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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.

Emily Schmidt

Emily Schmidt is a Senior Research Fellow in the Development Strategies and Governance Unit. Her most recent research explores household livelihood strategies in Papua New Guinea, including linkages between agriculture, poverty, and nutrition outcomes among rural smallholder farmers.

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Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

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IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

IFPRI Publications: Journal Articles

Explore Our Latest Journal Articles

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Journal Article

Whole maize flour could enhance food and nutrition security in Malawi

2025Ngoma, Theresa Nakoma; Taleon, Victor; Mvumi, Brighton M.; Gama, Aggrey P.; Palacios-Rojas, Natalia; Matumba, Limbikani
Details

Whole maize flour could enhance food and nutrition security in Malawi

Maize is the staple cereal in Malawi, with a daily per capita consumption of 383 g (dry matter basis), primarily consumed in the form of nsima, a thick porridge. We combined a milling experiment with focus group discussions (FGDs) to provide insights into mass and nutrient losses during maize grain dehulling and maize flour consumption patterns in rural Malawi. Milling batches (30 kg) of four maize grain varieties were dehulled at three abrasive disk dehullers under controlled conditions. The impact of maize variety and dehuller design on mass and nutrient losses during dehulling was statistically significant (p < 0.05), with a mean mass loss of 28.1 ± 5.7%, and nutrient losses of 9.8 ± 1.9% for protein, 61.7 ± 2.0% for zinc, and 47.7 ± 3.6% for iron. Six FGDs conducted in rural areas of Lilongwe District revealed a preference for refined flour due to convenience and cultural norms, despite the nutritional benefits of whole grain flour, which was recognized for its ability to provide satiety, particularly during periods of maize scarcity. Participants also highlighted switching between flour types based on seasonal maize availability, social stigma associated with whole grain flour, and awareness of nutrient losses during dehulling. Given Malawi’s precarious food insecurity situation, transitioning from dehulled maize flour nsima to whole maize flour or less refined nsima, is imperative. Our study findings can have food and nutritional savings for other southern Africa countries where the dehulling is a common practice.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ngoma, Theresa Nakoma; Taleon, Victor; Mvumi, Brighton M.; Gama, Aggrey P.; Palacios-Rojas, Natalia; Matumba, Limbikani

Citation

Ngoma, Theresa Nakoma; Taleon, Victor; Mvumi, Brighton M.; Gama, Aggrey P.; Palacios-Rojas, Natalia; and Matumba, Limbikani. 2025. Whole maize flour could enhance food and nutrition security in Malawi. Discover Food 5(1): 40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44187-025-00311-y

Country/Region

Malawi

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Southern Africa; Maize; Maize Flour; Nutrition; Food Security; Milling; Food Losses

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Front-of-pack labels and young consumers: An experimental investigation of nutrition and sustainability claims in Chile

2025Fretes, Gabriela; Wilson, Norbert L.W.; Corvalan, Camila; Economos, Christina D.; Cash, Sean B.
Details

Front-of-pack labels and young consumers: An experimental investigation of nutrition and sustainability claims in Chile

Year published

2025

Authors

Fretes, Gabriela; Wilson, Norbert L.W.; Corvalan, Camila; Economos, Christina D.; Cash, Sean B.

Citation

Fretes, Gabriela; Wilson, Norbert L.W.; Corvalan, Camila; Economos, Christina D.; and Cash, Sean B. 2025. Front-of-pack labels and young consumers: An experimental investigation of nutrition and sustainability claims in Chile. Food Quality and Preference 127(June 2025): 105432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105432

Country/Region

Chile

Keywords

Americas; South America; Consumer Behaviour; Nutrition; Sustainability; Youth

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Potential decarbonization for balancing local and non-local perishable food supply in megacities

2025Lin, Xintao; Qian, Jianping; Chen, Jian; Yu, Qiangyi; You, Liangzhi; Chen, Qian; Li, Jiali; Xiao, Pengnan; Jiang, Jingyi
Details

Potential decarbonization for balancing local and non-local perishable food supply in megacities

Ensuring urban food security while reducing carbon emissions from food systems is a key challenge. Food localization can reduce transport emissions; however, its role in agricultural production emissions reductions is unclear. Here, we explored the effects of localization of seven perishables, incorporating emissions from production and cold-chain logistics, in Beijing and Shanghai, China; determined decarbonization under different scenarios by increasing or decreasing the localization, with or without constrains, of each food category (balancing strategy). The results show that every 1% increase in the localization of vegetables, poultry, and aquatic products decreased 2020 emissions by 0.4–1.9 tCO2e, but for beef and lamb, it increased emissions by 0.2–2.9 tCO2e. Localization decreased cold-chain emission shares for all foods. The balancing strategy with constraints reduced emissions by 0.76 MtCO2e (5%) and 0.44 MtCO2e (2%) in 2020 in Beijing and Shanghai, respectively. Utilizing urban agriculture at all costs (i.e., without constraints) further reduced emissions by a factor of 3–4. Over 90% of Beijing’s emissions added by 2035 under the business-as-usual scenario were projected to be offset by the strategy. In Shanghai, the strategy could reduce emissions by an additional 0.44 MtCO2e. The results indicate that expanding imports of carbon-intensive ruminant meat to replace local production and reallocating urban resources to vegetables, poultry, and aquatic products could lead to more sustainable food supplies in megacities. Further development of cold-chain logistics is expected to reduce emissions in synergy with the balancing strategy. Our results could help inform better food system planning in megacities.

Year published

2025

Authors

Lin, Xintao; Qian, Jianping; Chen, Jian; Yu, Qiangyi; You, Liangzhi; Chen, Qian; Li, Jiali; Xiao, Pengnan; Jiang, Jingyi

Citation

Lin, Xintao; Qian, Jianping; Chen, Jian; Yu, Qiangyi; You, Liangzhi; Chen, Qian; et al. 2025. Potential decarbonization for balancing local and non-local perishable food supply in megacities. Resources, Environment and Sustainability 20(June 2025): 100206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resenv.2025.100206

Country/Region

China

Keywords

Asia; Eastern Asia; Food Security; Urban Areas; Agricultural Production; Emission; Carbon; Cold Chains

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Project

Climate Resilience

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Rural institutions and the technical efficiency of teff production in Ethiopia

2025Hailu, Getu; Weersink, Alfons; Minten, Bart
Details

Rural institutions and the technical efficiency of teff production in Ethiopia

We examine the effect of rural institutions on plot-level technical efficiency of teff production. We account for differences in production technology, access to the market, plot characteristics, and weather shocks across plots and investigate the robustness of the effects of rural institutions on technical efficiency across various specifications. Using a large and detailed cross-section of teff plots, we find that teff output could be increased by approximately 25 percent with the available inputs and technology through improved technical efficiency. The magnitude of technical inefficiency is robust to alternative functional forms and variable specifications. Community discussion groups and distance to the nearest agricultural co-operative have a positive relationship with technical efficiency, highlighting their potential to enhance agricultural productivity. However, we find limited evidence on the relationship between co-operative membership, visits with extension and technical efficiency of teff producers. Our results show that when studying the impact of new programs and policies in agriculture, it is important to look beyond just whether farmers are members of co-operatives. We might consider other factors, such as how much access they have to co-operative services. It is crucial for policymakers to consider implementing targeted interventions to share information on best management practices and agricultural technologies in order to address the efficiency gap in teff production. JEL classification: D02, D24, C54, P13, N57

Year published

2025

Authors

Hailu, Getu; Weersink, Alfons; Minten, Bart

Citation

Hailu, Getu; Weersink, Alfons; and Minten, Bart. 2025. Rural institutions and the technical efficiency of teff production in Ethiopia. Journal of Co-operative Organization and Management 13(1): 100259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcom.2024.100259

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Extension; Productivity; Rural Areas; Technology; Teff

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Assessing the overall benefits of programs enhancing human capital and equity: A new method with an application to school meals

2025Alderman, Harold; Aurino, Elisabetta; Baffour, Priscilla Twumasi; Gelli, Aulo; Turkson, Festus Ebo; Wong, Brad
Details

Assessing the overall benefits of programs enhancing human capital and equity: A new method with an application to school meals

Year published

2025

Authors

Alderman, Harold; Aurino, Elisabetta; Baffour, Priscilla Twumasi; Gelli, Aulo; Turkson, Festus Ebo; Wong, Brad

Citation

Alderman, Harold; Aurino, Elisabetta; Baffour, Priscilla Twumasi; Gelli, Aulo; Turkson, Festus Ebo; and Wong, Brad. 2025. Assessing the overall benefits of programs enhancing human capital and equity: A new method with an application to school meals. Economics of Education Review 106(June 2025):102646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2025.102646

Country/Region

Ghana

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Equity; Human Capital; Poverty Reduction; School Feeding; Capacity Development

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Storage management practices and mycotoxin contamination of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) in northwest Ethiopia

2025Sadik, J.A.; Righetti, L.; Fentahun, N.; Brouwer, Inge D.; Tessema, M.; Abera, M.; van der Fels-Klerx, H.J.
Details

Storage management practices and mycotoxin contamination of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) in northwest Ethiopia

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by certain fungal species that affect animal and human health. Data on the relationships between specific traditional storage management practices of sorghum and mycotoxin contamination are rarely available in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to investigate current sorghum storage management practices in major sorghum producer locations in Northwest Ethiopia and their relationships with mycotoxin contamination. Sorghum storage management practices of 120 farmers were surveyed, the occurrence of multiple mycotoxins in samples from their stored sorghum was determined, and potential relationships between the traditional storage management practices and mycotoxin contamination were analyzed. Samples were analyzed using UPLC-MS/MS for 33 different mycotoxins. About 88% of the samples were contaminated with at least one mycotoxin. The detected mycotoxins belong to one of the four mycotoxin categories, produced by Aspergillus spp, Fusarium spp, Penicillium spp, and Alternaria spp. From the total, 3%, 7%, and 3% of the samples were contaminated with aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, and zearalenone, respectively, above the EU regulatory limits. The measured concentrations that bypassed EU regulatory limits were 9.14, 18.34 and 29.13 (μg/kg) for total aflatoxins, 5.31, 12.50, 14.94, 15.77, 32.94, 56.81, 58.07 and 112.59 (μg/kg) for Ochratoxin A, and 123.48, 238.43 and 431.78 (μg/kg) for Zearalenone, respectively. Logistic regression showed relationships between the traditional storage management practices with mycotoxin contamination. The age and the experience of the Main Person Responsible for Storage management (MPRS), the placement of the storage structure, and the insecticide application showed negative relationships with multi-mycotoxin contamination. On the other hand, the educational status of the MPRS and the type of storage structure showed positive relationships with mycotoxin contamination. Therefore, it is recommended that farmers receive training in proper sorghum storage management to further reduce the mycotoxin contamination in the grain.

Year published

2025

Authors

Sadik, J.A.; Righetti, L.; Fentahun, N.; Brouwer, Inge D.; Tessema, M.; Abera, M.; van der Fels-Klerx, H.J.

Citation

Sadik, J.A.; Righetti, L.; Fentahun, N.; Brouwer, I.D.; Tessema, M.; Abera, M.; and van der Fels-Klerx, H.J. 2025. Storage management practices and mycotoxin contamination of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) in northwest Ethiopia. Journal of Stored Products Research 11: 102535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2024.102535

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Storage Conditions; Sorghum Bicolor; Mycotoxins; Contamination; Farmers

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Global shocks to fertilizer markets: Impacts on prices, demand and farm profitability

2025Vos, Rob; Glauber, Joseph W.; Hebebrand, Charlotte; Rice, Brendan
Details

Global shocks to fertilizer markets: Impacts on prices, demand and farm profitability

During 2021–2022, spiking fertilizer prices raised fears that fertilizer application would drop around the world, leading to lower crop production, higher food prices, and greater food insecurity. Even writing mid-2024, a paucity of data impedes a full assessment of how the underlying global market shocks may have affected farmers and food production around the world. Using proxy indicators for fertilizer demand and farm profitability, we find that despite the steep increase in input costs, global demand for fertilizer fell only modestly during the 2022–2023 crop cycle, suggesting many (commercial) farmers were able and willing to absorb increased input costs in the context of generally good harvest prospects and, at the time, high crop prices. However, we also find the fertilizer price spikes have not been felt equally, with many farmers in Africa estimated to have been affected more adversely, even though with varied impacts also amongst those farmers.

Year published

2025

Authors

Vos, Rob; Glauber, Joseph W.; Hebebrand, Charlotte; Rice, Brendan

Citation

Vos, Rob; Glauber, Joseph W.; Hebebrand, Charlotte; and Rice, Brendan. 2025. Global shocks to fertilizer markets: Impacts on prices, demand and farm profitability. Food Policy 133(May 2025): 102790. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2024.102790

Keywords

Shock; Fertilizers; Markets; Prices; Profitability; Global Value Chains; Supply Chain Disruptions

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Maize yield responsiveness and profitability of fertilizer: New survey evidence from six African countries

2025Ragasa, Catherine; Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Asante, Seth; Amare, Mulubrhan; Ma, Ning; Olanrewaju, Opeyemi; Duchoslav, Jan
Details

Maize yield responsiveness and profitability of fertilizer: New survey evidence from six African countries

Enhancing maize productivity growth is pivotal for revolutionizing the agrifood system in Africa, with inorganic fertilizer serving as a fundamental input for catalyzing this progress. However, concerns are mounting about the low and decreasing yield response and profitability of inorganic fertilizer use, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study aims to refine yield response and profitability models by incorporating recent data from nationally representative and panel datasets spanning six countries. Most countries exhibited low nitrogen yield responsiveness (4–7 kg), while Ghana and Uganda showed higher responsiveness (15–20 kg) per additional 1 kg of nitrogen. Analysis of fertilizer-to-maize price ratios from 2010 to 2023 showed a downward trend, with spikes in 2022 in Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, and Tanzania. Overall, except for those years, the data suggest a trend of increasingly favorable price incentives for fertilizer use. Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda experienced declines in the fertilizer-to-maize price ratio. Increasing inorganic fertilizer use would be profitable in Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Uganda at current market prices, but not in Malawi or Tanzania. Subsidies in Malawi and Tanzania have boosted profitability, but these may not be necessary in Ghana, Nigeria, or Uganda, which already have favorable price incentives; Malawi could benefit by substantially reducing its 80 percent subsidy while maintaining decent price incentives and farm profits. The paper proposes policy options based on factors influencing yield responsiveness and potential improvements drawn from new modeling and synthesis of the literature.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ragasa, Catherine; Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Asante, Seth; Amare, Mulubrhan; Ma, Ning; Olanrewaju, Opeyemi; Duchoslav, Jan

Citation

Ragasa, Catherine; Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Asante, Seth; Amare, Mulubrhan; Ma, Ning; Olanrewaju, Opeyemi; and Duchoslav, Jan. 2025. Maize yield responsiveness and profitability of fertilizer: New survey evidence from six African countries. Food Policy 133(May 2025): 102815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102815

Country/Region

Ghana; Uganda; Malawi; Nigeria; Ethiopia

Keywords

Tanzania; Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Maize; Agricultural Productivity; Agrifood Systems; Inorganic Fertilizers; Yields; Profitability; Data; Prices

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Fertilizer and conflicts: Evidence from Myanmar

2025Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Minten, Bart; van Asselt, Joanna; Lambrecht, Isabel B.; Masias, Ian; Goeb, Joseph; Aung, Zin Wai; Htar, May Thet
Details

Fertilizer and conflicts: Evidence from Myanmar

The number of farmers residing in fragile and conflict-affected countries is rising globally, yet the impacts of conflict on the economics of inorganic fertilizer in these settings remain poorly understood. We study how conflicts in Myanmar, combined with global fertilizer market disruptions, have affected inorganic fertilizer prices, use, response, and efficiency. We utilize unique nationally representative household panel survey data and a comprehensive approach that employs various analytical methods to examine the nexus between conflicts and fertilizer-related issues. Our findings reveal that greater intensity of violent events is associated with higher prices of major types of inorganic fertilizer, particularly in areas farther from major import locations. These price changes and increases in violent events have suppressed both the likelihood and quantity of inorganic fertilizer usage, leading to decreased rice yield responses at given nitrogen application levels. Panel stochastic frontier analyses, combined with a method addressing the endogeneity of inorganic fertilizer use, suggest a significant decline in fertilizer use efficiency each year since the onset of conflict. The increase in violent events is also associated with the reduced use of extension services, seeds from markets, irrigation, and optimal fertilizer blends, which may partly explain the diminished returns and efficiency of inorganic fertilizer use. Conflict therefore seems to be associated with a change in the economics of inorganic fertilizer use through various impact channels, affecting agricultural performance in these fragile and conflict-affected settings.

Year published

2025

Authors

Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Minten, Bart; van Asselt, Joanna; Lambrecht, Isabel B.; Masias, Ian; Goeb, Joseph; Aung, Zin Wai; Htar, May Thet

Citation

Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Minten, Bart; van Asselt, Joanna; Lambrecht, Isabel Brigitte; Masias, Ian; Goeb, Joseph; Aung, Zin Wai; and Htar, May Thet. 2025. Fertilizer and conflicts: Evidence from Myanmar. Food Policy 133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2024.102786

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Fertilizers; Conflicts; Prices; Imports; Farmers; Markets; Data; Rice; Yields; Agricultural Productivity

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Fertilizer demand and profitability amid global fuel-food-fertilizer crisis: Evidence from Ethiopia

2025Assefa, Thomas W.; Berhane, Guush; Abate, Gashaw T.; Abay, Kibrom A.
Details

Fertilizer demand and profitability amid global fuel-food-fertilizer crisis: Evidence from Ethiopia

We assess fertilizer demand and profitability in Ethiopia in the face of the recent global fuel–food–fertilizer price crisis and other domestic shocks. We first examine farmers’ response to changes in both fertilizer and food prices by estimating price elasticity of demand. We then evaluate the profitability of fertilizer by computing average value–cost ratios (AVCRs) associated with fertilizer application before and after these crises. We use detailed longitudinal household survey data collected in three rounds, covering both pre-crisis (2016 and 2019) and post-crisis (2023) production periods, focusing on three main staple crops in Ethiopia (maize, teff, and wheat). Our analysis shows that fertilizer adoption, and yield levels were increasing until the recent crises, but these trends have been halted by these crises. We also find slightly larger fertilizer price elasticity of demand estimates than previous estimates, ranging between −0.40 and −1.12, which vary across crops. We find that farmers are more responsive to fertilizer prices than to output prices. Farmers’ response to increases in staple prices was statistically insignificant and hence not as strong as theoretically perceived. Households with smaller farm sizes are relatively more responsive to changes in fertilizer prices. Finally, we show important dynamics in the profitability of chemical fertilizer. While the AVCRs show profitable trends for most crops, the share of farmers with profitable AVCRs declined following the fertilizer price surges. Our findings offer important insights for policy focusing on mitigating the adverse effects of fertilizer price shocks.

Year published

2025

Authors

Assefa, Thomas W.; Berhane, Guush; Abate, Gashaw T.; Abay, Kibrom A.

Citation

Assefa, Thomas W.; Berhane, Guush; Abate, Gashaw T.; and Abay, Kibrom A. 2025. Fertilizer demand and profitability amid global fuel-food-fertilizer crisis: Evidence from Ethiopia. Food Policy 133: 102785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2024.102785

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Fertilizers; Prices; Farmers; Household Surveys; Maize; Teff; Wheat; Yields

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Estimating the direct and indirect effects of improved seed adoption on yields: Evidence from DNA-fingerprinting, crop cuts, and self-reporting in Ethiopia

2025Jovanovic, Nina; Ricker-Gilbert, Jacob
Details

Estimating the direct and indirect effects of improved seed adoption on yields: Evidence from DNA-fingerprinting, crop cuts, and self-reporting in Ethiopia

Farmers’ adoption of improved crop varieties could increase yields in low-income countries. However, the presence of measurement error in household surveys poses a challenge to estimating true returns. Using the 2018/19 Ethiopia Socio-economic Survey, we analyze the impacts of how three sources of measurement error: misperceptions of seed varieties, land area, and quantities harvested affect maize yields and input use. These data include DNA-fingerprinting of seed, GPS plot size information, and crop cuts that we compare to farmers’ self-reported estimates of these measures. Results indicate that the measurement error in self-reported seed variety adoption, especially from farmers who did not know they were using improved maize varieties, attenuates their estimated yield gains by 25 percentage points on average. The enhanced genetics of improved seed varieties accounts for a 41-percentage point yield increase over non-improved varieties, and increased input use accounts for a 30-percentage point gain for improved varieties on average. JEL classification: D13, O13, N57, Q12, Q16

Year published

2025

Authors

Jovanovic, Nina; Ricker-Gilbert, Jacob

Citation

Jovanovic, Nina; and Ricker-Gilbert, Jacob. 2025. Estimating the direct and indirect effects of improved seed adoption on yields: Evidence from DNA-fingerprinting, crop cuts, and self-reporting in Ethiopia. Journal of Development Economics 174(May 2025): 103466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103466

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Crop Yield; Deoxyribonuclease; Seed; Technology Adoption

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Fertilizer policy reforms in the midst of crisis: Evidence from Rwanda

2025Spielman, David J.; Mugabo, Serge; Rosenbach, Gracie; Ndikumana, Sosthene; Benimana, Gilberthe Uwera; Ingabire, Chantal
Details

Fertilizer policy reforms in the midst of crisis: Evidence from Rwanda

Fertilizer subsidies are a prominent feature of many agricultural development strategies in sub-Saharan Africa, but few countries have the necessary data to make rapid decisions about their management in the face of exogenous shocks. This was the case in Rwanda following the rapid increase in international fertilizer prices in 2021–22. Working within a constrained fiscal space that followed the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Rwanda aimed to revise its fertilizer subsidy system to accommodate higher fertilizer import prices without compromising progress against its agricultural growth targets. This paper explores both the economic analysis and policy process that shaped decision-making around Rwanda’s fertilizer subsidy system during the period 2020–23. The paper centers on the design and application of a microsimulation model that estimated—almost in real time—the impact of increased fertilizer prices on crop production during this period. It then explores the policy outcomes that followed, emphasizing the scope for subsidy reductions even in the midst of crisis, the critical importance of strengthening agricultural data systems, and lessons for countries facing similar challenges.

Year published

2025

Authors

Spielman, David J.; Mugabo, Serge; Rosenbach, Gracie; Ndikumana, Sosthene; Benimana, Gilberthe Uwera; Ingabire, Chantal

Citation

Spielman, David J.; Mugabo, Serge; Rosenbach, Gracie; Ndikumana, Sosthene; Benimana, Gilberthe; and Ingabire, Chantal. 2025. Fertilizer policy reforms in the midst of crisis: Evidence from Rwanda. Food Policy 133(May 2025): 102823. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102823

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Fertilizers; Reforms; Subsidies; Data; Shock; Agricultural Development

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Inclusive and gender-transformative seed systems: Concepts and applications

2025Galiè, Alessandra; Kramer, Berber; Spielman, David J.; Kawarazuka, Nozomi; Rietveld, Anne M.; Aju, Stellamaris
Details

Inclusive and gender-transformative seed systems: Concepts and applications

CONTEXT Seed is vital to the nutrition and livelihoods of millions of women and men small-scale farmers in low- and middle-income countries. Seed systems interventions can significantly enhance food security and nutrition by accelerating the adoption of improved varieties and the use of quality seed, which in turn increase the rate of genetic gain, productivity, and household welfare. These interventions can be particularly effective when advancing gender equality by supporting women’s empowerment and addressing discriminatory gender norms. However, there is relatively little evidence on the ways in which seed systems can be an entry point for advancing gender equality by transforming discriminatory gender norms. OBJECTIVES We develop and illustrate a gender transformative approach applied to seed sector development. Our first objective is to provide a framework to better understand how seed systems interventions can contribute to gender equality by (1) integrating gender-accommodative and gender-transformative approaches; and (2) assessing their gendered impacts. Our second objective is to apply this framework to a particular innovation – gender messaging via information and communications technologies (ICTs) – and explore how seed system interventions can be made more gender-transformative. METHODS We first reviewed the existing literature to develop a framework that defines gender-transformative and accommodative seed system interventions and their impacts. We then synthesized lessons learned from the application of this framework to case studies from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda that used ICTs that contained gendered components. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION We discuss how a gender-accommodative approach aims for gender considerations to improve seed systems, while a gender-transformative approach flips the goal around by aiming at progress toward gender equality through seed systems. We find growing evidence on the potential of gender-transformative seed systems interventions to influence positively the empowerment of women and also men, and to create more conducive gender norms, as shown by three case studies on ICT enablers. These case studies also show that accommodative and transformative approaches are often complementary. SIGNIFICANCE We introduce research questions that research and development practitioners can ask to develop accommodative or transformative approaches in seed system interventions, and show the potential of both approaches to progress toward gender equality. The case studies indicate the feasibility of gender-transformative, ICT-enabled seed system interventions, with clear indications of the potential for low-cost adaptation at scale. However, the transformative potential of these interventions requires careful consideration of messaging content, format, and context, as well as strategic public investment and strong political will.

