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With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Liangzhi You

Liangzhi You is a Senior Research Fellow and theme leader in the Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit, based in Washington, DC. His research focuses on climate resilience, spatial data and analytics, agroecosystems, and agricultural science policy. Gridded crop production data of the world (SPAM) and the agricultural technology evaluation model (DREAM) are among his research contributions. 

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IFPRI Publications: Briefs

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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.

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.

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

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.

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 Viet Nam

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

The true costs of food production in Viet Nam

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

Year published

2024

Authors

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

Citation

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

Country/Region

Vietnam

Keywords

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

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Nature-Positive Solutions

Record type

Brief

Brief

The true costs of food production in Kenya

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

The true costs of food production in Kenya

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

Year published

2024

Authors

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

Citation

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

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

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

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Nature-Positive Solutions

Record type

Brief

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

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.

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

Evolution of food insecurity in Sudan during the ongoing conflict

2024Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Fisher, Monica; Abushama, Hala; Ahmed, Mosab; 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; 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.

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

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

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.

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.

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 Strategy Support Program Research Note 119. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: October 2024

2024International Food Policy Research Institute; 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; 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.

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

Brief

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: The rising costs of diets and declining purchasing power of casual wage laborers: December 2021–June 2024

2024Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis
Details

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: The rising costs of diets and declining purchasing power of casual wage laborers: December 2021–June 2024

We assess changes in food prices and purchasing power of casual wage laborers based on large-scale surveys of households and food vendors (fielded from December 2021 until June 2024) in rural and urban areas and in all states/regions of Myanmar. Key Findings:  Between the second quarters of 2023 and 2024, diet costs rose steadily by 40 and 41 percent for healthy and common diet costs, respectively.  The median price of rice—the major staple—increased by 54 percent between the second quarters of 2023 and 2024 and was the main driver of the 41 percent increase in the cost of the common diet.  The most conflict-affected states suffered more from food price inflation. Between the second quarters of 2023 and 2024, common diet costs increased by 81 percent in Rakhine, 61 percent in Chin, and 48 percent in Kachin. In the second quarter of 2024, both healthy and common diet costs were highest in Rakhine followed by Chin.  Over the full period of surveys (December 2021–June 2024), the cost of the healthy diet rose by 121 percent and the common diet by 131 percent; rice and onion prices more than tripled; pulse, chicken, leafy green, and banana prices at least doubled; and all other food prices increased by at least 50 percent.  Between the second quarters of 2023 and 2024, purchasing power of daily urban construction wages relative to healthy and common diet costs declined by about 14 percent. The purchasing power of rural agricultural wages to healthy and common diet costs fell by about 4 percent. Adjusted for the cost of one kilogram of rice, urban construction wages fell by 25 percent and rural agricultural wages fell by 14 percent.  Food costs outpaced wages, particularly in urban areas, making food increasingly unaffordable for wage earners who are among the most vulnerable household groups in Myanmar. However, nominal wages rose at a faster pace between the second quarters of 2023 and 2024 compared to 2022 and 2023, slowing the pace of declining real wages.

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: The rising costs of diets and declining purchasing power of casual wage laborers: December 2021–June 2024. IFPRI Myanmar SSP Research Note 111. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152268

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Food Prices; Households; Diet; Rice; Conflicts; Surveys; Remuneration

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Take-up of cash loans vs. agricultural input loans: A pilot study

2024Ambler, Kate; Balana, Bedru; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Maruyama, Eduardo; Olanrewaju, Opeyemi
Details

Take-up of cash loans vs. agricultural input loans: A pilot study

Smallholder farmers must invest in agricultural inputs (i.e., seeds, chemicals, equipment, land, and labor) during the planting season before earning income from the sale of agricultural produce after harvest. Credit can help relax liquidity constraints. In rural Nigeria, access to credit is limited, especially formal credit from financial institutions. Less than a third of households in rural Nigeria report using credit and only two percent of rural households borrowed credit from formal financial institutions (EFInA 2020). The rest is borrowed informally from friends, family, or local money lenders. Credit can take many different forms. For example, credit can take the form of a cash loan, where funds are provided to a borrower to make an investment of any kind. Another common form of credit is when specific goods, for instance agricultural inputs, are provided in advance to a payment. In both cases, the borrower must pay back both the loan amount, and any interest incurred from the loan. We partnered with Crop2Cash, a digital financial technology startup company operating in Nigeria, to test take-up for these two forms of credit.

Year published

2024

Authors

Ambler, Kate; Balana, Bedru; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Maruyama, Eduardo; Olanrewaju, Opeyemi

Citation

Ambler, Kate; Balana, Bedru; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Maruyama, Eduardo; and Olanrewaju, Opeyemi. 2024. Take-up of cash loans vs. agricultural input loans: A pilot study. Rethinking Food Markets Initiative Project Note September 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152224

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

Southern Africa; Western Africa; Smallholders; Farm Inputs; Income; Agriculture; Credit; Loans

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Cluster-based development: Lessons from country experiences for Odisha, India

2024Belton, Ben; Breisinger, Clemens; Kassim, Yumna; Pal, Barun Deb; Narayanan, Sudha; Zhang, Xiaobo
Details

Cluster-based development: Lessons from country experiences for Odisha, India

Clusters are spatial aggregations of small businesses producing the same or related goods or services. Together, these businesses have the potential to contribute to economic development of rural areas by compounding the existing strengths of local producing communities. Cluster-based development has been successful where governments facilitate infrastructure and provide services to support existing clusters, often leading to spillover and expansion of these clusters to wider areas over time (Abdelaziz et al. 2021). Agrifood cluster development can occur via two broad mechanisms: (1) immanent development, where clusters of commercial farms as well as firms in the value chain that provide goods and services re quired by farms (for example, specialized production inputs, machinery, and transport), emerge spontaneously in co-located groups; and (2) organized development, where actors such as government, companies, or nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) organize producers into groups to deliver extension services, inputs, or credit or to upgrade production practices, facilitate collective action to improve terms of market access, or enable compliance with standards or forms of branding such as geographic indications

Year published

2024

Authors

Belton, Ben; Breisinger, Clemens; Kassim, Yumna; Pal, Barun Deb; Narayanan, Sudha; Zhang, Xiaobo

Citation

Belton, Ben; Breisinger, Clemens; Kassim, Yumna; Pal, Barun Deb; Narayanan, Sudha; and Zhang, Xiaobo. 2024. Cluster-based development: Lessons from country experiences for Odisha, India. South Asia Policy Perspectives 1. New Delhi, India: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152082

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Small and Medium Enterprises; Economic Development; Rural Areas; Value Chains; Infrastructure

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Brief

Repurposing agricultural support: Modeling outcomes of different approaches

2024Laborde Debucquet, David; Piñeiro, Valeria
Details

Repurposing agricultural support: Modeling outcomes of different approaches

In this brief, we examine the potential impact of repurposing agricultural support. By modeling the impact of various approaches to repurposing agricultural subsidies, we can outline and compare modest reforms and bolder approaches in the current context and, assuming larger contributions by low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), see where there are benefits and identify tradeoffs that must be addressed when implementing these reforms.

Year published

2024

Authors

Laborde Debucquet, David; Piñeiro, Valeria

Citation

Laborde Debucquet, David; and Piñeiro, Valeria. 2024. Repurposing agricultural support: Modeling outcomes of different approaches. IFPRI Policy Brief September 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152005

Keywords

Modelling; Developing Countries; Funding; Reforms; Agriculture; Food Systems

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Gender and age gaps in voice & agency in community governance: The value of female local political representation in India and Africa South of the Sahara under intensifying conflicts and climate uncertainty

2024Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Kyle, Jordan; Kosec, Katrina; Raghunathan, Kalyani
Details

Gender and age gaps in voice & agency in community governance: The value of female local political representation in India and Africa South of the Sahara under intensifying conflicts and climate uncertainty

Expanding women’s voice and agency (VA) within governance and decision-making has increasingly been recognized as necessary for promoting women’s welfare, community development, and inclusive food systems. VA are critical components of gender equality, in addition to access to resources and economic opportunities. While agency relates to an individual’s ability to make meaningful choices (our specific focus is on choices made beyond the household), voice within community governance and decision-making relates to an individual’s ability to play a public role in decision-making processes that affect one’s life. Exercising VA within community governance and decision-making involves having a meaningful say in the public sphere. Women’s VA within communities may strengthen resilience, increase women’s access to essential resources, improve women’s decision-making power in various domains including the household, and facilitate broader social networks for women. Sustainable Development Goal five on gender equality specifically targets the full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership for women at all levels of political life. However, gender gaps in VA are persistent. These gaps can be further aggravated by adverse external shocks, such as climate uncertainty and conflicts, which can impact resources, capital, and economic opportunities and which are often disproportionately harmful to women.

Year published

2024

Authors

Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Kyle, Jordan; Kosec, Katrina; Raghunathan, Kalyani

Citation

Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Kyle, Jordan; Kosec, Katrina; and Raghunathan, Kalyani. 2024. Gender and age gaps in voice & agency in community governance: The value of female local political representation in India and Africa South of the Sahara under intensifying conflicts and climate uncertainty. Policy Note August 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Decision Making; Gender; Governance; Politics; Women; Gender Gap; Climate Change

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

IFPRI Malawi Monthly Maize Market Report, July 2024

2024International Food Policy Research Institute
Details

IFPRI Malawi Monthly Maize Market Report, July 2024

The Monthly Maize Market Report was developed by researchers at IFPRI Malawi to provide clear and accurate information on the variation of maize prices in selected markets throughout Malawi. All prices are reported in Malawi Kwacha (K).

Year published

2024

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute. 2024. IFPRI Malawi monthly maize market report, July 2024. MaSSP Monthly Maize Market Report July 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/151683

Country/Region

Malawi

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Maize; Market Prices; Retail Prices; Food Prices

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Brief

Nutrition and diet profile: Sri Lanka

2024Koyratty, Nadia; Silva, Renuka; Ranathunga, Thilanka; Olney, Deanna K.
Details

Nutrition and diet profile: Sri Lanka

• Sri Lanka faces a double burden of malnutrition with the co-existence and persistence of multiple forms of malnutrition, e.g., stunting, wasting, underweight, overweight/ obesity, anemia, and micronutrient deficiences. • Inadequate intake of many micronutrients is common across several population groups in Sri Lanka, indicating low intake of nutrient-dense foods such as F&Vs and animal-source foods. • A diverse diet with adequate intake of nutrient-dense foods should be encouraged to address nutrient gaps among Sri Lankans and reduce the risk of NCDs. • Many government-issued diet- and nutrition-related policies, strategies, and programs have been adopted in Sri Lanka. However, these often do not place enough emphasis on F&Vs. • While national food based dietary guidelines exist, as well as other guidelines and policies, there is uncertainty about the level of public awareness and the population’s adherence to the recommendations. • Evaluations of diet- and nutrition-related interventions are also scarce, indicating a need for rigorous evidence on what works to help guide programs and policies that aim to improve diet and nutrition outcomes among Sri Lankans.

Year published

2024

Authors

Koyratty, Nadia; Silva, Renuka; Ranathunga, Thilanka; Olney, Deanna K.

Citation

Koyratty, Nadia; Silva, Renuka; Ranathunga, Thilanka; and Olney, Deanna K. 2024. Nutrition & diet profile: Sri Lanka. FRESH Country Profile April 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/151536

Country/Region

Sri Lanka

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Diet; Micronutrients; Nutrition; Stunting

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Papua New Guinea rural household survey (2023): Synopsis of selected results

2024Schmidt, Emily; Yadav, Shweta
Details

Papua New Guinea rural household survey (2023): Synopsis of selected results

From May to December 2023, IFPRI implemented the 2023 PNG Rural Household Survey which was designed to understand rural livelihoods and welfare across different areas of PNG (Schmidt et al., 2024). Given the rural nature of the survey sample, almost all surveyed households depend on their own-farm production (predominantly starchy roots and tubers) to meet daily caloric needs. On average, households reported utilizing about 1.6 hectares of land for agriculture cultivation at the time of the survey. The survey collected a detailed account of the quantity of food types consumed by the household in order to estimate the average caloric intake per adult equivalent. Comparing the estimated caloric intake reported by surveyed households, with a recommended calorie intake suggests that only 45 per cent of individuals in surveyed households meet the recommended daily caloric intake for a lightly active individual. The survey also collected anthropometry data for children under five years of age and found that 36 percent of surveyed children were stunted in their growth. The 2023 Rural Household Survey represents an important effort in collecting a wide breadth of information about rural livelihoods. However, greater investments of in-depth data collection and analysis should be undertaken to examine specific components of PNG household livelihood strategies.

Year published

2024

Authors

Schmidt, Emily; Yadav, Shweta

Citation

Schmidt, Emily; and Yadav, Shweta. 2024. Papua New Guinea rural household survey (2023): Synopsis of selected results. Papua New Guinea Project Note 15. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/149341

Country/Region

Papua New Guinea

Keywords

Melanesia; Oceania; Rural Population; Livelihoods; Welfare; Agricultural Production; Food; Anthropometry; Stunting

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: July 2024

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

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: July 2024

This bulletin provides an overview of select food prices during the second quarter of 2024, from April to June. During this quarter, two rounds of data were collected per month across all markets, except for Goroka in April and Lae in May, where only one round of data was collected. The prices presented here are the monthly averages. The graphs in this bulletin show price changes within the second quarter and compare second quarter prices with the first quarter of 2024, between January and March. To access the complete food price dataset, please download it from our website.

Year published

2024

Authors

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

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute. 2024. Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: July 2024. Papua New Guinea Food Price Bulletin July 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/149268

Country/Region

Papua New Guinea

Keywords

Melanesia; Legumes; Markets; Food Prices; Sweet Potatoes; Staple Foods

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

The effectiveness of cash and cash plus interventions on livelihoods outcomes: Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis

2024Leight, Jessica; Hirvonen, Kalle; Zafar, Sarim
Details

The effectiveness of cash and cash plus interventions on livelihoods outcomes: Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis

Cash transfer programs have become increasingly popular tools for fighting chronic poverty and food insecurity in lowand middle-income countries (Fiszbein and Schady, 2009; USAID, 2022; WFP, 2023). Cash transfers offer recipients flexibility by permitting them to finance immediate consumption needs or to increase future income streams through investments and savings. Moreover, these programs are generally feasible to implement and scale across diverse contexts. While studies consistently show cash transfers effectively reduce poverty in the short term, the evidence on their long-term impact is less clear.

