholder agriculture. Low-Emission Food Systems Initiative Brief. CGIAR System Organization. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168470

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Crops; Cartography; Smallholders; Agriculture; Satellite Imagery; Data; Ecosystem Management

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Low-Emission Food Systems

Record type

Brief

Brief

Wholesalers, wholesale markets, and symbiosis with the emerging logistics sector

2024Reardon, Thomas
Details

Wholesalers, wholesale markets, and symbiosis with the emerging logistics sector

This paper is a summary review of empirical knowledge about wholesalers and wholesale markets in symbiosis with 3PLS (third party logistics) in developing regions and the implications for policy. The primary geographic focus is on developing and emerging market economies (Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Latin America), but also provides a comparison with the evidence regarding the evolution and roles 3PLS and wholesale markets in agrifood value chain development in the United States and Western Europe. Our review on this subject is timely given that the midstream segments of output value chains have been identified as an important theme about which there is inadequate research and policy debate (Barrett et al. 2022) despite their importance to consumers and farmers. A crucial segment of the midstream is the wholesale sector. Estimates are that much, if not most, produce is handled by wholesalers and wholesale markets in developing regions. Moreover, there has been growth and then transformation of the wholesale sector with urbanization and emerging modernization of retail as well as impacts of important public investments and regulatory policies. Finally, there remain important policy challenges and research gaps related to this topic that are an urgent agenda over the next decade – and beyond.

Year published

2024

Authors

Reardon, Thomas

Citation

Reardon, Thomas. 2024. Wholesalers, wholesale markets, and symbiosis with the emerging logistics sector. Rethinking Food Markets Initiative Note. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168158

Keywords

Wholesale Marketing; Developing Countries; Policies; Agrifood Systems; Value Chains

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Can social assistance reduce violent conflict and civil unrest? Evidence from a large-scale public works program in Ethiopia

2024Hirvonen, Kalle; Machado, Elia; Simons, Andrew M.
Details

Can social assistance reduce violent conflict and civil unrest? Evidence from a large-scale public works program in Ethiopia

Violent conflict and political instability are escalating worldwide, with Africa experiencing some of the most severe challenges. The region, home to 60% of the world’s poor (World Bank 2023), saw statebased armed conflict events nearly triple between 2007 and 2023 (Rustad 2024), while protests more than quadrupled from 2007 to 2019 (OECD 2021). Over this period, poverty reduction in Africa has been particularly sluggish in fragile and conflict-affected areas (Beegle et al. 2018a), likely due to the substantial economic losses associated with violent conflict and civil unrest.

Year published

2024

Authors

Hirvonen, Kalle; Machado, Elia; Simons, Andrew M.

Citation

Hirvonen, Kalle; Machado, Elia; and Simons, Andrew M. 2024. Can social assistance reduce violent conflict and civil unrest? Evidence from a large-scale public works program in Ethiopia. CGIAR Initiative on Fragility, Conflict, and Migration. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163420

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Conflicts; Public Works; Risk Assessment; Violence

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

The true costs of food production in Kenya

2024Benfica, Rui; Davis, Kristin E.; 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 E.; 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. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163383

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

Brief

How do policy environments influence technology adoption? Insights from Nigeria’s pod borer resistant (PBR) cowpea experience

2024Mockshell, Jonathan; Nwagboso, Chibuzo; Asante-Addo, Collins; Ritter, Thea; Zambrano, Patricia; Amare, Mulubrhan; Andam, Kwaw S.
Details

How do policy environments influence technology adoption? Insights from Nigeria’s pod borer resistant (PBR) cowpea experience

Policymakers are increasingly considering the promise of modern biotechnology, including genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to help solve development problems in health, agriculture, and other fields (Zambrano et al., 2022). However, debates persist around health and environmental implications (National Academies of Sciences, 2016; Raman, 2017; Smyth et al., 2021). The regulation of GMOs varies globally, with some countries implementing outright bans or imposing stringent controls (Sarkar et al., 2021; Yali, 2022). A recent study examines the Nigerian policy environment for Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) cowpea, which has been genetically engineered to resist the legume pod borer (Maruca vitrata) [Mockshell et al., (unpublished)]. Legume pod borers significantly reduce cowpea yield and quality, with losses of up to 80% reported (Andam et al., 2024; Mockshell et al., 2024). This policy note summarizes the findings of the paper, providing insights to guide policy development around the adoption of biotech food crops in Nigeria and other countries in Africa South of the Sahara (SSA). The primary research question is: Is there an enabling policy environment for PBR cowpea and what factors contribute to it?

Year published

2024

Authors

Mockshell, Jonathan; Nwagboso, Chibuzo; Asante-Addo, Collins; Ritter, Thea; Zambrano, Patricia; Amare, Mulubrhan; Andam, Kwaw S.