Year published

2025

Authors

Galiè, Alessandra; Kramer, Berber; Spielman, David J.; Kawarazuka, Nozomi; Rietveld, Anne M.; Aju, Stellamaris

Citation

Galiè A., Kramer, B., Spielman, D.J., Kawarazuka, N., Rietveld, A. and Aju, S. 2025. Inclusive and gender-transformative seed systems: Concepts and applications. Agricultural Systems 226: 104320

Country/Region

Ethiopia; Kenya; Uganda

Keywords

Tanzania; Africa; Eastern Africa; Southern Africa; Gender; Crops; Research

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Market Intelligence

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

The full lethal impact of massive cuts to international food aid

2025Osendarp, Sasia; Ruel, Marie T.; Udomkesmalee, Emorn; Tessema, Masresha; Haddad, Lawrence
Details

The full lethal impact of massive cuts to international food aid

Year published

2025

Authors

Osendarp, Sasia; Ruel, Marie T.; Udomkesmalee, Emorn; Tessema, Masresha; Haddad, Lawrence

Citation

Osendarp, Sasia; Ruel, Marie T.; Udomkesmalee, Emorn; Tessema, Masresha; and Haddad, Lawrence. 2025. The full lethal impact of massive cuts to international food aid. Nature 640(8056): 35-37. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-00898-3

Keywords

Development Aid; Food Aid; Food Assistance; Aid Programmes; Development Agencies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Evolution of intimate partner violence impacts from cash transfers, food transfers, and behaviour change communication: Mixed-method experimental evidence from a nine-year post-programme follow-up in Bangladesh

2025Lokot, Michelle; Sultana, Nasrin; Hidrobo, Melissa; Ahmed, Akhter; Hoddinott, John; Rakshit, Deboleena; Roy, Shalini; Ranganathan, Meghna
Details

Evolution of intimate partner violence impacts from cash transfers, food transfers, and behaviour change communication: Mixed-method experimental evidence from a nine-year post-programme follow-up in Bangladesh

Cash or food transfers can reduce intimate partner violence (IPV), but knowledge gaps remain on how impacts evolve over time, and the role of complementary ‘plus’ activities and contextual factors. We conducted a mixed-method analysis of how the Transfer Modality Research Initiative in Bangladesh affected IPV over time. The programme was implemented from 2012 to 2014, following a randomised controlled trial (RCT) design, across Northern and Southern Bangladesh. Intervention arms included monthly cash or food transfers, with or without complementary nutrition behaviour change communication (BCC). We estimate post-programme impacts on IPV using quantitative data collected in 2014–2015, 2018, and 2022, and combine this with qualitative data collected in 2023 to explore how and why IPV impacts evolved over time and the role of contextual factors. In the North, combining cash with BCC led to sustained IPV reductions in each post-programme round, while cash alone reduced IPV in 2022 but not the previous two rounds; food transfers showed no post-programme impacts. In the South, combining food with BCC led to post-programme IPV reductions in 2014–2015; no intervention sustained IPV reductions thereafter. Sustained IPV reductions are primarily driven by improved household economic security and emotional well-being. Other pathways – family relationships (including in-laws’ roles), women’s empowerment, and social and community support – contributed to changing couples’ relationships during the programme but became less salient after the programme ended. Contextual factors, including demographic changes, climate-related changes, external projects and norms condoning IPV appear to influence the sustainability of impacts. Results suggest that ‘plus’ programming was key to sustaining IPV impacts soon after the interventions, but less so by nine years post-programme, as economic security increasingly drove impacts. More mixed method research is needed from the outset to unpack if and how pathways to IPV reduction can be sustained in different contexts over time.

Year published

2025

Authors

Lokot, Michelle; Sultana, Nasrin; Hidrobo, Melissa; Ahmed, Akhter; Hoddinott, John; Rakshit, Deboleena; Roy, Shalini; Ranganathan, Meghna

Citation

Lokot, Michelle; Sultana, Nasrin; Hidrobo, Melissa; Ahmed, Akhter; Hoddinott, John; Rakshit, Deboleena; Roy, Shalini; and Ranganathan, Meghna. 2025. Evolution of intimate partner violence impacts from cash transfers, food transfers, and behaviour change communication: Mixed-method experimental evidence from a nine-year post-programme follow-up in Bangladesh. Social Science and Medicine 371(April 2025): 117901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117901

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Behaviour; Cash Transfers; Communication; Domestic Violence; Social Protection

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Adapting the Women’s Empowerment in Nutrition Index: Lessons from Kenya

2025Lentz, Erin; Jensen, Nathaniel D.; Lepariyo, Watson; Narayanan, Sudha; Bageant, Elizabeth
Details

Adapting the Women’s Empowerment in Nutrition Index: Lessons from Kenya

Women face a disproportionate burden of malnutrition and food insecurity. Research has shown that women’s empowerment can buffer women against nutritional problems. This paper contributes to ongoing efforts to measure women’s empowerment that are both context-sensitive and universal, focusing on the recently developed Women’s Empowerment in Nutrition Index (WENI). Earlier research has shown it is both a valid construct and positively related to dietary and nutritional outcomes of women in South Asia. We establish that WENI is generalizable to agropastoral and pastoral Kenya, an area with substantially different livelihoods, food system, norms, and institutions than South Asia. We find that a locally contextualized WENI is strongly associated with women’s body mass index and dietary diversity as well as household level food insecurity. We also present findings for two shorter variations of WENI: an abbreviated WENI (A-WENI) and a cross context WENI (CC-WENI). A-WENI contains a small subset of WENI indicators identified using machine learning with South Asian data and therefore is context-specific. CC-WENI does not contain indicators specific to the validation context. We find that they perform comparably well with caveats. Thus, as use of WENI expands we recommend adapting WENI for in-depth analyses of women’s nutritional empowerment; using CC-WENI for cross-context comparisons; and using A-WENI for rapid appraisals of community level progress in a given context.

Year published

2025

Authors

Lentz, Erin; Jensen, Nathaniel D.; Lepariyo, Watson; Narayanan, Sudha; Bageant, Elizabeth

Citation

Lentz, E., Jensen, N., Lepariyo, W., Narayanan, S. and Bageant, E. 2025. Adapting the Women’s Empowerment in Nutrition Index: Lessons from Kenya. World Development 188: 106887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2024.106887

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Nutrition; Women; Malnutrition; Food Security; Food Systems; Indicators; Women’s Empowerment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Dataset on the patterns of livelihood diversification in farming systems of the Eastern Gangetic Plains of South Asia

2025
Jackson, Tamara M.; Nandi, Ravi; Jannat, Arifa; Ghosh, Arunava; Hajra, Dilip Kumar; Mitra, Biplab; Rashid, Md Mamunur; Bista, Sagar; Chaudhary, Anjana; Timsina, Pragya
…more Karki, Emma; Thapa, Kali Rattan; Rana, Gunjan; Kishore, Avinash
Details

Dataset on the patterns of livelihood diversification in farming systems of the Eastern Gangetic Plains of South Asia

The Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP) region, characterized by smallholder-dominated farming, is experiencing rapid socio-economic and environmental changes. To enhance resilience, income stability, and food security, smallholders are increasingly diversifying their livelihoods away from traditional agriculture. However, the patterns and drivers of this diversification remain poorly understood. This study, utilizing data from the Rupantar project, aims to elucidate these patterns, identify key drivers, and assess the impacts on productivity, profitability, nutrition, and inclusion. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including a baseline survey of 1,400 households across India, Nepal, and Bangladesh and analysis using the Simpson’s Index of Diversity (SID). Fractional regression models revealed moderate diversification levels across the EGP with significant geographical and contextual variability. Key drivers included access to resources, gender, education, market access, and institutional support, with differences observed across countries and diversification types. Factors such as non-ownership of irrigation pumps, female household headship, and engagement in off-farm activities were significant predictors of higher diversification. The study found that diversification can enhance income security, nutritional outcomes, and environmental sustainability, although impacts vary by diversification type.

Year published

2025

Authors

Jackson, Tamara M.; Nandi, Ravi; Jannat, Arifa; Ghosh, Arunava; Hajra, Dilip Kumar; Mitra, Biplab; Rashid, Md Mamunur; Bista, Sagar; Chaudhary, Anjana; Timsina, Pragya; Karki, Emma; Thapa, Kali Rattan; Rana, Gunjan; Kishore, Avinash

Citation

Jackson, Tamara M.; Nandi, Ravi; Jannat, Arifa; Ghosh, Arunava; Hajra, Dilip Kumar; Mitra, Biplab; et al. Dataset on the patterns of livelihood diversification in farming systems of the Eastern Gangetic Plains of South Asia. Data in Brief 59(April 2025): 111372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2025.111372

Country/Region

Bangladesh; India; Nepal

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Diversification; Farming Systems; Livelihoods; Smallholders; Data

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Adoption or placement in foster care and catch-up in linear growth and development: A meta-analysis of individual participant data

2025Leroy, Jef L.; Angel, Moira Donahue; Frongillo, Edward A.
Details

Adoption or placement in foster care and catch-up in linear growth and development: A meta-analysis of individual participant data

Background The ability of children to recover from linear growth retardation, often referred to as catch-up growth, has intrigued researchers for many decades. Whether adoption from a low-to a high-income setting, which provides a comprehensive improvement in the conditions that cause children to not grow well, leads to catch-up growth is unknown. Objective We estimated the association of adoption (or placement in foster care) with catch-up in linear growth and child development before 5 years of age. Methods We conducted a two-stage meta-analysis using individual participant data for linear growth. We obtained study-specific and subgroup estimates and pooled the estimates using random-effects models. Sensitivity analyses were used to assess the robustness of our findings. A review of child development outcomes was conducted. Results We included 485 children under 5 years of age from 9 adoption studies. At baseline, children had a mean age of 15.8 mo and a length deficit of 3.9 cm. Adoption reduced this gap by 77% or 3.0 cm (95% CI: 1.9-4.1 cm)(mean age 32.3 mo). Catch-up growth was found in both girls (3.6 cm; 95% CI 2.9-4.2 cm) and boys (2.5 cm; 95% CI: 1.9-3.1 cm) and in children adopted after the age of 24 mo (2.2 cm, 95% CI 0.6-3.7 cm). The sensitivity analyses did not change any of the substantive findings. The magnitude of catch-up in child development (mean reduction in deficit of 46%) was smaller than in linear growth. Conclusions Catch-up in linear growth in children under five is biologically possible when the environment is improved profoundly and comprehensively. Partial reversal of the accumulated height deficit was more likely than recovery in developmental outcomes which highlights the need to ensure all children grow and develop in environments that prevent deficits from occurring rather than trying to correct them.

Year published

2025

Authors

Leroy, Jef L.; Angel, Moira Donahue; Frongillo, Edward A.

Citation

Leroy, Jef L.; Angel, Moira Donahue; and Frongillo, Edward A. 2025. Adoption or placement in foster care and catch-up in linear growth and development: A meta-analysis of individual participant data. Advances in Nutrition 16(4): 100395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2025.100395

Keywords

Child Development; Children; Growth; Stunting

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

The unmet financial needs of intermediary firms within agri-food value chains in Uganda and Bangladesh

2025Adong, Annet; Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; de Brauw, Alan; Herskowitz, Sylvan; Islam, A.H.M. Saiful; Wagner, Julia
Details

The unmet financial needs of intermediary firms within agri-food value chains in Uganda and Bangladesh

JEL Codes: L14, L81, O13, Q13

Year published

2025

Authors

Adong, Annet; Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; de Brauw, Alan; Herskowitz, Sylvan; Islam, A.H.M. Saiful; Wagner, Julia

Citation

Adong, Annet; Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; de Brauw, Alan; Herskowitz, Sylvan; Islam, A.H.M. Saiful; and Wagner, Julia. 2025. The unmet financial needs of intermediary firms within agri-food value chains in Uganda and Bangladesh. Food Policy 132(April 2025): 102838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102838

Country/Region

Uganda; Bangladesh

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Asia; Southern Asia; Agrifood Systems; Arabica Coffee; Potatoes; Rice; Soybeans; Value Chains; Capital Markets; Financial Inclusion

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Farmers’ pesticide use, disposal behavior, and pre-harvest interval: A case study from Nigeria

2025Gurmui, Mesay Yami; Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O.; Richards, Maiwada; Wossen, Tesfamicheal; Falade, Titilayo; Oyinbo, Oyakhilomen; Yamauchi, Futoshi; Chamberlin, Jordan; Feleke, Shiferaw; Abdoulaye, Tahirou
Details

Farmers’ pesticide use, disposal behavior, and pre-harvest interval: A case study from Nigeria

In Sub-Saharan Africa, small farmers rely heavily rely on synthetic pesticides, the overuse of which poses significant risks to human health, the environment, and food safety. Yet detailed empirical evidence on knowledge of and the knowledge and drivers of pesticide management practices remains scarce, limiting insights for policymakers and development practitioners. To address this gap, we leveraged on data collected from 1556 tomato producers in Northern Nigeria to investigate the determinants of pesticide use behavior using a sequential-exploratory mixed-method approach. We examined a broader range of pest management-related practices than prior literature, including safety equipment usage, pesticide disposal methods, and adherence to pre-harvest intervals (PHIs)-, which is the intervals between the last pesticide application and the crop harvest. We found substantial noncompliance with the recommended practices: 45% of farmers reuse empty pesticide containers for other purposes, 14% discard them on the farm, 15% burn containers in open fires, and 40% harvest tomatoes within 1–5 days after pesticide application, violating the 7-day PHI guideline. These findings suggest that many tomato farmers adopt unsafe practices, which have adverse implications for their health, the environment, and the safety of food available to consumers. We show that training on pesticide disposal and midstream market channels (e.g., wholesalers and aggregators) are strongly correlated with improved pesticide handling and higher PHI compliance. Overall, our results underscore the need for targeted training programs to enhance farmers’ awareness of safe pesticide application, disposal practices, and PHI adherence. These efforts should be complemented by stronger regulatory frameworks and mechanisms to align farmer pesticide use practices with consumer preferences for safe products, as observed by in the higher PHI adherence among farmers selling to midstream actors.

Year published

2025

Authors

Gurmui, Mesay Yami; Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O.; Richards, Maiwada; Wossen, Tesfamicheal; Falade, Titilayo; Oyinbo, Oyakhilomen; Yamauchi, Futoshi; Chamberlin, Jordan; Feleke, Shiferaw; Abdoulaye, Tahirou

Citation

Gurmui, Mesay Yami; Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O.; Richards, Maiwada; Wossen, Tesfamicheal; Falade, Titilayo; et al. 2025. Farmers’ pesticide use, disposal behavior, and pre-harvest interval: A case study from Nigeria. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 9: 1520943. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1520943

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Western Africa; Farmers; Pesticide Application; Harvesting; Pesticides; Smallholders

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Imperfect competition and asymmetric welfare effects of global price and productivity shocks: a CGE model analysis for Senegal

2025Zidouemba, Patrice Relouende; Traoré, Fousseini; Odjo, Sunday Pierre
Details

Imperfect competition and asymmetric welfare effects of global price and productivity shocks: a CGE model analysis for Senegal

This article investigates the asymmetric effects of global price and productivity shocks on welfare in the context of imperfect competition. The primary objective is to understand how market concentration affects the transmission of economic shocks and their impacts on various households. A CGE model, calibrated on a 2014 social accounting matrix for Senegal, is used. The model features a trading sector operating under a Cournot oligopoly with increasing returns to scale. Two scenarios are simulated: a 15% increase in global import prices and a 10% increase in agricultural productivity, each considering different levels of market concentration. The findings reveal that higher global import prices reduce household well-being, a situation exacerbated by low market competition. In contrast, agricultural productivity gains enhance well-being, with these benefits amplified by greater competition. However, the wealthiest households in Dakar benefit from low competition due to their positions in oligopolistic companies. To maximize household well-being, economic policies should focus on strengthening market competition, particularly in the trading sector. Actions such as reducing entry barriers for new businesses and regulating anti-competitive practices can help mitigate the adverse effects of global price increases and amplify the benefits of agricultural productivity gains.

Year published

2025

Authors

Zidouemba, Patrice Relouende; Traoré, Fousseini; Odjo, Sunday Pierre

Citation

Zidouemba, Patrice Relouende; Traore, Fousseini; and Odjo, Sunday Pierre. 2025. Imperfect competition and asymmetric welfare effects of global price and productivity shocks: a CGE model analysis for Senegal. Cogent Economics and Finance 13(1): 2475160. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322039.2025.2475160

Country/Region

Senegal

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Prices; Shock; Markets; Agricultural Productivity; Households; Computable General Equilibrium Models

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Co-occurrence of stunting and off-track early child development in low- and middle-income countries

2025Jeong, Joshua; Chi, Hyejun; Bliznashka, Lilia; Pitchik, Helen O.; Kim, Rockli
Details

Co-occurrence of stunting and off-track early child development in low- and middle-income countries

Importance: Although children across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are increasingly surviving, many are not fully thriving. Both stunting and off-track early child development (ECD) hinder children’s potential to thrive. Objectives: To estimate the global prevalence of the co-occurrence of stunting and off-track ECD and explore its association with nurturing care and sociodemographic factors. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study pooled data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (2010-2020) on 173 416 children aged 36-59 months in 41 LMICs. Statistical analysis was conducted from February to December 2024. Exposure: Risk factors pertaining to inadequate nurturing care, low socioeconomic status, and other sociodemographic characteristics. Main Outcomes and Measures: Children were classified into 4 groups with respect to thriving: children who were stunted only (height-for-age z score <−2 SD), off-track ECD only (measured using the Early Childhood Development Index), both stunted and off-track ECD (co-occurrence), or neither. Results: In the pooled sample of 173 416 children, the mean (SD) child age was 47.1 (6.8) months, and 88 242 (50.9%) were boys. Approximately 1 in 6 children (17.0% [95% CI, 16.8%-17.2%]) were both stunted and had off-track ECD, 17.1% (95% CI, 16.9%-17.3%) were stunted only, 27.8% (95% CI, 27.6%-28.0%) had off-track ECD only, and 38.1% (95% CI, 37.9%-38.4%) were neither stunted nor had off-track ECD. Socioeconomic gradients were observed, with more co-occurrence in lower-income countries (18.2% [95% CI, 17.9%-18.6%]), poorer households (22.1% [95% CI, 21.7%-22.5%] for poorest wealth quintile), mothers with lower educational levels (20.8% [95% CI, 20.6%-21.0%] for primary education or less), and rural settings (19.3% [95% CI, 19.1%-19.6%]). Various indicators of inadequate nurturing care along with low socioeconomic status were associated with co-occurrence. The top 5 factors associated with co-occurrence were poorest wealth quintile (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.75; 95% CI, 2.53-2.99), no early childhood education (AOR, 2.22; 95% CI, 2.10-2.34), low maternal educational level (AOR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.37-1.51), no toys at home (AOR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.35-1.51), and diarrhea (AOR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.31-1.45). The associations of poor household wealth, no birth registration, and no early childhood education with co-occurrence were significantly larger than their associations with stunting only or off-track ECD only. Conclusions and Relevance: This cross-sectional study of young children in LMICs suggests that a significant proportion were both stunted and had off-track ECD. These findings underscore the need for multisectoral interventions that holistically target nutrition, health, and ECD risks to ensure that all children globally can thrive, especially those facing the double burden of stunting and off-track ECD.

Year published

2025

Authors

Jeong, Joshua; Chi, Hyejun; Bliznashka, Lilia; Pitchik, Helen O.; Kim, Rockli

Citation

Jeong, Joshua; Chi, Hyejun; Bliznashka, Lilia; Pitchik, Helen O.; and Kim, Rockli. 2025. Co-occurrence of stunting and off-track early child development in low- and middle-income countries. JAMA Network Open 8(3): e2462263. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.62263

Keywords

Stunting; Child Development; Less Favoured Areas

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Quality of routine health and nutrition data in Ethiopia: A systematic review

2025Zerfu, Taddese Alemu; Genye, Tirsit; Tareke, Amare Abera
Details

Quality of routine health and nutrition data in Ethiopia: A systematic review

Background High-quality data are vital for informed decision-making, enhancing population health, and achieving comprehensive insights. However, there is limited understanding of the consistency and reliability of routine Health Management Information System (HMIS) including nutrition data across diverse regions in Ethiopia. This study systematically reviewed the existing literature to address these knowledge gaps. Methods We systematically searched PubMed, HINARI, and Google Scholar for studies published from 2015 onwards to assess HMIS, including nutrition data quality in Ethiopia. The evaluations focused on completeness, consistency, and timeliness metrics defined by the WHO. We included diverse regional studies without indicator restrictions, prioritized data quality metrics as primary outcomes, and explored qualitative reasons for poor data quality as secondary outcomes. Results Of the 1790 papers screened, 25 met the inclusion criteria. The completeness of reporting varied widely among studies (50%–100%), with only 21% (4 out of 19) exceeding 90%. The consistency ranged from 38.9% to 90.5%, with only 6% of studies reporting internal consistency above 90%. Other consistency issues included lack of external consistency, indicator discrepancies, and outliers. Timeliness ranged from 41.9% to 93.7%, with 54% of studies reporting below 80%. In addition to the lack of studies addressing nutrition data, the quality was no better than other components of HMIS. The major factors contributing to poor data quality were human resource shortages, insufficient capacity building, behavioural influences, and infrastructural deficits. Conclusion The HMIS including nutrition data in Ethiopia, exhibited deficiencies in completeness, consistency, and timeliness, which were largely, attributed to capacity and resource constraints. Interventions should prioritize resource allocation, staff training, supervision, and feedback mechanisms to enhance data quality, thereby improving decision-making processes and population health outcomes.

Year published

2025

Authors

Zerfu, Taddese Alemu; Genye, Tirsit; Tareke, Amare Abera

Citation

Zerfu, Taddese Alemu; Genye, Tirsit; and Tareke, Amare Abera. 2025. Quality of routine health and nutrition data in Ethiopia: A systematic review. PLoS ONE 20(3): e0316498. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316498

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Data; Health; Nutrition; Data Quality

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Armed conflict and gendered participation in agrifood systems: Survey evidence from 29 African countries

2025Ronzani, Piero; Stojetz, Wolfgang; Azzarri, Carlo; Nico, Gianluigi; Mane, Erdgin; Brück, Tilman
Details

Armed conflict and gendered participation in agrifood systems: Survey evidence from 29 African countries

This paper provides empirical micro-level evidence on the gendered impacts of armed conflict on economic activity in agriculture and other sectors, combining large-N sex-disaggregated survey data with temporally and spatially disaggregated conflict event data from 29 African countries. We find that local conflict exposure is only weakly related to labour-force participation, but strongly reduces the total number of hours worked and increases engagement in the agricultural sector. These net impacts exist for both men and women. However, the reduction in hours worked is significantly greater among men, while the increase in agricultural activity is significantly greater among women. In the longer term, impacts of conflict on employment two years later are stronger when no more conflict ensues than if further conflict occurs, challenging the widespread idea of one-off conflict shocks fading away over time and suggesting that labour markets adapt to and absorb lasting conflict situations. Different types of conflict event have qualitatively similar impacts, which are strongest for explosions, such as from air strikes or landmines. Overall, our findings underline that armed conflict entails structural economic, social and institutional change, which creates complex, gendered impacts on economic activity.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ronzani, Piero; Stojetz, Wolfgang; Azzarri, Carlo; Nico, Gianluigi; Mane, Erdgin; Brück, Tilman

Citation

Ronzani, Piero; Stojetz, Wolfgang; Azzarri, Carlo; Nico, Gianluigi; Mane, Erdgin; and Brück, Tilman. 2025. Armed conflict and gendered participation in agrifood systems: Survey evidence from 29 African countries. Global Food Security 44: 100821. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2024.100821

Keywords

Africa; Data; Gender; Labour Market; Armed Conflicts; Agriculture; Employment; Women’s Participation; Agrifood Systems

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Building Ethiopia’s food security resilience to climate and hydrological change

2025Murgatroyd, Anna; Thomas, Timothy S.; Koo, Jawoo; Strzepek, Kenneth M.; Hall, Jim
Details

Building Ethiopia’s food security resilience to climate and hydrological change

Historically Ethiopia’s food security has been sensitive to climatic variability, but changes in future weather and climate could lead to overall reductions and increased variability in agricultural production, without further adaptation. We present an integrated modelling assessment framework which combines climate, crop, and hydrological modelling to quantify future risks to Ethiopia’s food security. We explore the impacts of 2°C and higher climate change scenarios on water availability and crop yields and simulate how future climate shocks may impact Ethiopia’s food. We consider three adaptations to agricultural management practices (improved seed varieties, increased use of nitrogen fertilizer and supplementary irrigation) and quantify their effectiveness in enhancing the resilience of Ethiopia’s food system to climate and hydrological change by 2050. Results show that, without policy intervention, climate change creates a risk of declining Meher season crop yields across Ethiopia. Under the worst climate change scenario, teff (−12.0%), barley (−6.7%), and wheat (−4.4%) are projected to have the largest decline in average yields, whilst maize (−0.1%) and sorghum (+0.9%) yields are less impacted thanks to more favourable growing conditions. However, the results also indicate that the adaptation options have a bigger beneficial effect than the climate impact. Of the policies evaluated, improved seeds have a relatively greater effect than increased fertilizer use. Supplementary irrigation could help to mitigate increases in crop water requirements under warmer climate conditions and is most effective in drought prone basins and for drought-vulnerable crops. Overall, the results show that locally relevant agricultural policies are necessary to build Ethiopia’s food system resilience to climate and hydrological change by the mid-century.