Year published

2024

Authors

Leight, Jessica; Hirvonen, Kalle; Zafar, Sarim

Citation

Leight, Jessica; Hirvonen, Kalle; and Zafar, Sarim. 2024. The effectiveness of cash and cash plus interventions on livelihoods outcomes: Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Keywords

Cash Transfers; Data; Consumption; Livelihoods

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

Synopsis: Assessing agricultural extension agent digital readiness in Rwanda

2024Davis, Kristin E.; Rosenbach, Gracie; Spielman, David J.; Makhija, Simrin; Mwangi, Lucy
Details

Synopsis: Assessing agricultural extension agent digital readiness in Rwanda

The fourth Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA IV) of the Government of Rwanda emphasizes extension and advisory services (EAS) as a priority area (MINAGRI 2018). In support of PSTA IV, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) began enhancing extension and advisory services by introducing a Customized Agriculture Extension System (CAES) (MINAGRI 2020). The CAES calls for ICT-supported extension services, stating that “ICT can revolutionize agriculture in Rwanda” (MINAGRI 2020: 34). Despite an enabling policy environment and Rwanda’s embracing of the ICT revolution, extension services have not taken advantage of the potential of ICTs (MINAGRI 2020). This paper looks at capacities of agricultural extension staff and the readiness of Rwandan public and private extension staff to use ICTs in their work—to be digitally equipped. A phone survey of 500 agricultural extension agents (EAs) was conducted in February and March 2021 across all districts of Rwanda among EAs in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in Rwanda. We examine their demographics, education, and work backgrounds. To assess the ‘digital readiness’ of EAs, we assess the impacts of various factors on an EA’s digital experience and their attitudes toward digital modernization.

Year published

2024

Authors

Davis, Kristin E.; Rosenbach, Gracie; Spielman, David J.; Makhija, Simrin; Mwangi, Lucy

Citation

Davis, Kristin; Rosenbach, Gracie; Spielman, David J.; Makhija, Simrin; and Mwangi, Lucy. 2024. Synopsis: Assessing agricultural extension agent digital readiness in Rwanda. Rwanda SSP Policy Note 13. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Agricultural Extension; Capacity Development; Policy Innovation; Gender

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Synopsis: Enhancing smallholder farmers’ profitability through increased crop commercialization in Rwanda

2024Mugabo, Serge; Warner, James
Details

Synopsis: Enhancing smallholder farmers’ profitability through increased crop commercialization in Rwanda

This study analyzes the costs, returns, and profitability of smallholder agriculture in Rwanda using a gross margin approach (definitions are provided below) and reveals that over 80 percent of farmers generate positive gross economic margins. However, only around 40 percent achieve positive gross marketing margins from crop sales. This difference is directly attributable to the fact that two-thirds of production is directly consumed by households. The analysis further identifies that farm households allocate about 80 percent of their total crop input expenditures to fertilizer, seed, and hired labor, while the remaining expenses associated with fixed production costs that are almost exclusively related to land rental costs. Furthermore, per hectare analysis reveals decreasing returns to scale for land size, disputing the notion that larger areas lead to efficiency gains. Instead, for example, smaller commercial farmers of less than 0.1 hectare, comprising 5.5 percent of our sample, sell over 50 percent of their crop value. Despite existing trends, this indicates that commercialization can take place on any size land holdings for relative income gains. Additionally, the study highlights the impact of factors like labor decisions and crop choice can significantly influence economic outcomes. The findings suggest that smallholder farming remains economically viable in Rwanda, though market participation is somewhat limited. With appropriate support and risk mitigation, farmers of all land sizes can commercialize production, boost incomes, and enhance household welfare by reorienting towards higher-value market crops.

Year published

2024

Authors

Mugabo, Serge; Warner, James

Citation

Mugabo, Serge; and Warner, James. 2024. Synopsis: Enhancing smallholder farmers’ profitability through increased crop commercialization in Rwanda. Rwanda SSP Policy Note 14. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Commercialization; Crops; Smallholders; Profitability

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Brief

Brief

From promises to action: Strengthening global commitments to fight hunger and food insecurity

2024
Menon, Purnima; Resnick, Danielle; Zorbas, Christina; Martin, Will; Vos, Rob; Jones, Eleanor; Suri, Shoba; Iruhiriye, Elyse; Headey, Derek D.; Arndt, Channing
…more Fritschel, Heidi
Details

From promises to action: Strengthening global commitments to fight hunger and food insecurity

Since the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, heads of state and ministers at global convenings have repeatedly expressed commitments in support of achieving SDG2 — Zero Hunger — by 2030. Yet progress toward SDG2 has stalled, owing to economic slowdowns, unforeseen crises, geopolitical conflict, and lackluster investment in agricultural productivity and open trade. Where have commitments to SDG2 fallen short? While SDG2 calls for ending global hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition by 2030, this brief predominantly focuses on progress and commitments related to hunger and food insecurity. Drawing on the results of two recent studies, the policy brief (1) discusses trends and setbacks toward reducing hunger and food insecurity, (2) analyzes progress on the “means of implementation,” or mix of finances, technology, and policy choices, to address SDG2, (3) assesses 107 commitment statements in support of SDG2 made at 68 global meetings since 2015, and (4) explores how to improve accountability in the commitment-making process to accelerate progress toward Zero Hunger.

Year published

2024

Authors

Menon, Purnima; Resnick, Danielle; Zorbas, Christina; Martin, Will; Vos, Rob; Jones, Eleanor; Suri, Shoba; Iruhiriye, Elyse; Headey, Derek D.; Arndt, Channing; Fritschel, Heidi

Citation

Menon, Purnima; Resnick, Danielle; Zorbas, Christina; Martin, Will; Vos, Rob; Jones, Eleanor; Suri, Shoba; Iruhiriye, Elyse; Headey, Derek; Arndt, Channing; and Fritschel, Heidi. 2024. From promises to action: Strengthening global commitments to fight hunger and food insecurity. IFPRI Policy Brief July 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/149046

Keywords

Food Security; Food Policies; Hunger; Governance; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Integrated coffee sales standard: IPSR Innovation Profile

2024Calero, A.; Minot, Nicholas; Wiegel, Jenny; Reyes, Byron; Ceballos, Federico; Colindres, Mirian
Details

Integrated coffee sales standard: IPSR Innovation Profile

Interlinking extension and coffee markets through a novel and transparent standard for coffee sales to improve vertical coordination, positively impacting farm productivity, coffee quality, and price transmission. An app is used to communicate the quality test results to farmers. Integrating technical assistance with coffee sales by quality and weight is new to Honduras’s competitive and fragmented coffee supply chains. The innovation bundle would be demanded, monitored by exporters, and implemented by intermediaries. The traceability scheme will also facilitate compliance with the (EU) regulations on zero deforestation and child-labor-free agricultural supply chains.

Year published

2024

Authors

Calero, A.; Minot, Nicholas; Wiegel, Jenny; Reyes, Byron; Ceballos, Federico; Colindres, Mirian

Citation

Calero, J., Minot, N., Wiegel, J., Reyes, B., Ceballos, F. and Colindres, M. 2024. Integrated coffee sales standard: IPSR Innovation Profile. First edition, June 2024. Montpellier: CGIAR System Organization.

Keywords

Coffee; Markets; Extension

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Building policy coherence into Nigeria’s agri-food system: options for more effective coordination and integration

2024Osei-Amponsah, Charity; Appiah, Sarah; Nicol, Alan; Balana, Bedru
Details

Building policy coherence into Nigeria’s agri-food system: options for more effective coordination and integration

Nigeria faces a plethora of challenges ranging from malnutrition and food insecurity, violent land tenurial conflicts and water insecurity in a changing climate. This situation threatens economic growth and development, particularly, the achievement of key targets of the Sustainable Development Goals related to SDG 1 (eliminate all forms of poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 14 (Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development) and 15 (life on land). Another pertinent challenge impeding the achievement of the goals is the lack of synergies and inadequate coordination between and within policies and development programming. The CGIAR Initiative on National Policies and Strategies (NPS), aims to contribute to agri-foods system transformation, by identifying ways of building stronger food, land and water policies with greater coherence and investment capacity, to support Nigeria in addressing current crises and future development needs. This guidance brief is based on insights from a study on the policy (in)coherence in food, land and water systems in Nigeria. Using the CGIAR NPS, Policies and Institutions Landscape Framework, four policies: the National Water Resources Policy 2016; Agriculture Promotion Policy 2016; The National Policy on Food Safety and its Implementation Strategy (2014) and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2016-2020, were analysed. The study indicates that most of the FLW policies significantly complement one another (horizontal coherence), by promoting food sufficiency and improved livelihoods for especially rural dwellers. However, the National Water Resources Policy 2016, Agriculture Promotion Policy (2016) and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2016-2020) have contradicting objectives. There is seemingly harmonious coordination (vertical coherence) of the formulated policies across different tiers of government in the country, but not evident through the implementation of the policies, due to less coordination and accountability. All the four selected policies analyzed in the study were found to be financially incoherent. The average annual national financial commitment fails to meet up with the annual investment requirements of the FLW systems, leading to policy ineffectiveness in addressing critical socio-economic and agri-food challenges. The Initiative can support policy makers in addressing the incoherences and positively transform FLW systems by co-creating and facilitating policy frameworks and pathways.

Year published

2024

Authors

Osei-Amponsah, Charity; Appiah, Sarah; Nicol, Alan; Balana, Bedru

Citation

Osei-Amponsah, Charity; Appiah, Sarah; Nicol, Alan; Balana, B. 2024. Building policy coherence into Nigeria’s agri-food system: options for more effective coordination and integration. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on National Policies and Strategies. 6p. (Policy Guidance Brief No. 6)

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

Western Africa; Agrifood Systems; Policies; Coordination; Integration; Stakeholders; Conflicts; Governance

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Brief

Africa RISING in Ghana: Impact brief

2024Azzarri, Carlo; Boukaka, Sedi-Anne; Vitellozzi, Sveva
Details

Africa RISING in Ghana: Impact brief

The Africa RISING project in Ghana was implemented in 25 communities across the Upper East, Upper West, and Northern regions. The project supported the promotion of early maturing maize varieties and maize-cowpea intercropping, optimal crop spacing for increased groundnut yield, and maize-leaf stripping for livestock feed. It also aimed to foster the adoption of improved feeding for livestock to boost manure production, reduce animal mortality, and increase animal reproduction rates. Alongside these interventions, Africa RISING promoted effective natural resource management (leaf stripping, manure production, and use of nitrogen fertilizer). Mechanization for postharvest handling was also supported, especially the use of fuel-powered maize-shelling machines.

Year published

2024

Authors

Azzarri, Carlo; Boukaka, Sedi-Anne; Vitellozzi, Sveva

Citation

Azzarri, Carlo; Boukaka, Sedi-Anne; and Vitellozzi, Sveva. 2024. Africa RISING in Ghana: Impact brief. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148740

Country/Region

Ghana

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Impact Assessment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Africa RISING in Tanzania: Impact brief

2024Azzarri, Carlo; Boukaka, Sedi-Anne; Vitellozzi, Sveva
Details

Africa RISING in Tanzania: Impact brief

Africa RISING project in Tanzania was implemented in Babati, Kongwa, and Kiteto districts. The project aimed at improving cropping systems through the promotion of stress resilient and high-yielding crop varieties (groundnut, sorghum, maize, and pigeon pea), support of cereal-legume intercropping, and fostering of good agricultural practices in vegetable production through reduction in pesticide use. The project also supported the adoption of a series of natural resource management practices such as rainwater harvesting, planting of fodder crops, use of mineral fertilizers, and balanced application of farmyard manure. In addition, the livestock system arm of the project introduced improved animal feeding to boost egg and milk production and reduce feed costs. Other program interventions included mechanization for postharvest handling and introduction of an integrated nutrition package for nutrition and health gains, especially for children.

Year published

2024

Authors

Azzarri, Carlo; Boukaka, Sedi-Anne; Vitellozzi, Sveva

Citation

Azzarri, Carlo; Boukaka, Sedi-Anne; and Vitellozzi, Sveva. 2024. Africa RISING in Tanzania: Impact brief. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148749

Keywords

Tanzania; Africa

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Supporting agrifood systems transformation in Indonesia with governance innovation

2024Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Details

Supporting agrifood systems transformation in Indonesia with governance innovation

This policy brief summarizes the background, evidence and insights from the innovative governance modelling and analysis work developed in Indonesia under the “Governance Innovation for Sustainable Development of Food Systems” subprogramme. In addition, the brief offers guiding points and recommendations to support Indonesia’s agrifood systems transformation efforts. The FVC subprogramme was carried out between 2020 and 2023 with funds from FAO’s Flexible Voluntary Contribution (FVC). Together with Indonesia’s national agency for planning and the Ministry of Agriculture as co-convener, the subprogramme supported the Directorate for Food and Agriculture in the Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS) leading the consolidation and implementation of the agrifood systems transformation agenda, including the UNFSS follow-up. The modelling and analytical work was conducted by a pool of researchers from the Christian Albrechts University of Kiel (CAU), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). The researchers elaborated their analysis on the concrete priorities of the country and provided insights about the agrifood systems’ performance, mapping synergies and potential trade-offs across identified interventions. The information package included an examination of the interests, roles, and contributions of stakeholders, allowing for the identification of alliances and coordination needed to ensure the coordination needed to ensure the political feasibility of their agrifood systems transformation plans.