Citation

Mockshell, Jonathan; Nwagboso, Chibuzo; Asante-Addo, Collins; Ritter, Thea; Zambrano, Patricia; Amare, Mulubrhan; and Andam, Kwaw S. 2024. How do policy environments influence technology adoption? Insights from Nigeria’s pod borer resistant (PBR) cowpea experience. NSSP Policy Note 57. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163386

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Policies; Biotechnology; Health; Agriculture; Genetically Modified Organisms; Cowpeas; Boring Organisms

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Brief

The true costs of food production in Viet Nam

2024Benfica, Rui; Davis, Kristin E.; 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 E.; 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 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163385

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

Brief

Constraints to agricultural mechanization in Ethiopia: The case of solar irrigation pumps

2024Ringler, Claudia; Arega, Tiruwork; Hailu, Tesfaye; Tesfahunegn, Hannibal B.
Details

Constraints to agricultural mechanization in Ethiopia: The case of solar irrigation pumps

Agriculture and food production in Ethiopia are dominated by smallholder farmers and characterized by a low input-low output system. Mechanization of agriculture—in particular, the widespread adoption of tractors for land preparation and motorized pumps for irrigation—is considered by many to be the key to breaking this low-productivity system. Agricultural mechanization can improve the livelihoods of smallholders by reducing drudgery and postharvest losses and by increasing the efficiency of farm operations. However, mechanization rates have increased only slowly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Year published

2024

Authors

Ringler, Claudia; Arega, Tiruwork; Hailu, Tesfaye; Tesfahunegn, Hannibal B.

Citation

Ringler, Claudia; Arega, Tiruwork; Hailu, Tesfaye; and Tesfahunegn, Hannibal B. 2024. Constraints to agricultural mechanization in Ethiopia: The case of solar irrigation pumps. IFPRI Policy Note November 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163234

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Eastern Africa; Africa; Agricultural Mechanization; Food Production; Smallholders; Tractors; Irrigation; Agricultural Productivity; Solar Powered Irrigation Systems

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Brief

Brief

Gender and age employment gaps within agrifood value chains in Bangladesh and Uganda

2024Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Wagner, Julia
Details

Gender and age employment gaps within agrifood value chains in Bangladesh and Uganda

Using data collected with a novel sampling approach for agrifood value chains in Bangladesh (rice and potato) and Uganda (arabica coffee and soybean), this study documented meaningful gender and age employment gaps within intermediary sections of the value chains, which include trading , processing, and wholesaling activities. While agrifood value chains have potential to generate new jobs and close gaps for both women’s and youth employment in low- and middle-income countries, the study identifies large gender gaps in both operators of intermediary firms and those employed by these firms, as well as an age gap, with few youth operating intermediary firms. The brief offers recommendations for addressing systemic barriers that contribute to gender and age gaps in this “hidden middle” of agrifood value chains.

Year published

2024

Authors

Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Wagner, Julia

Citation

Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; and Wagner, Julia. 2024. Gender and age employment gaps within agrifood value chains in Bangladesh and Uganda. IFPRI Issue Brief December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162977

Country/Region

Bangladesh; Uganda

Keywords

Asia; Africa; Southern Asia; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Gender; Employment; Agrifood Systems; Agricultural Value Chains; Youth Employment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Evolution of food insecurity in Sudan during the ongoing conflict

2024Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Fisher, Monica; Abushama, Hala; Ahmed, Mosab O. M.; Raouf, Mariam; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum
Details

Evolution of food insecurity in Sudan during the ongoing conflict

Sudan’s food security landscape has been dramatically impacted by the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which began in April 2023. The conflict has exacerbated an already precarious situation for the country, characterized by macroeconomic instability, climate shocks, and persistent discord and tension. This policy note analyzes the evolution of food insecurity in Sudan during the conflict, drawing from analysis of four nationwide surveys conducted before and during the conflict, namely the 2022 Sudan Labor Market Panel Survey (SLMPS),1 the 2023/24 Sudan Rural Household Survey,2 the 2024 Sudan Urban Survey,3 and the recently completed 2024 Rural Household Survey. The findings highlight significant deterioration in food security across rural and urban areas of Sudan. Based on insights from these surveys, policy recommendations are offered to address food insecurity in the context of the conflict in Sudan. Before the outbreak of the conflict in 2023, Sudan was already facing significant food insecurity challenges. The 2022 SLMPS, a nationwide survey conducted in person, revealed that approximately 49 percent of Sudanese households were food secure. Factors such as high inflation, climate-related shocks, and underinvestment in agriculture have led to many households facing problems accessing sufficient healthy food, adversely affecting their food consumption. The reliance of Sudan on imports for a significant share of food consumption, coupled with a devaluating Sudanese Pound and rising inflation, strained household purchasing power, further limiting access to essential foodstuffs. Food insecurity was uneven across the country. Rural areas, where consumption of own agricultural production is essential for household food security, had higher food insecurity than urban areas. Some regions were particularly vulnerable to food insecurity, including the Darfur and Kordofan regions and Blue Nile states. Localized conflicts in these areas disrupted agricultural activities and displaced communities even before broader-scale fighting between SAF and RSF began.

