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Who we are

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

researcher spotlight

Liangzhi You

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

Where we work

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Where we work

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

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Research by country and region

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TOPIC

Agriculture Production

Sustainable food production is critical to meeting growing global food needs amid climate change and natural resource scarcity. It is also the starting point for a shift toward sustainable, equitable food systems. But in many developing countries, underinvestment in agricultural production means that productivity and farmer incomes remain low, with negative impacts on rural development. Lack of knowledge, capital, labor, or other resources can lead to degradation of the natural resources that support agricultural production. As a result, food production is vulnerable to natural and socioeconomic shocks.

Evidence shows that sound and sustained investment in agriculture, especially in research and development, is key to increasing agricultural productivity, reducing poverty, and fostering economywide growth. Yet many developing countries give little consideration to agricultural science and technology in their national development plans.

… read more

IFPRI’s research examines emerging technologies and policy innovations designed to meet global food needs sustainably and equitably. Our researchers consider innovations in natural resource management, climate and energy policies, mechanization and digital options, biosafety systems for biotechnology, agricultural diversity, property rights, and collective action that can lead to improved food production and sustainability.

With proven innovations in hand, improvements in agricultural extension can lead to greater adoption of productivity-enhancing technologies. Work on nutrition and value chain development can help to build demand for diverse agricultural products. IFPRI’s foresight research helps to identify future threats to food production and security and ensure that scarce budgetary resources are directed toward sustainable development investments that achieve the greatest impact.

IFPRI’s agriculture production research is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1, SDG 2, SDG 7, SDG 8, SDG 10, SDG 13, and SDG 15. It also aligns with the CGIAR Impact Areas on Climate Adaptation and Mitigation; Environmental Health and Biodiversity; Nutrition, Health, and Food Security; and Poverty Reduction, Livelihoods, and Jobs.

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topics

Publications

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Brief

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

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

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

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

Year published

2024

Authors

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

Citation

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

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

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

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

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Brief

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

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

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

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

Year published

2024

Authors

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

Citation

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

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

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

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Brief

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Brief

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

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

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

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

Year published

2024

Authors

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

Citation

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

Country/Region

Bangladesh; Uganda

Keywords

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

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Brief

Blogs

How we used coordinated trials and meta-analysis to evaluate interventions to increase varietal turnover
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 19, 2024

How we used coordinated trials and meta-analysis to evaluate interventions to increase varietal turnover

By Berber Kramer, Carly Trachtman, and Witold Więcek

Assessing impacts of a multi-country project.

When school overlaps with farming: Measuring reduced educational advancement and simulating solutions in Africa
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 16, 2024

When school overlaps with farming: Measuring reduced educational advancement and simulating solutions in Africa

By James Allen IV

The social costs of calendars.

How men and women cope with weather-related agricultural production risk: A case study of cereal and tomato farmers in Haryana, India
IFPRI Blog
 | 
November 22, 2024

How men and women cope with weather-related agricultural production risk: A case study of cereal and tomato farmers in Haryana, India

By Samyuktha Kannan and Berber Kramer

Addressing gender differences to build resilience.

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Events

Trade disruptions and their impacts on agricultural markets: Looking back and ahead
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

January 13, 2025, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Trade disruptions and their impacts on agricultural markets: Looking back and ahead

Also streaming on Please type your questions into the chat box with name, affiliation, and country. The event video, presenter slides, and podcast will be available in the days following the event. Global agricultural markets have been in a constant state of uproar over the past 5 years. Trade wars between major trading nations such as […]

Extra-Ordinary Summit on Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programmes (CAADP)
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

January 9 to 11, 2025

Extra-Ordinary Summit on Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programmes (CAADP)

IFPRI is pleased to participate in the Extraordinary Summit on Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), organized by the African Union Commission and hosted by the Government of Uganda on January 9 to 11, 2025. The summit will focus on adopting the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Acton Plan for 2026-2035. This […]

WTO Annual Agriculture Symposium 2024
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

December 9, 2024, 10:00 – 7:00 pm

WTO Annual Agriculture Symposium 2024

The livestream will be available HERE on December 9, 2024 from 10:00am to 7:00pm (CET) / 4:00am to 1:00pm (EST). This year’s Annual Agriculture Symposium aims to explore the critical intersections between global trade policies, food systems, and nutrition outcomes. In a world where international trade has the potential to both alleviate and exacerbate malnutrition, […]

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News

November 28, 2024 | Press Release

New paper calls for harnessing agrifood value chains to help farmers be climate-smart

The global food system is uniquely vulnerable to climate impacts, making adaptation of paramount importance.

February 11, 2024 | In the News

Agricultural growth key to accelerated poverty reduction in Bangladesh (Financial Express)

Senior research fellow and country representative, Akhter Ahmed writes in an op-ed for the Financial Express (Bangladesh) that the country “has witnessed substantial economic growth over the past decade, with an average annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.6 per cent between 2016 and 2022. Notably, the country experienced a 3.4 per cent increase in GDP in 2020, making Bangladesh one […]

November 26, 2023 | In the News

Scientists are racing to protect grass from climate change. Your cheap burger is at stake (Wall Street Journal)

Wall Street Journal (Australia) quotes Keith Wiebe, IFPRI senior research fellow, in an article analyzing how heat waves and drought are threatening pasture on farms worldwide.  “If pasture becomes less productive, prices would be expected to rise, not just for meat, wool and dairy products but also for cereals and other food commodities that would […]

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Our experts

Samuel Benin

Samuel Benin

Acting, Director for Africa, Development
Strategies and Governance, Africa

Claudia Ringler

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

David Spielman

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Policy and Scaling

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Thomas Assefa

Associate Research Fellow, Innovation
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Senior Research Fellow, Development
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Ryan Nehring

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Field Research Officer, Poverty,
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