Year published

2025

Authors

Murgatroyd, Anna; Thomas, Timothy S.; Koo, Jawoo; Strzepek, Kenneth M.; Hall, Jim

Citation

Murgatroyd, Anna; Thomas, Timothy S.; Koo, Jawoo; Strzepek, Kenneth M.; and Hall, Jim. 2025. Building Ethiopia’s food security resilience to climate and hydrological change. Environmental Research: Food Systems 2(1): 015008. https://doi.org/10.1088/2976-601X/ad99dd

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Food Security; Resilience; Climate Change; Climate Resilience; Hydrological Cycle

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Foresight

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Perspective: Can growth monitoring and promotion accurately diagnose or screen for inadequate growth of individual children? A critical review of the epidemiological foundations

2025Leroy, Jef L.; Brander, Rebecca L.; Frongillo, Edward A.; Larson, Leila M.; Ruel, Marie T.; Avula, Rasmi
Details

Perspective: Can growth monitoring and promotion accurately diagnose or screen for inadequate growth of individual children? A critical review of the epidemiological foundations

Growth monitoring and promotion (GMP), the process of periodic anthropometric measurements to assess the adequacy of individual child growth, is implemented across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The epidemiological foundations of GMP (i.e., that GMP can accurately diagnose or screen for inadequate growth) have never been critically reviewed. We first assessed growth patterns of individual healthy children. Using longitudinal data from low-, middle-, and high-income countries, we evaluated whether commonly used GMP criteria can be used for diagnosis and screening; i.e., if they accurately identify current, or predict subsequent, inadequate growth in individual children. The growth of individual healthy children does not track along a specific growth curve which challenges the notion that growth measurements alone can be used to distinguish between healthy and inadequate growth. We demonstrate that GMP criteria do not provide meaningful diagnostic information and that GMP is not a meaningful screening activity: commonly used GMP criteria are inaccurate predictors of (inadequate) growth later in childhood; and collecting individual children’s weight and height does not help to identify who needs support or who will benefit. Our results do not undermine the importance of dedicated programs to diagnose wasting in individual children nor do they challenge the need for well-child care to support parents and to ensure children’s optimal nutrition, health, and development. Our findings, however, highlight the need to carefully reconsider the current design of GMP in LMICs.

Year published

2025

Authors

Leroy, Jef L.; Brander, Rebecca L.; Frongillo, Edward A.; Larson, Leila M.; Ruel, Marie T.; Avula, Rasmi

Citation

Leroy, Jef L.; Brander, Rebecca L.; Frongillo, Edward A.; Larson, Leila M.; Ruel, Marie T.; and Avula, Rasmi. 2025. Perspective: Can growth monitoring and promotion accurately diagnose or screen for inadequate growth of individual children? A critical review of the epidemiological foundations. Advances in Nutrition 16(3): 100367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2025.100367

Keywords

Child Growth; Diagnosis; Epidemiology; Screening; Stunting; Undernutrition; Wasting

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

A band selection method for consumer-grade camera modification for UAV-based rapeseed growth monitoring

2025
Wang, Chufeng; Zhang, Jian; Wu, Hao; Liu, Bin; Wang, Botao; You, Yunhao; Tan, Zuojun; Xie, Jing; You, Liangzhi; Zhang, Junqiang
…more Wen, Ping
Details

A band selection method for consumer-grade camera modification for UAV-based rapeseed growth monitoring

Near-infrared (NIR) modification of low-cost cameras is considered an important method to acquire high-resolution NIR images on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform. However, few studies have examined filter selection methods to modify consumer-grade cameras for UAV-based agricultural crop monitoring. This study addresses a key challenge: how to balance imaging quality with spectral sensitivity when selecting filters for the modification of consumer-grade cameras. To this end, the normalized difference spectral index (NDSI) and the ratio spectral index (RSI) formulations were used to calculate the spectral indices (SIs) from all possible combinations of any two center wavelengths in UAV hyperspectral data. The contour maps of the coefficient of determination (R2) between the SIs and ground-measured rapeseed LAI were then computed to automatically generate the broadband combinations with optimized center wavelengths and effective bandwidths for selecting filters on camera modification. Results showed that a consumer-grade camera (Nikon D7000) modified by the selected filters had performance comparable with a multispectral camera (RedEdge Micasense 3), but slightly worse than a research-grade hyperspectral camera (Nano-Hyperspec®) in terms of SIs for LAI estimation. In addition, the high-resolution images from the modified camera were processed to obtain accurate crop plant height information. The SIs coupled with plant height from the modified camera (rRMSE = 18.1 % for field 1 and 14.3 % for field 2) was found to perform similar to, and in some cases even better than, those from the research-grade multispectral (rRMSE = 17.9 % and 16.7 % for the respective fields) and hyperspectral (rRMSE = 18.8 % for field 1) cameras for UAV-based LAI estimation. The findings from this study indicate that the proposed camera modification method is feasible and adaptable to agricultural crop monitoring. Thus, appropriately modified consumer-grade cameras can be a cost-effective replacement for research-grade sensors to rapidly and accurately assess crop growth status.

Year published

2025

Authors

Wang, Chufeng; Zhang, Jian; Wu, Hao; Liu, Bin; Wang, Botao; You, Yunhao; Tan, Zuojun; Xie, Jing; You, Liangzhi; Zhang, Junqiang; Wen, Ping

Citation

Wang, Chufeng; Zhang, Jian; Wu, Hao; Liu, Bin; Wang, Botao; You, Yunhao ; et al. 2025. A band selection method for consumer-grade camera modification for UAV-based rapeseed growth monitoring. Smart Agricultural Technology 10(March 2025): 100830. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2025.100830

Keywords

Cameras; Rapeseed; Sensors; Crop Monitoring; Aerial Photography

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Project

Climate Resilience

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Employment impacts of agrifood system innovations and policies: A review of the evidence

2025Berdegué, Julio A.; Trivelli, Carolina; Vos, Rob
Details

Employment impacts of agrifood system innovations and policies: A review of the evidence

The agrifood sector (AFS) constitutes about one-sixth of the global economy and is the world’s largest source of employment, supporting the livelihoods of most of the world’s poor and vulnerable people (Corong et al., 2024; Yi et al., 2024). In recent decades, global agricultural productivity has increased due to technological and institutional innovations. This has contributed to poverty reduction and improved food security. Despite these positive contributions, however, poverty remains widespread among rural and agrifood sector producers and workers. The challenge remains to address the constraints these producers and workers face and also enable more inclusive value chain development that would provide decent livelihoods and employment for those currently left behind. To this end, the CGIAR Initiative “Rethinking Food Markets and Value Chains for Inclusion and Sustainability” commissioned a meta study to identify knowledge gaps regarding the impacts of developing countries’ agrifood value chain (AVC) integration and modernization processes on employment and income sharing (Berdegué et al., 2023). This paper summarizes its key findings and draws conclusions for further research.

Year published

2025

Authors

Berdegué, Julio A.; Trivelli, Carolina; Vos, Rob

Citation

Berdegué, Julio A.; Trivelli, Carolina; and Vos, Rob. 2025. Employment impacts of agrifood system innovations and policies: A review of the evidence. Global Food Security 44(March 2025): 100832. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2025.100832

Keywords

Employment; Agrifood Systems; Policies; Technology Adoption; Food Security; Poverty; Value Chains

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Understanding pastoralist adaptations to drought via games and choice experiments: Field testing among Borana communities

2025Bell, Andrew Reid; Rakotonarivo, O. Sarobidy; Zhang, Wei; De Petris, Caterina; Kipchumba, Adams; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.
Details

Understanding pastoralist adaptations to drought via games and choice experiments: Field testing among Borana communities

Transhumant and nomadic pastoralism in arid and semi-arid spaces from West through Central, East, and Southern Africa is regarded as critical to regional system resilience and food security. Although pastoral systems are highly adapted and adaptive to uncertainty and change, recent decades of severe climatic events and increasing resource pressure are pushing pastoral systems to adopt novel norms and practices. Importantly, forage residue conservation and private forage enclosures are becoming important practices among herders and non-herders alike. As one part of considering the relevance of these responses in shaping the future trajectory of transhumant pastoralism, we developed a multi-part intervention for measuring and observing preferences in pastoral systems, including a novel experimental game called GreenReserve, and tested it in Borana communities in northern Kenya. We found that GreenReserve captured dimensions of human-environment dilemmas faced by pastoralists, and shifted preferences around herd size, losses, and the use of time, as measured through a repeated discrete choice experiment. We found game groups with younger players and with more female players to include more exploration of pastoral adaptations such as the use of grass reserves and the harvesting of grass, as well as to have less conflict within the game. We also observed both preferences as well as game strategy to shift along the length of the study: as the region moved further into a drought and failed short rainy season, players were more conscious of large herds, bad rainfall-year losses, and made better use of reserves in game play, though it was beyond the scope of the current study to determine causality. Future research is needed to unpack the mechanisms underlying the variations and possible shift in preferences and subsequently help identify entry points for targeted interventions (including agricultural extension services) to support pastoral communities in climate change adaptation. Further, these first fieldwork findings suggest two key dimensions for expanded work beyond this study to identify whether mixed methods approaches such as this aid experiential learning in agriculture contexts.

Year published

2025

Authors

Bell, Andrew Reid; Rakotonarivo, O. Sarobidy; Zhang, Wei; De Petris, Caterina; Kipchumba, Adams; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.

Citation

Bell, Andrew Reid; Rakotonarivo, O. Sarobidy; Zhang, Wei; De Petris, Caterina; Kipchumba, Adams; and Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S. 2025. Understanding pastoralist adaptations to drought via games and choice experiments: Field testing among Borana communities. Ecology and Society 30(1): 25. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-15836-300125

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Pastoralists; Drought; Food Security; Experiential Learning; Climate Change Adaptation; Climate Change

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Low-Emission Food Systems

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Risk-appropriate, science-based innovation regulations are important

2025Ludlow, Karinne; Falck-Zepeda, José B.; Smyth, Stuart J.
Details

Risk-appropriate, science-based innovation regulations are important

Year published

2025

Authors

Ludlow, Karinne; Falck-Zepeda, José B.; Smyth, Stuart J.

Citation

Ludlow, Karinne; Falck-Zepeda, José B.; and Smyth, Stuart J. 2025. Risk-appropriate, science-based innovation regulations are important. Trends in Biotechnology 43(3): 502-510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.11.004

Keywords

Regulations; Biotechnology; Agriculture; Food Security; Agricultural Innovation

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Protocol: Food environment, food choice, diets, and nutrition outcomes of pastoralists in Africa: Scoping review protocol

2025Omosa, Esther; Cattaneo, Francoise; Kibbee, Matthew; Dominguez-Salas, Paula; Bishop, Natasha; Brouwer, Inge D.
Details

Protocol: Food environment, food choice, diets, and nutrition outcomes of pastoralists in Africa: Scoping review protocol

This is the protocol for a Campbell scoping review. The objectives are as follows: (i) To define and characterize the food environment of pastoralists in Africa; (ii) To identify the domains of the food environment that have been studied in pastoralist settings in Africa; (iii) To assess the relationship between the food environment and food choice, dietary intake, and nutrition outcomes among pastoralists in Africa; and (iv) To map the study designs, methods, and geographical coverage of the studies.

Year published

2025

Authors

Omosa, Esther; Cattaneo, Francoise; Kibbee, Matthew; Dominguez-Salas, Paula; Bishop, Natasha; Brouwer, Inge D.

Citation

Omosa, Esther; Cattaneo, Francoise; Kibbee, Matthew; Dominguez-Salas, Paula; Bishop, Natasha; and Brouwer, Inge D. 2025. Protocol: Food environment, food choice, diets, and nutrition outcomes of pastoralists in Africa: Scoping review protocol. Campbell Systematic Reviews 21(1): e70030. https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.70030

Keywords

Africa; Diet; Feeding Preferences; Food Environment; Pastoralists

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Maternal balanced energy-protein supplementation reshapes the maternal gut microbiome and enhances carbohydrate metabolism in infants: A randomized controlled trial

2025
Deng, Lishi; Taelman, Steff; Olm, Matthew R.; Toe, Laeticia Celine; Balini, Eva; Ouédraogo, Lionel Olivier; Bastos-Moreira, Yuri; Argaw, Alemayehu; Tesfamariam, Kokeb; Sonnenburg, Erica D.
…more Hanley-Cook, Giles T.; Ouédraogo, Moctar; Ganaba, Rasmané; Criekinge, Wim Van; Huybregts, Lieven; Stock, Michiel; Kolsteren, Patrick; Sonnenburg, Justin L.; Lachat, Carl; Dailey-Chwalibóg, Trenton
Details

Maternal balanced energy-protein supplementation reshapes the maternal gut microbiome and enhances carbohydrate metabolism in infants: A randomized controlled trial

Balanced energy-protein (BEP) supplementation during pregnancy and lactation can improve birth outcomes and infant growth, with the gut microbiome as a potential mediator. The MISAME-III randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT03533712) assessed the effect of BEP supplementation, provided during pregnancy and the first six months of lactation, on small-for-gestational age prevalence and length-for-age Z-scores at six months in rural Burkina Faso. Nested within MISAME-III, this sub-study examines the impact of BEP supplementation on maternal and infant gut microbiomes and their mediating role in birth outcomes and infant growth. A total of 152 mother-infant dyads (n = 71 intervention, n = 81 control) were included for metagenomic sequencing, with stool samples collected at the second and third trimesters, and at 1–2 and 5–6 months postpartum. BEP supplementation significantly altered maternal gut microbiome diversity, composition, and function, particularly those with immune-modulatory properties. Pathways linked to lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis were depleted and the species Bacteroides fragilis was enriched in BEP-supplemented mothers. Maternal BEP supplementation also accelerated infant microbiome changes and enhanced carbohydrate metabolism. Causal mediation analyses identified specific taxa mediating the effect of BEP on birth outcomes and infant growth. These findings suggest that maternal supplementation modulates gut microbiome composition and influences early-life development in resource-limited settings.

Year published

2025

Authors

Deng, Lishi; Taelman, Steff; Olm, Matthew R.; Toe, Laeticia Celine; Balini, Eva; Ouédraogo, Lionel Olivier; Bastos-Moreira, Yuri; Argaw, Alemayehu; Tesfamariam, Kokeb; Sonnenburg, Erica D.; Hanley-Cook, Giles T.; Ouédraogo, Moctar; Ganaba, Rasmané; Criekinge, Wim Van; Huybregts, Lieven; Stock, Michiel; Kolsteren, Patrick; Sonnenburg, Justin L.; Lachat, Carl; Dailey-Chwalibóg, Trenton

Citation

Deng, Lishi; Taelman, Steff; Olm, Matthew R.; Toe, Laeticia Celine; Balini, Eva; Ouédraogo, Lionel Olivier; et al. 2025. Maternal balanced energy-protein supplementation reshapes the maternal gut microbiome and enhances carbohydrate metabolism in infants: A randomized controlled trial. Nature Communications 16(2025): 2683. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57838-y

Keywords

Carbohydrate Metabolism; Infants; Maternal and Child Health; Maternal Behaviour; Microbiomes; Pregnancy

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Seed certification, certified seeds use and yield outcomes in Nigeria: Insights from nationally-representative farm panel data and seed company location data

2025
Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Ragasa, Catherine; Bamiwuye, Temilolu; Andam, Kwaw S.; Spielman, David J.; Edeh, Hyacinth O.; Fasoranti, Adetunji; Haile, Beliyou; Nwagboso, Chibuzo; Omoigui, Lucky O.
…more Abdoulaye, Tahirou; Kumar, P. Lava; Wossen, Tesfamicheal
Details

Seed certification, certified seeds use and yield outcomes in Nigeria: Insights from nationally-representative farm panel data and seed company location data

CONTEXT Despite the importance of enhanced seed quality to agricultural productivity growth, evidence remains scarce regarding the nature and possible drivers of returns to formal sector quality assurance systems, including certified seeds production in countries like Nigeria that focus significantly on the formal-sector seed systems. OBJECTIVE This study narrows this knowledge gap by estimating the effect of the quantity of certified seeds produced and the spatial variations where they are produced on the use of certified seeds and yields. We also assess the yield effects of certified seeds use and their relationship with agroclimatic and socioeconomic conditions. METHODS We combine nationally-representative farm-household survey panel data with spatial data on the headquarters locations of seed companies, the quantity of certified seeds for maize, cowpea, and rice that they produce, and spatially explicit agroecological data. We apply panel fixed effects methods as well as instrumental-variable methods to address potential endogeneity associated with certified seeds use while also controlling for the use of improved varieties to separate their effects from the effects of certified seeds. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that the availability of certified seeds—captured by indicators of certified seeds produced by seed companies headquartered in the states of survey respondents—is associated with positive but declining marginal effects on certified seeds use and yields. These results are robust when we also consider the potential within-state heterogeneity in the proximity to seed company headquarters, as well as potential spillovers from the nearest adjacent states. The yield effects of certified seeds are heterogeneous and depend on agroclimatic conditions and farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics. The use of certified seeds is somewhat higher in areas with higher yield effects after controlling for certified seeds production. These patterns partly lead to observed non-linearities in certified seeds use because certified seeds may be more likely to be used by farmers with higher expected returns than farmers with lower expected returns. These results underscore the importance of spatially targeted efforts in enhancing certified seeds production capacity, together with the exploration of intermediate quality standards in the short term where costs of seed certification are high relative to returns. SIGNIFICANCE The study provides unique quantitative evidence in a nationally representative framework in an African country that returns to seed certification systems in the current setting significantly vary depending on contexts, including agroclimatic conditions.

Year published

2025

Authors

Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Ragasa, Catherine; Bamiwuye, Temilolu; Andam, Kwaw S.; Spielman, David J.; Edeh, Hyacinth O.; Fasoranti, Adetunji; Haile, Beliyou; Nwagboso, Chibuzo; Omoigui, Lucky O.; Abdoulaye, Tahirou; Kumar, P. Lava; Wossen, Tesfamicheal

Citation

Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Ragasa, Catherine; Bamiwuye, Temilolu; Andam, Kwaw S.; Spielman, David J.; Edeh, Hyacinth O.; Fasoranti, Adetunji; Haile, Beliyou; et al. 2025. Seed certification, certified seeds use and yield outcomes in Nigeria: Insights from nationally-representative farm panel data and seed company location data. Agricultural Systems 224(March 2025): 104268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104268

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Seed Certification; Seeds; Yields; Data; Agricultural Productivity; Spatial Data; Surveys

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Seed Equal

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Global analysis reveals persistent shortfalls and regional differences in availability of foods needed for health

2025Costlow, Leah; Herforth, Anna; Sulser, Timothy B.; Cenacchi, Nicola; Masters, William A.
Details

Global analysis reveals persistent shortfalls and regional differences in availability of foods needed for health

Sufficient food is available in the world for all people to consume sufficient calories, but not healthy diets. This study traces historical and projected changes in global food systems toward alignment with the new Healthy Diet Basket (HDB) used by UN agencies and the World Bank to monitor the cost and affordability of healthy diets worldwide. Using the HDB as a standard to measure adequacy of national, regional and global supply-demand balances, we find substantial but inconsistent progress toward closer alignment with dietary guidelines, with large global shortfalls in fruits, vegetables, and legumes, nuts, and seeds, and large disparities among regions in use of animal source foods. Projections show that additional investments aimed at reducing chronic hunger would modestly accelerate improvements in adequacy where shortfalls are greatest, revealing the need for complementary investments to increase access to under-consumed food groups especially in low-income countries.

Year published

2025

Authors

Costlow, Leah; Herforth, Anna; Sulser, Timothy B.; Cenacchi, Nicola; Masters, William A.

Citation

Costlow, Leah; Herforth, Anna; Sulser, Timothy B.; Cenacchi, Nicola; and Masters, William A. 2025 Global analysis reveals persistent shortfalls and regional differences in availability of foods needed for health. Global Food Security 44(March 2025): 100825. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2024.100825

Keywords

Food Security; Healthy Diets; Food Systems; Food Supply; Health

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Foresight

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Comparison of gestational age assessment methods in the second and third trimesters: Evaluating alternative approaches against ultrasound in urban Burkina Faso

2025
Ouattara, Cheick Ahmed; Compaoré, Anderson; Ouédraogo, Lionel Olivier; Ouédraogo, Moctar; Ouattara, Hermann; Coulibaly, Moussa; Deng, Lishi; Nikiéma, Zakari; Hanley-Cook, Giles T.; Argaw, Alemayehu
…more Huybregts, Lieven; Hadush, Kokeb Tesfamariam; Lachat, Carl; Toe, Laeticia Celine; Dailey-Chwalibóg, Trenton
Details

Comparison of gestational age assessment methods in the second and third trimesters: Evaluating alternative approaches against ultrasound in urban Burkina Faso

Background: Accurate determination of gestational age by way of ultrasound is challenging in resource-limited settings like Burkina Faso, leading to the use of alternative methods, though their accuracy and agreement remain poorly established. This practice leads to inadequate risk assessment during pregnancy and failure to identify preterm birth, potentially contributing to high neonatal mortality rates. The purpose of this study was to determine the agreement among alternative methods for gestational age estimation and the Alliance for Maternal and Newborn Health Improvement (AMANHI) method in Burkina Faso. Methods: Data were obtained from a prospective cohort study involving pregnant women in the second or third trimester in Bobo-Dioulasso to evaluate the agreement of last menstrual period (LMP), symphysis-fundal height (SFH), Dubowitz, Hadlock, and AMAHNI methods to estimate gestational age. The degree of agreement was assessed using the Bland–Altman method and intraclass correlation coefficients. The AMANHI method, validated for late pregnancy, was used as the reference standard. Results: A total of 768 pregnant women were included in the analysis. Plots showed a lack of agreement between the AMANHI method and all other methods, with 95% limits of agreement ranging from −7.6 to +9.8 weeks. Additionally, the incidence of preterm birth was consistently higher when assessed using the alternative methods compared with the AMANHI method. Conclusions: The clinical methods (SFH, LMP, Dubowitz) disagree with the ultrasound methods (AMANHI, Hadlock), but the ultrasound methods produce more similar results. The routine application of other methods is likely to result in an overestimation of preterm birth incidence compared with AMANHI. These findings highlight the urgent need to improve access to obstetric ultrasound and to provide comprehensive training in the application of the AMANHI method for accurate late-term gestational age estimation in Burkina Faso.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ouattara, Cheick Ahmed; Compaoré, Anderson; Ouédraogo, Lionel Olivier; Ouédraogo, Moctar; Ouattara, Hermann; Coulibaly, Moussa; Deng, Lishi; Nikiéma, Zakari; Hanley-Cook, Giles T.; Argaw, Alemayehu; Huybregts, Lieven; Hadush, Kokeb Tesfamariam; Lachat, Carl; Toe, Laeticia Celine; Dailey-Chwalibóg, Trenton

Citation

Ouattara, Cheick Ahmed; Compaoré, Anderson; Ouédraogo, Lionel Olivier; Ouédraogo, Moctar; Ouattara, Hermann; Coulibaly, Moussa; et al. 2025. Comparison of gestational age assessment methods in the second and third trimesters: Evaluating alternative approaches against ultrasound in urban Burkina Faso. Journal of Clinical Medicine 14(5): 1421. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14051421

Country/Region

Burkina Faso

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Ultrasound; Pregnancy; Risk Assessment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Trends and associated factors of animal source foods consumption among children aged 6–23 months in Bangladesh: Evidence from four consecutive national surveys

2025Hassan, Rafid; Mahbub, Md Jarif; Ali, Masum; Mbogori, Teresia; Amin, Md Ruhul
Details

Trends and associated factors of animal source foods consumption among children aged 6–23 months in Bangladesh: Evidence from four consecutive national surveys

Animal source foods (ASF) are nutrient-dense and essential for the growth and development of children. The Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2022 reported that approximately two-thirds of children aged 6–23 months consumed eggs/flesh foods. However, overall consumption patterns, trends, and factors influencing ASF intake among children in Bangladesh were not well-documented. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the trends and associated factors of ASF consumption among children aged 6–23 months in Bangladesh. A total of 9401 children were extracted from four consecutive BDHS (2011, 2014, 2017/18, and 2022). The Cochran-Armitage test was conducted to assess the trends in ASF consumption, while a two-stage multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression was performed to identify the associated factors. The consumption of ASF significantly increased to 79.1% in 2017/18 from 67% in 2011 but decreased to 73.3% in 2022. ASF consumption was found to be higher among children whose mothers were educated (AOR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.30–1.98), employed in either agricultural (AOR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.04–1.54) or non-agricultural (AOR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.07–1.72) activities, pregnant (AOR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.66–3.87), had received ANC 1–3 times (AOR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.20–1.72) or ≥4 times (AOR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.29–1.95), and was exposed to media (AOR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.04–1.39). Furthermore, consumption increased with increasing the age of children, and the wealth of their families. However, children who experienced illness were less likely to consume ASF (AOR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.68–0.86). The recent declines in ASF consumption emphasize the need for targeted interventions to increase ASF consumption among children in Bangladesh.