Year published

2024

Authors

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Citation

FAO. 2024. Supporting agrifood systems transformation in Indonesia with governance innovation. Policy brief. Second edition. Rome: FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd1032en

Country/Region

Indonesia

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Agrifood Systems; Governance; Modelling

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-SA-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.4060/cd1032en Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Myanmar Agricultural Performance Survey (MAPS) Monsoon Season 2024: Agricultural input markets, credit and extension services

2024Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity
Details

Myanmar Agricultural Performance Survey (MAPS) Monsoon Season 2024: Agricultural input markets, credit and extension services

This note provides an overview of agricultural input access and utilization for the monsoon season 2023 based on a nationally and regionally representative sample of 4,663 crop farmers undertaken in January 22 to March 7, 2024. Key Findings  Fertilizer use rates and profitability for rice production reached their highest levels since before the coup during the 2023 monsoon season, driven primarily by higher paddy prices. Application rates for monsoon season paddy increased to 66 kg/acre from 54 kg/acre in the previous monsoon. Urea application increased from 33 kg/acre to 38 kg/acre, and non-urea fertilizers (mainly compound 15-15-15) increased from 21 kg/acre to 28 kg/acre.  The benefit-cost ratio of urea application to paddy crops averaged 2.3 at the urea sales price reported by agri-input dealers and 2.0 at farmer reported urea prices. These ratios imply a return on investment in urea fertilizer for the farmer of 130 percent at input dealer prices and 100 percent at average famer-reported prices. The difference in reported prices likely reflects interest charges and local transport costs from the dealer to the farm.  Access to mechanization services, tractors and combine harvesters was similar in monsoon 2023 compared to a year earlier, but costs increased dramatically. Plowing with a four-wheel tractor, for example, increased by 42 percent to 60,000 MMK/acre. The cost of combine harvesting averaged 110,000 MMK/acre. Timeliness of access was likely reduced as fuel shortages increased, especially in conflict areas.  The share of farmers using saved paddy seed increased from 56 percent to 61 percent nationally for use in the 2023 monsoon season compared to a year before. There were important differences across states and regions. The share of farmers purchasing seed in conflict areas fell more than the national average; by 11 percentage points in Mandalay, 7 percentage points in Rakhine, 6 percentage points in Tanintharyi, and 5 percentage points in Mon State.  Eighty-four percent of farms hired labor in the 2023 monsoon season, slightly higher than the previous monsoon season. Male wages rose to 8,800 MMK/day in the 2023 monsoon season from almost 7,400 MMK/day in the previous monsoon, an increase of 19 percent.  Despite large nominal increases, real wages for men and women nevertheless fell as the cost of a typical daily diet which rose 37 percent over the period February 2023 to March 2024.  Access to internet or mobile phone services increased by 3 percentage points from 15 percent to 18 percent, and access to private sector services increased by almost 3 percentage points from 18.0 percent to 20.6 percent. Increases in private extension access favored producers of cash crops, notably betel leaves, cotton, rice and maize. Internet or mobile phone services were sought out by producers of cotton, rice, betel leaves and pulses, again primarily cash crops. Recommendations  Improvements in the geographical coverage and content of mobile phone extension services could play an important role in offsetting reductions in in-person extension access. This is an opportunity for development partners to have a positive impact without increasing risk to beneficiaries or implementing partner staff.  The prevalence of local farmers as a seed source indicates that mobile extension services targeting informal seed producers could be important, along with facilitating access to certified seed for multiplication. As nearly all chemical input distributors and machinery service providers depend on imports, access to foreign exchange is critically important. Further sharp depreciation of the Myanmar Kyat will lead to increases in prices for the coming post-monsoon season.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity

Citation

Myanmar Agricultural Policy Support Activity. 2024. Myanmar Agricultural Performance Survey (MAPS) Monsoon Season 2024: Agricultural input markets, credit and extension services. Myanmar Strategy Support Program Research Note 10. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148696

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

South-eastern Asia; Asia; Agriculture; Markets; Credit; Extension; Fertilizers; Prices; Farmers

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Stunting and wasting rates among pre-school age children in Yangon and Ayeyarwady, October–November 2023

2024Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity
Details

Stunting and wasting rates among pre-school age children in Yangon and Ayeyarwady, October–November 2023

The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 and the military takeover of the democratically elected government in early 2021 has largely prevented the implementation of in-person surveys necessary for the collection of anthropometric data. To redress this knowledge gap, we implemented an in-person survey of mothers (caregivers) and young children in urban and peri-urban Yangon and rural Ayeyarwady in October and November 2023. This in-person 11th round of the Rural-Urban Food Security Survey (RUFSS) involved data collection on a wide range of socioeconomic indicators, but also child anthropometric outcomes such as length and weight. In this study, we report results for height-for-age z scores (HAZ) and weight-for-height z scores (WHZ) relative to international reference standards, as well as stunting (HAZ < -2) and wasting (WHZ < -2). Because of high and rising rates of overweight/obesity among adults in the RUFSS survey, we also examined the number of children were overweight (WHZ > +2) and mildly overweight (+1

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity

Citation

Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity. 2024. Stunting and wasting rates among pre-school age children in Yangon and Ayeyarwady, October–November 2023. Myanmar SSP Research Note 109. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Stunting; Wasting Disease (nutritional Disorder); Preschool Children; Data

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among mothers in Yangon and Ayeyarwady, October–November 2023

2024Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity
Details

Prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among mothers in Yangon and Ayeyarwady, October–November 2023

In this research note, we report results on the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among mothers of young children using data collected in Yangon and Ayeyarwady as part of the Rural-Urban Food Security Survey (RUFSS). This in-person study, conducted between October–November 2023, surveyed mothers who were registered from antenatal clinics in peri-urban Yangon in early 2020. In this latest survey round, we revisited this sample of mother-child pairs to gather anthropometric data (along with other nutrition-relevant indicators). We successfully collected anthropometric data for 646 mothers.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity

Citation

Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity. 2024. Prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among mothers in Yangon and Ayeyarwady, October–November 2023. Myanmar SSP Research Note 108. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Thinness; Obesity; Data; Mothers

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Household resilience and coping strategies to food insecurity: An empirical analysis from Tajikistan

2024Rajiv, Sharanya; Aliev, Jovidon
Details

Household resilience and coping strategies to food insecurity: An empirical analysis from Tajikistan

Resilience Index Measurement Analysis (RIMA) is applied to panel household survey data from 2007, 2009, and 2011 in Tajikistan to investigate the causal impact of household resilience on food security in the presence of coping strategies. Key findings • Three significant factors define household resilience capacity: access to basic services, including affordable energy supply; assets; and social safety nets. The latter two factors underscore the importance of formal and informal transfers as effective responses when shocks intensify. • Coping strategies allow households to quickly adjust their behavior to adapt to shocks in the short-term, potentially enhancing their overall resilience in the long-term. • Resilience capacity at a given point in time enhances households’ future food security. Households with higher resilience capacity are likely to have a higher household food expenditure share (HFES) and less likely to face loss of food expenditure share, particularly due to the protective effect of resilience when shocks intensify. • While households with an older head have higher food expenditure share, households with a male head and/or located in rural areas are less likely to face a worsening household food expenditure share. • As household size increases, the household food expenditure share initially decreases but eventually increases at a gradual pace. Conversely, as size increases, households are initially less likely to experience loss of HFES, but this likelihood eventually increases.

Year published

2024

Authors

Rajiv, Sharanya; Aliev, Jovidon

Citation

Rajiv, Sharanya; and Aliev, Jovidon. 2024. Household resilience and coping strategies to food insecurity: An empirical analysis from Tajikistan. Central Asia Policy Brief 13. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Tajikistan

Keywords

Central Asia; Asia; Resilience; Food Security; Energy Consumption; Social Safety Nets; Assets; Households; Financial Institutions

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Climate Resilience

Record type

Brief

Brief

Gendered farm work and decision-making: Quantitative evidence from Tajikistan

2024Mardonova, Mohru; Lambrecht, Isabel B.; Mahrt, Kristi
Details

Gendered farm work and decision-making: Quantitative evidence from Tajikistan

Quantitative data collected in August and September 2018 in 12 districts of Khatlon Province, called “The Assessment of Nutrition-Sensitive Value Chains in the FtF ZOI in Tajikistan” were employed to analyze gender differences in participation in crop production and marketing activities, and to understand the association between women’s employment and their decision-making power at home. The dataset contains general information on the households’ farm activities, and detailed information of production practices for households’ main horticultural crops (vegetables, fruits, melons and cucurbitae).

Year published

2024

Authors

Mardonova, Mohru; Lambrecht, Isabel B.; Mahrt, Kristi

Citation

Mardonova, Mohru; Lambrecht, Isabel; and Mahrt, Kristi. 2024. Gendered farm work and decision-making: Quantitative evidence from Tajikistan. Central Asia Policy Brief 11. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/145188

Country/Region

Tajikistan

Keywords

Central Asia; Asia; Nutrition; Value Chains; Gender; Crop Production; Marketing; Women’s Empowerment; Employment; Decision Making

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Gender

Record type

Brief

Brief

Consumer preferences matter for transforming food systems for sustainable healthy diets: Evidence from rural Bangladesh

2024Ecker, Olivier; Comstock, Andrew R.; de Brauw, Alan; Diao, Xinshen; Talukder, Md. Ruhul Amin
Details

Consumer preferences matter for transforming food systems for sustainable healthy diets: Evidence from rural Bangladesh

Food system transformation strategies rely on consumer demand response for achieving sustainable healthy diets, but food consumption patterns and consumer preferences are often not well understood in many countries of the global South. This brief examines consumer demand in Bangladesh, a country in the take-off stage of agrifood system transformation, that has experienced improvements in diet quality but also an increasing incidence of overweight, with faster increases in rural than urban areas. The authors estimate responses in consumer demand to changes in incomes and changes in food prices, finding that rural consumer demand is driven by strong preferences for animal-source foods, while the demand for sugar and highly processed foods increases faster than total food demand when income rises. They conclude that agricultural value chain development can be an important policy instrument for improving household diet quality but can also lead to undesirable dietary change if food consumption incentives conflict with nutritional needs.

Year published

2024

Authors

Ecker, Olivier; Comstock, Andrew R.; de Brauw, Alan; Diao, Xinshen; Talukder, Md. Ruhul Amin

Citation

Ecker, Olivier; Comstock, Andrew R.; de Brauw, Alan; Diao, Xinshen; and Talukder, Md. Ruhul Amin. 2024. Consumer preferences matter for transforming food systems for sustainable healthy diets: Evidence from rural Bangladesh. IFPRI Issue Brief June 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/144173

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Food Systems; Consumer Behaviour; Rural Areas; Healthy Diets; Demand; Overweight; Modelling; Animal Source Foods; Agricultural Value Chains; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Foresight

Record type

Brief

Brief

Knowledge Platform for Inclusive and Sustainable Food Markets and Value Chains: IPSR Innovation Profile

2024Vos, Rob; Kim, Soonho; Rangan, V.; Dimaranan, Betina
Details

Knowledge Platform for Inclusive and Sustainable Food Markets and Value Chains: IPSR Innovation Profile

Knowledge Platform to facilitate evidence-based decision-making of governments, businesses, farmers, and practitioners toward more Inclusive and Sustainable Food Markets and Value Chains (KISM). The platform consolidates evidence of existing experiences with product and process innovations within food value chains regarding their inclusiveness (employment and income generation, valueadded sharing, poverty reduction, food security) and sustainability (emissions, supply chain resilience).

Year published

2024

Authors

Vos, Rob; Kim, Soonho; Rangan, V.; Dimaranan, Betina

Citation

Vos, R., Kim, S., Rangan, V. and Dimaranan, B. 2024. Knowledge Platform for Inclusive and Sustainable Food Markets and Value Chains: IPSR Innovation Profile. First edition, May 2024. Montpellier: CGIAR System Organization.

Keywords

Sustainable Agriculture; Food Security; Markets; Value Chains

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Brief

Real-time market price monitoring: Current dynamics in southern Rwanda

2024Warner, James; Manners, Rhys
Details

Real-time market price monitoring: Current dynamics in southern Rwanda

Recent collaborative CGIAR research has developed a prototype for tracking district-level costs of a healthy diet using monthly eSoko data.1 High frequency monitoring of diets allows for near real-time generation of insights on price impacts on diet costs. The temporal richness of this data allows for immediate analytics of current food system events. This research provides an analysis of district-level price movements of healthy diet compositions, as well as food prices that compose the diet. We use this prototype to demonstrate how eSoko data could be used for monitoring an economic shock and how to evaluate the effects in near real time. The general goal is to demonstrate a potential early warning system that could improve the menu of policy choices for enhanced resilience.

Year published

2024

Authors

Warner, James; Manners, Rhys

Citation

Warner, James; and Manners, Rhys. 2024. Real-time market price monitoring: Current dynamics in southern Rwanda. Rwanda SSP Policy Note 12. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/144172

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Market Prices; Healthy Diets; Data; Trade

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: April 2024

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

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: April 2024

Price trends of Q1 of 2024 (January-March) The price of sweet potato in lowland markets of Port Moresby, Lae and Kokopo is more than double the cost in highland markets of Goroka and Banz. The price of imported rice remained stable across all markets, except in Banz where a 1 kg bag of rice decreased by 18 percent between January and March, 2024. Prices of vegetables in Goroka market decreased on average by 13 percent (except aibika and pakchoi) between January and March. Prices of all vegetables in Port Moresby increased on average by 56 percent between January and March, 2024. Fruits such as pawpaw and pineapple had mixed price trends across market. Pineapple increased on average by 28 percent in all markets. On average, the price of pineapple per kilo increased 29 percent price in Goroka, Kokopo and Banz between January and March, 2024.

Year published

2024

Authors

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

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute. 2024. Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: April 2024. Papua New Guinea Food Price Bulletin April 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/141858

Country/Region

Papua New Guinea

Keywords

Melanesia; Oceania; Sweet Potatoes; Markets; Rice; Vegetables; Fruits; Food Prices

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Synopsis: Crop commercialization in Rwanda: Current market participation and drivers

2024Warner, James; Benimana, Gilberthe; Mugabo, Serge; Ingabire, Chantal
Details

Synopsis: Crop commercialization in Rwanda: Current market participation and drivers

As Rwanda emerges from the effects of COVID-19 and global price shocks caused by the Russia/Ukrainian conflict, there is an opportunity to focus on agricultural fundamentals to drive its economic transformation. One aspect of the transformation is how farm households are engaging in crop commercialization. This policy note outlines basic findings and suggested recommendations derived from a 2022 Rwandan commercialization household survey. Our basic unit of analysis is total crop sold divided by total value produced, averaged at either the household or individual crop level. Key findings include:  Approximately 20% of our sampled smallholder households do not sell any crops. However, contrary to a subsistence/commercial farm dichotomy, most households sell on a broad continuum ranging from 1 – 100% with an average of 33% of their total crop production marketed.  Crop value per hectare increases with greater marketed sales, indicating that farmers switch from lower value food crops (e.g. beans, cassava, maize) to cash crops such as fruits and vegetables where they market higher percentages.  Crop value per hectare is not correlated with land size, revealing that crop choices drive value and not increasing land-related economies of scale. This finding underscores the pivotal role of crop selection in determining agricultural productivity and economic returns, rather than mere expansion of land holdings.  Irrigation, land size, hiring labor and input purchases increase market participation as well as percentage of sales. Conversely, a larger family size has a negative effect on both.

Year published

2024

Authors

Warner, James; Benimana, Gilberthe; Mugabo, Serge; Ingabire, Chantal

Citation

Warner, James; Benimana, Gilberthe; Mugabo, Serge; and Ingabire, Chantal. 2024. Synopsis: Crop commercialization in Rwanda: Current market participation and drivers. Rwanda SSP Policy Note 11. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/141779

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Agriculture; Commercialization; Food Crops; Markets; Cash Crops; Food Security; Income; Surpluses

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Synopsis: Identifying farm typologies in Rwandan agriculture: A framework for improving targeted interventions

2024Benimana, Gilberthe; Warner, James; Mugabo, Serge
Details

Synopsis: Identifying farm typologies in Rwandan agriculture: A framework for improving targeted interventions

Research from a recent IFPRI agricultural survey indicates that there is a broad spectrum of commercial engagement by Rwandan farmers. While this continuum is important for understanding commercialization, grouping farmers by relevant commonalities further improves our knowledge of how different groups engage in markets. Moving beyond simple subsistence and commercialized farmer dichotomies, this study provides a more nuanced understanding by grouping smallholder farmers into types, or typologies, based on 35 common characteristics that are both consistent within these groups and relatively diverse between them. Specifically, this analysis identifies five types of Rwandan farmers, in two broad groups, that disaggregates rural households into meaningful categories for varied potential responses to economic opportunities as well as potential strategic interventions.