Year published

2024

Authors

Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Fisher, Monica; Abushama, Hala; Ahmed, Mosab O. M.; Raouf, Mariam; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum

Citation

Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Fisher, Monica; Abushama, Hala; Ahmed, Mosab; Raouf, Mariam; and Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum. 2024. Evolution of food insecurity in Sudan during the ongoing conflict. Sudan Strategy Support Policy Note 8. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163106

Country/Region

Sudan

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Capacity Development; Conflicts; Food Insecurity; Macroeconomics; Policy Innovation

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

Scaling up experiential learning for water management

2024Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.; Falk, Thomas; Sanil, Richu; ElDidi, Hagar; Zhang, Wei; Kosec, Katrina; Melesse, Mequanint B.; Duche, Vishwambhar
Details

Scaling up experiential learning for water management

Unsustainable water management is associated with reduced agricultural production and poverty, reduced ecosystem services and resilience, and insufficient and unreliable domestic water access. As a common pool resource with high subtractability and low excludability, water is easily depleted if no effective coordination exists among users to ensure provision and regulate withdrawals. This creates one of the greatest challenges for people living in semi-arid and arid environments. The majority of India’s population is estimated to face physical water scarcity for at least part of the year, with 600 million people living in areas of high to extreme water stress. As water management is highly complex, with many users sharing the same resource but often unknown to each other, stopping overuse is difficult, especially when it is more profitable to irrigate water-consumptive crops than water-conserving crops. Farmers, policymakers, donors, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in India have all articulated the need for more effective tools to improve water management and governance. Coordination and effective management of water resources are crucial to sustain agricultural productivity, but so far progress has been disappointing. Technical tools such as crop water budgeting can play an important role in enabling communities to manage their water resources, but unless communities have the knowledge and motivation to use these tools, their application and impacts are limited. To date, attention to the question of how knowledge about collectively available water is translated into effective management through collective action, norms and rules has been insufficient. Blueprint rules introduced in a top-down manner have not changed water users’ behavior. However, there is strong evidence that effective community rules and their enforcement can motivate such behavior. The better these rules fit the social-ecological context and internalized norms, the more effective they will be. Participatory development approaches have addressed these challenges. The key question is how to promote such coordination, rules, and behavior in a participatory way without external imposition and in a low-cost manner that allows largescale implementation.

Year published

2024

Authors

Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.; Falk, Thomas; Sanil, Richu; ElDidi, Hagar; Zhang, Wei; Kosec, Katrina; Melesse, Mequanint B.; Duche, Vishwambhar

Citation

Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.; Falk, Thomas; Sanil, Richu; ElDidi, Hagar; Zhang, Wei; Kosec, Katrina; et al. 2024. Scaling up experiential learning for water management. Scaling Up Experiential Learning Tools Project Note 2. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162988

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agricultural Production; Sustainability; Water Governance; Water Management

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Brief

Brief

Overlapping school and farming calendars in Madagascar: Simulating gains of alternative school calendars

2024Allen IV, James
Details

Overlapping school and farming calendars in Madagascar: Simulating gains of alternative school calendars

This report summarizes ongoing analysis of overlap between school and farming calendars in Madagascar in collaboration with the World Bank office in Madagascar. Following IFPRI Discussion Paper 2235 (Allen 2024), I develop a community-based measure of overlap as the number of days that the school calendar overlaps with crop calendars that weights the relevance of each crop by the community crop share and then aggregates across crops. A policy simulation of alternative school calendars identifies early January as the best time to start Madagascar’s national school calendar (assuming the same structure as the actual school calendar) to avoid overlap with peak farming periods. Further, it finds additional gains can be made to reducing overlap by decentralizing school calendars to the local level and adopting each community’s overlap-minimizing calendar. Next steps in 2025 include an empirical analysis that estimates the correlation between overlap and key education outcomes that simulates the potential gains of a locally decentralized overlap-minimizing school calendar.

Year published

2024

Authors

Allen IV, James

Citation

Allen IV, James. 2024. Overlapping school and farming calendars in Madagascar: Simulating gains of alternative school calendars. Project Note December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163428

Country/Region

Madagascar

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Southern Africa; Crop Calendar; Farming Systems; Policies; Schools

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural equipment supply chain – November 2024

2024Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis
Details

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural equipment supply chain – November 2024