Year published

2025

Authors

Hassan, Rafid; Mahbub, Md Jarif; Ali, Masum; Mbogori, Teresia; Amin, Md Ruhul

Citation

Hassan, Rafid; Mahbub, Md Jarif; Ali, Masum; Mbogori, Teresia; and Amin, Md Ruhul. 2025. Trends and associated factors of animal source foods consumption among children aged 6–23 months in Bangladesh: evidence from four consecutive national surveys. Journal of Nutritional Science 14. https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2025.7

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Animal Source Foods; Children; Nutrition; Food Consumption; Health; Wealth

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Digital marketing of unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children and adolescents: A narrative review

2025Fretes, Gabriela; Veliz, Paula; Narvaez, Ana Maria; Williams, D’Arcy; Sibille, Romain; Arts, Maaike; Leroy, Jef L.
Details

Digital marketing of unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children and adolescents: A narrative review

With growing access to electronic devices and time spent online, the food and beverage industry increasingly uses digital media to market unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages (high in unhealthy fats, sugars, and/or salt and often highly processed) to children and adolescents. We conducted a narrative review of the global evidence on digital marketing of these foods and drinks and studied policies and regulations in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. Evidence was limited to a few high, upper-middle and lower-middle income countries where children and adolescents were found to be extensively exposed to the digital marketing of unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages and this exposure increased with age. A wide range of purposefully designed marketing techniques were used. Exposure to the digital marketing of unhealthy foods appears to be followed by increased consumption, but the quality of the evidence was limited. Accurate assessment of exposure was a shortcoming in most studies. Stronger evidence will require studies with more rigorous designs that minimize confounding and objectively quantify individual exposure. Mandatory comprehensive policies are needed that limit exposure of children and adolescents to the marketing of unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages irrespective of the medium or platform they use. The experience of LAC countries may provide insights for the development of effective policies in other countries. Novel technologies that can be used by governments to monitor digital marketing regulations are needed.

Year published

2025

Authors

Fretes, Gabriela; Veliz, Paula; Narvaez, Ana Maria; Williams, D’Arcy; Sibille, Romain; Arts, Maaike; Leroy, Jef L.

Citation

Fretes, Gabriela; Veliz, Paula; Narvaez, Ana Maria; Williams, D’Arcy; Sibille, Romain; Arts, Maaike; and Leroy, Jef L. 2025. Digital marketing of unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children and adolescents: A narrative review. Current Developments in Nutrition 9(2): 104545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2025.104545

Keywords

Latin America and the Caribbean; Digital Technology; Marketing; Health; Children; Adolescents; Food Policies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

The long-run and intergenerational impact of early exposure to the Great Chinese Famine of 1959–61 on mental health

2025Tan, Chih Ming; Zhang, Xiaobo; Zhang, Xin
Details

The long-run and intergenerational impact of early exposure to the Great Chinese Famine of 1959–61 on mental health

We study the effects of early exposure to the Great Chinese Famine on the mental health and subjective well-being of survivors as well as their offspring using data from the 2010 and 2014 waves of the China Family Panel Studies. Our analysis focuses on K6 scores, severe mental illness, and life dissatisfaction. We find that early exposure to the famine has impaired the mental health outcomes of women, but not men (i.e., the first generation). For the second generation, negative effects only show up among the sons of male famine survivors. Some preliminary evidence suggests that the mechanism for such transmission may have to do with the cultural son preference.

Year published

2025

Authors

Tan, Chih Ming; Zhang, Xiaobo; Zhang, Xin

Citation

Tan, Chih Ming; Zhang, Xiaobo; and Zhang, Xin. 2025. The long-run and intergenerational impact of early exposure to the Great Chinese Famine of 1959–61 on mental health. Economics and Human Biology 56(February 2025): 101461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2024.101461

Country/Region

China

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Capacity Development; Famine; Mental Health; Men; Data; Women; Gender

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

The effects of prenatal multiple micronutrient supplementation and small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation on small vulnerable newborn types in low-income and middle-income countries: A meta-analysis of individual participant data

2025
Wang, Dongqing; Liu, Enju; Perumal, Nandita; Partap, Uttara; Cliffer, Ilana R.; Costa, Janaína Calu; Wang, Molin; Fawzi, Wafaie W.; Adu-Afarwuah, Seth; Ashorn, Per
…more Ashorn, Ulla; Mridha, Malay Kanti; Arifeen, Shams; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.; Cheng, Yue; Christian, Parul; Costello, Anthony M.; Dewey, Kathryn G.; Friis, Henrik; Gomo, Exnevia; Grais, Rebecca; Guindo, Ousmane; Krebs, Nancy F.; Huybregts, Lieven; Isanaka, Sheila; Lachat, Carl; Lartey, Anna; LeClerq, Steven C.; Maleta, Kenneth; Manandhar, Dharma S.; Martorell, Reynaldo; Matias, Susana L.; McClure, Elizabeth M.; Moore, Sophie E.; Osrin, David; Urassa, Willy; Pembe, Andrea B.; Prentice, Andrew M.; Ramakrishnan, Usha; Rivera, Juan; Rizvi, Arjumand; Roberfroid, Dominique; Shamim, Abu Ahmed; Soofi, Sajid; Schulze, Kerry; West Jr., Keith P.; Wu, Lee; Zeng, Lingxia; Zhu, Zhonghai
Details

The effects of prenatal multiple micronutrient supplementation and small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation on small vulnerable newborn types in low-income and middle-income countries: A meta-analysis of individual participant data

Background Small vulnerable newborn types, defined by combinations of being born too soon or too small, have distinct determinants and health consequences. We aimed to assess the effects of prenatal multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) and small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation (SQ-LNS) on small vulnerable newborn types, which are currently unknown. Methods In this meta-analysis, individual participant data from randomised controlled trials of MMS and randomised controlled trials of SQ-LNS in low-income and middle-income countries were used. We systematically searched the literature using PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science to identify randomised controlled trials of prenatal nutritional supplementation using MMS or SQ-LNS among pregnant people published between Jan 1, 2000, and Dec 31, 2021. Studies were excluded if they were conducted exclusively among participants selected by pre-existing health conditions, such as anaemia status, HIV infection, or diabetes. We contacted the corresponding authors of all identified studies to seek data contribution. As individual participant data became available, we mapped relevant variables and harmonised the data across studies. Iron and folic acid supplementation was the control group in most studies. Newborns were classified into ten groups through the combinations of preterm or term birth, small, appropriate, and large for gestational age, and low birthweight (LBW) or non-LBW. Newborns were also analysed using a four-group categorisation of preterm or term and LBW or non-LBW. Log-binomial models were used to estimate study-specific risk ratios (RRs), which were pooled using meta-analyses. Findings 14 randomised controlled trials of MMS (n=42 618; the mean maternal age at study enrolment was 24·3 years [SD 5.6]; 22 086 [51·8%] male neonates and 20 532 [48·2%] female neonates) and four randomised controlled trials of SQ-LNS (n=6246; the mean maternal age at study enrolment was 23·3 years [SD 5·3]; 3137 [50·2%] male neonates and 3109 [49·8%] female neonates) were used. In the ten-group categorisation of small vulnerable newborns, prenatal MMS reduced the risk of preterm–small for gestational age (SGA)–LBW (RR 0·73, 95% CI 0·64–0·84; p=0·0003); preterm–appropriate for gestational age (AGA)–LBW (0·82, 0·74–0·91; p=0·0010); preterm–AGA–non-LBW (0·89, 0·80–0·98; p=0·019); term–SGA–LBW (0·91, 0·85–0·96; p=0·0046); and term–SGA–non-LBW (0·95, 0·90–1·00; p=0·050). In the four-group categorisation, prenatal MMS reduced the risk of preterm–SGA (0·71, 0·62–0·82; p=0·0002) and term–SGA (0·93, 0·89–0·98; p=0·0066). Prenatal SQ-LNS had no significant effects on the risk of giving birth to small vulnerable newborns except for preterm–large for gestational age–non-LBW in the ten-group categorisation (0·78, 0·65–0·94; p=0·023). Interpretation Prenatal MMS and SQ-LNS reduce the risk of giving birth to small vulnerable newborns to varying extents, with the greatest magnitude of effects observed for small vulnerable newborn types that confer the greatest neonatal mortality risk. This study underscores the importance of nutritional supplements in prenatal care.

Year published

2025

Authors

Wang, Dongqing; Liu, Enju; Perumal, Nandita; Partap, Uttara; Cliffer, Ilana R.; Costa, Janaína Calu; Wang, Molin; Fawzi, Wafaie W.; Adu-Afarwuah, Seth; Ashorn, Per; Ashorn, Ulla; Mridha, Malay Kanti; Arifeen, Shams; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.; Cheng, Yue; Christian, Parul; Costello, Anthony M.; Dewey, Kathryn G.; Friis, Henrik; Gomo, Exnevia; Grais, Rebecca; Guindo, Ousmane; Krebs, Nancy F.; Huybregts, Lieven; Isanaka, Sheila; Lachat, Carl; Lartey, Anna; LeClerq, Steven C.; Maleta, Kenneth; Manandhar, Dharma S.; Martorell, Reynaldo; Matias, Susana L.; McClure, Elizabeth M.; Moore, Sophie E.; Osrin, David; Urassa, Willy; Pembe, Andrea B.; Prentice, Andrew M.; Ramakrishnan, Usha; Rivera, Juan; Rizvi, Arjumand; Roberfroid, Dominique; Shamim, Abu Ahmed; Soofi, Sajid; Schulze, Kerry; West Jr., Keith P.; Wu, Lee; Zeng, Lingxia; Zhu, Zhonghai

Citation

Wang, Dongqing; Liu, Enju; Perumal, Nandita; Partap, Uttara; Cliffer, Ilana R.; Costa, Janaína Calu; Wang, Molin; Fawzi, Wafaie W.; and the Gestational Weight Gain Pooling Project Consortium. 2025. The effects of prenatal multiple micronutrient supplementation and small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation on small vulnerable newborn types in low-income and middle-income countries: A meta-analysis of individual participant data. Lancet Global Health 13(2): e298-e308. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00449-2

Keywords

Infants; Prematurity; Health; Perinatal Period; Micronutrient Deficiencies; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Association between wasting and inadequate breastfeeding practices among infants under six months in SNNPR and Somali regions of Ethiopia: A multilevel cross-sectional study

2025Getachew, Bethel; Berhane, Yemane; Dessie, Yadeta; Yallew, Walelegn W.; Berhane, Hanna Y.; Kim, Sunny S.
Details

Association between wasting and inadequate breastfeeding practices among infants under six months in SNNPR and Somali regions of Ethiopia: A multilevel cross-sectional study

Background Wasting is a severe threat to children’s survival and development. Attaining optimal breastfeeding practices for infants under six months of age remains a significant challenge in low-income countries. This study assessed the association between wasting and breastfeeding practices among infants under six months of age in the SNNPR and Somali regions of Ethiopia. Methods The study used data from a large feasibility study conducted in the SNNPR and Somali regions of Ethiopia, from August-September 2021. This study involved 895 infants under six months of age with their mothers. The Poisson regression model with robust variance estimation was used to produce adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results The prevalence of wasting was 16.5% (95% CI: 14.2, 19.2) among infants under six months of age. Non-exclusive breastfeeding (APR = 1.50; 95% CI:1.02, 2.21), delayed initiation of breastfeeding (APR = 1.52; CI:1.00, 2.30), being male infants (APR = 1.50; 95% CI:1.09, 2.07), and mothers who attained primary level (APR = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.40, 0.95) or secondary level education (APR = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.99) were independently associated with wasting in the multivariable analysis. Conclusion This study indicates a high prevalence of wasting among infants under six months of age. Non-exclusive breastfeeding and delayed initiation of breastfeeding were the modifiable factors significantly linked to infant wasting. Strengthening breastfeeding promotion and support may help reduce wasting in infants under six months.

Year published

2025

Authors

Getachew, Bethel; Berhane, Yemane; Dessie, Yadeta; Yallew, Walelegn W.; Berhane, Hanna Y.; Kim, Sunny S.

Citation

Dessie, Yadeta; Berhane, Yemane; Dessie, Yadeta; Yallew, Walelegn W.; Berhane, Hanna Y.; and Kim, Sunny S. 2025. Association between wasting and inadequate breastfeeding practices among infants under six months in SNNPR and Somali regions of Ethiopia: A multilevel cross-sectional study. PLoS ONE 20(2): e0318323. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318323

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Breastfeeding; Child Development; Infants; Wasting Disease (nutritional Disorder); Cross-sectional Analysis

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

How helpful are the “hidden costs of food systems” numbers?

2025Brooks, Jonathan; Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio
Details

How helpful are the “hidden costs of food systems” numbers?

Year published

2025

Authors

Brooks, Jonathan; Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio

Citation

Brooks, Jonathan; and Diaz-Bonilla, Eugenio. 2025. How helpful are the “hidden costs of food systems” numbers? Food Policy 131(February 2025): 102796. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2024.102796

Keywords

Food Systems; Policies; Economic Aspects; Public Goods; Agriculture

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Does rural non-farm employment relieve or exacerbate the agricultural diversification-farm efficiency tradeoff: The case of aquaculture in Bangladesh

2025Abaidoo, Eric; Belton, Ben; Reardon, Thomas; Jin, Songqing; Malone, Trey
Details

Does rural non-farm employment relieve or exacerbate the agricultural diversification-farm efficiency tradeoff: The case of aquaculture in Bangladesh

This paper studies how rural non-farm employment conditions the relationship between agricultural diversification and fish production efficiency. Competition for scarce productive resources typically implies a compromise between agricultural diversification and efficiency. Yet, the potential for non-farm income to resolve this tradeoff remains understudied. Cash from non-farm sources may support productivity-enhancing input purchase, thereby improving efficiency. On the other hand, by diversifying both on- and off-farm, household resources such as labor may be stretched too thin, lowering fish production efficiency. Using micro-level data on fish farming households in Southern Bangladesh, we show that at higher levels of the non-farm income share, diversification into crops results in significant allocative inefficiencies. Results are inconclusive for the technical efficiency measure.

Year published

2025

Authors

Abaidoo, Eric; Belton, Ben; Reardon, Thomas; Jin, Songqing; Malone, Trey

Citation

Abaidoo, Eric; Belton, Ben; Reardon, Thomas; Jin, Songqing; and Malone, Trey. Does rural non-farm employment relieve or exacerbate the agricultural diversification-farm efficiency tradeoff: The case of aquaculture in Bangladesh. Aquaculture Economics and Management. Article in press. First available online January 5, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/13657305.2024.2446142

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Rural Employment; Agriculture; Diversification; Aquaculture; Efficiency; Labour Allocation

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Polycentric governance of commons through multi-stakeholder platforms: Insights from two case studies in India

2025ElDidi, Hagar; Rawat, Shivanyaa; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.; Chaturvedi, Rahul; Sanil, Richu
Details

Polycentric governance of commons through multi-stakeholder platforms: Insights from two case studies in India

This paper examines the complexities of commons governance, focusing on the role of multistakeholder platforms (MSPs) in addressing tensions among diverse decision-making centers. Drawing on the experiences of the Indian NGO Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) in Gujarat and Odisha, the study analyzes two MSPs operating at the block level, engaging communities, government, and private sector actors. Through surveys, interviews, and analysis of institutional reports, the research identifies key benefits of MSPs, including enhanced multi-stakeholder engagement, scale, and enabling conditions. It argues that MSPs can effectively support polycentric governance by facilitating inter-community collaboration, strengthening local voices, and building trust over time. The study also underscores the importance of external actors like NGOs in supporting community agency and fostering collaboration across different governance levels.

Year published

2025

Authors

ElDidi, Hagar; Rawat, Shivanyaa; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.; Chaturvedi, Rahul; Sanil, Richu

Citation

ElDidi, Hagar; Rawat, Shivanyaa; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth; Chaturvedi, Rahul; and Sanil, Richu. Polycentric governance of commons through multi-stakeholder platforms: insights from two case studies in India. Environment, Development and Sustainability. Article in press. First published online on April 12, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-04896-9

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Commons; Multi-stakeholder Processes; Governance; Stakeholders; Non-governmental Organizations; Collective Action

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Levelling the field: A review of the ICT revolution and agricultural extension in the Global South

2025Khan, Rashid Parvez; Gupta, Saurabh; Daum, Thomas; Birner, Regina; Ringler, Claudia
Details

Levelling the field: A review of the ICT revolution and agricultural extension in the Global South

Information and communications technology has evolved significantly over the last seven decades, beginning with radio and video vans and culminating in the rise of smartphones and mobile internet in remote areas of the Global South. While ICT is an integral part of agricultural extension, little is known about how these changes have influenced agricultural extension practices. After a systematic review of 131 papers, we find that changes in ICT have shaped agricultural extension, enabling a shift from linear dissemination and “one-way communication” to co-innovation and farmer-to-farmer learning. The results indicate the potential for smartphones and mobile internet to democratize agricultural extension.

Year published

2025

Authors

Khan, Rashid Parvez; Gupta, Saurabh; Daum, Thomas; Birner, Regina; Ringler, Claudia

Citation

Khan, Rashid Parvez; Gupta, Saurabh; Daum, Thomas; Birner, Regina; and Ringler, Claudia. 2025. Levelling the field: A review of the ICT revolution and agricultural extension in the Global South. Journal of International Development 37(1): 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3949

Keywords

Africa; Latin America; Caribbean; Asia; Oceania; Agricultural Extension; Communication; Farmers; Information and Communication Technologies; Smartphones

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Biofortification as a food-based strategy to improve nutrition in high-income countries: A scoping review

2025Gulyas, Boglarka Z.; Mogeni, Brenda; Jackson, Peter; Walton, Jenny; Caton, Samantha J.
Details

Biofortification as a food-based strategy to improve nutrition in high-income countries: A scoping review

Biofortification (increasing the micronutrient content of food before harvest) has been successfully used to nutritionally improve staple foods in low- and middle-income countries. This approach could also help address micronutrient shortfalls in at-risk populations in high-income countries (HICs), however, the potential of biofortification interventions in this context is not well understood. The aim of this scoping review is to assess the nature and extent of available research evidence on biofortified foods in relation to human consumption in HICs. Literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, WoS, ProQuest, CINAHL, AGRIS and Epistemonikos. Forty-six peer-reviewed articles were included. Most research was conducted in the USA (n = 15) and Italy (n = 11), on cereal crops (n = 14) and vegetables (n = 11), and on selenium (n = 12) and provitamin A (n = 11). Seven research domains were identified in the literature: bioavailability (n = 17); nutrient stability (n = 11); opinions and attitudes (n = 9); functionality (n = 9); sensory properties (n = 2); safety (n = 1); and modeling (n = 1). Evidence from HICs in each domain is limited. There is a need for more research particularly in areas sensitive to the cultural and socio-economic context.

Year published

2025

Authors

Gulyas, Boglarka Z.; Mogeni, Brenda; Jackson, Peter; Walton, Jenny; Caton, Samantha J.

Citation

Gulyas, Boglarka Z.; Mogeni, Brenda; Jackson, Peter; Walton, Jenny; and Caton, Samantha J. Biofortification as a food-based strategy to improve nutrition in high-income countries: A scoping review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. Article in press. First published online on September 13, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2024.2402998

Keywords

Biofortification; Trace Elements; Foods; Nutrition; Research; Public Health

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Designing and implementing experiments within local bureaucratic systems: A cautionary tale from an educator incentive program

2025Asad, Saher; Habib, Masooma; Karachiwalla, Naureen; Kosec, Katrina; Leaver, Clare; ur Rehman, Attique
Details

Designing and implementing experiments within local bureaucratic systems: A cautionary tale from an educator incentive program

Collaborating with governments to co-develop pilot programs and integrate them into local administrative systems is increasingly regarded as a key strategy for achieving scalability and sustainability. This study examines a pilot initiative designed in partnership with the Elementary and Secondary Education (E&SE) Department in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, offering important lessons for such collaborations. While the intent to operate within existing bureaucratic frameworks was commendable, it also limited the design and execution of a randomized controlled trial (RCT). This paper explores institutional factors that hindered the RCT’s implementation, resulting in missed opportunities to evaluate critical design elements. The pilot centered on promotion-based incentives for educators and had null effects on a variety of educator and student outcomes. However, using unique video-based evidence, it objectively identifies the implementation challenges and describes the insights gained for more effective co-design and integration of future pilot programs within governmental systems.

Year published

2025

Authors

Asad, Saher; Habib, Masooma; Karachiwalla, Naureen; Kosec, Katrina; Leaver, Clare; ur Rehman, Attique

Citation

Asad, Saher; Habib, Masooma; Karachiwalla, Naureen; Kosec, Katrina; Leaver, Clare; and ur Rehman, Attique. Designing and implementing experiments within local bureaucratic systems: A cautionary tale from an educator incentive program. Education Finance and Policy. Article in press. First published online June 21, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1162/edfp_a_00435

Country/Region

Pakistan

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Economics; Implementation; Incentives; Teachers

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Neonatal mortality risk of vulnerable newborns by fine stratum of gestational age and birthweight for 230 679 live births in nine low- and middle-income countries, 2000-2017.

