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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

Lina Alaaeldin Abdelfattah

Lina Alaaeldin Abdelfattah is a Senior Research Associate in the Development Strategies and Governance Unit, based in Cairo. Her research interests include applied economic development, trade, and spatial economics, with a focus on topics relevant to social protection, food, nutrition, and agriculture in the Middle East and Africa. 

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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IFPRI Country Programs

Research by country and region

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Providing Research-Based Policy Solutions that Sustainably

Reduce Poverty and End Hunger and Malnutrition

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What’s New

Does conflict-driven internal displacement influence demand for agricultural inputs? Evidence from Nigeria
IFPRI Blog
 | 
September 26, 2024

Does conflict-driven internal displacement influence demand for agricultural inputs? Evidence from Nigeria

By Mulubrhan Amare, Kate Ambler, Temilolu Bamiwuye, Jeffrey Bloem, Rewa Misra, and Julia Wagner

Examining the effectiveness of vouchers and marketing information.

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

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

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

Nutritional benefits of enhanced biofortification.

How much does take-up timing for agricultural inputs depend on price? Evidence from an experiment in Nigeria
IFPRI Blog
 | 
September 18, 2024

How much does take-up timing for agricultural inputs depend on price? Evidence from an experiment in Nigeria

By Mulubrhan Amare, Kate Ambler, Temilolu Bamiwuye, Jeffrey Bloem, Rewa Misra, and Julia Wagner

Insights into buying behavior.

Limiting deforestation involves complex tradeoffs: Results from a global land-use model
IFPRI Blog
 | 
September 13, 2024

Limiting deforestation involves complex tradeoffs: Results from a global land-use model

By Abhijeet Mishra and Eleanor Jones

Many dimensions of combating climate change.

Tale of two villages: In Malawi, farmers point the way as drought drives hunger (WFP/AllAfrica/Relief Web)
In the News

 | 

September 12, 2024

Tale of two villages: In Malawi, farmers point the way as drought drives hunger (WFP/AllAfrica/Relief Web)

The WFP story shared by All Africa and Relief Web quotes Jan Duchoslav and Joachim De Weerdt (IFPRI Malawi) on the food security crisis in the country.

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Journal Article

Individual interventions, collective lessons: Developing mid-range theory on women’s groups to improve health

2024Desai, Sapna; Kumar, Neha; Gram, Lu; Hazra, Avishek; Sanyal, Kaliat Ammu; Sivaram, Sharmada

Individual interventions, collective lessons: Developing mid-range theory on women’s groups to improve health

Background Interventions with women’s groups have been widely implemented to improve health outcomes in low- and middle-income settings, particularly India. While there is a large evidence base on the effectiveness of single interventions, it is challenging to predict whether a women’s group intervention delivered in one setting can be expected to work in another. Methods We applied realist principles to develop and refine a mid-range theory on the effectiveness of women’s groups interventions, summarised key lessons for implementation, and reflected on the process. We synthesised primary data from several interventions in India, a systematic review, and an analysis of behaviour change techniques. We developed mid-range theories across three areas: maternal and newborn health, nutrition, and violence against women, as well as an overarching mid-range theory on how women’s groups can improve health. Results Our overarching mid-range theory suggested that effective interventions should: build group or community capabilities; focus on health outcomes relevant to group members; and approach health issues modifiable through women’s individual or collective actions. We identified four key lessons for future interventions with women’s groups, including the importance of skilled and remunerated facilitation, sufficient intensity, supply-side strengthening, and the need to adapt delivery during scale up while maintaining fidelity to intervention theory. Conclusions Our experience demonstrated the feasibility of developing mid-range theory from a combination of evidence and insights from practice. It also underscored the importance of community engagement and ongoing research to ‘thicken’ mid-range theories to design effective and scalable women’s groups interventions in India and similar settings.