Year published

2024

Authors

Benimana, Gilberthe; Warner, James; Mugabo, Serge

Citation

Benimana, Gilberthe; Warner, James; and Mugabo, Serge. 2024 Synopsis: Identifying farm typologies in Rwandan agriculture: A framework for improving targeted interventions. Rwanda Strategy Support Program Policy Note 10. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/141776

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Eastern Africa; Agriculture; Commercialization; Farmers; Markets; Rural Population

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: The rising costs of diets – March 2024 survey round

2024Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity
Details

Monitoring the Agri-food System in Myanmar: The rising costs of diets – March 2024 survey round

This research note presents the results of 26 rounds of interviews with food vendors in rural and urban areas throughout Myanmar conducted between June 2020 and March 2024. The purpose of the surveys is to provide data and insights on Myanmar’s food markets to interested stakeholders to foster better understanding of the effects of shocks related to COVID-19 and the ongoing political crisis. The focus of this research note is on changes in food prices and the cost of common and healthy diets.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity

Citation

Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity. 2024. Monitoring the Agri-food System in Myanmar: The rising costs of diets – March 2024 survey round. Myanmar SSP Research Note 107. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/141639

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Covid-19; Food Prices; Healthy Diets; Shock

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Climate change effects on agriculture in Tajikistan

2024Khakimov, Parviz; Aliev, Jovidon; Thomas, Timothy S.; Ilyasov, Jarilkasin; Pechtl, Sarah; Dunston, Shahnila
Details

Climate change effects on agriculture in Tajikistan

Climate change is one of the main challenges for Tajikistan’s agricultural development in the medium and longer term. Tajikistan’s Agri-Food System and Sustainable Development Program (ASDP) for the period up to 2030 defined climate change as one of four key challenges to the development of agriculture and food systems. Accordingly, the Program accentuates the importance climate-optimized agriculture to ensure sustainable development of the sector. The effects of climate change on agriculture in Tajikistan was examined using IFPRI’s International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT) by simulating climate change and no climate change (baseline) scenarios between 2015 and 2050.

Year published

2024

Authors

Khakimov, Parviz; Aliev, Jovidon; Thomas, Timothy S.; Ilyasov, Jarilkasin; Pechtl, Sarah; Dunston, Shahnila

Citation

Khakimov, Parviz; Aliev, Jovidon; Thomas, Timothy S.; Ilyasov, Jarilkasin; Pechtl, Sarah; and Dunston, Shahnila. 2024. Climate change effects on agriculture in Tajikistan. Central Asia Policy Brief 7. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/141637

Country/Region

Tajikistan

Keywords

Central Asia; Climate Change; Agricultural Development; Agrifood Systems; Sustainable Development; Crops; Irrigation

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Climate change effects on food security in Tajikistan

2024Khakimov, Parviz; Aliev, Jovidon; Thomas, Timothy S.; Ilyasov, Jarilkasin; Pechtl, Sarah; Dunston, Shahnila
Details

Climate change effects on food security in Tajikistan

English: Climate change is one of the main challenges for food security in Tajikistan in the medium and long term. Tajikistan’s Agri-Food System and Sustainable Development Program (ASDP) for the period up to 2030 defined food and nutrition security as one of six priorities. Additionally, climate change is one of the key obstacles to the achievement of the country’s strategic objective defined in the National Development Strategy (NDS) 2016–2030, which is to improve the living standards of the population, and one of the four strategic priorities, which is to ensure food security and access to quality nutrition by 2030. The effects of climate change on food security in Tajikistan were examined using IFPRI’s International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT) by simulating climate change and no climate change (baseline) scenarios between 2015 and 2050. Tajik: Тағйирёбии иқлим яке аз монеаҳои асосӣ барои амнияти озуқавории Тоҷикистон дар давраи миёнамӯҳлат ва дарозмӯҳлат мебошад. Дар Барномаи рушди низоми агроозуқаворӣ ва кишоварзии устувор барои давраи то соли 2030 таъмини амнияти озуқаворӣ ва ғизо ҳамчун яке аз шаш афзалиятҳои Барнома муайян шудааст. Илова бар ин, тағйирёбии иқлим яке аз монеаҳои асосӣ барои расидан ба ҳадафи стратегии кишвар – беҳтар кардани некуаҳволии аҳолӣ ва яке аз чор афзалиятҳои стратегӣ – таъмини амнияти озуқаворӣ ва дастрасӣ ба ғизои босифат то соли 2030, ки дар Стратегияи миллии рушд (СМР) барои солҳои 2016-2030 муайян шудаанд, мебошад. Таъсири тағйирёбии иқлим ба амнияти озуқаворӣ дар Тоҷикистон бо истифода аз Модели байналмиллалии таҳлили сиёсати маҳсулоти кишоварзӣ ва савдо (International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade, IMPACT) таҳлил карда шуд. Дар таҳлил сенарияҳои тағйирёбии иқлим ва базавӣ, яъне бе назардошти тағйирёбии иқлим дар байни солҳои 2015 ва 2050 ба назар гирифта шудааст.

Year published

2024

Authors

Khakimov, Parviz; Aliev, Jovidon; Thomas, Timothy S.; Ilyasov, Jarilkasin; Pechtl, Sarah; Dunston, Shahnila

Citation

Khakimov, Parviz; Aliev, Jovidon; Thomas, Timothy S.; Ilyasov, Jarilkasin; Pechtl, Sarah; and Dunston, Shahnila. 2024. Climate change effects on food security in Tajikistan. Central Asia Policy Brief 9. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/141633

Country/Region

Tajikistan

Keywords

Central Asia; Asia; Climate Change; Food Security; Sustainable Development; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Integrating agrifood system strategies with climate change policies and commitments in Tajikistan

2024Babu, Suresh Chandra; Tohirzoda, Sino; Akramov, Kamiljon T.; Srivastava, Nandita; Aliev, Jovidon
Details

Integrating agrifood system strategies with climate change policies and commitments in Tajikistan

The Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action endorsed by over 150 countries at UNFCCC-COP28 highlights global recognition of the unprecedented adverse climate impacts on food systems resilience and the need to expedite the integration of agriculture and food systems into climate action. While integration is necessary to ensure favorable sectoral level climate action outcomes, there are currently no concrete frameworks and case studies showcasing how to support this integration process at the country level. A recent study focused on Tajikistan uses a conceptual framework to undertake such an integration analysis of key national level climate change related and agriculture policy documents. It identifies synergies and existing gaps and provides recommendations on strengthening sectoral integration to achieve climate change goals. This study was funded by the USAID mission in Tajikistan and USAID’s Comprehensive Action for Climate Change Initiative (CACCI)-Asia under their support to the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) of Tajikistan toward the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) through technical support from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Year published

2024

Authors

Babu, Suresh Chandra; Tohirzoda, Sino; Akramov, Kamiljon T.; Srivastava, Nandita; Aliev, Jovidon

Citation

Babu, Suresh; Tohirzoda, Sino; Akramov, Kamiljon; Srivastava, Nandita; and Aliev, Jovidon. 2024. Integrating agrifood system strategies with climate change policies and commitments in Tajikistan. Central Asia Policy Brief 5. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/141640

Country/Region

Tajikistan

Keywords

Asia; Central Asia; Agrifood Systems; Climate Change; Policies; Rice

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Climate Resilience

Record type

Brief

Brief

CACCI country profile Nepal

2024International Food Policy Research Institute
Details

CACCI country profile Nepal

Nepal is a mountainous, landlocked, and low-middle-income country in the South Asian region. Agriculture is the principal occupation housing 69% of the labor force, followed by tourism. Nepal witnesses frequent soil erosion, landslides, flash floods, and droughts with lasting impacts on most livelihoods. A recent Asian Development Bank study estimates that before 2050, the country will lose 2.2 percent of its yearly GDP to climate change. Energy, agriculture, water resources, forestry, biodiversity, and the health sector are at high risk due to the negative impact of climate change. The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2021 – 2050 is the guiding document along with the Second and the Third National Communication to the UNFCCC. The Second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) (Jan 2021 – Dec 2030) outlines the sectoral activity-based and policy targets and reduction in emissions in select sectors, all conditional on international support.

Year published

2024

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute. 2024. CACCI country profile Nepal. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/141617

Country/Region

Nepal

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agriculture; Biodiversity; Climate Change; Energy

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Building pathways out of poverty in Baidoa, Somalia: Qualitative evidence around resilience in the context of flood shocks

2024Magan, Mohamed; Hassan, Hashi; Leight, Jessica; Hirvonen, Kalle; Karachiwalla, Naureen; Rakshit, Deboleena
Details

Building pathways out of poverty in Baidoa, Somalia: Qualitative evidence around resilience in the context of flood shocks

Somalia is among the most impoverished nations globally, grappling with severe poverty, persistent armed conflicts, and recurrent droughts and floods, leading to a humanitarian crisis marked by substantial internal displacement. The site of this evaluation, Baidoa, has 517 sites for internally displaced persons (IDPs), housing nearly 600,000 households. Notably, 64% of the residents in these sites are women and girls. The 2nd Somali High-Frequency Survey revealed that poverty is particularly pronounced in IDP settlements, compounded by high unemployment rates and a lack of income-generating opportunities, thereby exacerbating the challenging circumstances in this area. This brief reports findings from a qualitative assessment conducted in January 2024 exploring the effects of severe floods in Baidoa and the role of the Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) intervention in protecting households from these shocks.

Year published

2024

Authors

Magan, Mohamed; Hassan, Hashi; Leight, Jessica; Hirvonen, Kalle; Karachiwalla, Naureen; Rakshit, Deboleena

Citation

Magan, Mohamed; Hassan, Hashi; Leight, Jessica; Hirvonen, Kalle; Karachiwalla, Naureen; and Rakshit, Deboleena. 2024. Building pathways out of poverty in Baidoa, Somalia: Qualitative evidence around resilience in the context of flood shocks. Learning Brief April 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/141613

Country/Region

Somalia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Conflicts; Flooding; Households; Poverty; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

Should Sri Lanka attempt to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses?

2024Natarajan, Kiruthika; Thibbotuwawa, Manoj; Babu, Suresh Chandra
Details

Should Sri Lanka attempt to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses?

Agriculture is the mainstay of Sri Lanka’s rural economy and employs about 26.5 percent of the country’s total employed population, rural and urban (Department of Census and Statistics [DCS] 2023a). Paddy occupies the largest portion of cropland; tea, rubber, coconut, spices, fruits, vegetables, pulses, and other cereals occupy the rest (Thibbotuwawa 2021; Senanayake and Premaratne 2016; Adhikari nayake 2005). Nonetheless, food and nutrition security remain a major challenge: nearly 3.9 million people, or 17 percent of Sri Lankans, experience moderately acute food insecurity; nearly 10,000 are severely acute food insecure; and 56 percent of households have adopted food-based coping strategies, including reducing meal portion sizes (36 percent) and skipping meals (19 percent) (FAO 2023a). Moreover, the prevalence of underweight in women and anaemia in adolescent girls and women is high in South Asia (UNICEF 2023), and micronutrient (iron, zinc, and/or folate) deficiencies are also highest there (72 percent).

Year published

2024

Authors

Natarajan, Kiruthika; Thibbotuwawa, Manoj; Babu, Suresh Chandra

Citation

Natarajan, Kiruthika; Thibbotuwawa, Manoj; and Babu, Suresh. 2024. Should Sri Lanka attempt to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses? Policy Note April 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Sri Lanka

Keywords

Southern Asia; Asia; Agriculture; Crops; Grain Legumes; Cereal Crops; Nutrition; Food Security; Nutrient Deficiencies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

WP5: Understanding and influencing agency and behaviour change in India: Activity 5.1 country brief

2024Singh, Sonali; Freed, Sarah
Details

WP5: Understanding and influencing agency and behaviour change in India: Activity 5.1 country brief

Agroecology, as an interdisciplinary approach to sustainable agriculture, has gained considerable attention in India over the years. The advent of the Green Revolution in India although ensured food security but at the same time also exacerbated agrarian and environmental crisis in India (Pingali, 2012). The prevalent industrial mode of production relies heavily on expensive inputs to boost yields, creating an unsustainable dependence and undermining the viability of small-scale farmers and their natural resources (Vyas, 1994). In this context, a form of agroecology known as “natural farming” “organic farming” has emerged in India offering promising alternatives. Agroecology is a scientific approach, a set of practices, and a social movement with the collective aim of fostering more sustainable, beneficial, and equitable food and agriculture systems (HLPE, 2019). The CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology (AE-I) in India embodies a transdisciplinary, participatory, and action-oriented approach dedicated to enhancing the resilience, equity, and sustainability of food systems through agroecological principles. Operating within various socioecological contexts, AE-I focuses on establishing Agroecological Living Landscapes (ALLs) as localized hubs for collaborative knowledge creation and innovation. The initiative seeks to develop and scale agroecological innovations in partnership with small-scale farmers and other policies, civil society, research, and business actors within the agri-food system. In India, AE-I ALLs operates across diverse regions, contributing to the transformation of agriculture practices. In Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) AE-I has partnered up with RySS (Rythu Sadhikara Samstha- A farmers empowerment organization under Government of Andhra Pradesh) which is spearheading APCNF (Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming) program. The program aims to shift towards crop diversification by promoting ‘natural farming,’ a word used synonymously for agroecological farming methods. In Mandla (Madhya Pradesh) AE-I has partnered with local civil society organizations known as FES (Foundation for Ecological Security) and PRADAN (implementing partner), Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research (ICAR-IIFSR) as technical partner. AE-I aims to develop and scale agroecological innovations for small-scale farmers, and other agricultural and food-system actors in the regions. The initiative will co-design, test and adapt agroecological practices, from food production to consumption, linking markets and investments, while considering policy dimensions and consumer behaviours. This document is a Work Package 5 (WP5) output within the CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology (AE-I). WP5 focuses on understanding and then influencing individual and collective agency, behaviour change among food system actors (FSAs) to drive inclusive and equitable agroecological transformation. This document attempts to understand the drivers of behaviour change that either facilitated or hindered agroecological transition in India through initiatives from the past 20 years. The review identified relevant initiatives and then mapped the nature of initiatives, the AE principles promoted, and the primary activities undertaken to address these principles. Furthermore, a detailed analysis was conducted on five selected initiatives to comprehend their theories of change (ToC), factors influencing success and failure in achieving behavioural change, and the motives and interests of diverse actor groups engaged in agroecological transformation. The insights gained from interviews with individuals possessing in-depth knowledge about these initiatives serve as valuable evidence to comprehend the driving forces behind agri-food system actor engagement in agroecological transitions

Year published

2024

Authors

Singh, Sonali; Freed, Sarah

Citation

Singh, Sonali; and Freed, Sarah. 2024. WP5: Understanding and influencing agency and behaviour change in India: Activity 5.1 country brief. Agroecology Initiative Brief. Montpellier, France: CGIAR System Organization. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/151673

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agroecology; Behaviour; Farming Systems; Sustainable Agriculture

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Agroecology

Record type

Brief

Brief

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: January 2024

2024International Food Policy Research Institute; Jemal, Mekamu; Schmidt, Emily
Details

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: January 2024

This bulletin presents food price trends during the fourth quarter of 2023 and compares current prices with those of previous years (2021-2022) from major markets across Papua New Guinea using data collected by Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPD). It is important to note that during the fourth quarter of 2023, none of the markets had a complete set of fortnightly price data. While Port Moresby had fortnightly observations for October and December, the rest of the markets (Goroka, Banz Kokopo, Lae) collected price data on a monthly basis. No data was collected in the 4th quarter from Mt Hagen market. To access the complete and comprehensive price dataset, you can download it from our website. This bulletin reports the average real monthly fresh food price data from Port Moresby, Goroka, Banz, and Kokopo markets. The prices presented in this report are in real terms, adjusted for inflation using FAO consumer price index (CPI).