Agricultural Equipment Supply Chain – November 2024 This research note presents the impacts of recent economic disruptions on Myanmar’s agricultural equipment supply chain, based on a phone survey of agricultural equipment vendors (AEVs) and repair service providers (RSPs) conducted in November 2024. Key Findings • Businesses face multiple disruptions, including transport restrictions, high costs, fluctuating exchange rates, and limited electricity and fuel. Safety concerns during transport were reported by 64 percent of RSPs and 26 percent of AEVs. • Availability of agricultural machinery has declined significantly from last year, with reductions in two-wheel tractors (84 percent), four-wheel tractors (78 percent), and threshers (75 percent) reported by AEVs. This decline is likely driven by reduced demand, mobility restrictions, and high transportation costs. • Availability and sales of spare parts and attachments are relatively stable, reflecting a shift towards maintaining and upgrading existing machinery. Combine harvesters and threshers show some resilience, potentially linked to agricultural labor shortages. • Despite significant disruptions, most businesses report financial stability. While revenues have declined, businesses show resilience to recent shocks. RSPs appear to be benefiting from the growing demand for repair and maintenance services. Recommended Actions • Implement training programs that improve the availability and skills of mechanics to support RSPs as farmers focus on maintaining and upgrading their machinery. • Train operators in proper use and maintenance practices, helping to extend the lifespan of machinery and reduce repair needs. • Facilitate the expansion of domestic manufacturers of spare parts and attachments to improve the quantity, quality and variety of parts and attachments available. • Ensure consumers have access to credit with favorable terms, enabling them to purchase machinery and spread repayment over time in line with economic conditions. • Extend and expand the expedited approval of import licenses, and reduce other import barriers, for agricultural equipment and raw material needed by domestic producers to ensure stable supply and support of local manufacturing capabilities.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis

Citation

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis. 2024. Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural equipment supply chain – November 2024. Myanmar SSP Research Note 119. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168086

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agrifood Systems; Farm Equipment; Maintenance; Supply Chains

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Enhancing experiential learning through community debriefs: A reflection from facilitators of experiential games

2024Melesse, Mequanint B.; Duche, Vishwambhar; Sanil, Richu; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.; Falk, Thomas
Details

Enhancing experiential learning through community debriefs: A reflection from facilitators of experiential games

Community debriefing is a structured process that facilitates the sharing of experience and insights about implemented interventions among community members. It enables participants to connect lessons learned in an activity, experience, or program to the outside world and to discuss the relevance of an activity to the challenges faced by the community. Thus, social learning is reinforced when debriefing sessions are conducted at the community level. Here, we are interested in debriefings conducted after playing experiential learning games as a learning space beyond the game itself.

Year published

2024

Authors

Melesse, Mequanint B.; Duche, Vishwambhar; Sanil, Richu; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.; Falk, Thomas

Citation

Melesse, Mequanint B.; Duche, Vishwambhar; Sanil, Richu; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.; and Falk, Thomas. 2024. Enhancing experiential learning through community debriefs: A reflection from facilitators of experiential games. Scaling Up Experiential Learning Tools Project Note 1. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162772

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Social Learning; Experiential Learning; Water Governance

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural input retailers – August 2024 survey round

2024Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis
Details

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural input retailers – August 2024 survey round

Agricultural input retailers are crucial to Myanmar’s agri-food system, providing farmers with essential fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, and other inputs needed for production. Since input use at the farm level significantly impacts yields across major food crops, economic disruptions to the input retail sector can have profound effects on rural household welfare and food security. Given this importance, regular monitoring surveys of input retailers are essential to track sector health, anticipate potential disruptions, and ensure timely support for sustaining agricultural productivity.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis

Citation

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis. 2024. Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural input retailers – August 2024 survey round. Myanmar SSP Research Note 117. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162758

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agrifood Systems; Farm Inputs; Shock; Telephone Surveys

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Groundwater games in Barahathawa: Lessons and implications

2024Bruns, Bryan; Khadka, Manohara; KC, Sumitra; Rauniyar, Amrita
Details

Groundwater games in Barahathawa: Lessons and implications

Groundwater is a crucial source of water for domestic use and increasingly used for irrigation in the southern Terai region of Nepal. However, increasing groundwater extraction and other changes are depleting groundwater levels. Well drillers interviewed in Barahathawa said that water used to be available at 35 feet below the surface but now in some places they have to go to 60 feet or more for reliable water. This is an example of problems and the need for better institutions to govern a shared, invisible, and often poorly understood resource. Groundwater crop-choice games are part of a toolbox of activities that can help people learn and work together to improve groundwater governance. This brief presents lessons and implications from an initial exercise with groundwater games in Barahathawa Municipality in Madhesh Province in Nepal.

Year published

2024

Authors

Bruns, Bryan; Khadka, Manohara; KC, Sumitra; Rauniyar, Amrita

Citation

Bruns, Bryan; Khadka, Manohara; KC, Sumitra; and Rauniyar, Amrita. 2024. Groundwater games in Barahathawa: Lessons and implications. CGIAR Initiative on NEXUS Gains. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162554

Country/Region

Nepal

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Capacity Development; Governance; Groundwater; Irrigation

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Brief

Brief

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: The rising costs of diets – September 2024 survey round

2024Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis
Details

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: The rising costs of diets – September 2024 survey round