2025
Hazel, Elizabeth A; Erchick, Daniel J; Katz, Joanne; Lee, Anne C C; Diaz, Michael; Wu, Lee S F; West, Keith P; Shamim, Abu Ahmed; Christian, Parul; Ali, Hasmot
…more Baqui, Abdullah H; Saha, Samir K; Ahmed, Salahuddin; Roy, Arunangshu Dutta; Silveira, Mariângela F; Buffarini, Romina; Shapiro, Roger; Zash, Rebecca; Kolsteren, Patrick; Lachat, Carl; Huybregts, Lieven; Roberfroid, Dominique; Zhu, Zhonghai; Zeng, Lingxia; Gebreyesus, Seifu H; Tesfamariam, Kokeb; Adu-Afarwuah, Seth; Dewey, Kathryn G; Gyaase, Stephaney; Poku-Asante, Kwaku; Boamah Kaali, Ellen; Jack, Darby; Ravilla, Thulasiraj; Tielsch, James; Taneja, Sunita; Chowdhury, Ranadip; Ashorn, Per; Maleta, Kenneth; Ashorn, Ulla; Mangani, Charles; Mullany, Luke C; Khatry, Subarna K; Ramokolo, Vundli; Zembe-Mkabile, Wanga; Fawzi, Wafaie W; Wang, Dongqing; Schmiegelow, Christentze; Minja, Daniel; Msemo, Omari Abdul; Lusingu, John P A; Smith, Emily R; Masanja, Honorati; Mongkolchati, Aroonsri; Keentupthai, Paniya; Kakuru, Abel; Kajubi, Richard; Semrau, Katherine; Hamer, Davidson H; Manasyan, Albert; Pry, Jake M; Chasekwa, Bernard; Humphrey, Jean; Black, Robert E
Details

Neonatal mortality risk of vulnerable newborns by fine stratum of gestational age and birthweight for 230 679 live births in nine low- and middle-income countries, 2000-2017.

Objective We aimed to understand the mortality risks of vulnerable newborns (defined as preterm and/or born weighing smaller or larger compared to a standard population), in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Design Descriptive multi-country, secondary analysis of individual-level study data of babies born since 2000. Setting Sixteen subnational, population-based studies from nine LMICs in sub-Saharan Africa, Southern and Eastern Asia, and Latin America. Population Live birth neonates. Methods We categorically defined five vulnerable newborn types based on size (large- or appropriate- or small-for-gestational age [LGA, AGA, SGA]), and term (T) and preterm (PT): T + LGA, T + SGA, PT + LGA, PT + AGA, and PT + SGA, with T + AGA (reference). A 10-type definition included low birthweight (LBW) and non-LBW, and a four-type definition collapsed AGA/LGA into one category. We performed imputation for missing birthweights in 13 of the studies. Main Outcome Measures Median and interquartile ranges by study for the prevalence, mortality rates and relative mortality risks for the four, six and ten type classification. Results There were 238 143 live births with known neonatal status. Four of the six types had higher mortality risk: T + SGA (median relative risk [RR] 2.8, interquartile range [IQR] 2.0–3.2), PT + LGA (median RR 7.3, IQR 2.3–10.4), PT + AGA (median RR 6.0, IQR 4.4–13.2) and PT + SGA (median RR 10.4, IQR 8.6–13.9). T + SGA, PT + LGA and PT + AGA babies who were LBW, had higher risk compared with non-LBW babies. Conclusions Small and/or preterm babies in LIMCs have a considerably increased mortality risk compared with babies born at term and larger. This classification system may advance the understanding of the social determinants and biomedical risk factors along with improved treatment that is critical for newborn health.

Year published

2025

Authors

Hazel, Elizabeth A; Erchick, Daniel J; Katz, Joanne; Lee, Anne C C; Diaz, Michael; Wu, Lee S F; West, Keith P; Shamim, Abu Ahmed; Christian, Parul; Ali, Hasmot; Baqui, Abdullah H; Saha, Samir K; Ahmed, Salahuddin; Roy, Arunangshu Dutta; Silveira, Mariângela F; Buffarini, Romina; Shapiro, Roger; Zash, Rebecca; Kolsteren, Patrick; Lachat, Carl; Huybregts, Lieven; Roberfroid, Dominique; Zhu, Zhonghai; Zeng, Lingxia; Gebreyesus, Seifu H; Tesfamariam, Kokeb; Adu-Afarwuah, Seth; Dewey, Kathryn G; Gyaase, Stephaney; Poku-Asante, Kwaku; Boamah Kaali, Ellen; Jack, Darby; Ravilla, Thulasiraj; Tielsch, James; Taneja, Sunita; Chowdhury, Ranadip; Ashorn, Per; Maleta, Kenneth; Ashorn, Ulla; Mangani, Charles; Mullany, Luke C; Khatry, Subarna K; Ramokolo, Vundli; Zembe-Mkabile, Wanga; Fawzi, Wafaie W; Wang, Dongqing; Schmiegelow, Christentze; Minja, Daniel; Msemo, Omari Abdul; Lusingu, John P A; Smith, Emily R; Masanja, Honorati; Mongkolchati, Aroonsri; Keentupthai, Paniya; Kakuru, Abel; Kajubi, Richard; Semrau, Katherine; Hamer, Davidson H; Manasyan, Albert; Pry, Jake M; Chasekwa, Bernard; Humphrey, Jean; Black, Robert E

Citation

Hazel, Elizabeth A.; Erchick, Daniel J.; Katz, Joanne; Lee, Anne C. C.; Huybregts, Lieven; et al. Neonatal mortality risk of vulnerable newborns: A descriptive analysis of subnational, population-based birth cohorts for 238 143 live births in low- and middle-income settings from 2000 to 2017. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Article in press. First published online January 16, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.17743

Keywords

Southern Africa; Eastern Africa; Latin America; Low Birthweight; Newborn; Preterm Birth; Vulnerability; Obstetrics; Mortality; Low Income Groups

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Using a list experiment to measure intimate partner violence: Cautionary evidence from Ethiopia

2025Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hidrobo, Melissa; Leight, Jessica; Tambet, Heleene
Details

Using a list experiment to measure intimate partner violence: Cautionary evidence from Ethiopia

While indirect response methods are increasingly used in surveys to measure sensitive behaviours such as intimate partner violence, important questions persist around how respondents understand and react to these methods. This article presents evidence from a list experiment measuring multiple forms of intimate partner violence in rural Ethiopia. We find that the list experiment does not generate estimates of intimate partner violence that are higher than direct response questions; rather, prevalence estimates using the list experiment are lower vis-à-vis prevalence estimates using the direct reports, and are sometimes even negative. We provide suggestive evidence that this pattern may reflect ‘fleeing’ behaviour by respondents who do not wish to be associated with statements indicating their exposure to intimate partner violence.

Year published

2025

Authors

Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hidrobo, Melissa; Leight, Jessica; Tambet, Heleene

Citation

Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hidrobo, Melissa; Leight, Jessica; and Tambet, Heleene. Using a list experiment to measure intimate partner violence: Cautionary evidence from Ethiopia. Applied Economics Letters. Article in press. First published online January 31, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2024.2308579

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Domestic Violence; Behaviour; Measurement; Questionnaires

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Prospects of crop insurance for sustenance of farmers’ livelihood during GM cotton crop failure in Indian Punjab

2025Kaur, Sandeep; Singh, Harpreet; Roy, Devesh; Singh, Hardeep
Details

Prospects of crop insurance for sustenance of farmers’ livelihood during GM cotton crop failure in Indian Punjab

Despite the susceptibility of cotton crops to pest attacks in the Malwa Region of Indian Punjab, no crop insurance policy has been implemented there– not even the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), which is a central scheme. Therefore, this paper attempts to gauge the likely impact of the PMFBY on Punjab cotton farmers and assess the changes needed for greater uptake and effectiveness of PMFBY.The authors have conducted a primary survey to conduct this study. Initially, the authors compared the costs of cotton production with the returns in two scenarios (with and without insurance). Additionally, the authors have applied a logistic regression framework to examine the determinants of the willingness of farmers to participate in the crop insurance market.The study finds that net returns of cotton crops are conventionally small and insufficient to cope with damages from crop failure. Yet, PMFBY will require some modifications in the premium rate and the level of indemnity for its greater uptake among Punjab cotton farmers. Additionally, using the logistic regression framework, the authors find that an increase in awareness about crop insurance and farmers’ perceptions about their crop failure in the near future reduces the willingness of the farmers to participate in the crop insurance markets.The present study looks for the viability of PMFBY in Indian Punjab for the cotton crop, which can also be extended to other crops.Punjab could also use crop insurance to encourage diversification in agriculture. There is a need for special packages for diversified crops under any crop insurance policy. Crops susceptible to volatility due to climate-related factors should be identified and provided with a special insurance package.There exist very scant studies that have discussed the viability of a central crop insurance scheme in the agricultural-rich state of India, i.e. Punjab. Moreover, they do not also focus on crop losses accruing due to pest and insect attacks.

Year published

2025

Authors

Kaur, Sandeep; Singh, Harpreet; Roy, Devesh; Singh, Hardeep

Citation

Kaur, Sandeep; Singh, Harpreet; Roy, Devesh; and Singh, Hardeep. Prospects of crop insurance for sustenance of farmers’ livelihood during GM cotton crop failure in Indian Punjab. Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies. Article in press. First published online February 1, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1108/JADEE-06-2023-0142

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Insurance; Cotton

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

The role of industrial clustering: From layoff to self-employment after the Chinese state-owned enterprise reform

2025Zhang, Yunfei; Chen, Kevin Z.
Details

The role of industrial clustering: From layoff to self-employment after the Chinese state-owned enterprise reform

Year published

2025

Authors

Zhang, Yunfei; Chen, Kevin Z.

Citation

Zhang, Yunfei; and Chen, Kevin Z. The role of industrial clustering: from layoff to self-employment after the Chinese state-owned enterprise reform. Applied Economics Letters. Article in press. First published online March 22, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2024.2332538

Country/Region

China

Keywords

Asia; Eastern Asia; Employment; Labour Market; Unemployment; Working Population; Public Ownership; Reforms; Entrepreneurship

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Does aid induce foreign direct investment: Updated evidence from a quasi-experiment

2025Tian, Junyan
Details

Does aid induce foreign direct investment: Updated evidence from a quasi-experiment

While the catalytic effect of aid on foreign direct investment (FDI) has long been an implicit consensus among many policymakers and practitioners, assessments of this causal relationship remain limited and are not always reliable. To mitigate this evidence gap, this study applies an instrumental variable approach that leverages the graduation of the International Development Association (IDA) income threshold as a quasi-experiment to identify the causal linkage between foreign aid and FDI. The analysis reveals that a 1 percent drop in the ratio of aid to gross national income leads to a decline in FDI relative to gross domestic product by 0.9 percent in 42 developing countries from 1987 to 2019. In face of the aid shock induced by IDA graduation, governments in recipient countries restrict their financial policy openness, through which aid could significantly impact subsequent foreign private investment. Results emphasize the necessity of concerted policy interventions to mitigate this negative aid shock.

Year published

2025

Authors

Tian, Junyan

Citation

Tian, Junyan. Does aid induce foreign direct investment: Updated evidence from a quasi-experiment. World Bank Economic Review. Article in press. First published online on July 25, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhae030

Keywords

Foreign Investment; Aid Programmes; Policies; Development

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Caste, religion and the labor force participation of women: Evidence from India

2025Alvi, Muzna
Details

Caste, religion and the labor force participation of women: Evidence from India

Year published

2025

Authors

Alvi, Muzna

Citation

Alvi, Muzna Fatima. Caste, religion and the labor force participation of women: Evidence from India. Review of Social Economy. Article in press. First published online June 30, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1080/00346764.2023.2223167

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Caste Systems; Employment; Labour; Livelihoods; Religion; Research Methods; Gender; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

The minimum dietary diversity for women indicator can be extended to children and adolescents aged 4-15 years as a proxy population indicator for good micronutrient adequacy of diets in low- and middle-income countries

2025
Diop, Loty; Gelli, Aulo; Huybregts, Lieven; Arsenault, Joanne E.; Bliznashka, Lilia; Boy, Erick; Deitchler, Megan; Lachat, Carl; Moursi, Mourad; Ochoa-Avilés, Angelica M.
…more Olney, Deanna K.; Becquey, Elodie
Details

The minimum dietary diversity for women indicator can be extended to children and adolescents aged 4-15 years as a proxy population indicator for good micronutrient adequacy of diets in low- and middle-income countries

Background The response to the global call for more data on children’s and adolescents’ diets and nutrition is limited by the lack of straightforward practical indicators to track their diet quality. On the basis of a food group score compiled from 10 food groups (FGS-10), the minimum dietary diversity for women, calculated as FGS-10 ≥ 5, is a validated proxy population indicator for better micronutrient intake adequacy for adult women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Objectives This study aims to validate FGS-10 and its related cutoffs against micronutrient intake adequacy in 4–15-y-old children/adolescents in LMICs. Methods We conducted a secondary data analysis of 9 datasets of repeated 24-h recalls or weighed records including 11,524 children/adolescents aged 4–15 y, collected in 7 countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ecuador, India, Malawi, Uganda, and Zambia) between 2007 and 2022. For each dataset and the pooled sample (meta-analysis), we assessed the association between FGS-10 and the mean probability of adequacy (MPA) of intake over 8 micronutrients (MPA-8), and the performance of several FGS-10 cutoffs in predicting acceptable (≥0.60) and good (≥0.80) levels of MPA-8. Robustness analyses used the 7 datasets with data on 11 micronutrients (MPA-11). Results FGS-10 ranged from 3.0 to 4.8 across datasets, and the proportion of children/adolescents with acceptable MPA-8 ranged from 8.4% to 74%. Positive and significant associations between FGS-10 and MPA-8 were found in all datasets and the pooled sample. The optimal cutoff varied across datasets from FGS-10 ≥ 4 to FGS-10 ≥ 6. In the pooled sample, FGS-10 ≥ 5 had the highest performances in predicting acceptable and good levels of MPA-8. FGS-10 ≥ 5 was also the best proxy indicator for MPA-11 ≥ 0.80. Conclusions The continuous FGS-10 and dichotomous FGS-10 ≥ 5 may be extended to 4–15-y-old children/adolescents in LMICs. In this population, FGS-10 ≥ 5 can be used as a proxy population indicator for good micronutrient adequacy of diets.

Year published

2025

Authors

Diop, Loty; Gelli, Aulo; Huybregts, Lieven; Arsenault, Joanne E.; Bliznashka, Lilia; Boy, Erick; Deitchler, Megan; Lachat, Carl; Moursi, Mourad; Ochoa-Avilés, Angelica M.; Olney, Deanna K.; Becquey, Elodie

Citation

Diop, Loty; Gelli, Aulo; Huybregts, Lieven; Arsenault, Joanne E.; Bliznashka, Lilia; Boy, Erick; et al. 2025. The minimum dietary diversity for women indicator can be extended to children and adolescents aged 4-15 years as a proxy population indicator for good micronutrient adequacy of diets in low- and middle-income countries. Current Developments in Nutrition 9(January 2025): 104508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.104508

Keywords

Adolescents; Children; Dietary Diversity; Trace Elements

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Sustainable poverty reduction through social assistance: Modality, context, and complementary programming in Bangladesh

2025Ahmed, Akhter; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John; Kolt, Bastien; Roy, Shalini; Tauseef, Salauddin
Details

Sustainable poverty reduction through social assistance: Modality, context, and complementary programming in Bangladesh

Social assistance programs can increase consumption and reduce poverty, but less is known about whether these impacts are sustained after programs end, or how design and context influence sustainability. Using data collected in two regions of Bangladesh four years after a randomized intervention ended, we find that combining cash transfers with complementary programming led to sustained increases in consumption and reductions in poverty. Combining food transfers with complementary programming showed similar patterns, to a lesser extent. Cash alone had context-specific sustained effects; food alone had no sustained impacts. Results suggest that context, modality, and complementary programming matter for sustained impacts.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ahmed, Akhter; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John; Kolt, Bastien; Roy, Shalini; Tauseef, Salauddin

Citation

Ahmed, Akhter; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John; Kolt, Bastien; Roy, Shalini; and Tauseef, Salauddin. Sustainable poverty reduction through social assistance: Modality, context, and complementary programming in Bangladesh. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics. Article in Press. First online on December 5, 2024. https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/app.20230108

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Southern Asia; Aid Programmes; Poverty; Sustainability; Cash Transfers; Food; Social Protection

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Resilience in technical efficiency and enabling factors: Insights from panel farm enterprise surveys in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

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

Resilience in technical efficiency and enabling factors: Insights from panel farm enterprise surveys in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

Year published

2025

Authors

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

Citation

Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Djanibekov, Nodir; Abduvalieva, Nilufar; Mirkasimov, Bakhrom; and Akramov, Kamiljon T. Resilience in technical efficiency and enabling factors: Insights from panel farm enterprise surveys in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Applied Economics. Article in press. First published online September 26, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2024.2405203

Country/Region

Uzbekistan; Kazakhstan

Keywords

Asia; Central Asia; Economic Shock; Probability Analysis; Resilience; Surveys; Farms

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Fragility to Resilience in Central and West Asia and North Africa

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Information framing effects on diet choices among Chinese urban residents

2025Chen, Kevin Z.; Yu, Luyun; Lin, Wen; Ortega, David L.
Details

Information framing effects on diet choices among Chinese urban residents

Year published

2025

Authors

Chen, Kevin Z.; Yu, Luyun; Lin, Wen; Ortega, David L.

Citation

Chen, Kevin Z.; Yu, Luyun; Lin, Wen; and Ortega, David L. Information framing effects on diet choices among Chinese urban residents. Agribusiness. Article in Press. First published on November 29, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/agr.21998

Keywords

Diet; Feeding Preferences; Urban Population; Health; Information; Consumers

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

What do urban consumers want? Findings from a discrete choice experiment on the preference for locally produced staple food in Central Africa: Evidence from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

2025Thontwa, Sarah K.; De Weerdt, Joachim; Van Passel, Steven
Details

What do urban consumers want? Findings from a discrete choice experiment on the preference for locally produced staple food in Central Africa: Evidence from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Year published

2025

Authors

Thontwa, Sarah K.; De Weerdt, Joachim; Van Passel, Steven

Citation

Thontwa, Sarah K.; De Weerdt, Joachim; and Van Passel, Steven. 2024. What do urban consumers want? Findings from a discrete choice experiment on the preference for locally produced staple food in Central Africa: Evidence from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Agrekon 63(4): 223-239. https://doi.org/10.1080/03031853.2024.2392582

Keywords

Congo, Democratic Republic of; Africa; West and Central Africa; Consumers; Imports; Value Chains; Urban Areas; Farmers; Rural Areas; Livelihoods

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

The effect of prenatal balanced energy and protein supplementation on gestational weight gain: An individual participant data meta-analysis in low- and middle-income countries

2025
Wang, Dongqing; Partap, Uttara; Liu, Enju; Costa, Janaína Calu; Cliffer, Ilana R.; Wang, Molin; Nookala, Sudeer Kumar; Subramoney, Vishak; Briggs, Brittany; Ahmed, Imran
…more Argaw, Alemayehu; Ariff, Shabina; Bhandari, Nita; Chowdhury, Ranadip; Erchick, Daniel; García-Guerra, Armando; Ghaffarpour, Masoumah; Hanley-Cook, Giles; Huybregts, Lieven; Jehan, Fyezah; Kaseb, Fatemeh; Krebs, Nancy F.; Lachat, Carl; Lama, Tsering Pema; Manandhar, Dharma S.; McClure, Elizabeth M.; Moore, Sophie E.; Muhammad, Ameer; Neufeld, Lynnette M.; Prentice, Andrew M.; Quezada-Sánchez, Amado D.; Roberfroid, Dominique; Saville, Naomi M.; Shafiq, Yasir; Shrestha, Bhim P.; Sonko, Bakary; Soofi, Sajid; Taneja, Sunita; Tielsch, James M.; Toe, Laéticia Céline; Valaei, Naser; Fawzi, Wafaie W.
Details

The effect of prenatal balanced energy and protein supplementation on gestational weight gain: An individual participant data meta-analysis in low- and middle-income countries

Background Understanding the effects of balanced energy and protein (BEP) supplements on gestational weight gain (GWG) and how the effects differ depending on maternal characteristics and the nutritional composition of the supplements will inform the implementation of prenatal BEP interventions. Methods and findings Individual participant data from 11 randomized controlled trials of prenatal BEP supplements (N = 12,549, with 5,693 in the BEP arm and 6,856 in the comparison arm) in low- and middle-income countries were used. The primary outcomes included GWG adequacy (%) and the estimated total GWG at delivery as continuous outcomes, and severely inadequate (<70% adequacy), inadequate GWG (<90% adequacy), and excessive GWG (>125% adequacy) as binary outcomes; all variables were calculated based on the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Linear and log-binomial models were used to estimate study-specific mean differences or risk ratios (RRs), respectively, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the effects of prenatal BEP on the GWG outcomes. The study-specific estimates were pooled using meta-analyses. Subgroup analyses were conducted by individual characteristics. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were conducted for study-level characteristics. Compared to the comparison group, prenatal BEP led to a 6% greater GWG percent adequacy (95% CI: 2.18, 9.56; p = 0.002), a 0.59 kg greater estimated total GWG at delivery (95% CI, 0.12, 1.05; p = 0.014), a 10% lower risk of severely inadequate GWG (RR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.99; p = 0.025), and a 7% lower risk of inadequate GWG (RR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.89, 0.97; p = 0.001). The effects of prenatal BEP on GWG outcomes were stronger in studies with a targeted approach, where BEP supplements were provided to participants in the intervention arm under specific criteria such as low body mass index or low GWG, compared to studies with an untargeted approach, where BEP supplements were provided to all participants allocated to the intervention arm. Conclusions Prenatal BEP supplements are effective in increasing GWG and reducing the risk of inadequate weight gain during pregnancy. BEP supplementation targeted toward pregnant women with undernutrition may be a promising approach to delivering the supplements.

Year published

2025

Authors

Wang, Dongqing; Partap, Uttara; Liu, Enju; Costa, Janaína Calu; Cliffer, Ilana R.; Wang, Molin; Nookala, Sudeer Kumar; Subramoney, Vishak; Briggs, Brittany; Ahmed, Imran; Argaw, Alemayehu; Ariff, Shabina; Bhandari, Nita; Chowdhury, Ranadip; Erchick, Daniel; García-Guerra, Armando; Ghaffarpour, Masoumah; Hanley-Cook, Giles; Huybregts, Lieven; Jehan, Fyezah; Kaseb, Fatemeh; Krebs, Nancy F.; Lachat, Carl; Lama, Tsering Pema; Manandhar, Dharma S.; McClure, Elizabeth M.; Moore, Sophie E.; Muhammad, Ameer; Neufeld, Lynnette M.; Prentice, Andrew M.; Quezada-Sánchez, Amado D.; Roberfroid, Dominique; Saville, Naomi M.; Shafiq, Yasir; Shrestha, Bhim P.; Sonko, Bakary; Soofi, Sajid; Taneja, Sunita; Tielsch, James M.; Toe, Laéticia Céline; Valaei, Naser; Fawzi, Wafaie W.

Citation

Wang, Dongqing; Partap, Uttara; Liu, Enju; Costa, Janaína Calu; Cliffer, Ilana R.; Wang, Molin; et al. 2025. The effect of prenatal balanced energy and protein supplementation on gestational weight gain: An individual participant data meta-analysis in low- and middle-income countries. PLOS Medicine 22(2): e1004523. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004523

Keywords

Body Mass Index; Data; Energy Balance; Perinatal Period; Pregnancy; Weight Gain

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health: The continuous rise in adoption of labour-saving agricultural technologies in Myanmar

2025Minten, Bart; Goeb, Joseph; van Asselt, Joanna; Aung, Zin Wai
Details

In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health: The continuous rise in adoption of labour-saving agricultural technologies in Myanmar

Year published

2025

Authors

Minten, Bart; Goeb, Joseph; van Asselt, Joanna; Aung, Zin Wai

Citation

Minten, Bart; Goeb, Joseph; van Asselt, Joanna; and Aung, Zin Wai. 2025. In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health: The continuous rise in adoption of labour-saving agricultural technologies in Myanmar. Journal of Development Studies 61(1): 81-101. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2024.2401407

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; South-eastern Asia; Agricultural Productivity; Agricultural Technology; Farm Surveys; Labour; Conflicts

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Rural underemployment and urbanisation: Insights from a 9-year panel from Malawi

2025Van Cappellen, Hanne; De Weerdt, Joachim
Details

Rural underemployment and urbanisation: Insights from a 9-year panel from Malawi

Rural labour markets in Africa are frequently characterised by underemployment, with farmers unable to fully deploy throughout the year one of their most important assets—their labour. Using a nine-year panel data set on 1,407 working-age adults from rural Malawi, we document changes in rural underemployment over this period and how they are associated with urbanisation. Nearby urban growth is linked to increased hours worked in casual labour (ganyu) and in non-agricultural sectors, at the expense of work on the household farm. Improved urban access is also associated with a small increase in wage labour and, at the intensive margin, with hours supplied in household enterprises. We draw lessons from these results for policies, investments and interventions to leverage urban growth for rural development.