Year published

2024

Authors

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

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). 2024. Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: January 2024. Papua New Guinea Food Price Bulletin January 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/141485

Country/Region

Papua New Guinea

Keywords

Melanesia; Legumes; Markets; Food Prices; Staple Foods

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Synopsis: Rwanda smallholder agricultural commercialization survey: Overview using selective categorical variables

2024Warner, James; Rosenbach, Gracie; Benimana, Gilberthe; Mugabo, Serge; Niyonsingiza, Josue; Mukangabo, Emerence; Dushimayezu, Bertrand; Nshimiyimana, Octave; Ingabire, Chantal; Spielman, David J.
Details

Synopsis: Rwanda smallholder agricultural commercialization survey: Overview using selective categorical variables

Increased commercialization of smallholder farmers is a major emphasis of Rwanda’s PSTA4 and will continue with PSTA5, as well as other policy documents related to agriculture. Although PSTA4 sought to increase the profitability of smallholder production, efforts to address accelerating commercialization were limited due to the absence of data and analysis on returns to commercial production systems. Relatively little was known about smallholder agricultural decision-making and the associated costs and returns to production systems among these farmers. This policy note introduces an important research initiative that will explore various aspects of commercialization by Rwandan smallholder farmers and is meant as a general introduction to smallholder commercialization. In subsequent research papers, more detailed studies based on these initial findings will contribute to an improved understanding of agricultural smallholders by providing (1) more nuanced analysis of commercial farmer typologies, (2) estimates of returns to commercial production systems across multiple farmers typologies, and (3) recommendations designed to improve interventions in smallholder commercialization. This brief provides a summary of the results obtained from the 2022 Smallholder Farmer Commercialization Survey (IFPRI 2024). Designed to be representative at the national and provincial levels, ten households were surveyed in 202 villages resulting in a total of 2,020 interviewed households. The survey covered a wide range of topics including: 1) household demographics; 2) migration, household assets and house conditions, and shocks; 3) household farm characteristics; 4) household expenditures (consumption and non-consumption), and 5) household income sources. The survey instrument was developed using other IFPRI surveys and was referenced to the 2020 AHS and the 2016-2017 EICV5 surveys from NISR.

Year published

2024

Authors

Warner, James; Rosenbach, Gracie; Benimana, Gilberthe; Mugabo, Serge; Niyonsingiza, Josue; Mukangabo, Emerence; Dushimayezu, Bertrand; Nshimiyimana, Octave; Ingabire, Chantal; Spielman, David J.

Citation

Warner, James; Rosenbach, Gracie; Benimana, Gilberthe; Mugabo, Serge; Niyonsingiza, Josue; Mukangabo, Emerence; et al. 2024. Synopsis: Rwanda smallholder agricultural commercialization survey: Overview using selective categorical variables. Rwanda SSP Policy Note 9. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/141467

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Commercialization; Smallholders; Agriculture; Decision Making; Surveys; Households; Migration

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Conflict and food security in Sudan: Policy insights and recommendations

2024Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Ahmed, Mosab; Abushama, Hala; Dorosh, Paul A.; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum
Details

Conflict and food security in Sudan: Policy insights and recommendations

The conflict in Sudan erupted on April 15, 2023. Originating from competition over resources and political power, it emerged as direct warfare between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. It has escalated into a crisis with profound impacts on the nation’s socio-economic fabric. More specifically, the conflict has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, disrupted agrifood systems across the country, restricted economic activity, and curtailed the livelihoods of millions. The conflict continues to impede access to essential services and markets, resulting in significant scarcity of life-saving goods and services. As of March 2024, 14,790 Sudanese have been killed (Figure 1), and 8.4 million have been displaced, of which1.7 million have sought refuge in other countries.

Year published

2024

Authors

Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Ahmed, Mosab; Abushama, Hala; Dorosh, Paul A.; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum

Citation

Kirui, Oliver K.; Siddig, Khalid; Ahmed, Mosab; Abushama, Hala; Dorosh, Paul; and Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum. 2024. Conflict and food security in Sudan: Policy insights and recommendations. Sudan SSP Policy Note 7. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140693

Country/Region

Sudan

Keywords

Northern Africa; Africa; Armed Conflicts; Food Security; Policies; Economic Aspects; Agrifood Systems; Markets; War

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

Leveraging social protection for women’s engagement in sustainable land management: IPSR Innovation Profile. First edition, March 2024

2024Gilligan, Daniel O.; Billings, Lucy; Kalva, Parthu; Leight, Jessica; Tambet, Heleene; Bahiru, Kibret; Mulford, Michael; Bekele, Kalkidan
Details

Leveraging social protection for women’s engagement in sustainable land management: IPSR Innovation Profile. First edition, March 2024

This sustainable land management (SLM) innovation draws on qualitative formative research, co-design of an innovation with partners, a quantitative impact evaluation testing the innovation, and resulting guidance for partners on implementing the innovation. This project is delivered as part of a multifaceted graduation model social protection program, SPIR II (Strengthen Productive Safety Net Program Institutions and Resilience II) that seeks to further sustain nutrition security and reduce risks to livelihoods for households participating in the Ethiopia’s national safety program, the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP), which provides consumption support in the form of cash and food transfers. The goal of the SLM innovation being tested is to leverage social protection to promote women’s engagement in sustainable land management practices. Strengthening women’s involvement in sustainable land management is seen as potentially important given that extreme weather events pose risks for poor households in rural Ethiopia and women may be disproportionately at risk from these shocks. For example, Kato et al (2021) find that plots controlled by women in Ethiopia are more prone to soil erosion and of poorer quality in terms of soil depth, and women’s participation in watershed committees is low. The sustainable land management practices being introduced may help protect women and their families from these shocks over the longer term as well as introduce an additional livelihoods avenue. The innovation tested includes providing training (to either women only or to both men and women from same households) and free inputs (tree seedlings, vegetable seeds and tools for home gardening) among participants of the PSNP public works program, thus helping to address constraints to accessing information and inputs, and assessing whether spousal cooperation is important for successful adoption of these technologies.

Year published

2024

Authors

Gilligan, Daniel O.; Billings, Lucy; Kalva, Parthu; Leight, Jessica; Tambet, Heleene; Bahiru, Kibret; Mulford, Michael; Bekele, Kalkidan

Citation

Gilligan, D., Billings, L., Kalva, P., Leight, J., Tambet, H., Bahiru, K., Mulford, M., Bekele, K. 2024. Leveraging social protection for women’s engagement in sustainable land management: IPSR Innovation Profile. First edition, March 2024. Montpellier: CGIAR System Organization.

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Social Protection; Women’s Empowerment; Gender; Gender Equality; Sustainable Land Management

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Brief

Brief

Internal Migration Propensity Index (i-MPI): IPSR Innovation Profile. First edition, March 2024

2024Ceballos, Francisco; Hernandez, Manuel A.; Almanzar, Manuel
Details

Internal Migration Propensity Index (i-MPI): IPSR Innovation Profile. First edition, March 2024

The internal Migration Propensity Index (i-MPI) is a tool that anticipates domestic migration at the household level based on a concise set of 10 simple, non-invasive questions. The tool was calibrated in 2023 for Guatemala and Honduras, following the same methodology used for the MPI to predict external (crossborder) migration in both countries and adapting it to challenges specific to internal migration. The i-MPI indices are calibrated using statistically-robust techniques to select questions that are easy to collect and that combined best predict the probability that at least one individual from a household permanently migrates to a different community within the same country over the next 12-24 months. The focus is on permanent internal migration, as opposed to temporary migration (mainly explained by regular labor force mobility during months of high labor demand from agro-industrial plantations). Such a tool can be used for both monitoring and targeting purposes to improve livelihoods at the local level and avoid the need to migrate.

Year published

2024

Authors

Ceballos, Francisco; Hernandez, Manuel A.; Almanzar, Manuel

Citation

Ceballos, F., Hernandez, M. and Almanzar, M. 2024. Internal Migration Propensity Index (i-MPI): IPSR Innovation Profile. First edition, March 2024. Montpellier: CGIAR System Organization.

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

Building pathways out of poverty in Baidoa: A randomized controlled trial: Evidence from the midline survey

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

Building pathways out of poverty in Baidoa: A randomized controlled trial: Evidence from the midline survey

Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world, and severe poverty, ongoing armed conflict, and recurring droughts and floodings have created a humanitarian crisis characterized by a high level of internal displacement. Baidoa city – the site of this evaluation – hosts 517 internally displaced persons (IDP) sites with almost 600,000 households, and 64 percent of the individuals living in these sites are women and girls. According to the 2nd Somali High Frequency Survey (Pape and Karamba 2019), poverty is particularly high in IDP settlements (along with rural areas), exacerbated by high unemployment rates and an absence of income-generating opportunities. This brief reports on midline 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 U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA). The project seeks to enable ultra-poor internally displaced households to graduate from extreme poverty and begin an 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; Hirvonen, Kalle; Karachiwalla, Naureen; Rakshit, Deboleena

Citation

Leight, Jessica; Hirvonen, Kalle; Karachiwalla, Naureen; and Rakshit, Deboleena. 2024. Building pathways out of poverty in Baidoa: A randomized controlled trial: Evidence from the midline survey. Learning Brief March 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140604

Country/Region

Somalia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Armed Conflicts; Displacement; Households; Poverty; Randomized Controlled Trials

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

Potential impacts of an El Niño related drought on sweet potato consumption and prices in Papua New Guinea

2024Joseph, Josiah; Hayoge, Glen; Sikas-Iha, Helmtrude; Dorosh, Paul A.; Schmidt, Emily; Kedir Jemal, Mekamu
Details

Potential impacts of an El Niño related drought on sweet potato consumption and prices in Papua New Guinea

Sweet potato plays an important role in the food system of Papua New Guinea (PNG), accounting for over 12 percent of total calories consumed in the country (IFPRI,2023). Three-quarters of sweet potato production takes place in the highlands where it is harvested throughout the year (Chang et al., 2013). However, the production and consumption of sweet potatoes in PNG faces several challenges, including climate change, pests and diseases, and market access constraints. In particular, a significant decline in sweet potato production due to an El Niño-related drought in early 2024 is a realistic possibility. This memo describes analysis using a partial equilibrium model to estimate the potential effects of a shortfall in sweet potato production on market prices and consumption, including consumption levels for various types of households in the highlands and other parts of PNG. We also discuss policy options for mitigating negative effects on household welfare.

Year published

2024

Authors

Joseph, Josiah; Hayoge, Glen; Sikas-Iha, Helmtrude; Dorosh, Paul A.; Schmidt, Emily; Kedir Jemal, Mekamu

Citation

Joseph, Josiah; Hayoge, Glen; Sikas-Iha, Helmtrude; Dorosh, Paul; Schmidt, Emily; and Kedir Jemal, Mekamu. 2024. Potential impacts of an El Niño related drought on sweet potato consumption and prices in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea Project Note 12. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140447

Country/Region

Papua New Guinea

Keywords

Melanesia; Asia; Sweet Potatoes; Food Systems; Calories; Agricultural Production; Market Prices; Consumption; Household Food Security; El Niño; Drought

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Effects of a partial ban on Papua New Guinea’s imports of poultry products

2024Gimiseve, Harry; Miamba, Nelson; Na’ata, Bartholomew; Dorosh, Paul A.; Schmidt, Emily; Yadav, Shweta
Details

Effects of a partial ban on Papua New Guinea’s imports of poultry products

In 2023, Papua New Guinea introduced a partial ban on poultry imports from Australia and Asian countries (representing about 70 percent of total PNG poultry imports) in response to the biosecurity threat posed by Avian Influenza (bird flu). Such a restriction on supply has the potential to lead to sharp price increases, steep reductions in household consumption and greater food insecurity. This memo presents an overview of PNG’s poultry sector and describes an analysis of the ef fects of these trade restrictions on poultry prices, production and consumption using a partial equilibrium model of PNG’s poultry sector. This new analysis builds on earlier work (Dorosh and Schmidt, 2023) that explored the implications of a total ban on poultry imports, by simulating the impacts of a partial poultry ban, including the effects on various household groups within PNG.

Year published

2024

Authors

Gimiseve, Harry; Miamba, Nelson; Na’ata, Bartholomew; Dorosh, Paul A.; Schmidt, Emily; Yadav, Shweta

Citation

Gimiseve, Harry; Miamba, Nelson; Na’ata, Bartholomew; Dorosh, Paul; Schmidt, Emily; and Yadav, Shweta. 2024. Effects of a partial ban on Papua New Guinea’s imports of poultry products. Papua New Guinea Project Note 13. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140446

Country/Region

Papua New Guinea

Keywords

Asia; Melanesia; Poultry; Imports; Biosecurity; Avian Influenza; Supply; Prices; Household Consumption; Food Security; Trade

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Building food security and resilience through intraregional trade in Latin America and the Caribbean

2024Illescas, Nelson; McNamara, Brian; Piñeiro, Valeria; Rodriguez, Agustín Tejeda
Details

Building food security and resilience through intraregional trade in Latin America and the Caribbean

Intraregional agrifood trade in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) offers untapped opportunities for expansion. Comparative advantages in food production as well as variation in consumption patterns create a high degree of complementarity across many LAC countries. Making use of this variation to expand trade within the region could improve access to, availability, and diversity of food, as well as ensure more stable food supplies. Stable supplies are particularly important for food security given the likelihood of continued shocks, such as conflicts, epidemics, economic crises, and extreme weather events. Although trade between countries in the region plays an important role as a source of imports, more than 60 percent of LAC’s food purchases come from extraregional suppliers. However, the shares of intra- and extraregional imports vary by subregion. About 60 percent of South American food imports come from regional suppliers, but only 20 percent of Mexican and Central American imports come from LAC suppliers. In the Caribbean, the share of regional suppliers in food imports has increased over the past five years but is currently only 29 percent (UN Statistics Division, UN Comtrade 2022). Most intraregional trade takes place within subregions, meaning that trade between countries from different LAC subregions is less common and thus presents the greatest opportunities for expansion. In this analysis of trade opportunities and challenges, the authors show there is potential to expand intraregional agrifood trade in major products such as corn, soybeans, soybean meal, wheat, poultry meat, milk, and concentrated cream. Facilitating intraregional trade and establishing new trade relations between LAC countries (the extensive margin of trade) where complementarities have been identified would provide opportunities for growth in the agrifood sec tors of these countries, make LAC food systems more resilient to supply shocks, and reduce food insecurity by ensuring efficient and reliable food supplies for consumers. However, despite progress in recent years, a number of factors — including high tariff rates, nontariff measures, origin requirements, government procurement rules, government support, and high transportation costs — continue to hamper the expansion of intraregional trade. This analysis focuses exclusively on intraregional trade; it does not examine opportunities for trade with partners outside the LAC region or compare opportunities for intra regional trade to extraregional trade. While such analysis could be valuable for informing trade policy, one of our primary objectives is to encourage stronger linkages between the economies of LAC countries regardless of trade opportunities outside the region. This goal reflects the expectation that improving these linkages among neighboring countries will have positive spillovers in the form of improved resilience to shocks, stronger political cohesion, and broader cooperation across these economies. \To accurately contextualize this analysis, it is necessary to highlight the diversity of food systems within LAC. While “LAC” is a standard regional classification and our analysis includes all LAC countries, the agrifood sectors, and especially agrifood trade, in the various LAC subregions face diverse challenges and opportunities. For example, these challenges and opportunities differ markedly between the Caribbean island countries and the larger Latin American countries, most notably Brazil and Argentina. These distinctions should inform the interpretation and implementation of our findings.