We assess changes in food prices and diet costs based on large-scale surveys of food vendors (fielded from June 2020 until September 2024) and households (fielded in six periods between 2022 to 2024) across rural and urban areas and in all states/regions of Myanmar. Key Findings  Between July 2023 and September 2024, the cost of a healthy and commonly consumed diet increased by 34 and 35 percent, respectively.  The price of rice – the major staple – was more than twice as high in September 2024 compared to two years prior. Prices rose by 29 percent between July 2023 and September 2024, and by only 7 percent between March and September 2024.  In September 2024, cooking oil prices were 88 percent higher than the previous year, but 15 percent lower than two years prior.  In September 2024, the median prices of most protein-rich foods, except for fish, were at least 50 percent higher compared to two years prior. Over the same two-year period, banana prices doubled.  The highest costs for both common and healthy diets are seen in the conflict-affected states of Rakhine and Kachin, where in September 2024, the costs of the healthy diet was about 65 percent higher than the national average and the costs of the common diet costs was about 40 percent higher.  Compared to average casual wages, the healthy and common diets are least affordable in Kachin, Rakhine and Magway and most affordable in Kayin and Mon.  Between the fourth quarter of 2023 and September 2024, the prices of petrol rose by 90 percent, bar soap and paracetamol by nearly 50 percent, and toothpaste by 160 percent. Recommended Actions  Ensuring food is available at affordable prices is crucial to prevent food security and nutrition issues in the country. Therefore, prioritizing a well-functioning agri-food system should be a key focus for all stakeholders.  The food price situation in Rakhine State is most concerning among all states and regions, and the state should be prioritized – to the extent that this possible – for assistance.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis

Citation

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis. 2024. Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: The rising costs of diets – September 2024 survey round. Myanmar Strategy Support Program Research Note 116. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/159938

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Agrifood Systems; Diet; Food Prices; Households; Surveys

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Nutrition and diet profile: Benin

2024Diatta, Ampa Dogui; Olney, Deanna K.; Honeycutt, Sydney; Mitchodigni, Irene Medeme; Bliznashka, Lilia
Details

Nutrition and diet profile: Benin

Key Findings: -In Benin, undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent, and the prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing. -Diets in Benin have declined in quality over time, particularly among children. For example, low dietary diversity and inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption are prevalent. -Food-based dietary guidelines exist; however, awareness of the guidelines is unknown. -Most nutrition policies in Benin lack guidance on promoting fruit and vegetable intake. -Stronger evidence related to how to improve diet quality and combat malnutrition in Benin is needed to develop relevant interventions and policies.

Year published

2024

Authors

Diatta, Ampa Dogui; Olney, Deanna K.; Honeycutt, Sydney; Mitchodigni, Irene Medeme; Bliznashka, Lilia

Citation

Diatta, Ampa Dogui; Olney, Deanna K.; Honeycutt, Sydney; Mitchodigni, Irene Medeme; and Bliznashka, Lilia. 2024. Nutrition and diet profile: Benin. FRESH Country Brief November 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/159608

Country/Region

Benin

Keywords

Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Nutrition; Diet; Trace Elements; Dietary Guidelines

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural crop traders – June 2024 survey

2024Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis
Details

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural crop traders – June 2024 survey

To document changes in the mid-stream of Myanmar’s food value chains, a phone survey of commodity traders was conducted in June 2024 with a sample of 187 active traders in 12 states and regions. Key Findings: -Cellphone network challenges rival transportation challenges in both their prevalence and impact, affecting more than half the traders and doubling since 2023. -More than 30 percent of traders reported being affected by exchange rate volatility and inflation, export/import challenges, and local and regional conflict. Notably, most encountered these shocks in April, May, and June 2024. -Reported credit challenges are at their highest points in the past three years. The proportion of traders offering credit to farmers has decreased, and for some, the credit terms have shifted to higher interest rates and extended loan durations. -Prices for the six most common commodities in our data have increased markedly in the past two years. Trader sales prices of rice were three times higher in June 2024 than in April 2022. -Margins in June 2024 were 0.8 points higher than in April 2023. Rising trading margins could reflect increasing transport or transactions costs in trading, and are generally a negative sign for agrifood system efficiency. Looking Ahead: -Communication challenges in cellphone networks together with widespread transport disruptions could lead to inefficiencies in spatial arbitrage and widening gaps between consumer and producer prices. -Credit challenges are increasing and rising prices will place greater financial stress on the farmers and traders alike. -More than 40 percent of traders consider the general inflation and exchange rate volatility as a negative shock that reduces their business revenues. This survey was conducted before a large currency devaluation in informal markets and widespread flooding in Myanmar impacting agricultural production and livelihoods. These shocks add additional stress to the food system.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis

Citation

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis. 2024. Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural crop traders – June 2024 survey. Myanmar SSP Research Note 114. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/159535

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Value Chains; Agrifood Systems; Agricultural Trade; Shock; Agricultural Credit; Prices

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

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. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/159533

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

Brief

Increasing retail sales of healthy foods in Ethiopia: Lessons from MSME surveys in two urban areas

2024de Brauw, Alan; Hirvonen, Kalle; Mekonnen, Daniel Ayalew
Details

Increasing retail sales of healthy foods in Ethiopia: Lessons from MSME surveys in two urban areas

The food environment represents the place in which demand for food meets supply—consumers purchase foods in the food environment, while retailers of the food consumers purchase represent the end of the value chain. In many countries, the food environment is characterized by a large number of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) who sell the majority of healthy foods. Ethiopia fits this description; among healthy food groups purchased by at least one-third of customers within a given week, at least 88 percent of consumers making purchases by them from MSMEs (de Brauw and Hirvonen 2024). This note summarizes lessons from a set of surveys conducted among 1686 MSMEs likely to sell healthy foods in woreda 8 of Kolfe Keranyo in Addis Ababa and in Butajira town in central Ethiopia in late 2023. The first survey concentrated on listing all businesses selling food in selected areas of the two sample locations; the second survey then asked detailed questions about the business environment and practices of selected MSMEs. The majority of surveyed MSMEs can be characterized as either kiosks or small shops; the next most common were restaurants, followed by street vendors and juice shops (de Brauw et al. 2024).