Year published

2025

Authors

Van Cappellen, Hanne; De Weerdt, Joachim

Citation

Van Cappellen, Hanne; and De Weerdt, Joachim. Rural underemployment and urbanisation: Insights from a 9-year panel from Malawi. Journal of African Economies. Article in press. First published online on April 26, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/jae/ejae004

Country/Region

Malawi

Keywords

Eastern Africa; Underemployment; Rural Employment; Farmers; Labour; Urbanization

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Methods for estimating beneficiary populations targeted by health and nutrition interventions for women, pregnant women, infants, and young children

2025Gune, Soyra; Nguyen, Phuong; Chakrabarti, Suman
Details

Methods for estimating beneficiary populations targeted by health and nutrition interventions for women, pregnant women, infants, and young children

Utilization of maternal and child interventions is typically tracked in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) using coverage estimates from population representative surveys. These estimates cannot be directly applied to assess resource gaps in intervention delivery for which data on the population eligible is required. Moreover, coverage improvements may not necessarily reflect an expansion in utilization because of a decline in the population eligible. We develop a method to estimate the populations eligible for interventions across the continuum of care. The method uses data from the World Population Prospects and the Demographic Health Survey, data sources which are available for most LMICs. Additionally, we develop a method to estimate the eligible population covered by each intervention. Using the illustration of India, we estimate populations eligible for, and covered by interventions during preconception, pregnancy, delivery, lactation, and childhood. We find that between 2015 and 2020, the eligible population declined for all beneficiary groups. Additionally, coverage expansion was not entirely driven by an increase in the population accessing an intervention, but rather also by a decline in the eligible population. Our illustration highlights the importance of including population estimates alongside coverage for interventions, particularly in LMIC contexts due to changing fertility dynamics.

Year published

2025

Authors

Gune, Soyra; Nguyen, Phuong; Chakrabarti, Suman

Citation

Gune, Soyra; Nguyen, Phuong; and Chakrabarti, Suman. Methods for estimating beneficiary populations targeted by health and nutrition interventions for women, pregnant women, infants, and young children. American Journal of Epidemiology. Article in press. First published online December 27, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwae469

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Capacity Development; Maternal and Child Health; Methods; Nutrition; Population

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Foresight

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Men can cook: Effectiveness of a men’s engagement intervention to change attitudes and behaviors in rural Ethiopia

2025Alderman, Harold; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hidrobo, Melissa; Leight, Jessica; Mulford, Michael; Tambet, Heleene
Details

Men can cook: Effectiveness of a men’s engagement intervention to change attitudes and behaviors in rural Ethiopia

Graduation model interventions seek to address multiple barriers constraining households’ exit from poverty, however, few explicitly target restrictive gender norms. Using a randomized controlled trial design, combined with three rounds of data, we investigate the impacts on gender equitable attitudes and behaviors of a graduation program that seeks to address multiple constraints for those in poverty and improve restrictive gender norms in Ethiopia. We find that at 1-year follow-up all treatment arms lead to improvements in men’s gender equitable attitudes and their engagement in household domestic tasks as reported by both men and women; but at 3-year follow-up, impacts are only sustained in the treatment arms that introduced men’s engagement groups after the 1-year follow-up survey to further promote improvements in equitable gender norms.

Year published

2025

Authors

Alderman, Harold; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hidrobo, Melissa; Leight, Jessica; Mulford, Michael; Tambet, Heleene

Citation

Alderman, Harold; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hidrobo, Melissa; Leight, Jessica; Mulford, Michael; and Tambet, Heleene. 2024. Men can cook: Effectiveness of a men’s engagement intervention to change attitudes and behaviors in rural Ethiopia. World Development 185(January 2025): 106781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2024.106781

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Behaviour; Cooking; Men; Rural Areas

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Diet quality and micronutrient intakes in nutritional value chains: A synthesis and suggestions for further research

2025Meenakshi, J.V.; Quisumbing, Agnes R.
Details

Diet quality and micronutrient intakes in nutritional value chains: A synthesis and suggestions for further research

This paper provides an overview of a virtual collection of papers analyzing drivers of diet quality and micronutrient intakes, and what has been learnt from various interventions to address micronutrient malnutrition, the contexts in which they succeed, and factors that affect their impact. We frame this using a micronutrient value chain, to highlight the important linkages from farm to plate. Our focus is on representative studies along this value chain in low and middle income countries where micronutrient malnutrition is most prevalent. The papers reviewed suggest that (a) both production diversity and market access work hand-in-hand to improve dietary quality. (b) However, the evidence on whether commercialization improves or reduces diet quality is context-specific and depends on whether markets exist for goods to be sold and micronutrient-rich foods purchased. (c) Not surprisingly, incomes and prices emerge as key factors affecting consumption decisions, with the cost of a healthy diet remaining unaffordable for many. Furthermore, the poor are most sensitive to changes in the relative prices of micronutrient-rich foods. (d) Also important is how food is consumed within the household: the review suggests that social context matters greatly in assessing relationships between women’s empowerment and diet quality. We then review several supply and demand side interventions, and note that while many are successful, not all are easily transferable, and thus may need adaptation to local contexts. We conclude with a set of ten areas that remain open for further research.

Year published

2025

Authors

Meenakshi, J.V.; Quisumbing, Agnes R.

Citation

Meenakshi, J.V.; and Quisumbing, Agnes R. 2025. Diet quality and micronutrient intakes in nutritional value chains: A synthesis and suggestions for further research. Food Policy 130(January 2025): 102789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2024.102789

Keywords

Diet Quality; Nutrition; Trace Elements; Value Chains

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Using best-worst scaling to inform agroecological interventions in Western Kenya

2025Zander, Kerstin K.; Drucker, Adam G.; Aluso, Lillian; Mengistu, Dejene K.; Fadda, Carlo; Termote, Céline; Davis, Kristin E.
Details

Using best-worst scaling to inform agroecological interventions in Western Kenya

Both the demand for food and the environmental impacts of food production are estimated to significantly increase by 2050. Agroecological interventions have proven effective in facilitating the transition from current food production systems to more sustainable ones. These interventions can not only ensure more equitable food and nutritional security but also address poverty and reduce environmental impacts. As such, agroecological interventions can generate both private and public ecosystem services. Farmers play a key role in how food is produced, as the practices they use are linked with their preferences and expertise, as well as the constraints they face. Understanding farmers’ preferences for the adoption of different agroecological practices and their perceptions of the associated costs and benefits is critical to informing policies that can effectively support farmers in transitioning to more sustainable practices, including those that contribute to the generation of ecosystem services highly valued by broader society. To assess such preferences, we conducted a survey among farmers in Western Kenya which included a best-worst scaling experiment augmented by qualitative questions about the reasons for farmers’ views about the importance of the benefits arising from agroecological practices. Results show that farmers have strong preferences for adopting agroecological practices that generate private goods and are directly related to increasing productivity and food security, including improving health of household members. These may also include practices that have some public good elements as well, such as increasing agrobiodiversity. However, practices that generate broader public good benefits, including improved forest quality/coverage, reduced off-farm environmental impacts, greater community-level resilience to shocks, and improved landscape and wildlife management, were less important to farmers. Such findings can be used to inform policies that support farmer adoption of agroecological interventions best suited to different farming communities, as well as indicating the need for additional types of market-based incentives, such as through Payments for Ecosystem Service mechanisms.

Year published

2025

Authors

Zander, Kerstin K.; Drucker, Adam G.; Aluso, Lillian; Mengistu, Dejene K.; Fadda, Carlo; Termote, Céline; Davis, Kristin E.

Citation

Zander, Kerstin K.; Drucker, Adam G.; Drucker, Adam G.; Aluso, Lillian; Mengistu, Dejene K.; Fadda, Carlo; Termote, Céline; and Davis, Kristin. Using best-worst scaling to inform agroecological interventions in Western Kenya. Environment, Development and Sustainability. Article in press. First published online on June 28, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-05173-5

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Agroecology; Sustainability; Farmers; Poverty; Farmers’ Attitudes; Ecosystem Services

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Nature-Positive Solutions

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Technology intensification and farmers’ welfare: A case study from Karnataka, a semi-arid state of India

2025Kapoor, Shreya; Pal, Barun Deb; Singhal, Aditi; Anantha, K.H.
Details

Technology intensification and farmers’ welfare: A case study from Karnataka, a semi-arid state of India

JEL Codes: Q16, Q54, Q55, C13

Year published

2025

Authors

Kapoor, Shreya; Pal, Barun Deb; Singhal, Aditi; Anantha, K.H.

Citation

Kapoor, Shreya; Pal, Barun Deb; Singhal, Aditi; and Anantha, K. H. Technology intensification and farmers’ welfare: A case study from Karnataka,
a semi-arid state of India. Indian Economic Journal. Article in press. First published online July 10, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1177/00194662241253871

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agricultural Productivity; Intensification; Smallholders; Technology Adoption; Welfare

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Climate Resilience

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

A missing link: The interdependence between sugar-sweetened beverage and cigarette consumption from China

2025Liu, Lu; Chen, Kevin Z.
Details

A missing link: The interdependence between sugar-sweetened beverage and cigarette consumption from China

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and cigarettes are addictive substances and addictive substances are often related in consumption with each other. However, the potential interdependence between SSB and cigarette consumption has not been explored in the literature. As SSB and cigarette consumption have posed a great threat to individual health, the knowledge of such interdependence is critical for policymakers to design and coordinate government interventions. We thus employed Heckman sample selection model and simultaneous equation model to identify and validate the interdependence between SSB and cigarette consumption across subgroups exhibiting different smoking behaviors with individual-level data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) during the period from 2004 to 2011. We find that SSBs and cigarettes are complements in that individuals who ever smoked are more likely to consume SSBs frequently with higher level of SSB intake eventually and SSB intake of current smokers increases along with the amount of cigarettes smoked. SSBs and cigarettes are also substitutes in that former smokers are more likely to consume SSBs compared with current smokers. The complementary relation observed among current smokers implies that government interventions targeting one of the two goods may yield a double dividend effect on health whereas the substitutable relation displayed by former smokers suggests that the health effect of interventions designed to reduce the consumption of one good may be tempered by an elevated demand for the other.

Year published

2025

Authors

Liu, Lu; Chen, Kevin Z.

Citation

Liu, Lu; and Chen, Kevin Z. 2025. A missing link: The interdependence between sugar-sweetened beverage and cigarette consumption from China. PLoS ONE 20(1): e0316891. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316891

Country/Region

China

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Behaviour; Beverages; Cigarettes; Health

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Households with special dietary needs experienced higher food access challenges and worries during COVID-19

2025Koyratty, Nadia; Clay, Lauren A.; Rogus, Stephanie
Details

Households with special dietary needs experienced higher food access challenges and worries during COVID-19

Year published

2025

Authors

Koyratty, Nadia; Clay, Lauren A.; Rogus, Stephanie

Citation

Koyratty, Nadia; Clay, Lauren A.; and Rogus, Stephanie. Households with special dietary needs experienced higher food access challenges and worries during COVID-19. Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition. Article in Press. First published online on June 6, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/19320248.2024.2355927

Country/Region

United States

Keywords

Americas; Northern America; Diet; Food Security; Covid-19; Prices

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Identification, characterization, and determinants of dietary patterns of low-income urban adults in Vietnam and Nigeria

2025
Pastori, Giulia; Maasen, Kim; Talsma, Elise F.; Verhoef, Hans; Samuel, Folake O.; Shittu, Oluyemisi F.; Huong, Le Thi; Hernandez, Ricardo; Wertheim-Heck, Sigrid; Le, Xuan Thi Thanh
…more Mai, Truong Tuyet; Lundy, Mark; Bakk, Zsuzsa; Brouwer, Inge D.
Details

Identification, characterization, and determinants of dietary patterns of low-income urban adults in Vietnam and Nigeria

Understanding dietary patterns and their determinants can steer efforts to food systems transformations required to provide sustainable healthy diets. Based on 24-h recall data and using latent class analysis, we characterized dietary patterns of adults from low-income neighborhoods in Hanoi, Vietnam and Ibadan, Nigeria (n = 385 and 344, age 18–49 years). We examined sociodemographic determinants and diet quality (diversity, non-communicable disease risk, and micronutrient adequacy) of these patterns. Three dietary patterns were identified in each country. Vietnamese patterns differed in sociodemographic characteristics and diet quality. Nigerian patterns differed in diet quality but not in sociodemographics. Understanding different consumer groups and the drivers of consumption helps to identify tailored interventions to diversify diets and improve diet quality.

Year published

2025

Authors

Pastori, Giulia; Maasen, Kim; Talsma, Elise F.; Verhoef, Hans; Samuel, Folake O.; Shittu, Oluyemisi F.; Huong, Le Thi; Hernandez, Ricardo; Wertheim-Heck, Sigrid; Le, Xuan Thi Thanh; Mai, Truong Tuyet; Lundy, Mark; Bakk, Zsuzsa; Brouwer, Inge D.

Citation

Pastori, Giulia; Maasen, Kim; Talsma, Elise F.; Verhoef, Hans; Samuel, Folake O.; Shittu, Oluyemisi F.; et al. Identification, characterization, and determinants of dietary patterns of low-income urban adults in Vietnam and Nigeria. Global Food Security. Article in press. First published online September 14, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2024.100797

Country/Region

Nigeria; Vietnam

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Asia; South-eastern Asia; Adults; Diet Quality; Food Systems; Transformation; Urban Areas

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Interventions on fruit and vegetable intake in low-, middle-, and high-income countries: A scoping review of evidence and knowledge gaps

2025
Azupogo, Fusta; Koyratty, Nadia; Smith, Taryn J.; Hinnouho, Guy-Marino; Tharaney, Manisha; Bliznashka, Lilia; Amunga, Dorcas A.; Angeles-Agdeppa, Imelda; Goyena, Eva; Grant, Frederick
…more Kinabo, Joyce; Mitchodigni, Irene Medeme; Silva, Renuka; Sitisekara, Hasara; Olney, Deanna K.; Hess, Sonja Y.
Details

Interventions on fruit and vegetable intake in low-, middle-, and high-income countries: A scoping review of evidence and knowledge gaps

Background Adequate fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake is important for health, yet populations globally are failing to meet recommendations. Objective A scoping review to summarize available evidence of evaluations of interventions to increase F&V intake globally, focusing on target populations, intervention strategies, research methods, and summarizing their evaluated impacts. Methods We searched PubMed and Web of Science in February 2023 for intervention studies in which dietary intake of fruit and/or vegetables were documented. Eligible studies included all age groups, excluding those targeting populations with specific disease-related conditions, such as cancer patients/survivors. Only articles published in English since 2012 were included in the review. Results We identified 6338 articles, with 226 meeting inclusion criteria, comprising 223 unique studies and 284 intervention comparisons. Most comparisons occurred in high-income countries (n = 192) compared to low- and middle-income countries (n = 92). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs; 37.3%) and cluster RCTs (52.5%) were predominant. Interventions primarily targeted adults (31.7%), school-aged children (18.0%), children under-five (14.4%), and adolescents (13.7%), lasting an average of 24 weeks (range: 2 weeks to 20 years). Food-frequency questionnaires (59.2%) and 24-h recalls (26.8%) were the most used dietary assessment method. Health and nutrition education (75.9%) was the most common intervention, utilizing interpersonal communication, mass media, and information-communication technology, often in combinations. Positive impacts on fruit (43.9%), vegetable (40.2%), and combined F&V intake (53.0%) were observed in nearly half the intervention comparisons. Conclusions These findings highlight the predominance of health and nutrition education interventions, predominantly in high-income countries, showing mixed success in improving F&V intake, emphasizing the need for context-specific strategies and standardized methodologies to design sustainable, cost-effective interventions for better diet quality and health outcomes.

Year published

2025

Authors

Azupogo, Fusta; Koyratty, Nadia; Smith, Taryn J.; Hinnouho, Guy-Marino; Tharaney, Manisha; Bliznashka, Lilia; Amunga, Dorcas A.; Angeles-Agdeppa, Imelda; Goyena, Eva; Grant, Frederick; Kinabo, Joyce; Mitchodigni, Irene Medeme; Silva, Renuka; Sitisekara, Hasara; Olney, Deanna K.; Hess, Sonja Y.

Citation

Azupogo, Fusta; Koyratty, Nadia; Smith, Taryn J.; Hinnouho, Guy-Marino; Tharaney, Manisha; Bliznashka, Lilia; et al. Interventions on fruit and vegetable intake in low-, middle-, and high-income countries: A scoping review of evidence and knowledge gaps. Food and Nutrition Bulletin. Article in Press. First published online March 3, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/03795721251314141

Keywords

Fruits; Vegetables; Health; Nutrition; Nutrition Education; Diet

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Project

Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Trends and inequities in adequacy of micronutrient intakes in rural Bangladesh

2025Nguyen, Phuong; Ali, Masum; Ghostlaw, Julie; Tran, Lan Mai; Parvin, Aklima; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Ahmed, Akhter
Details

Trends and inequities in adequacy of micronutrient intakes in rural Bangladesh

Background Micronutrient deficiencies pose a significant public health challenge, yet limited evidence exists on micronutrient intakes over time in Bangladesh. Objective We assessed trends and adequacies in micronutrient intakes and examined the changes in inequities by age group, sex, and expenditure quintile. Methods We used panel data from the 2011 and 2018 Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (n =21,475 and 21,589 household members aged ≥2y, respectively). Food consumption data were collected using a household dietary recall. Changes in micronutrient intakes were assessed using non-parametric Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon rank sum test. Inequities in outcomes were examined using the Slope Index of Inequality and Concentration Index. Results Micronutrient intakes remained suboptimal across 2011 and 2018, with low adequacy (<0.50) for all nutrients except niacin. While vitamin A intake increased across various demographics, trends for other micronutrient intakes differed by age. Intakes improved for 10 micronutrients among children aged 2-<5y, but increased for only half of examined micronutrients among children aged 5-9y. For adolescents and adults, most micronutrient intakes slightly declined, with greater inadequacies observed among females versus males. Pregnant women experienced sharper declines in adequacy of micronutrient intakes than lactating women. The mean probability of adequacy (MPA) was low (around one-third) for all age groups with lower MPA among poorer compared to richer households across age, sex and survey years. Inequity gaps in MPA mostly declined, except for females ≥50y and pregnant women. Conclusions Micronutrient intakes and adequacies remain suboptimal and have decreased marginally over time for many nutrients and MPA across most age groups. Inequities in micronutrient intakes persist by age, sex, and income levels, disproportionately affecting the poor, adults, and women. Our study calls for evidence-based policies and programs that incorporate a range of proven approaches and tailored solutions to effectively tackle persisting inequities and ensure access to healthy diets for all.

Year published

2025

Authors

Nguyen, Phuong; Ali, Masum; Ghostlaw, Julie; Tran, Lan Mai; Parvin, Aklima; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Ahmed, Akhter

Citation

Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Ali, Masum; Ghostlaw, Julie; Tran, Lan Mai; Parvin, Aklima; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; and Ahmed, Akhter U. Trends and inequities in adequacy of micronutrient intakes in rural Bangladesh. Journal of Nutrition 155(2): 492-508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.11.018

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Dietary Diversity; Micronutrient Deficiencies; Rural Areas; Trace Elements

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

The influence of environmental cues on behavioral response: An assessment of the Protective Action Decision Model in the context of COVID-19

2025Silver, Amber; Koyratty, Nadia; Penta, Samantha; Clay, Lauren
Details

The influence of environmental cues on behavioral response: An assessment of the Protective Action Decision Model in the context of COVID-19

Year published

2025

Authors

Silver, Amber; Koyratty, Nadia; Penta, Samantha; Clay, Lauren

Citation

Silver, Amber; Koyratty, Nadia; Penta, Samantha; and Clay, Lauren. The influence of environmental cues on behavioral response: An assessment of the Protective Action Decision Model in the context of COVID-19. Risk, Hazards, and Crisis in Public Policy. Article in Press. First online on May 6, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/rhc3.12305

Country/Region

United States

Keywords

Americas; Northern America; Covid-19; Behavioural Responses; Public Health

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

To defer or to differ: Experimental evidence on the role of cash transfers in Nigerian couples’ decision–making

2025Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Fafchamps, Marcel; Goldstein, Markus; Leonard, Kenneth L.; Papineni, Sreelakshmi
Details

To defer or to differ: Experimental evidence on the role of cash transfers in Nigerian couples’ decision–making

Year published

2025

Authors

Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Fafchamps, Marcel; Goldstein, Markus; Leonard, Kenneth L.; Papineni, Sreelakshmi

Citation

Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Fafchamps, Marcel; Goldstein, Markus; Leonard, Kenneth L.; and Papineni, Sreelakshmi. To defer or to differ: Experimental evidence on the role of cash transfers in Nigerian couples’ decision–making. The Economic Journal. Article in press. First available online on December 20, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/ej/ueae117

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Cash Transfers; Decision Making; Marriage; Gender; Households; Resource Allocation

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Short-term and long-term effects of cash for work: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Tunisia

2025Leight, Jessica; Mvukiyehe, Eric
Details

Short-term and long-term effects of cash for work: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Tunisia

JEL Classification: O12, O15

Year published

2025

Authors

Leight, Jessica; Mvukiyehe, Eric

Citation

Leight, Jessica; and Mvukiyehe, Eric. Short-term and long-term effects of cash for work: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Tunisia. Journal of Development Studies. Article in press. First available online on February 10, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2025.2451875

Country/Region

Tunisia

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Public Works; Employment; Women’s Empowerment; Assets; Consumption

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Educational responses to local and migration destination shocks: Evidence from China

2025Leight, Jessica; Pan, Yao
Details

Educational responses to local and migration destination shocks: Evidence from China

Over the last 20 years, China has experienced substantial positive shocks to export-oriented industries—especially following its accession to the World Trade Organization—and these shocks have had major implications for human capital investment. One primary channel through which export expansion can shape choices about human capital accumulation is positive labor-demand shocks, and these shocks can be observed both at potential within-country migration destinations and in the locality of birth. Exploiting cross-county variation in the reduction in export tariff uncertainty post-WTO, both locally and at plausible migration destinations, this analysis finds that youth in China reaching matriculation age post-accession in counties experiencing a larger export shock (either locally or at those destinations) show a lower probability of enrolling in high school. This pattern is observed in a sample including both youth who ultimately migrate and youth who do not migrate. For urban youth, the effects of local shocks are larger than the effects of destination shocks, but the opposite pattern is observed for rural youth. A supplementary online appendix is available with this article at The World Bank Economic Review website. JEL classification: F14, F16, J24, O15, O18, O19

Year published

2025

Authors

Leight, Jessica; Pan, Yao

Citation

Leight, Jessica; and Pan, Yao. Educational responses to local and migration destination shocks: Evidence from China. World Bank Economic Review. Article in press. First published online November 20, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhae050

Country/Region

China

Keywords

Asia; Eastern Asia; Capital; Exports; Human Capital; Shock; Trade; Transport; International Organizations

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Disruptions and adaptations of an urban nutrition intervention delivering essential services for women and children during a major health system crisis in Dhaka, Bangladesh

2025
Escobar-DeMarco, Jessica; Nguyen, Phuong; Kundu, Gourob; Kabir, Rowshan; Ali, Mohsin; Ireen, Santhia; Ash, Deborah; Mahmud, Zeba; Sununtnasuk, Celeste; Menon, Purnima
…more Frongillo, Edward A.
Details

Disruptions and adaptations of an urban nutrition intervention delivering essential services for women and children during a major health system crisis in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Systematic crises may disrupt well-designed nutrition interventions. Continuing services requires understanding the intervention paths that have been disrupted and adapting as crises permit. Alive & Thrive developed an intervention to integrate nutrition services into urban antenatal care services in Dhaka, which started at the onset of COVID-19 and encountered extraordinary disruption of services. We investigated the disruptions and adaptations that occurred to continue the delivery of services for women and children and elucidated how the intervention team made those adaptations. We examined the intervention components planned and those implemented annotating the disruptions and adaptations. Subsequently, we detailed the intervention paths (capacity building, supportive supervision, demand generation, counselling services, and reporting, data management and performance review). We sorted out processes at the system, organizational, service delivery and individual levels on how the intervention team made the adaptations. Disruptions included decreased client load and demand for services, attrition of providers and intervention staff, key intervention activities becoming unfeasible and clients and providers facing challenges affecting utilization and provision of services. Adaptations included incorporating new guidance for the continuity of services, managing workforce turnover and incorporating remote modalities for all intervention components. The intervention adapted to continue by incorporating hybrid modalities including both original activities that were feasible and adapted activities. Amidst health system crises, the adapted intervention was successfully delivered. This knowledge of how to identify disruptions and adapt interventions during major crises is critical as Bangladesh and other countries face new threats (conflict, climate, economic downturns, inequities and epidemics).