Year published

2024

Authors

Illescas, Nelson; McNamara, Brian; Piñeiro, Valeria; Rodriguez, Agustín Tejeda

Citation

Illescas, Nelson; McNamara, Brian; Piñeiro, Valeria; and Rodriguez, Agustín Tejeda. 2024. Building food security and resilience through intraregional trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. IFPRI Policy Brief March 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139797

Keywords

Latin America and the Caribbean; Trade; Food Production; Consumption; Food Security

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896294639 Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Sri Lanka’s New Fertilizer Cash Grant (FCG) Scheme for paddy: What do participants and associates look and hope for?

2024Kopiyawattage, Kumudu; Weerahewa, Jeevika; Roy, Devesh
Details

Sri Lanka’s New Fertilizer Cash Grant (FCG) Scheme for paddy: What do participants and associates look and hope for?

Since independence, the Government of Sri Lanka has implemented various policies and initiatives to boost agricultural production. One of the enduring, costly, and politically sensitive measures aimed at promoting paddy farming has been the fertilizer subsidy program which was initiated in 1962 and continued for over six decades. Since then, the subsidy policy has undergone many changes, including the introduction of the Fertilizer Cash Grant (FCG) Program in 2016. The FCG program’s key objectives were to reduce the excessive use of synthetic fertilizers, promote the adoption of organic fertilizers, and empower farmers to make informed decisions regarding the use of fertilizers in appropriate quantities in their fields post soil testing. The FCG program commenced in 2016 but it lasted only for four seasons and price subsidy was reintroduced.

Year published

2024

Authors

Kopiyawattage, Kumudu; Weerahewa, Jeevika; Roy, Devesh

Citation

Kopiyawattage, Kumudu; Weerahewa, Jeevika; and Roy, Devesh. 2024. Sri Lanka’s New Fertilizer Cash Grant (FCG) Scheme for paddy: What do participants and associates look and hope for? Project Note February 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139383

Country/Region

Sri Lanka

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agricultural Production; Fertilizers; Subsidies; Farmers; Cash Transfers; Rice

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Compounding stresses confront rural households in southern Malawi

2024Upton, Joanna; Duchoslav, Jan; Tennant, Elizabeth
Details

Compounding stresses confront rural households in southern Malawi

Southern Malawi has historically been less food secure than the rest of the country, and the current lean season will be no different. The Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee expects 2,460,000 people in the Southern Region (29% of its population) to require humanitarian assistance at the peak of the lean season in February and March 2024, compared to 1,560,000 people in the Central Region (18% of its population) and 388,000 people in the Northern Region (15% of its population) (MVAC 2023). The Southern Region is home to 44% of Malawi’s population, but to 56% of those in need of humanitarian assistance. More people in the Southern Region are in danger of going hungry in the coming months than in the Central and Northern regions combined. But who are these people, what is behind their vulnerability, and what does the future have in store for them?

Year published

2024

Authors

Upton, Joanna; Duchoslav, Jan; Tennant, Elizabeth

Citation

Upton, Joanna; Duchoslav, Jan; and Tennant, Elizabeth. 2024. Compounding stresses confront rural households in southern Malawi. MaSSP Policy Note 52. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139431

Country/Region

Malawi

Keywords

Eastern Africa; Africa; Food Security; Households; Maize; Data; Prices; Cyclones; Crop Production

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Climate Resilience

Record type

Brief

Brief

AI-assisted dietary assessment and personalized “nudges” in urban Ghana: Preparing for scale-up

2024Gelli, Aulo; Folson, Gloria; Nwabuikwu, Odiche; Bannerman, Boateng; Ador, Gabriel; Atadze, Vicentia; Asante, Millicent; McCloskey, Peter; Nguyen, Phuong; Hughes, David
Details

AI-assisted dietary assessment and personalized “nudges” in urban Ghana: Preparing for scale-up

Diet-related risk factors cause 11 million deaths annually, making them the largest single factor included in the Global Burden of Disease analyses (Afshin et al. 2019). Recent trends associated with urbanization and the “nutrition transition”—which is characterized by shifts to unhealthy diets and increased consumption of energy dense and nutrient poor processed foods and decreased physical activity—have led to increases in rates of overweight and obesity (Popkin et al. 2020). Regular data collection to document population-level dietary intake is essential for effective, evidence-based nutrition actions (Hargreaves et al. 2022). However, collecting and analyzing dietary data is complex and expensive (Bell et al. 2017). Dietary assessments typically involve the use of the multi-pass 24-hour recall (24HR) method, which has been validated in adults reporting their intake and/or that of their young children (Gibson and Ferguson 2008), and to some degree in adolescents. The costs associated with conducting a 24HR are approximately $500 per recall (Adams et al. 2022). Mobile phone-based tools have potential to lower the cost of diet assessment; however, evidence is lacking on the validity and feasibility of conducting phone-based assessments in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (Bell et al. 2017).

Year published

2024

Authors

Gelli, Aulo; Folson, Gloria; Nwabuikwu, Odiche; Bannerman, Boateng; Ador, Gabriel; Atadze, Vicentia; Asante, Millicent; McCloskey, Peter; Nguyen, Phuong; Hughes, David

Citation

Gelli, Aulo; Folson, Gloria; et al. 2024. AI-assisted dietary assessment and personalized “nudges” in urban Ghana: Preparing for scale-up. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138824

Country/Region

Ghana

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Western Africa; Artificial Intelligence; Urban Areas; Healthy Diets

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Resilient Cities

Record type

Brief

Brief

Agrifood system employment: Innovations, policies, and knowledge gaps

2024Berdegué, Julio; Trivelli, Carolina; Vos, Rob
Details

Agrifood system employment: Innovations, policies, and knowledge gaps

Key messages: • Seven agriculture and agrifood value chain innovations are found to improve employment and income opportunities in the agrifood value chains. • Such income and employment require adequate enabling policies, including infrastructure investments, support to wholesale market development, social protection, labor market regulation, and supporting collective action organizations. • Eleven knowledge gaps need to be addressed to better inform agrifood system policy and investment decision-making.

Year published

2024

Authors

Berdegué, Julio; Trivelli, Carolina; Vos, Rob

Citation

Berdegué, Julio; Trivelli, Carolina; and Vos, Rob. 2024. Agrifood system employment: Innovations, policies, and knowledge gaps. Rethinking Food Markets Initiative Brief 1. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138794

Keywords

Agriculture; Agrifood Systems; Value Chains; Income; Employment; Policies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Pakistan: Strategy to promote climate smart agriculture practices

2024Rana, Abdul Wajid; Gill, Sitara
Details

Pakistan: Strategy to promote climate smart agriculture practices

Pakistan is a case of double injustice contributing a minuscule share of global greenhouse gases, yet it is bearing the brunt of global climate change impacts. It ranks among the top 10 countries vulnerable to climate change (Eckstein et al., 2021). The 2022 IPCC Report underlines the heightened vulnerabilities because of global warming and climate change leading to more floods. The Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 20221, Pakistan could lose more than 9 percent of its annual GDP due to climate change. The Notre Dame- Gain Matrix2 ranks Pakistan 5th most impacted country by climate change shocks and is positioned as the 36th least-prepared nation to cope with climate changes (The World Bank Group, 2021). Besides, Pakistan scores worst on the indicator of Agriculture Capacity3 at 0.939. Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate changes because of its arid to semi-arid environmental conditions (Nasim et al., 2018; Ullah et al., 2019, Ghaffar et al., 2022). Over the last two decades, the country has been facing the challenges of rising temperature, extreme heatwaves, drought, intense and erratic precipitation, water stress, glacial melting, recurring flash floods and super floods in 2010 and 2022. The combination of reduced crop yields, water scarcity, and changing agricultural practices can lead to severe food insecurity and economic challenges for marginalized communities and more importantly, for farmers. In July-August 2022, Pakistan faced unprecedented rainfall and riverine floods damaging cultivated crops, livestock and the infrastructure. Approximately 4.4 million acres of crops were damaged, and nearly 1 million animals perished. The total cost of damages and losses was estimated at $30.13 billion, with agriculture accounting for $12.9 billion (43 percent of the total) (Economic Survey of Pakistan, 2021-22).

Year published

2024

Authors

Rana, Abdul Wajid; Gill, Sitara

Citation

Rana, Abdul Wajid; and Gill, Sitara. 2024. Pakistan: Strategy to Promote Climate Smart Agriculture Practices. Country Brief. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138510

Country/Region

Pakistan

Keywords

Southern Asia; Asia; Agriculture; Greenhouse Gases; Climate Change; Climate-smart Agriculture

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Climate Resilience

Record type

Brief

Brief

What can we learn about women’s empowerment in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in Malawi? Findings from the new Women’s Empowerment metric for WASH (WE-WASH)

2024Ramani, Gayathri V.; Faas, Simone; Chiwasa, Febbie; Chilalika, Joan; Kamwamba-Mtethiwa, Jean; Heckert, Jessica; Raghunathan, Kalyani
Details

What can we learn about women’s empowerment in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in Malawi? Findings from the new Women’s Empowerment metric for WASH (WE-WASH)

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)-related challenges around the world can negatively affect communities and individuals, but people in resource-constrained areas face additional obstacles in preventing and recovering from the consequences of inadequate WASH infrastructure. WASH interventions in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) often target women as key actors for achieving project outcomes and many aim to improve the quality of women’s lives; fewer, however, have a specific focus on empowering women. A systematic review concluded that studies within the WASH sector have rarely focused specifically on empowering women, despite efforts to reach and benefit them (Caruso et al. 2022). In a review of gender-sensitive WASH indicators that have been used in the peer-reviewed literature, gray literature, and toolkits from organizations operating in WASH, only around 10% of the 162 indicators identified specifically measured empowerment. Given the limitations of previous approaches to measuring WASH-related empowerment, we recently developed a Women’s Empowerment metric for WASH (WE-WASH), a suite of indicators to measure women’s and men’s agency in the WASH sector, based on data collected in Malawi and Nepal. This project note first provides some context for the Malawi study, then describes our overall approach to developing the WE-WASH indicators and summarizes the implementation of the WE-WASH question naire, and then presents some key findings emerging from Malawi.

Year published

2024

Authors

Ramani, Gayathri V.; Faas, Simone; Chiwasa, Febbie; Chilalika, Joan; Kamwamba-Mtethiwa, Jean; Heckert, Jessica; Raghunathan, Kalyani

Citation

Ramani, Gayathri; Faas, Simone; Chiwasa, Febbie; Chilalika, Joan; Kamwamba-Mtethiwa, Jean; Heckert, Jessica; and Raghunathan, Kalyani. 2024. What can we learn about women’s empowerment in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in Malawi? Findings from the new Women’s Empowerment metric for WASH (WE-WASH). IFPRI Project Note January 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138288

Country/Region

Malawi

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Southern Africa; Women’s Empowerment; Water; Hygiene; Infrastructure; Gender

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Needs and opportunities for measuring rural women’s empowerment in Guatemala: Possible applications of a Women’s Empowerment Metric for National Statistical Systems (WEMNS)

2024Valiente, Regina; Heckert, Jessica; Paz, Flor; Cabnal, Edwin
Details

Needs and opportunities for measuring rural women’s empowerment in Guatemala: Possible applications of a Women’s Empowerment Metric for National Statistical Systems (WEMNS)

Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is reflected across policy priorities at global and national levels. Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) seeks to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. Moreover, the Government of Guatemala, through the Presi-dential Secretariat for Women (SEPREM), has supported these priorities through the National Policy for the Promotion and Comprehensive Development of Women and the Equality of Opportunities Plan 2008-2023, particularly under its Equitable Economic and Productive Development policy line, which gives the agenda a thematic focus on women’s economic empowerment. Both policy instruments are designed to guide public institutions in achieving the goals that have been set by the Council of Minis-ters of Women of Central America and the Dominican Republic (COMMCA). Economic empowerment is one of the main lines of policy action under the Regional Policy on Gender Equality and Equity of SICA (PRIEG/SICA). As such, women’s economic empowerment is being prioritized at the national level in Guatemala, and also at the regional level across Central America and the Dominican Republic. La igualdad de género y el empoderamiento de las mujeres y niñas se ve reflejado en distintas prioridades de políticas a nivel global y local. El Objetivo de Desarrollo Sostenible 5 busca lograr la igualdad de género y empoderar a todas las mujeres y niñas. De forma correspondiente, el Gobierno de Guatemala por medio de la Secretaría Presidencial de la Mujer (Seprem) ha impulsado el tema, tanto a través de la Política Nacional de Promoción y Desarrollo Integral de las Mujeres y su Plan de Oportunidades PNPDIM-PEO 2008-2023, dentro el Eje de Desarrollo Económico y Productivo con equidad; así como también en la agenda temática de empoderamiento económico de las mujeres. Ambos instrumentos son orientadores de las instituciones públicas, a la vez que, dentro de las acciones que se han coordinado desde el Consejo de Ministras de la Mujer de Centroamérica y República Dominicana (COMMCA), el empoderamiento económico es uno de los ejes de la Política Regional de Igualdad y Equidad de Género del SICA (PRIEG/SICA). Así, el empoderamiento económico de las mujeres es una prioridad a nivel nacional en Guatemala, pero también a nivel regional.