Year published

2024

Authors

de Brauw, Alan; Hirvonen, Kalle; Mekonnen, Daniel Ayalew

Citation

de Brauw, Alan; Hirvonen, Kalle; and Mekonnen, Daniel Ayalew. 2024. Increasing retail sales of healthy foods in Ethiopia: Lessons from MSME surveys in two urban areas. SHiFT Initiative Project Note November 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168663

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Health; Nutrition; Food Environment; Food Consumption; Small and Medium Enterprises

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Food environment research in Sri Lanka: A desk review

2024Clarke, Rebecca Namara; Sehgal, Mrignyani; Marshall, Quinn; Kumar, Neha
Details

Food environment research in Sri Lanka: A desk review

Key Findings • Research has documented the availability of modern food retail (e.g. fast-food) in both urban and rural contexts, and its influence especially on adolescents. • Barriers to accessing healthy diets include the high cost of nutritious foods, especially vegetables and animal source foods, the time needed to cook fresh meals, and food safety • Most research to date has utilized cross-sectional designs, with relatively few studies examining associations with diet or health outcomes, or evaluating interventions.

Year published

2024

Authors

Clarke, Rebecca Namara; Sehgal, Mrignyani; Marshall, Quinn; Kumar, Neha

Citation

Clarke, Rebecca Namara; Sehgal, Mrignyani; Marshall, Quinn; and Kumar, Neha. 2024. Food environment research in Sri Lanka: A desk review. FRESH Brief November 2024. CGIAR Initiative on FRESH. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/159865

Country/Region

Sri Lanka

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Adolescents; Capacity Development; Diet Quality; Food Environment; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Improving resource targeting in Niger: Joint financial analysis and food system mapping

2024Ulimwengu, John M.; Gbossa, Nadine
Details

Improving resource targeting in Niger: Joint financial analysis and food system mapping

This policy brief combines the results of a food system mapping exercise with an analysis of financial flows into Niger’s food system from 2019 to 2022 to inform policymaking for food system transformation. The food system mapping reveals several critical points of failure, from low agricultural productivity and inefficient supply chains to poor nutritional outcomes and environmental degradation. Analysis of domestic and international financial flows to the food system reveals that climate adaptation and nutrition are underfunded areas. Understanding these weaknesses can help policymakers and development partners take a more coordinated and strategic approach to addressing the challenges facing Niger’s food system and can inform more effective resource allocation, ensuring that resources support long-term food security and sustainability.

Year published

2024

Authors

Ulimwengu, John M.; Gbossa, Nadine

Citation

Ulimwengu, John M.; and Gbossa, Nadine. 2024. Improving resource targeting in Niger: Joint financial analysis and food system mapping. IFPRI Policy Brief November 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/159745

Country/Region

Niger

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Western Africa; Targeting; Food Systems; Cartography; Agricultural Production; Nutrition; Economic Policies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: October 2024

2024International Food Policy Research Institute; Kedir Jemal, Mekamu; Hayoge, Glen
Details

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: October 2024

This report provides an analysis of food price trends for the third quarter of 2024, covering the period from July to September. During this quarter, two rounds of data were collected per month from Kokopo, Banz, and Port Moresby in July and August. However, in September, only one round of data was collected from all markets except Port Moresby (no data collected). Only one round of data was collected in Goroka for each month in the 3rd quarter. In Lae, food price data was collected only once in August for the entire third quarter. These data gaps affect the comparability of the reported price trend and caution should be used to draw conclusions on price fluctuations. The graphs in this bulletin show price changes within the third quarter and compare the third quarter prices with the second quarter of 2024, between April and June. To access the complete food price dataset and interactive food price graphing tool, please visit our website.

Year published

2024

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute; Kedir Jemal, Mekamu; Hayoge, Glen

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute. 2024. Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: October 2024. Papua New Guinea Food Price Bulletin October 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/158182

Country/Region

Papua New Guinea

Keywords

Melanesia; Oceania; Legumes; Markets; Food Prices; Staple Foods

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Synopsis: Enhancing rural income diversification in Rwanda: Opportunities and challenges

2024Schmidt, Emily; Mugabo, Serge; Rosenbach, Gracie
Details

Synopsis: Enhancing rural income diversification in Rwanda: Opportunities and challenges

This study describes the employment patterns of rural households in Rwanda and explores their challenges and opportunities for rural income diversification. Detailed analysis using a 2022 rural household smallholder survey on agricultural production and employment in Rwanda, reveals that: • Agricultural wage labor is the dominant source of off-farm income and is the primary means of supplementing rural household income. This is different than other LMICs where households are more likely to develop nonfarm enterprises that bring in extra income and diversify the rural economy towards more value-added output while also increasing demand for rural inputs. • This research suggests that factors like access to education and financial services are key factors to employment decisions and improved rural urban linkages.