Year published

2025

Authors

Escobar-DeMarco, Jessica; Nguyen, Phuong; Kundu, Gourob; Kabir, Rowshan; Ali, Mohsin; Ireen, Santhia; Ash, Deborah; Mahmud, Zeba; Sununtnasuk, Celeste; Menon, Purnima; Frongillo, Edward A.

Citation

Escobar-DeMarco, Jessica; Nguyen, Phuong; Kundu, Gourob; Kabir, Rowshan; Ali, Mohsin; Ireen, Santhia; et al. 2025. Disruptions and adaptations of an urban nutrition intervention delivering essential services for women and children during a major health system crisis in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Maternal and Child Nutrition 21(1): e13750. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13750

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Children; Nutrition; Pregnancy; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Farm size and agricultural productivity of nutritious foods: Evidence from Ethiopia

2025Ameye, Hannah; Bachewe, Fantu Nisrane; Minten, Bart; Tamru, Seneshaw
Details

Farm size and agricultural productivity of nutritious foods: Evidence from Ethiopia

Agri-food systems are transforming quickly in Africa. An important issue in the transformation process of agricultural production is the role of small farms. While many authors have looked at this question, one aspect that has received little attention is the role of small farms in the production of nutritious foods, an important topic given the low availability and relatively high prices of nutritious foods and the consequent low level of nutrition security in the continent. Using a unique large-scale dataset from Ethiopia—one of the largest countries in Africa that has been transforming rapidly—we look at the production of vegetables and dairy products. We find a strong association between farm size and partial productivity measured in terms of output, value of outputs and profit per hectare/cow, with productivity twice to four times as high for larger farms. These farms have substantially higher input expenditures as well as differences in farm technologies compared to small ones. Our findings have important implications for the debate on the role of small farms and nutritional improvements in the continent. JEL Classification: O13, Q12, Q18

Year published

2025

Authors

Ameye, Hannah; Bachewe, Fantu Nisrane; Minten, Bart; Tamru, Seneshaw

Citation

Ameye, Hannah; Bachewe, Fantu Nisrane; Minten, Bart; and Tamru, Seneshaw. Farm size and agricultural productivity of nutritious foods: Evidence from Ethiopia. Journal of Agricultural Economics. Article in press. First published online January 24, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-9552.12621

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Agricultural Productivity; Farm Size; Nutrition; Small Farms

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Unpacking power dynamics and women’s economic empowerment in polygynous households in Burkina Faso

2025Eissler, Sarah; Heckert, Jessica; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Sanou, Armande; Ganaba, Rasmané; Gelli, Aulo
Details

Unpacking power dynamics and women’s economic empowerment in polygynous households in Burkina Faso

Objective We aim to describe power distributions in polygynous households and consider how these matter for the production and allocation of food-generating resources in western Burkina Faso, where there is a high prevalence of polygyny. Background Recent studies on polygyny focus on its likely negative consequences and mechanisms for explaining these outcomes using data from large multitopic surveys. These approaches fail to consider the underlying dynamics in polygynous households. Method As part of a 5-year mixed-methods evaluation of a nutrition- and gender-sensitive poultry value chain intervention in western Burkina Faso, we conducted a thematic analysis of 24 gender-disaggregated focus group discussions (265 individuals) and 24 semi-structured interviews in six communities. They focused on gender and power dynamics, food production, and food allocation with a specific focus on polygyny. Results Relationships among co-wives are often cooperative, though not necessarily warm, and typically hierarchical. Monogamous and polygynous marriage may support women’s empowerment in different domains. Polygynous co-wives may be able to divide care work, but first wives often control how labor is divided. In monogamous marriages, wives often make decisions jointly with their husbands, while in polygynous marriages, most co-wives are left out of decisions. In polygynous households, women are better able to maintain control over their earnings. Conclusion We discuss these findings in terms of their implications for studying polygynous households in quantitative surveys and in terms of how to better design and target interventions for this population.

Year published

2025

Authors

Eissler, Sarah; Heckert, Jessica; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Sanou, Armande; Ganaba, Rasmané; Gelli, Aulo

Citation

Eissler, Sarah; Heckert, Jessica; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Sanou, Armande; Ganaba, Rasmané; and Gelli, Aulo. Unpacking power dynamics and women’s economic empowerment in polygynous households in Burkina Faso. Journal of Marriage and Family. Article in press. First published online December 30, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.13063

Country/Region

Burkina Faso

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Gender; Households; Nutrition; Value Chain Analysis; Women’s Empowerment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Conflicts, crop choice, and agricultural investments: Empirical evidence from Nigeria

2025Amare, Mulubrhan; Abay, Kibrom A.; Berhane, Guush; Andam, Kwaw S.; Adeyanju, Dolapo
Details

Conflicts, crop choice, and agricultural investments: Empirical evidence from Nigeria

Conflict remains a major driver of poverty in Africa. Conflicts and political instability in the region have been increasing recently and are drawing more attention in public discourse. While it is widely acknowledged that conflicts disrupt agricultural production and food systems, the full extent of the damage inflicted on the lives and livelihoods of farming households and the mechanisms to redress this harm remain poorly understood. In particular, the link between violent conflicts and households’ land allocation and related agricultural investment decisions remains understudied. In this study, we use geocoded longitudinal data along with detailed agricultural panel household surveys in Nigeria to assess the impact of violent conflicts on crop choice decisions and related agricultural investments. Specifically, we explore how farmers’ land allocation and agricultural investment decisions relate or respond to the outbreak and intensity of violent conflicts. We find that violent conflicts are associated with a reduction in the share of both land area cultivated and area harvested. We also find suggestive evidence that violent conflicts may shape farmers’ crop choices and related investments, as violent conflicts are associated with reduction in the share of land allocated to long-term crops (e.g., perennial crops, trees, roots and tubers). Overall, our findings suggest that violent conflicts can negatively influence farmers’ agricultural investments directly by affecting both land utilization patterns and portfolio allocation across activities with varying returns to investments.

Year published

2025

Authors

Amare, Mulubrhan; Abay, Kibrom A.; Berhane, Guush; Andam, Kwaw S.; Adeyanju, Dolapo

Citation

Amare, Mulubrhan; Abay, Kibrom A.; Berhane, Guush; Andam, Kwaw S.; and Adeyanju, Dolapo. 2025. Conflicts, crop choice, and agricultural investments: Empirical evidence from Nigeria. Land Use Policy 148(January 2025): 107391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2024.107391

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Western Africa; Conflicts; Investment; Smallholders; Decision Making; Gender

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Do youth work in agriculture? Short-term dynamics of on-farm rural youth employment in Tanzania and Malawi

2025Kafle, Kashi; Paliwal, Neha; Benfica, Rui
Details

Do youth work in agriculture? Short-term dynamics of on-farm rural youth employment in Tanzania and Malawi

Year published

2025

Authors

Kafle, Kashi; Paliwal, Neha; Benfica, Rui

Citation

Kafle, Kashi; Paliwal, Neha; and Benfica, Rui. Do youth work in agriculture? Short-term dynamics of on-farm rural youth employment in Tanzania and Malawi. Journal of Development studies. Article in press. First published online on November 14, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2024.2420019

Country/Region

Malawi

Keywords

Tanzania; Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Youth; Agriculture; Youth Employment; Development Policies; Gender; Rural Areas; Rural Employment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Water, Land and Ecosystems

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

The political economy of agroecological transitions: Key analytical dimensions

2025McKay, Ben M.; Nehring, Ryan; Catacora-Vargas, Georgina
Details

The political economy of agroecological transitions: Key analytical dimensions

There is a growing global interest in agroecology, yet agroecological transitions remain fraught with challenges. These include the need to reconfigure the productive and reproductive agrarian relations of unsustainable food systems and to rethink how we work with ecosystems. Using a political economy approach, we propose five key interrelated dimensions for analyzing agroecological transitions: (i) social metabolism; (ii) labor dynamics; (iii) markets and resources; (iv) social organization; and (iv) policies and politics. While these dimensions are often analyzed separately and to varying degrees, we argue that together they contribute to a comprehensive analysis of the political economy of agroecological transitions.

Year published

2025

Authors

McKay, Ben M.; Nehring, Ryan; Catacora-Vargas, Georgina

Citation

McKay, Ben M.; Nehring, Ryan; and Catacora-Vargas, Georgina. The political economy of agroecological transitions: Key analytical dimensions. Journal of Peasant Studies. Article in press. First published online October 8, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2024.2399138

Keywords

Agroecology; Food Systems; Markets; Politics

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Agroecology

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Rethinking responses to the world’s water crises

2025
Grafton, R. Quentin; Fanaian, Safa; Nguyen, Nhat-Mai; Wyrwoll, Paul Robert; Coombes, Peter; Manero, Ana; Williams, John; Horne, James; Katic, Pamela; Ringler, Claudia
…more Robin, Libby; Talbot-Jones, Julia; Wheeler, Sarah Ann; Avarado, Fabiola; Hope, Robert; Biswas, Asit K.; Borgomeo, Edoardo; Brouwer, Roy; Costanza, Robert; Kubiszewski, Ida; Kompas, Tom; McDonnell, Rachael; Martins, Rita; Nikolakis, William; Rollason, Russell; Samnakay, Nadeem; Scanlon, Bridget R.; Svensson, Jesper; Thiam, Djiby; Tortajada, Cecilia; Wang, Yahua
Details

Rethinking responses to the world’s water crises

Year published

2025

Authors

Grafton, R. Quentin; Fanaian, Safa; Nguyen, Nhat-Mai; Wyrwoll, Paul Robert; Coombes, Peter; Manero, Ana; Williams, John; Horne, James; Katic, Pamela; Ringler, Claudia; Robin, Libby; Talbot-Jones, Julia; Wheeler, Sarah Ann; Avarado, Fabiola; Hope, Robert; Biswas, Asit K.; Borgomeo, Edoardo; Brouwer, Roy; Costanza, Robert; Kubiszewski, Ida; Kompas, Tom; McDonnell, Rachael; Martins, Rita; Nikolakis, William; Rollason, Russell; Samnakay, Nadeem; Scanlon, Bridget R.; Svensson, Jesper; Thiam, Djiby; Tortajada, Cecilia; Wang, Yahua

Citation

Grafton, R. Quentin; Fanaian, Safa; Nguyen, Nhat-Mai; Wyrwoll, Paul Robert; Coombes, Peter; Ringler, Claudia; et al. Rethinking responses to the world’s water crises. Nature Sustainability 9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-024-01470-z

Keywords

Water; Natural Resources; Flooding; Ecosystems; Environmental Degradation; Policies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in South Asian countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

2025Ali, Masum; Alam, Md Mahbub; Rifat, M. A.; Simi, Sonjida Mesket; Sarwar, Sneha; Amin, Md Ruhul; Saha, Sanjib
Details

Prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in South Asian countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction South Asia is observing an epidemiological transition from communicable to non-communicable diseases where diabetes is an important marker. In this study, we estimate the overall prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in South Asian countries. Method A systematic literature review and meta-analysis is performed to estimate the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives, and Afghanistan using studies based on only the nationally representative surveys and published from 2012 until June 2024. The quality of the included articles was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Both random-effect (Der Simonian-Laird inverse variance) and fixed-effect models were used to perform meta-analyses followed by meta-regression. Results We identified 64 studies for diabetes and 14 studies for prediabetes, covering a total of 4,613,487 and 156,407 participants, respectively. Overall, the pooled prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes was 8.56% (95% CI 5.73–11.91; I2 = 99.99%) and 18.99% (95% CI 12.74–26.6; I2 = 99.87%), respectively, with high heterogeneity observed among the studies based on random-effect models. We also found that the prevalence of diabetes identified by clinical methods was higher than the self-reported measures. Conclusion The analyses revealed that the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in South Asia throughout the study period is significantly elevated. This necessitates the establishment of comprehensive guidelines for South Asians to mitigate the escalating prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ali, Masum; Alam, Md Mahbub; Rifat, M. A.; Simi, Sonjida Mesket; Sarwar, Sneha; Amin, Md Ruhul; Saha, Sanjib

Citation

Ali, Masum; Alam, Md Mahbub; Rifat, M. A.; Simi, Sonjida Mesket; Sarwar, Sneha; Amin, Md Ruhul; and Saha, Sanjib. 2025. Prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in South Asian countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Discover Public Health 22: 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00426-8

Country/Region

Bangladesh; India; Nepal; Pakistan; Sri Lanka; Bhutan; Maldives; Afghanistan

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Diabetes; Epidemiology; Guidelines

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Adoption and impact of hybrid rice in India: Evidence from a large-scale field survey

2025Negi, Digvijay Singh; Kumar, Anjani; Birthal, Pratap Singh; Tripathi, Gaurav
Details

Adoption and impact of hybrid rice in India: Evidence from a large-scale field survey

This paper aims at understanding the causes of low adoption of hybrid rice technology. The paper also assesses the impact of adoption of hybrids and modern varieties on crop yield, vis-à-vis the old or traditional varieties.Using unit-level data from a large-scale survey of farm households (19,877 paddy cultivators), the authors applied multi-nomial regression method to understand the factors for adoption of hybrid rice and instrumental variable method of regression to estimate its impact.The findings demonstrate that in India, hybrid rice is often grown on relatively poor soils, resulting in greater irrigation costs and for other inputs, such as fertilizers. Further, farmers’ poor access to information on the traits of hybrid rice and the associated agronomic practices, as well as poor access to financial resources, hampers efforts to scale up its adoption. More importantly, the findings reveal that the relative yield advantage of hybrids over open-pollinated modern varieties is not large enough to incentivize the rapid adoption of hybrid rice technology.Given the higher cost of hybrids than the inbred varieties, enhancing paddy cultivators’ access to financial resources can accelerate the adoption of hybrid rice in India.The study is based on unit level data from a large-scale, nationally representative survey of farm households, comprising a sample of 19,877 paddy cultivators, spread across states in India.

Year published

2025

Authors

Negi, Digvijay Singh; Kumar, Anjani; Birthal, Pratap Singh; Tripathi, Gaurav

Citation

Negi, Digvijay Singh; Kumar, Anjani; Birthal, Pratap Singh; and Tripathi, Gaurav. Adoption and impact of hybrid rice in India: Evidence from a large-scale field survey. Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies. Article in press. First published online on November 10, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1108/jadee-05-2023-0118

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Rice; Hybrids; Crop Yield; Farmers; Inputs; Access to Information; Capacity Building

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Seed Equal

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Determinants and impacts of contract farming: Evidence from cultivation of onion, okra and pomegranate in Maharashtra, India

2025Kumar, Anjani; Roy, Devesh; Tripathi, Gaurav; Joshi, Pramod Kumar
Details

Determinants and impacts of contract farming: Evidence from cultivation of onion, okra and pomegranate in Maharashtra, India

This study investigates the impact of contract farming in onion, okra and pomegranate production on profits of smallholder farmers in India. It also investigates the determinants of farmers’ participation in contract farming. The study is based on a survey of 1,131 farmers from Maharashtra, India engaged in the cultivation of these three crops.This study uses instrumental variable regressions and quasi-experimental methods to decipher the impact of contract farming.The study reveals that contract farming ensures higher returns for smallholders, enables their access to high-end markets and brings in risk-sharing with protection during price fluctuations. Farm size and farmers’ risk perceptions are significantly associated with their participation in contract farming.The study is based on cross-sectional data, which presents limitations on considering unobserved farmer-level individual heterogeneity.The study shows that contracts highlight the functioning of the contractor/integrator on both the input and output sides of the market. By providing better-quality inputs on credit and at discounted prices and by providing training, the integrator helps small farmers meet international food safety and quality standards, a historically difficult challenge for smallholders in India.

Year published

2025

Authors

Kumar, Anjani; Roy, Devesh; Tripathi, Gaurav; Joshi, Pramod Kumar

Citation

Kumar, Anjani; Roy, Devesh; Tripathi, Gaurav; and Joshi, Pramod Kumar. 2025. Determinants and impacts of contract farming: Evidence from cultivation of onion, okra and pomegranate in Maharashtra, India. Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies 15(1): 131-149. https://doi.org/10.1108/JADEE-05-2022-0094

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Southern Asia; Asia; Agriculture; Contract Farming; Onions; Okra; Pomegranates; Production; Profits; Smallholders; Surveys; Access; Markets; Risk; Prices; Farm Size; Development

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Governance and resilience as entry points for transforming food systems in the countdown to 2030

2025
Schneider, Kate R.; Remans, Roseline; Bekele, Tesfaye Hailu; Aytekin, Destan; Conforti, Piero; Dasgupta, Shouro; DeClerck, Fabrice A.J.; Dewi, Deviana; Fabi, Carola; Gephart, Jessica A.
…more Masuda, Yuta J.; McLaren, Rebecca; Saisana, Michaela; Aburto, Nancy; Ambikapathi, Ramya; Rodriguez, Mariana Arellano; Barquera, Simon; Battersby, Jane; Beal, Ty; Béné, Christophe; Cafiero, Carlo; Campeau, Christine; Caron, Patrick; Cattaneo, Cattaneo; Candel, Jeroen; Covic, Namukolo; del Pino Alvarez, Inmaculada; Barreto, Ana Paula Dominguez; Elouafi, Ismahane; Frazier, Tyler J.; Fremier, Alexander; Foley, Pat; Golden, Christopher D.; Fischer, Carlos Gonzalez; Guarin, Alejandro; Hendriks, Sheryl; Herforth, Anna; Honorati, Maddalena; Huang, Jikun; Getaneh, Yonas; Kennedy, Gina; Laar, Amos; Lal, Rattan; Lidder, Preetmoninder; Feye, Getachew Legese; Loken, Brent; Malapit, Hazel J.; Marshall, Quinn; Mulatu, Kalkidan A.; Munguia, Ana; Nordhagen, Stella; Resnick, Danielle; Suhardiman, Diana; Sumaila, U. Rashid; Sun, Bangyao; Mengesha, Belay Terefe; Cullen, Maximo Torero; Tubiello, Francesco N.; Dooren, Corné van; Morales, Isabel Valero; Vivero-Pol, Jose-Luis; Webb, Patrick; Wiebe, Keith D.; Haddad, Lawrence; Herrero, Mario; Moncayo, Jose Rosero; Fanzo, Jessica
Details

Governance and resilience as entry points for transforming food systems in the countdown to 2030

Due to complex interactions, changes in any one area of food systems are likely to impact—and possibly depend on—changes in other areas. Here we present the first annual monitoring update of the indicator framework proposed by the Food Systems Countdown Initiative, with new qualitative analysis elucidating interactions across indicators. Since 2000, we find that 20 of 42 indicators with time series have been trending in a desirable direction, indicating modest positive change. Qualitative expert elicitation assessed governance and resilience indicators to be most connected to other indicators across themes, highlighting entry points for action—particularly governance action. Literature review and country case studies add context to the assessed interactions across diets, environment, livelihoods, governance and resilience indicators, helping different actors understand and navigate food systems towards desirable change.Due to complex interactions, changes in any one area of food systems are likely to impact—and possibly depend on—changes in other areas. Here we present the first annual monitoring update of the indicator framework proposed by the Food Systems Countdown Initiative, with new qualitative analysis elucidating interactions across indicators. Since 2000, we find that 20 of 42 indicators with time series have been trending in a desirable direction, indicating modest positive change. Qualitative expert elicitation assessed governance and resilience indicators to be most connected to other indicators across themes, highlighting entry points for action—particularly governance action. Literature review and country case studies add context to the assessed interactions across diets, environment, livelihoods, governance and resilience indicators, helping different actors understand and navigate food systems towards desirable change.

Year published

2025

Authors

Schneider, Kate R.; Remans, Roseline; Bekele, Tesfaye Hailu; Aytekin, Destan; Conforti, Piero; Dasgupta, Shouro; DeClerck, Fabrice A.J.; Dewi, Deviana; Fabi, Carola; Gephart, Jessica A.; Masuda, Yuta J.; McLaren, Rebecca; Saisana, Michaela; Aburto, Nancy; Ambikapathi, Ramya; Rodriguez, Mariana Arellano; Barquera, Simon; Battersby, Jane; Beal, Ty; Béné, Christophe; Cafiero, Carlo; Campeau, Christine; Caron, Patrick; Cattaneo, Cattaneo; Candel, Jeroen; Covic, Namukolo; del Pino Alvarez, Inmaculada; Barreto, Ana Paula Dominguez; Elouafi, Ismahane; Frazier, Tyler J.; Fremier, Alexander; Foley, Pat; Golden, Christopher D.; Fischer, Carlos Gonzalez; Guarin, Alejandro; Hendriks, Sheryl; Herforth, Anna; Honorati, Maddalena; Huang, Jikun; Getaneh, Yonas; Kennedy, Gina; Laar, Amos; Lal, Rattan; Lidder, Preetmoninder; Feye, Getachew Legese; Loken, Brent; Malapit, Hazel J.; Marshall, Quinn; Mulatu, Kalkidan A.; Munguia, Ana; Nordhagen, Stella; Resnick, Danielle; Suhardiman, Diana; Sumaila, U. Rashid; Sun, Bangyao; Mengesha, Belay Terefe; Cullen, Maximo Torero; Tubiello, Francesco N.; Dooren, Corné van; Morales, Isabel Valero; Vivero-Pol, Jose-Luis; Webb, Patrick; Wiebe, Keith D.; Haddad, Lawrence; Herrero, Mario; Moncayo, Jose Rosero; Fanzo, Jessica

Citation

Schneider, Kate R.; Remans, Roseline; Bekele, Tesfaye Hailu; Aytekin, Destan; Conforti, Piero; Dasgupta, Shouro; et al. 2025. Governance and resilience as entry points for transforming food systems in the countdown to 2030. Nature Food 6: 105-116. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-024-01109-4

Keywords

Food Systems; Governance; Resilience; Transformation; Resiliencia; Sistema Alimentario; Gobernanza-gobernancia

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

The costs of a multisectoral nutrition program implemented through a poultry value chain platform in Burkina Faso

2025Margolies, Amy; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Twalibu, Aisha; Nwabuikwu, Odiche; Wun, Jolene; Kemp, Chris; Gelli, Aulo; Levin, Carol
Details

The costs of a multisectoral nutrition program implemented through a poultry value chain platform in Burkina Faso

Undernutrition in women and young children in Burkina Faso is a critical problem. Egg consumption is low despite many households raising poultry. The Soutenir l’Exploitation Familiale pour Lancer l’Élevage des Volailles et Valoriser l’Économie Rurale (SELEVER) project, an integrated agriculture-nutrition intervention, promoted egg consumption and sales to investigate the impact of poultry production on child nutrition. Multisectoral nutrition-sensitive agriculture programs address nutrition deficits but lack comparable cost information. This study estimates the costs of the SELEVER program, an integrated poultry and nutrition intervention. The study estimates the program’s economic costs using a standardized methodology from the Strengthening Economic Evaluation for Multisectoral Strategies for Nutrition (SEEMS-Nutrition) consortium, which aligns financial and economic costs along program impact pathways, allocating costs by activities and inputs. We conducted qualitative interviews and focus groups on time allocation and beneficiary out-of-pocket costs. Incremental economic costs were calculated by combining expenditures and economic costs. The total incremental program cost was USD$18,084,727.68 over 5 years, with annual incremental costs of USD$209.20 per direct beneficiary and $796.26 per household. Major cost drivers included overhead (18%), poultry extension (17%), training (16%), household counseling (7%), technical assistance (7%) and microcredit (6%). Total input costs were dominated by personnel (51%), supplies (13%), agricultural inputs (10%) and overhead (9%). We present the total incremental costs of a multisectoral nutrition intervention to generate revenue with poultry. The costs per beneficiary were higher than similar interventions, underscoring the need for cost-effectiveness evaluations of multisectoral nutrition programs. A standardized cost methodology facilitates comparisons with multisectoral nutrition interventions and builds the evidence base.