Year published

2024

Authors

Valiente, Regina; Heckert, Jessica; Paz, Flor; Cabnal, Edwin

Citation

Valiente, Regina; Heckert, Jessica; Paz, Flor; and Cabnal, Edwin. 2024. Needs and opportunities for measuring rural women’s empowerment in Guatemala: Possible applications of a Women’s Empowerment Metric for National Statistical Systems (WEMNS). Project Note January 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/137514

Country/Region

Guatemala

Keywords

Latin America; Central America; Northern America; Gender Equality; Women’s Empowerment; Policies; Development; Economic Aspects; Women; Sustainable Development Goals; Capacity Development

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136870 Source record

Project

Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

Record type

Brief

Brief

The contributions of Public Works in watershed rehabilitation and irrigation in Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance supported Productive Safety Net Program areas of Ethiopia to resilience and nutrition

2024Arega, Tiruwork; Balana, Bedru; Bayissa, Yared; Dile, Yihun T.; Mekonnen, Dawit Kelemework; Ringler, Claudia; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum; Srinivasa, R.; Wondwosen, Abenezer; Worqlul, Abeyou Wale
Details

The contributions of Public Works in watershed rehabilitation and irrigation in Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance supported Productive Safety Net Program areas of Ethiopia to resilience and nutrition

The Ethiopian Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP), launched in 2005 and operating in eight regional states, harmonizes the delivery of donor support to vulnerable populations experiencing chronic food insecurity and shocks. PSNP investments aim to improve food consumption and nutrition, while also protecting and developing assets for sustaining stable access to food. PSNP differentiates two types of beneficiaries: (1) Households with no able-bodied members that receive direct support in the form of cash transfers or in-kind support; and (2) Public work (PW) beneficiaries, who receive payments in exchange for work on various types of productive investments, such as watershed rehabilitation, irrigation, road and other infrastructure. This policy note summarizes results from an assessment of the impacts of PSNP investments supported by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) in watershed rehabilitation and small-scale irrigation (SSI) on food security, nutrition and resilience in Amhara, Oromia, and Tigray regions of Ethiopia and Dire Dawa City administrative area between 2017 and 2021. The interventions assessed include area closures, SSI, other physical soil and water conservation practices, and overall watershed-level activities. Investments in SSI included construction of river-diversion schemes, lined canals, earthen canals, ponds and rainwater harvesting schemes. As watershed rehabilitation interventions take years to decades to show impacts, two time periods were used in the biophysical assessment: long-term changes, covering the period of 1984 to 2020, as well as short-term changes that specifically covered the period prior and during the USAID BHA program. The assessment combined socioeconomic analysis (quantitative and qualitative), as well as high-resolution remote sensing and biophysical modeling in selected watersheds. Remote sensing and biophysical mod eling provided insights on environmental effects and climate resilience of BHA’s watershed rehabilitation interventions, whereas quantitative and qualitative analyses helped identify the food security, nutrition and resilience impacts of these interventions. Of note, the assessment was undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic and was also substantially affected by civil conflicts in the northern part of the country. This affected both the study design and data access and the implementation of the BHA-supported PSNP PW investments. The results should be seen in this context.

Year published

2024

Authors

Arega, Tiruwork; Balana, Bedru; Bayissa, Yared; Dile, Yihun T.; Mekonnen, Dawit Kelemework; Ringler, Claudia; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum; Srinivasa, R.; Wondwosen, Abenezer; Worqlul, Abeyou Wale

Citation

Arega, Tiruwork; Balana, Bedru; Bayissa, Yared; Dile, Yihun; Mekonnen, Dawit Kelemework; Ringler, Claudia; et al. 2024. The contributions of Public Works in watershed rehabilitation and irrigation in Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance supported Productive Safety Net Program areas of Ethiopia to resilience and nutrition. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (FTF-ILSSI) Project Notes 6. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137067

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Shock; Investment; Sustainability; Nutrition; Watershed Management; Irrigation; Infrastructure; Food Security; Cash Transfers

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137067 Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Outsource agrifood service MSMEs facilitating pivoting by fruits & vegetables farmers, wholesalers, and retailers

2024Reardon, Thomas; Awokuse, Titus; Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O.; Minten, Bart; Nguyen, Geneviève; Qanti, Sara; Swinnen, Johan; Vos, Rob; Zilberman, David
Details

Outsource agrifood service MSMEs facilitating pivoting by fruits & vegetables farmers, wholesalers, and retailers

There is an important gap in the literature regarding evidence about the emergence of outsource agrifood services. We contend that there are few studies on outsource services for differentiated product value chains, particularly in developing countries. To some extent, also, there is a knowledge gap regarding the use and effectiveness of eco-certification and labeling compliance-assisting services in developed countries. The bulk of attention on outsource services is centered at the commodity phase (such as with bulk grains) and the modern stage, and less attention is being paid to the product differentiation phase. To fill these voids, we focus on three country illustrations, ranging in the product cycle phases from transitional to transitional-modern to modern, and from early differentiating case in Ethiopia (on basic quality) to intermediate differentiating case in Indonesia (on advanced quality and variety differentiation in mangoes), to advanced-differentiating case in France (on eco-labeling and certification). We focus on horticulture as it is rapidly growing, and rapidly differentiating both in developed and developing countries. We conclude that policies and public investments facilitating the formation of these services are important. Importantly, we found that without these emerging outsource services, farmers would not have been able to be resilient to the shocks of market requirements and climate change.

Year published

2024

Authors

Reardon, Thomas; Awokuse, Titus; Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O.; Minten, Bart; Nguyen, Geneviève; Qanti, Sara; Swinnen, Johan; Vos, Rob; Zilberman, David

Citation

Reardon, Thomas; Awokuse, Titus; Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O.; Minten, Bart; Nguyen, Geneviève; Qanti, Sara; et al. 2024. Outsource agrifood service MSMEs facilitating pivoting by fruits & vegetables farmers, wholesalers, and retailers. CGIAR Rethinking Food Markets Initiative Technical Paper January 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/137594

Country/Region

Ethiopia; France

Keywords

Eastern Africa; Western Europe; Agrifood Systems; Value Chains; Developing Countries; Horticulture

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Behavioral intelligence in plant breeding: A framework for qualitative research

2023Cavicchioli, Martina; Kramer, Berber; Trachtman, Carly
Details

Behavioral intelligence in plant breeding: A framework for qualitative research

This issue brief introduces a conceptual framework to describe the factors that inform farmers’ varietal uptake choices, by integrating choice behavior alongside more contextual and technical aspects of seed uptake. The framework was developed to support qualitative data analysis for generating behavioral intelligence about farmers’ decision-making about crop varieties, which may be of use to government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and companies that operate in the seed sector.

Year published

2023

Authors

Cavicchioli, Martina; Kramer, Berber; Trachtman, Carly

Citation

Cavicchioli, Martina; Kramer, Berber; and Trachtman, Carly. 2023. Behavioral intelligence in plant breeding: A framework for qualitative research. IFPRI Issue Brief December 2023. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896294622 Source record

Project

Market Intelligence

Record type

Brief

Brief

Resilient Cities Urban Country Profile: Rwanda

2023Margolies, Amy; Craig, Hope; Olney, Deanna
Details

Resilient Cities Urban Country Profile: Rwanda

Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa. National strategies aim to eliminate chronic malnutrition by 2050. Overall, the country is on track for global nutrition targets for child wasting, overweight and recommended breastfeeding practices. However, there are differences in nutrition challenges between rural and urban areas. The dominance of the agricultural economy at the national level, higher poverty and stunting rates in rural areas has led to a greater focus on promoting food and nutrition security in rural areas.

Year published

2023

Authors

Margolies, Amy; Craig, Hope; Olney, Deanna

Citation

Margolies, Amy; Craig, Hope; and Olney, Deanna. 2023. Resilient Cities Urban Country Profile: Rwanda. Resilient Cities Country Profile. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Diet; Urban Areas; Malnutrition; Poverty; Agricultural Economics

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Resilient Cities

Record type

Brief

Brief

Characterization of MSME outlet types in Viet Nam

2023Ceballos, Francisco; de Brauw, Alan; Soneja, Payal
Details

Characterization of MSME outlet types in Viet Nam

During 2023, researchers from Work Package 2 (WP2) of the Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT) initiative conducted three linked surveys to learn more about micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that currently supply foods within urban, peri-urban, and rural locations in Viet Nam and devise ways to foster their supply of sustainable nutritious foods (SNFs). The surveys had three linked goals—to better characterize the business environment in which MSMEs operate; to understand any constraints they face in selling more SNFs; and to help inform interventions with scaling potential that could increase the availability of SNFs for consumers. The first survey consisted of a listing exercise (or the “short audit”), the second survey was a longer survey targeting outlets from the listing that had a higher chance of being MSMEs and could potentially modify their food offerings, and the third survey was targeted at suppliers of those MSMEs, with the objective of identifying any potential constraints at the supplier level for expanding the offering of SNFs. The sample for the third survey was derived from the MSME sample. Ceballos et al. (2023) describe in detail the data collection efforts conducted, including sampling strategies, overall sample composition, and implementation of the three surveys. This document presents selected results from these three surveys, with a focus on the second MSME survey. The next section describes the typology of outlets enumerated in the different surveys, and the final outlet groupings used in the analyses in this note. The MSME survey results section discusses the main findings from the MSME survey in terms of general ownership characteristics, employment patterns, business skills and access to finance, food offerings, and nutrition knowledge and interest in offering more SNFs to clients, distinguishing across outlet groups and vendor clusters. The Supplier survey results section presents the main findings from the supplier survey, in terms of food offerings, the composition of their client portfolio, their level of formalization, business skills, and credit use, and their interest in selling more nutritious foods. The final section summarizes the findings and concludes.

Year published

2023

Authors

Ceballos, Francisco; de Brauw, Alan; Soneja, Payal

Citation

Ceballos, Francisco; de Brauw, Alan; and Soneja, Payal. 2023. Characterization of MSME outlet types in Viet Nam. SHiFT Project Note December 2023. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Country/Region

Vietnam

Keywords

South-eastern Asia; Asia; Production; Microenterprises; Food Supply; Small and Medium Enterprises; Food Supply Chains

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Improving fruit and vegetable intake and production in Tanzania: An evaluation of the FRESH end-to-end approach

2023Bliznashka, Lilia; Kumar, Neha; Kinabo, Joyce; Mwombeki, Wiston; Hess, Sonja; Marshall, Quinn; Azupogo, Fusta; Olney, Deanna
Details

Improving fruit and vegetable intake and production in Tanzania: An evaluation of the FRESH end-to-end approach

Poor diets are a primary cause of malnutrition and the leading cause of disease worldwide. Improving diets, including increasing fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake, could save one in five lives annually. Micronutrients are essential for health; those obtained from F&Vs have a lower environmental footprint than those obtained from other foods making F&Vs essential to sustainable healthy diets. Globally, F&V intake is below recommended levels. However, the extent and nature of the problem is poorly understood due to insufficient data on dietary intake and food environments, especially in low- and middle-income countries. More than 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet. Often, F&V are among the least affordable foods. Even when F&V are accessible and affordable, intake is too low6 highlighting the role of desirability in F&V intake. Solutions for improving diet quality, in part by increasing F&V intake, will need to be multifaceted and interconnected. Solutions should start with understanding dietary patterns, and addressing barriers across desirability, accessibility, affordability, and availability using an end-to-end approach.

Year published

2023

Authors

Bliznashka, Lilia; Kumar, Neha; Kinabo, Joyce; Mwombeki, Wiston; Hess, Sonja; Marshall, Quinn; Azupogo, Fusta; Olney, Deanna

Citation

Bliznashka, Lilia; Kumar, Neha; Kinabo, Joyce; Mwombeki, Wiston; Hess, Sonja; Marshall, Quinn; Azupogo, Fusta; and Olney, Deanna. 2023. Improving fruit and vegetable intake and production in Tanzania: An evaluation of the FRESH end-to-end approach. FRESH Research Brief 1. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Keywords

Tanzania; Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Capacity Development; Fruits; Vegetables; Diet; 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

WEAGov Nigeria pilot study: Findings and policy implications

2023Ragasa, Catherine; Kyle, Jordan; Onoja, Anthony; Achika, Anthonia I.; Adejoh, Stella O.; Onyenekwe, Chinasa S.; Koledoye, Gbenga; Ujor, Gloria C.; Nwali, Perpetual
Details

WEAGov Nigeria pilot study: Findings and policy implications

WEAGov assesses the state of women’s voice and agency in national agrifood policymaking. Like IFPRI’s Kaleidoscope Model, it adopts a policy process approach, looking at every stage of the policy cycle — from why certain issues become salient and how policy solutions to address them are designed, to the organizational strategies and budgetary outlays that shape policy implementation, to how policies are assessed against their objectives. Within each of these stages, WEAGov examines whether women are being considered, whether their voices are included, and whether they are influencing actions and decisions.

Year published

2023

Authors

Ragasa, Catherine; Kyle, Jordan; Onoja, Anthony; Achika, Anthonia I.; Adejoh, Stella O.; Onyenekwe, Chinasa S.; Koledoye, Gbenga; Ujor, Gloria C.; Nwali, Perpetual

Citation

Ragasa, Catherine; and Kyle, Jordan. 2023. WEAGov Nigeria pilot study: Findings and policy implications. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Women’s Empowerment; Policies; Agrifood Systems

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Brief

Brief

Associations between women’s empowerment and maternal depressive symptoms: A cross-sectional analysis from Balaka and Ntcheu districts in Malawi

2023Becker, Karoline; Bliznashka, Lilia; Doss, Cheryl; Gelli, Aulo; Kachinjika, Monice; Munthali, Alister; Mvula, Peter; Nwabuikwu, Odiche; Quisumbing, Agnes R.
Details

Associations between women’s empowerment and maternal depressive symptoms: A cross-sectional analysis from Balaka and Ntcheu districts in Malawi

Enhanced women’s empowerment has been linked to improvements in various areas of women’s lives, such as in creased access to resources, decision-making power, and a manageable workload. It can also have positive effects on child health out comes, including nutritional status and early childhood development. However, there can also be trade-offs for women, such as their own nutritional outcomes. While the relationship between women’s empowerment and child health outcomes has been extensively studied, there is limited research on the relationship between women’s empowerment and their own mental health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). One aspect of mental health, maternal depressive symptoms is prevalent in these countries and can have a negative impact on both the mothers and their children. In Malawi, Stewart et al. (2010) find that 30 percent of mothers of young children, attending a child health clinic grapple with depressive episodes. In this study, we explore the relationship between women’s empowerment, as measured by the pro-WEAI, and maternal depressive symptoms, as measured by the 20 symptom Self-Reported Questionnaire (SRQ-20). The Pro-WEAI is particularly useful because it allows us to explore the relationship of various components of women’s empowerment with maternal depressive symptoms.

Year published

2023

Authors

Becker, Karoline; Bliznashka, Lilia; Doss, Cheryl; Gelli, Aulo; Kachinjika, Monice; Munthali, Alister; Mvula, Peter; Nwabuikwu, Odiche; Quisumbing, Agnes R.