Year published

2024

Authors

Schmidt, Emily; Mugabo, Serge; Rosenbach, Gracie

Citation

Schmidt, Emily; Mugabo, Serge; and Rosenbach, Gracie. 2024. Synopsis: Enhancing rural income diversification in Rwanda: Opportunities and challenges. Rwanda Strategy Support Program Policy Note 16. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155441

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Employment; Rural Population; Households; Income; Diversification; Agricultural Production; Access to Finance; Education

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Brief

Impact of COVID-19 on food security and cropping patterns in Tajikistan: Evidence from a telephone survey in Khatlon Province

2024Rajiv, Sharanya; Akramov, Kamiljon T.; Aliev, Jovidon
Details

Impact of COVID-19 on food security and cropping patterns in Tajikistan: Evidence from a telephone survey in Khatlon Province

Poor households are the most vulnerable to external shocks. When Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation restricted wheat exports in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, prices for wheat flour and derived products (staple food) increased sharply in Central Asian countries that are dependent on wheat import (the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan). These export restrictions also increased fears of adverse food security outcomes in importing countries. In Tajikistan, these global dynamics translated into significant challenges given its reliance on imports to meet around half of its cereal requirements. The FAO forecasted Tajikistan’s cereal import requirement for 2020/21 at 1,225,000 tons or about 50 percent of its total consumption. Most of this import requirement was made up of wheat, which is a key staple in the Tajik diet, comprising about 54% of total wheat consumption. The country’s key wheat supplier, Kazakhstan, imposed export limitations in April and May 2020. Consequently, despite a good domestic harvest and price stabilization initiatives by the Government of Tajikistan, the domestic price of wheat remained well above the 2019 levels. To unpack the impact of COVID-19 on rural livelihoods and farm decision making, panel data from 1,200 households in Khatlon province in Tajikistan was analyzed. Data was collected through a phone survey in September-October 2020 in 12 districts of Khatlon province, with a set of households previously surveyed in September 2018. The analysis examines respondents’ perceptions of the pandemic’s effects on their households’ livelihoods and agricultural production, disaggregate by 2018 household wealth quartiles. The analysis is descriptive and summarizes respondents’ perceptions. The methodology doesn’t allow us to determine causal pathways or generalize the results beyond Khatlon province.

Year published

2024

Authors

Rajiv, Sharanya; Akramov, Kamiljon T.; Aliev, Jovidon

Citation

Rajiv, Sharanya; Akramov, Kamiljon T.; and Aliev, Jovidon. 2024. Impact of COVID-19 on food security and cropping patterns in Tajikistan. Project Note September 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155378

Country/Region

Tajikistan

Keywords

Asia; Central Asia; Covid-19; Cropping Patterns; Food Security; Households; Shock

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Brief

Digital literacy training to promote diffusion of digital agricultural tools to smallholder farmers

2024Abdelaziz, Fatma; Abay, Kibrom A.
Details

Digital literacy training to promote diffusion of digital agricultural tools to smallholder farmers

Digital innovations hold significant potential to address multiple forms of market failures. However, their adoption remains low and heterogenous across Africa. Smallholder farmers face significant barriers in accessing essential information, limiting their ability to seize market opportunities and enhance profitability. While numerous digital tools have been developed for farmers in the region, most are still in pilot phases. The landscape of digital agricultural innovations in Egypt, the focus of this study, presents a similar outlook, whereby the Egyptian market has an array of innovative digital study, presents a similar outlook, whereby the Egyptian market has an array of innovative digital agricultural tools that offer different services to farmers (including digital advisory agricultural and market services). Several demand and supply-side factors contribute to the low adoption of these digital innovations and their disparities among smallholder farmers in Africa and Egypt. On the supply side, the most important challenges include inadequate public and private investment in complementary infra-structure, unsustainable business models, and a misalignment in the pace of innovation. The most important demand-side challenges include lack of digital literacy, insufficient context-specific needs assessments, digital divide, and accessibility, usability, and user trust. User confidence and trust in digital tools is another important but understudied topic.. However, we lack empirically grounded evidence on alternative supply and demand-side interventions to enhance the adoption and scaling of digital innovations in various contexts, including Egypt.

Year published

2024

Authors

Abdelaziz, Fatma; Abay, Kibrom A.