Year published

2025

Authors

Margolies, Amy; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Twalibu, Aisha; Nwabuikwu, Odiche; Wun, Jolene; Kemp, Chris; Gelli, Aulo; Levin, Carol

Citation

Margolies, Amy; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Twalibu, Aisha; Nwabuikwu, Odiche; Wun, Jolene; Kemp, Chris; Gelli, Aulo; and Levin, Carol. The costs of a multisectoral nutrition program implemented through a poultry value chain platform in Burkina Faso. Maternal and Child Nutrition. Article in press. First available online on January 3, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13791

Country/Region

Burkina Faso

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Nutrition; Poultry; Value Chains; Children; Costs; Gender; Sustainability; Impact Assessment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Evaluating the gendered credit constraints and uptake of an insurance-linked credit product among smallholder farmers in Kenya

2025Timu, Anne G.; Shee, Apurba; Ward, Patrick S.; You, Liangzhi
Details

Evaluating the gendered credit constraints and uptake of an insurance-linked credit product among smallholder farmers in Kenya

Year published

2025

Authors

Timu, Anne G.; Shee, Apurba; Ward, Patrick S.; You, Liangzhi

Citation

Timu, Anne G.; Shee, Apurba; Ward, Patrick S.; and You, Liangzhi. Evaluating the gendered credit constraints and uptake of an insurance-linked credit product among smallholder farmers in Kenya. Journal of Development Studies 61(3). https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2024.2404573

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Agricultural Credit; Financial Inclusion; Gender; Smallholders; Men; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Climate Resilience

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Economic impacts of large dams on downstream brickmaking in developing countries

2025Basheer, Mohammed; Elnour, Zuhal; Siddig, Khalid; Grethe, Harald
Details

Economic impacts of large dams on downstream brickmaking in developing countries

Large dams have positive and negative impacts, including disrupting brickmaking on the floodplains downstream due to flow regulation and sediment reduction, affecting the supply of essential construction material, notably in developing countries. In this study, we introduce an analytical framework to assess the economywide effects of large dams on downstream brickmaking, focusing on Traditional Fired Clay Brick (TFCB). The framework includes three steps: characterizing the impacts on river flow and sediment load using river system modeling and secondary data, understanding the role of TFCB production in the economy based on survey and economic data, and quantifying the economywide impacts of changes in TFCB production using dynamic computable general equilibrium modeling. We demonstrate the functionality of the approach by conducting a case study of the impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Sudanese economy due to changes in TFCB production by comparing two scenarios: “with GERD” and “no GERD.” Results show that Sudan’s accumulated (2023–2050) discounted (at 0.5% annually) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at factor cost would decline by US$ 6 billion (−0.38%) due to a reduction in TFCB production. Consumer flexibility regarding brick types and the ability of alternative brick sources to fill the demand gap are key determinants of the impacts.

Year published

2025

Authors

Basheer, Mohammed; Elnour, Zuhal; Siddig, Khalid; Grethe, Harald

Citation

Basheer, Mohammed; Elnour, Zuhal; Siddig, Khalid; and Grethe, Harald. 2025. Economic impacts of large dams on downstream brickmaking in developing countries. Construction Management and Economics 43(3): 213-225. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2024.2411409

Keywords

Floodplains; Modelling; Sediment; Stream Flow

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Assessing global price shocks and mitigation policies on welfare and food security in Nigeria

2025Mamboundou, Pierre; Escalante, Luis Enrique; Omoju, Oluwasola Emmanuel
Details

Assessing global price shocks and mitigation policies on welfare and food security in Nigeria

Variations in agricultural and energy prices have direct and cascading effects on economic and agri-food systems. In this study, we developed a dynamic general equilibrium model to simulate the impact of the global price shocks induced by the Russia-Ukraine war on welfare and food security in Nigeria. In addition, we analysed the effectiveness of different policy options, specifically a reduction in indirect taxes and an increase in cash transfers to affected households, in the short and long term. The results showed that the shocks create opportunities for Nigeria, particularly in the trade, livestock, and agricultural sectors. This leads to an increase in GDP, employment, and incomes. However, these effects fade over time due to the rise in food prices that negatively affects food consumption and some food security indicators. Moreover, the comparative analysis of mitigation scenarios revealed that targeted public cash transfers to households are more effective than reduction in consumption taxes on food in mitigating the negative effects on households.

Year published

2025

Authors

Mamboundou, Pierre; Escalante, Luis Enrique; Omoju, Oluwasola Emmanuel

Citation

Mamboundou, Pierre; Escalante, Luis Enrique; and Omoju, Oluwasola Emmanuel. 2025. Assessing global price shocks and mitigation policies on welfare and food security in Nigeria. Food Security 17: 275–292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-024-01497-2

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Food Security; Policies; Shock; Welfare

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

The power of the anticorruption campaign: Evidence from cigarette and alcohol consumption in China

2025Wang, Xiaobing; Liu, Xinyu; Ren, Yanjun; Yamauchi, Futoshi; Huang, Jikun
Details

The power of the anticorruption campaign: Evidence from cigarette and alcohol consumption in China

Year published

2025

Authors

Wang, Xiaobing; Liu, Xinyu; Ren, Yanjun; Yamauchi, Futoshi; Huang, Jikun

Citation

Wang, Xiaobing; Liu, Xinyu; Ren, Yanjun; Yamauchi, Futoshi; and Huang, Jikun. 2024. The power of the anticorruption campaign: Evidence from cigarette and alcohol consumption in China. Economic Development and Cultural Change 73(2). https://doi.org/10.1086/729621

Country/Region

China

Keywords

Asia; Eastern Asia; Corruption; Cigarettes; Alcoholic Beverages; Consumption

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Wholesalers and the transformation of Myanmar’s maize value chains

2025Belton, Ben; Cho, Ame; Hall, Michael; Minten, Bart; Reardon, Thomas
Details

Wholesalers and the transformation of Myanmar’s maize value chains

Wholesalers of agricultural crops have historically received limited attention in the literature on agricultural development, which has a strongly productivist focus. When wholesalers are considered, they are often framed as exploitative, taking advantage of information asymmetries, market failures, and unequal power relations to extract heavy surpluses from farmers. However, there is a growing appreciation that wholesalers may play important roles in facilitating agricultural development and rural transformation. This paper evaluates wholesaler conduct and performance using a survey of 218 maize wholesalers in 12 of the major maize-growing and trading townships of South Shan State, Myanmar and the cities of Lashio and Muse in North Shan. Hybrid maize emerged very rapidly in Myanmar over the past two decades to become a major cash crop, supplying domestic animal feed mills and becoming one of Myanmar’s most important exports to China and Thailand. Wholesalers have been central to the development of this supply chain and the sector. Contrary to recent literature from Myanmar that has cast maize wholesalers as exploitative, the survey finds that the rapidly growing wholesaler segment of the maize value chain is highly competitive, rapidly changing with respect to technology, and functions efficiently. Farmers obtaining maize inputs from wholesalers in the form of tied output credit sell their maize at prevailing market rates. The emergence of clusters of maize wholesalers and allied actors such as third-party logistics services occurred spontaneously and symbiotically with the expansion of hybrid maize cultivation, and with each set of actors essential to the emergence of the others.

Year published

2025

Authors

Belton, Ben; Cho, Ame; Hall, Michael; Minten, Bart; Reardon, Thomas

Citation

Belton, Ben; Cho, Ame; Hall, Michael; Minten, Bart; and Reardon, Thomas. 2025. Wholesalers and the transformation of Myanmar’s maize value chains. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy 47(1):125-153. https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13489

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Agricultural Development; Maize; Wholesale Markets; Value Chains; Small and Medium Enterprises

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Menarche and pubertal progression: A cross-sectional analysis of timing and influencing factors in North-Eastern Ghana

2025Alatiah, Gabriel Ajediwe; Azupogo, Fusta; Atosona, Ambrose; Vuvor, Frederick; Steiner-Asiedu, Matilda; Brouwer, Inge D.
Details

Menarche and pubertal progression: A cross-sectional analysis of timing and influencing factors in North-Eastern Ghana

Menarche and pubertal onset vary across populations but understanding age-at-menarche (AAM) and pubertal growth tempo is limited in low-income settings. Identifying factors influencing pubertal development is vital for creating targeted health and education programmes supporting adolescent girls’ well-being. Baseline data (n = 1045) from the Ten2Twenty-Ghana study were analysed to examine menarche attainment, pubertal development, AAM, and the associated factors among girls aged 10-17 years in the Mion district, Ghana. The data collection methods included anthropometry, body composition, haemoglobin status, a qualitative 24-hour dietary recall, a food frequency questionnaire, and a pubertal development score (PDS). Binary logistic and linear regression analyses were used to model odds ratios for menarche attainment and regression coefficients for AAM and PDS. About 19.9% of the girls had experienced menarche, with a mean AAM of 13.4 ± 1.5 years. Among post-menarche girls (n = 205/1045), 12.2% and 15.1% experienced early (AAM < 12 years) and late menarche (AAM < 15 years), respectively. The mean PDS was 1.8 ± 0.7 out of 4. Among the adolescent girls, 36.2% were prepubertal, 17.0% early –pubertal, 18.6% mid-pubertal, 27.9% late pubertal, and less than 1% were in the post-pubertal stage. An increase in fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), height-for-age-z-score (HAZ), and body mass index-for-age-z-score (BAZ) was observed with puberty progression, but a steep decline in HAZ was noticed for girls in late puberty, increasing again post-puberty. Being older (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.06, 95% C.I.: 1.83, 2.31), stunted (AOR= 0.20, 95% C.I.: 0.10, 0.40), thin (AOR = 0.30, 95% C.I.: 0.11, 0.80), and overweight/obese (AOR = 7.29, 95% C.I.: 2.60, 20.43) were the significant predictors of menarche attainment. Being older (β = 0.39, P < 0.0001), stunted (β= -0.92, P = 0.01), thin (β = 1.25, P = 0.01), and having a literate mother (β = -0.72, P = 0.03) were significantly associated with AMM. A higher HAZ, FM, FFM, age, and Konkomba ethnicity were positively associated with higher PDS. This study highlights the complexity of factors influencing menarche and pubertal development. These insights are essential for developing targeted health and educational programmes that address nutritional and socio-demographic disparities to promote adolescent girls’ well-being and healthy pubertal development.

Year published

2025

Authors

Alatiah, Gabriel Ajediwe; Azupogo, Fusta; Atosona, Ambrose; Vuvor, Frederick; Steiner-Asiedu, Matilda; Brouwer, Inge D.

Citation

Alatiah, Gabriel Ajediwe; Azupogo, Fusta; Atosona, Ambrose; Vuvor, Frederick; Steiner-Asiedu, Matilda; and Brouwer, Inge D. Menarche and pubertal progression: A cross-sectional analysis of timing and influencing factors in North-Eastern Ghana. Journal of Biosocial Science. Article in press. First published online February 10, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021932025000021

Country/Region

Ghana

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Adolescents; Females; Lean Body Mass; Sexual Maturity

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Confidence and information usage: Evidence from soil testing in India

2025Gars, Jared; Fishman, Ram; Kishore, Avinash; Rothler, Yoav; Ward, Patrick S.
Details

Confidence and information usage: Evidence from soil testing in India

Informational barriers are often considered to be a major constraint to the adoption of improved farming practices, inputs, and technologies by smallholder farmers. In the Indian context, it is widely believed that farmers misapply chemical fertilizers because they lack scientific information on soil conditions and corresponding fertilizer recommendations, thus resulting in imbalanced and potentially detrimental fertilizer application. Policymakers are frequently interested in providing farmers with various streams of information to overcome these informational barriers to optimize farming activities. However, such informational interventions frequently fail either because generic recommendations may be ill-suited for decision makers in highly heterogeneous agricultural environments or because farmers’ beliefs may be so entrenched as to make them unresponsive to new information. We implemented a field experiment in Bihar, India to test whether plot-specific fertilizer recommendations affect farmers’ fertilizer use. We find little evidence for sizable impacts on fertilizer use in general, though impacts are more apparent for low cost or costless recommendations such as increasing the use of highly subsidized fertilizers or shifting the timing of application. Despite modest evidence of such effects, even those fall short of their potential magnitude. We show that treated farmers who are less confident in their subjective beliefs about optimal fertilizer application rates (i.e., with more disperse priors) are more responsive to the recommendations and have a higher ex ante willingness to pay for soil testing. These results suggest that heterogeneity in beliefs may constrain the overall effectiveness of information provision, even when the information is tailored to individual farms. JEL Classification: D83, O13

Year published

2025

Authors

Gars, Jared; Fishman, Ram; Kishore, Avinash; Rothler, Yoav; Ward, Patrick S.

Citation

Gars, Jared; Fishman, Ram; Kishore, Avinash; Rothler, Yoav; and Ward, Patrick S. Confidence and information usage: Evidence from soil testing in India. American Journal of Agricultural Economics. Article in press. First published online January 23, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajae.12513

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Fertilizers; Soil Analysis; Smallholders

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Intensive and extensive margins of India’s agricultural trade: implications for export diversification and development

2025Elumalai, Kanan; Kumar, Anjani
Details

Intensive and extensive margins of India’s agricultural trade: implications for export diversification and development

This paper aims to analyze relative contribution of intensive margin (IM) and extensive margin (EM) to growth in India’s agricultural exports for the period 2001 to 2020. It also analyses the determinants of IM and EMs through a standard gravity model.The study uses export data from United Nations Comtrade, which is accessed through World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS) software. Data for the period 2001 to 2020 were compiled for analysis using the Harmonized System (HS) of commodity classification system at the six-digit level. This study decomposed the contribution of IM and EM in the growth of Indian agricultural trade by using Hummels and Klenow’s approach. After performing the export decomposition analysis, the authors analyze the factors influencing IM and EM by using the Tobit regression model and Poisson pseudo-maximum-likelihood (PPML) method of estimation.The EM grew at 1.24% per annum, while the intensive margin (IM) increased by 0.23%. The contribution of growth at the EM increased from 58.8% in 2001 to 70.2% in 2020. Export growth along the IM was relatively high for animal products and agricultural raw materials, while growth at the EM was an important contributor to the export growth of horticultural and processed agricultural products. There was a positive and significant effect of the free trade agreement (FTA) on export margins.More disaggregated commodity-specific studies on value chain analysis would provide valuable insights into the issues hindering exports and realizing the untapped export potential.There is a scarcity of holistic and recent studies illustrating the role of IM and EMs in agricultural trade growth, covering a large number of commodities and geographies associated with Indian agricultural trade. The study would be helpful to the stakeholders in facilitating informed policy decisions.

Year published

2025

Authors

Elumalai, Kanan; Kumar, Anjani

Citation

Elumalai, Kanan; and Kumar, Anjani. Intensive and extensive margins of India’s agricultural trade: implications for export diversification and development. Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies. Article in press. First published on September 25, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1108/JADEE-04-2023-0095

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Southern Asia; Agriculture; Agricultural Trade; Exports; Data; Data Analysis; Degradation

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Dietary intake and micronutrient adequacy among adults engaged in agriculture in rural Sri Lanka: Findings from a cross-sectional baseline survey

2025
Joyce, Caroline A.; Caswell, Bess L.; Gelli, Aulo; Hess, Sonja Y.; Sitisekara, Hasara; Stewart, Christine P.; Tan, Xiuping; Jayatissa, Renuka; Peiris, Kalana; Silva, Renuka
…more Olney, Deanna K.
Details

Dietary intake and micronutrient adequacy among adults engaged in agriculture in rural Sri Lanka: Findings from a cross-sectional baseline survey

Objective: To characterise food group consumption, assess the contribution of food groups to energy and micronutrient intake, and estimate usual nutrient intake among adults in rural Sri Lanka. Design: A baseline survey (December 2020–February 2021) was conducted as part of an agriculture-based, nutrition-sensitive resilience program evaluation. Dietary intake was assessed using telephone-based 24-h recalls (n 1283), with repeat recalls from 769 participants. Mean daily intake of food groups and their contribution to energy and nutrient intakes were calculated. The National Cancer Institute method was used to estimate usual intakes and the prevalence of adequate micronutrient intake (PAI). Differences by sex, district, and wealth were assessed using t tests and ANOVA. Setting: Forty-five rural villages throughout Sri Lanka. Participants: Men and women from households in the program evaluation study area. Results: On average, grains and coconut milk provided 56 % and 12 % of energy, respectively. Rice, fish, dairy, and pulses were the primary sources of micronutrients. Participants consumed 118 ± 117 g of vegetables and 71 ± 243 g of fruit per day. PAI was < 25 % for calcium, zinc, niacin, folate, and vitamins B6, B12, and C, reflecting low consumption of animal-source foods (80 g/day), whole grains, fruit, and vegetables (F&V). Significant differences in food group consumption by socio-demographic subgroup were observed among districts and wealth quintiles. Conclusions: We observed high consumption of rice and coconut milk and low prevalence of micronutrient adequacy. We recommend increasing animal-source food, whole grain, and F&V consumption to close nutrient gaps, as well as research to identify effective solutions to increase micronutrient intake.

Year published

2025

Authors

Joyce, Caroline A.; Caswell, Bess L.; Gelli, Aulo; Hess, Sonja Y.; Sitisekara, Hasara; Stewart, Christine P.; Tan, Xiuping; Jayatissa, Renuka; Peiris, Kalana; Silva, Renuka; Olney, Deanna K.

Citation

Joyce, Caroline A.; Caswell, Bess L.; Gelli, Aulo; Hess, Sonja Y.; Sitisekara, Hasara; Stewart, Christine P.; Tan, Xiuping; et al. 2025. Dietary intake and micronutrient adequacy among adults engaged in agriculture in rural Sri Lanka: Findings from a cross-sectional baseline survey. Public Health Nutrition 28(1): 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980025000072

Country/Region

Sri Lanka

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agriculture; Fruits; Healthy Diets; Surveys; Trace Elements; Vegetables; Rural Areas

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Nurturing care in the first 10 years of life: Results from a Vietnamese longitudinal study

2025Tran, Lan Mai; Stein, Aryeh D.; Nguyen, Phuong; Young, Melissa F.; Ramakrishnan, Usha
Details

Nurturing care in the first 10 years of life: Results from a Vietnamese longitudinal study

Year published

2025

Authors

Tran, Lan Mai; Stein, Aryeh D.; Nguyen, Phuong; Young, Melissa F.; Ramakrishnan, Usha

Citation

Tran, Lan Mai; Stein, Aryeh D.; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Young, Melissa F.; and Ramakrishnan, Usha. 2025. Nurturing care in the first 10 years of life: Results from a Vietnamese longitudinal study. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1545(1): 145-156. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.15297

Country/Region

Vietnam

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Child Development; Health; Nutrition; Data; Children; Longitudinal Studies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Health or economics: Unpacking concern type and severity in the COVID-19 pandemic

2025Penta, Samantha; Koyratty, Nadia; Clay, Lauren; Silver, Amber
Details

Health or economics: Unpacking concern type and severity in the COVID-19 pandemic

Year published

2025

Authors

Penta, Samantha; Koyratty, Nadia; Clay, Lauren; Silver, Amber

Citation

Penta, Samantha; Koyratty, Nadia; Clay, Lauren; and Silver, Amber. 2025. Health or economics: Unpacking concern type and severity in the COVID-19 pandemic. Risk, Hazards, & Crisis in Public Policy 16(1): e70003. https://doi.org/10.1002/rhc3.70003

Country/Region

United States

Keywords

Northern America; Covid-19; Public Health; Economic Situation; Policies; Income

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Dietary intake and micronutrient adequacy among adults in rural Sri Lanka: Findings from a cross-sectional baseline survey

2025
Joyce, Caroline A.; Caswell, Bess L.; Gelli, Aulo; Hess, Sonja Y.; Sitisekara, Hasara; Stewart, Christine P.; Tan, Xiuping; Xiuping, Renuka; Peiris, Kalana; Silva, Renuka
…more Olney, Deanna K.
Details

Dietary intake and micronutrient adequacy among adults in rural Sri Lanka: Findings from a cross-sectional baseline survey

Objective To characterize food group consumption, assess the contribution of food groups to energy and micronutrient intake, and estimate usual nutrient intake among adults in rural Sri Lanka. Design A baseline survey (Dec 2020–Feb 2021) was conducted as part of an agriculture-based, nutrition-sensitive resilience program evaluation. Dietary intake was assessed using telephone-based 24-hour recalls (n=1283), with repeat recalls from 769 participants. Mean daily intake of food groups and their contribution to energy and nutrient intakes were calculated. The National Cancer Institute method was used to estimate usual intakes and the prevalence of adequate micronutrient intake (PAI). Differences by sex, district, and wealth were assessed using t-tests and ANOVA. Setting Forty-five rural villages throughout Sri Lanka. Participants Men and women from households in the program evaluation study area. Results On average, grains and coconut milk provided 56% and 12% of energy, respectively. Rice, fish, dairy, and pulses were the primary sources of micronutrients. Participants consumed 118±117g vegetables and 71±243g fruit per day. PAI was <25% for calcium; zinc; niacin; folate; and vitamins B6, B12, and C, reflecting low consumption of animal-source foods (ASF; 80 g/day), whole grains, fruits, and vegetables (F&V). Significant differences in food group consumption by sociodemographic subgroup were observed among districts and wealth quintiles. Conclusions We observed high consumption of rice and coconut milk and low prevalence of micronutrient adequacy. We recommend increasing ASF, whole grain, and F&V consumption to close nutrient gaps, as well as research to identify effective solutions to increase micronutrient intake.

Year published

2025

Authors

Joyce, Caroline A.; Caswell, Bess L.; Gelli, Aulo; Hess, Sonja Y.; Sitisekara, Hasara; Stewart, Christine P.; Tan, Xiuping; Xiuping, Renuka; Peiris, Kalana; Silva, Renuka; Olney, Deanna K.

Citation

Joyce, Caroline A.; Caswell, Bess L.; Gelli, Aulo; Hess, Sonja Y.; Sitisekara, Hasara; Stewart, Christine P.; et al. 2025. Dietary intake and micronutrient adequacy among adults in rural Sri Lanka: Findings from a cross-sectional baseline survey. Public Health Nutrition 28(1). https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980025000072

Country/Region

Sri Lanka

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Diet; Fruits; Trace Elements; Vegetables

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Project

Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Adapting to extreme weather conditions in a developing country: An economywide policy assessment from Malawi

2025Kankwamba, Henry
Details

Adapting to extreme weather conditions in a developing country: An economywide policy assessment from Malawi

Year published

2025

Authors

Kankwamba, Henry

Citation

Kankwamba, Henry. 2025. Adapting to extreme weather conditions in a developing country: an economywide policy assessment from Malawi. Agrekon 64(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/03031853.2025.2469500

Country/Region

Malawi

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Extreme Weather Events; Developing Countries; Welfare; Computable General Equilibrium Models; Cyclones; Economic Policies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Shocks and stability of risk and time preferences among poor rural households in Ethiopia

2025Meles, Tensay Hadush; Abay, Mehari Hiluf; Berhane, Guush; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum
Details

Shocks and stability of risk and time preferences among poor rural households in Ethiopia

This paper examines the effects of shocks on temporal stability of risk and time preferences of rural households within a developing country context characterized by frequent droughts, chronic food insecurity, and low levels of education. Leveraging a three-wave large and diverse household panel data that elicits preferences every two years for more than 6,500 individuals from over 5,600 sample rural households in Ethiopia, we analyze the effects of droughts (self-reported) and rainfall shortfalls on household risk and time preferences. Our findings show that households become more risk-averse and impatient after experiencing drought and rainfall shocks; the change in risk preferences is more notable among households that experience recurrent droughts and multiple covariate shocks during the same period.

Year published

2025

Authors

Meles, Tensay Hadush; Abay, Mehari Hiluf; Berhane, Guush; Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum

Citation

Meles, Tensay Hadush; Abay, Mehari Hiluf; Berhane, Guush; and Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum. 2025. Shocks and stability of risk and time preferences among poor rural households in Ethiopia. Journal of African Economies 34(2): 184–207. https://doi.org/10.1093/jae/ejae005

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Food Insecurity; Households; Poverty; Rural Areas; Shock

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Project

Climate Resilience

Record type

Journal Article

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