Citation

Becker, Karoline; et al. 2023. Associations between women’s empowerment and maternal depressive symptoms: A cross-sectional analysis from Balaka and Ntcheu districts in Malawi. IFPRI Project Note December 2023. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Country/Region

Malawi

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Southern Africa; Eastern Africa; Women’s Empowerment; Decision Making; Child Nutrition; Mental Health; Gender

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137078 Source record

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Brief

Brief

Local governance in anticipatory action and crisis response: A new study in Mali

2023Bleck, Jaimie; Gottlieb, Jessica; Kosec, Katrina; Kyle, Jordan; Soumano, Moumouni
Details

Local governance in anticipatory action and crisis response: A new study in Mali

How best to deliver aid programs in fragile contexts and whether donors can support resilience in these contexts are long-standing questions among development practitioners and scholars. While there is widespread agreement that “local context” matters and should be taken into account when designing and delivering aid programs, it is difficult to know what aspects of local context matter and when, who to involve in locally driven decision-making (when there are myriad social and political forces), and how potential tradeoffs between competing preferences, needs, and priorities of local actors differ across space. Even when local context is beyond the influence of donors, a better understanding of local politi cal economy dynamics can help donors make better decisions and avoid unintended consequences.

Year published

2023

Authors

Bleck, Jaimie; Gottlieb, Jessica; Kosec, Katrina; Kyle, Jordan; Soumano, Moumouni

Citation

Bleck, Jamie; Gottlieb, Jessica; Kosec, Katrina; Kyle, Jordan; and Soumano, Moumouni. 2023. Local governance in anticipatory action and crisis response: A new study in Mali. Fragility, Conflict, and Migration Project Note December 2023. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Country/Region

Mali

Keywords

Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Shock; Aid Programmes; Decision Making; Resilience; Governance

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Brief

Brief

Africa RISING in Mali: Impact brief

2023Azzarri, Carlo; Boukaka, Sedi Anne; Vitellozzi, Sveva
Details

Africa RISING in Mali: Impact brief

Interventions/Innovations Africa RISING (AR) initiatives in Mali were implemented in Bougouni, Yanfolila, and Koutiala cercles (administrative units) in the Sikasso region of the country. The initiatives included anambitious cropping systems component focused on the adoption of improved crop varieties (sorghum, groundnut, okra, eggplant, and tomato) and farming methods (cereal-legume intercropping, cereal-vegetable intercropping, and fertilizer microdosing). Livestock system interventions aimed at improving small ruminant production through improved feeding and vaccination, while natural resource management activities concentrated on the reduction of soil erosion through contour bunding. Program interventions also included a series of nutrition-oriented trainings directed to extension workers and women as well as the establishment of nutrition support groups.

Year published

2023

Authors

Azzarri, Carlo; Boukaka, Sedi Anne; Vitellozzi, Sveva

Citation

Azzarri, Carlo; Boukaka, Sedi Anne; and Vitellozzi, Sveva. 2023. Africa RISING in Mali: Impact brief. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148739

Country/Region

Mali

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Cropping Systems; Varieties; Livestock; Agricultural Production; Erosion; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Africa RISING in Malawi: Impact brief

2023Azzarri, Carlo; Boukaka, Sedi Anne; Vitellozzi, Sveva
Details

Africa RISING in Malawi: Impact brief

Interventions/Innovations The Africa RISING (AR) program in Malawi was implemented in Dedza and Ntcheu districts in the country’s Central region, primarily using an on-farm participatory approach. The program supported cropping system improvements through promotion of improved varieties and quality seeds for beans, soybeans, groundnuts, and pigeon peas. It also aimed to foster the adoption of sustainable and productivity enhancing practices (e.g., legume legume or maize-legume intercropping and consistent grain-legume rotation) and nutrient cycling for soil enrichment (e.g., building soil organic matter, implementing a rainfall responsive nitrogen fertilization strategy). Livestock interventions focused primarily on supplementary feeding of goats to promote animal health and weight gain. Increased agricultural productivity and the processing of more nutritious grain legumes were considered prime channels for improving household income, diet diversity, and overall nutrition.

Year published

2023

Authors

Azzarri, Carlo; Boukaka, Sedi Anne; Vitellozzi, Sveva

Citation

Azzarri, Carlo; Boukaka, Sedi Anne; and Vitellozzi, Sveva. 2023. Africa RISING in Malawi: Impact brief. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148738

Country/Region

Malawi

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Agriculture; Cropping Systems; Varieties; Beans; Soybeans; Groundnuts; Sustainability; Pigeon Peas; Agricultural Production

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

2023Shokry, 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 from the perspective of households. In this policy note, 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

2023

Authors

Shokry, Nada; Yassa, Basma; Kurdi, Sikandra

Citation

Shokry, Nada; Yassa, Basma; and Kurdi, Sikandra. 2023. Challenges for private sector job matching in rural Egypt: Results from a survey of forsa employers. MENA Policy Note 24. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Country/Region

Egypt

Keywords

Northern Africa; Africa; Rural Areas; Private Sector; Surveys; Employment; Labour; Gender; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137062 Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Brief

Key findings from midline evaluation of Egypt’s Forsa graduation program

2023Allen IV, James; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Kurdi, Sikandra; Shokry, Nada; Yassa, Basma
Details

Key findings from midline evaluation of Egypt’s Forsa graduation program

Forsa is a pilot economic inclusion program implemented by the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MoSS) in Egypt. The goal of the program is to graduate beneficiaries of Takaful to economic self-reliance by enabling them to engage in wage employment or small-scale productive enterprises. The Forsa program began in 2023 after significant delays. Obstacles to implementation included the Covid-19 pandemic, Egypt’s economic crisis following the Ukraine-Russia war, and administrative challenges with procurement approvals.

Year published

2023

Authors

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

Citation

Allen IV, James; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Kurdi, Sikandra; Shokry, Nada; and Yassa, Basma. 2023. Key findings from midline evaluation of Egypt’s Forsa graduation program. MENA Policy Note 24. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Country/Region

Egypt

Keywords

Northern Africa; Africa; Social Protection; Targeting; Livestock; Ownership; Policies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137063 Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Brief

Qualitative fieldwork to identify CSA practices preferred by women farmers in India, Kenya, and Uganda

2023Magalhaes, Marilia; Kawerau, Laura; Kweyu, Janerose; Pathak, Vishak
Details

Qualitative fieldwork to identify CSA practices preferred by women farmers in India, Kenya, and Uganda

Promoting the adoption of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices is an important step toward enhancing farmer resilience to climate change. Given the differences in the resilience capacities, operating space, and response options of men and women farmers, it is imperative to understand the gendered preferences for and constraints to their adoption of CSA practices. This policy brief summarizes qualitative research conducted in rural India, Kenya, and Uganda to identify CSA practices preferred by women and men farmers. The findings highlight the need for gender-responsive finance models and information channels to ensure that support to climate change adaptation does not further widen the gender gap in agricultural resources, agency, and achievement.

Year published

2023

Authors

Magalhaes, Marilia; Kawerau, Laura; Kweyu, Janerose; Pathak, Vishak

Citation

Magalhaes, Marilia; Kawerau, Laura; Kweyu, Janerose; and Pathak, Vishak. 2023. Qualitative fieldwork to identify CSA practices preferred by women farmers in India, Kenya, and Uganda. Reaching Women Farmers With CSA Policy Note 1. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Country/Region

India; Kenya; Uganda

Keywords

Southern Asia; Asia; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Gender; Farmers; Agriculture; Access to Information; Rural Areas; Resilience; Finance; Climate Change

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136965 Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Brief

Brief

Integrated simulation framework for the impacts of large dams: Example of the GERD

2023Basheer, Mohammed; Siddig, Khalid; Elnour, Zuhal; Ahmed, Mosab O. M.; Ringler, Claudia
Details

Integrated simulation framework for the impacts of large dams: Example of the GERD

Efficient water resources management is essential for the sustainable development of nations, and large dams are an important tool for achieving this endeavor. Here, we present an integrated approach to simulating the impacts of large dams, integrating river systems infrastructure, hydrodynamic, and economywide models. We apply the framework to examine the biophysical, GDP, and distributional impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Sudan.

Year published

2023

Authors

Basheer, Mohammed; Siddig, Khalid; Elnour, Zuhal; Ahmed, Mosab O. M.; Ringler, Claudia

Citation

Basheer, Mohammed; Siddig, Khalid; Elnour, Zuhal; Ahmed, Mosab O. M.; and Ringler, Claudia. 2023. Integrated simulation framework for the impacts of large dams: Example of the GERD. NEXUS Gains Policy Note December 2023. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137061

Keywords

Northern Africa; Africa; Frameworks; Dams; Natural Resources Management; Nile River

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137061 Source record

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Brief

Brief

A field experiment on bargaining for seed reveals bias against women agripreneurs: Summary of findings and policy recommendations

2023Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Nabwire, Leocardia
Details

A field experiment on bargaining for seed reveals bias against women agripreneurs: Summary of findings and policy recommendations

This policy note summarizes results from a Lab-in-the-field experiment1 in eastern Uganda, where a representative sample of 760 smallholder maize farmers were given the opportunity to bargain over a bag of maize seed from either a male or female seller. Specifically, we test whether the gender of the seed seller impacts the seed buyer’s negotiation strategies and the eventual outcomes in bilateral price negotiations. The findings reveal that buyers confronted with a female seller were less likely to accept the seller’s initial offer price and responded with a lower counter price compared to farmers faced with a male seller. Negotiations, on average, took one additional round when the seller was a woman and resulted in a transaction price that was almost 9 percent lower. These results relate to previous research with agro-input dealers in Uganda which showed that female managed/owned agro-input shops are perceived less favorable in terms of quality of seed sold and price competitive ness. Policies and programs working to advance women’s empowerment through agribusiness need to recognize these gendered biases, and increase investment in public campaigns, extension and training to change attitudes towards women entrepreneurs.

Year published

2023

Authors

Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Nabwire, Leocardia

Citation

Van Campenhout, Bjorn; and Nabwire, Leocardia. 2023. A field experiment on bargaining for seed reveals bias against women agripreneurs: Summary of findings and policy recommendations. Seed Equal Policy Note December 2023. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/135962

Country/Region

Uganda

Keywords

Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Gender; Women’s Empowerment; Seeds; Agricultural Sector; Entrepreneurs; Farmers; Maize; Prices; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Seed Equal

Record type

Brief

Brief

Challenges and opportunities in implementing video-based extension approaches targeting women farmers: An implementer’s perspective

2023Rwamigisa, Patience B.; Namyenya, Angella; Butele, Cosmas Alfred; Shah, Mansi; Githuku, Fridah; Njung’e, Dennis
Details

Challenges and opportunities in implementing video-based extension approaches targeting women farmers: An implementer’s perspective

Agricultural extension services play an important role in agricultural development. Timely and reliable information services are key to improving farmers’ knowledge of strategies to increase agricultural productivity, assisting them in accessing inputs and credit, providing early warning against pests and other shocks, and offering them critical advice on climate action. However, equitable access to knowledge, information, and technology remains challeng ing in most countries. This inequity is even more pronounced among farmers from marginalized groups, including women farmers, resulting in their limited access to climate resilience-enhancing technologies and practices. This note summarizes findings from implementers of participatory video-based extension interventions in India, Kenya, and Uganda. The findings suggest that videos targeting women farmers can reach them effectively. Still, participa tory video-based extension should be accompanied by group discussions, providing complementary inputs, and dismantling other barriers that impede women’s agency and achievements in agriculture.

Year published

2023

Authors

Rwamigisa, Patience B.; Namyenya, Angella; Butele, Cosmas Alfred; Shah, Mansi; Githuku, Fridah; Njung’e, Dennis

Citation

Rwamigisa, Patience B.; Namyenya, Angella; Butele, Cosmas Alfred; Shah, Mansi; Githuku, Fridah; and Njung’e, Dennis. 2023. Challenges and opportunities in implementing video-based extension approaches targeting women farmers: An implementer’s perspective. Reaching Women Farmers With CSA Policy Note 12. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137057

Country/Region

India; Kenya; Uganda

Keywords

Southern Asia; Asia; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Agricultural Extension Systems; Inputs; Shock; Farmers; Technology; Agricultural Development; Credit; Climate Change; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137057 Source record

Record type

Brief

Brief

Agricultural production in Tajikistan: Evidence from twelve districts in Khatlon Province, 2015–2023

2023Lambrecht, Isabel; Pechtl, Sarah; Aliev, Jovidon; Akramov, Kamiljon T.; Khakimov, Parviz
Details

Agricultural production in Tajikistan: Evidence from twelve districts in Khatlon Province, 2015–2023

Survey data from 2000 households in 12 districts of Khatlon Province, USAID’s Zone of Influence (ZOI), were analyzed to document changes in the agriculture sector between 2015 and 2023. Key findings • Participation in agriculture remained constant at 85 percent of households, yet the average cultivated area significantly decreased from 2015 to 2023, likely due to the parallel increase in the number of households in the study area as well as the further division of dehkan farms. • Cropping patterns have changed since 2015. Among others, we find a stark increase in cultivation of maize, whereas cotton is grown at similar frequency but on a significantly smaller average plot area. Overall, we observe a positive increase in the diversity of (semi-)annual crops. • Mechanization is used for land preparation of plots for nearly all major crops now, up from much lower levels in 2015. Mechanization for harvesting significantly increased on plots with fodder crops (from 6 percent to 15 percent) and maize plots (from 2 percent to 8 percent). Most households rely on rental services as few own the needed machinery. • More households have water pumps, greenhouses, and cold storage, and more household and presidential plots having irrigation in 2023 than in 2015. Agricultural innovations including drip irrigation and solar panels also emerge but are still implemented at very low levels (<1 percent). • Cattle ownership declined from 2015 to 2023 and, accordingly, fewer households have cows producing milk (40 percent vs. 33 percent). This may—at least partly—explain the lower rates of dairy consumption observed among female respondents in 2023. • Poultry ownership increased dramatically (from 7 percent to 25 percent) and is now owned at similar rates across different types of households, including more vulnerable or disadvantaged households. Accordingly, there is more household-level consumption of eggs in the survey area.

Year published

2023

Authors

Lambrecht, Isabel; Pechtl, Sarah; Aliev, Jovidon; Akramov, Kamiljon T.; Khakimov, Parviz

Citation

Lambrecht, Isabel; Pechtl, Sarah; Aliev, Jovidon; Akramov, Kamiljon T.; and Khakimov, Parviz. 2023. Agricultural production in Tajikistan: Evidence from twelve districts in Khatlon Province, 2015–2023. Central Asia Policy Brief 3. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137049

Country/Region

Tajikistan

Keywords

Central Asia; Asia; Poultry; Agricultural Production; Surveys; Cotton; Cattle; Households; Maize; Field Size; Mechanization

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137049 Source record

Record type

Brief

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