Citation

Abdelaziz, Fatma; and Abay, Kibrom A. 2024. Digital literacy training to promote diffusion of digital agricultural tools to smallholder farmers. Project Note September 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152495

Country/Region

Egypt

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Northern Africa; Agricultural Technology; Digital Agriculture; Digital Innovation; Smallholders

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility to Resilience in Central and West Asia and North Africa

Record type

Brief

Brief

Rwandan maize market price dynamics: Structure, trends and policy implications

2024Warner, James; Benimana, Gilberthe Uwera; Mugabo, Serge; Niyonsingiza, Josue; Mukangabo, Emerence; Ingabire, Chantal
Details

Rwandan maize market price dynamics: Structure, trends and policy implications

The importance of maize for Rwanda cannot be overstated. Most smallholder farmers, along the spectrum of both land size and level of commercialization, engage in both production, own consumption, and sale of maize. Unlike most other crops, maize is commonly produced by all levels of commercialized and subsistence smallholder farmers. For example, recent research revealed that even though almost half of all maize produced is sold (44%), only an average of 23 percent is marketed at the household level (Warner et al. 2024). This indicates that while maize is widely sold by most smallholders, it is disproportionally sold by those with relatively larger farms. Therefore, maize is important for both own consumption as well as commercial sales and price movements are critical for understanding potential welfare impacts on both buyers and sellers. Research presented here outlines some important maize price relationships, including multi-year trends, interrelationships between Rwandan markets and seasonality. Overall, we find strong correlation between all markets suggesting a good degree of integration but persistent individual market prices above and below national averages as well as seasonality that generally conforms to maize’s main harvest period (Season A). This policy brief provides an overview of maize prices in Rwanda in order to enhance evidence-based policymaking for targeting recommendations aimed at more integrated and stable maize market prices throughout the country. For example, seasonal price changes suggest an annual average price fluctuation of approximately 30 percent and if targeted policies could reduce this seasonal price variation, smallholder welfare would likely be improved.

Year published

2024

Authors

Warner, James; Benimana, Gilberthe Uwera; Mugabo, Serge; Niyonsingiza, Josue; Mukangabo, Emerence; Ingabire, Chantal

Citation

Warner, James; Benimana, Gilberthe Uwera; Mugabo, Serge; Niyonsingiza, Josue; Mukangabo, Emerence; and Ingabire, Chantal. 2024. Rwandan maize market price dynamics: Structure, trends and policy implications. IFPRI Rwanda SSP Policy Note 15. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152398

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Consumption; Maize; Smallholders; Welfare

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Brief

PSNP and sustainable land management in Ethiopia: A formative qualitative investigation

2024Tefera, Mulugeta; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Leight, Jessica; Tambet, Heleene
Details

PSNP and sustainable land management in Ethiopia: A formative qualitative investigation

The Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) is Ethiopia’s national safety net program, launched in 2005 and currently in its fifth phase. The objective of the PSNP is to protect households’ food consumption and assets, reduce their vulnerability to shocks, and address underlying causes of extreme poverty (MoA FSCD 2020). Households who have an adult available to work are required to take part in public works that focus on building infrastructure and improving the natural resource base (MoA FSCD 2020). As such, these projects are partially designed to contribute to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and mitigation. However, there is limited evidence about how sustainable land management (SLM) activities are conducted under the PSNP on both publicly and privately operated lands, and how the uptake of these activities and their benefits differ by gender.

Year published

2024

Authors

Tefera, Mulugeta; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Leight, Jessica; Tambet, Heleene

Citation

Tefera, Mulugeta; Gilligan, Daniel; Leight, Jessica; and Tambet, Heleene. 2024. PSNP and sustainable land management in Ethiopia: A formative qualitative investigation. SPIR Learning Brief 8. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152385

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Households; Food Consumption; Poverty; Shock; Vulnerability

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Brief

Brief

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Mechanization Service Providers – July 2024 survey round

2024Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis
Details

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Mechanization Service Providers – July 2024 survey round

Agricultural mechanization service providers (MSPs) are crucial for enabling smallholder farmers to undertake a range of power-intensive farm and post-harvest operations in a timely manner. These operations are essential for food production and farm income. MSPs are capital-intensive operations. The economic viability of these businesses is highly sensitive to (1) capacity utilization, which generates the cash flow needed to repay equipment loans; (2) prices of imported capital goods, including machines, equipment, and fuels; and (3) availability of machine operators, among others. Hence, the operations of MSPs are sensitive to restrictions on mobility and trade. This Research Note focuses on the impacts of the ongoing political crisis on MSPs from the latest phone survey conducted in July 2024. This note primarily covers the activities of tractor service providers (TSPs) in the 2024 monsoon planting season and combine harvester service providers (CHSPs) that completed harvesting from the dry season. The results of previous rounds were published in Myanmar Strategy Support Program Research Notes 07, 12, 17, 39, 43, 59, 62, 76, 82 94, and 98. As MSP operations continue to be affected by market disruptions, understanding the situation on the ground is critical to support measures to ensure farmers’ access to MSP services.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis

Citation

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis (MAPSA). 2024. Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Mechanization Service Providers – July 2024 survey round. IFPRI Myanmar SSP Research Note 112. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152351

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agricultural Mechanization; Harvesters; Smallholders; Surveys

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

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