Year published

2024

Authors

Desai, Sapna; Kumar, Neha; Gram, Lu; Hazra, Avishek; Sanyal, Kaliat Ammu; Sivaram, Sharmada

Citation

Desai, Sapna; Kumar, Neha; Gram, Lu; Hazra, Avishek; Sanyal, Kaliat Ammu; Sivaram, Sharmada et al. 2024.Individual interventions, collective lessons: Developing mid-range theory on women’s groups to improve health. Journal of Global Health 14. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.14.04152

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Women; Health; Low Income Groups; Behaviour; Nutrition; Maternal and Child Health; Violence

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.14.04152 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Low awareness and affordability are major drivers of low consumption of animal‐source foods among children in Northern Ethiopia: A mixed‐methods study

2024Zerfu, Taddese ; Duncan, Alan J.; Baltenweck, Isabelle; McNeill, G.

Low awareness and affordability are major drivers of low consumption of animal‐source foods among children in Northern Ethiopia: A mixed‐methods study

Animal-source foods (ASFs), contain high amounts of essential nutrients that are readily absorbed by the body. However, children in resource-constrained settings often have limited access to these nutritious foods. This study aimed to investigate the reasons for the low consumption of ASFs among children in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. A community-based mixed-methods study was conducted, using exploratory qualitative methods supplemented by the analysis of secondary data from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS). The qualitative study employed a multiphase stepwise design and the maximum variation purposive sampling technique, enroling a diverse range of participants such as mothers and/or caregivers, household heads, religious and community leaders, health and nutrition experts, and others. The qualitative data were analysed using a thematic framework analysis method, while the quantitative data were analysed using SPSS v22 statistical software. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of ASFs among children under 5 years of age in the region. Despite the large and diverse livestock populations available, only 13.2% of children consumed at least one animal-source food (ASF) in the prior day. The most consumed ASFs were dairy and eggs, whereas beef, organ meat, and seafood were the least consumed. Household demographics such as residence, literacy level, paternal age, and household wealth quintiles influenced the overall consumption of ASFs. The main reasons for the low consumption of ASFs among children were unaffordability and poor awareness among caregivers. In addition, religious misconceptions, price hikes, limited availability during certain seasons, low productivity, insufficient support from health professionals, and time constraints for caregivers were also mentioned as significant barriers to ASF consumption in the area. The consumption of ASFs among children in Ethiopia, particularly in the Amhara region, remains very low. This is mainly due to the caregivers’ levels of awareness and unaffordability of ASFs. It is recommended that behavioural and sociocultural interventions be implemented that target caregivers to improve the consumption of ASFs among children.

Year published

2024

Authors

Zerfu, Taddese ; Duncan, Alan J.; Baltenweck, Isabelle; McNeill, G.

Citation

Zerfu, T., Duncan, A., Baltenweck, I. and McNeill, G. 2024. Low awareness and affordability are major drivers of low consumption of animal‐source foods among children in Northern Ethiopia: A mixed‐methods study. Maternal & Child Nutrition

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Food Security; Consumption; Animal Source Foods

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13720 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Restoring functional integrity of the global production ecosystem through biological control

2024
Wyckhuys, Kris A.G.; Gu, Baogen; Fekih, Ibtissem Ben; Finger, Robert; Kenis, Mark; Lu, Yanhui; Subramanian, Sevgan; Tang, Fiona H.M.; Weber, Donald C.; Zhang, Wei
…more Hadi, Buyung A.R.

Restoring functional integrity of the global production ecosystem through biological control

Human society is anchored in the global agroecosystem. For millennia, this system has provided humans with copious supplies of nutrient-rich food. Yet, through chemical intensification and simplification, vast shares of present-day farmland derive insufficient benefits from biodiversity and prove highly vulnerable to biotic stressors. Here, we argue that on-farm action centered on biological control can effectively defuse pest risk by bolstering foundational ecosystem services. By harnessing plant, animal and microbial biodiversity, biological control offers safe, efficacious and economically-sound plant health solutions and coevolved options for invasive species mitigation. In recent years, its scientific foundation has been fortified and solutions have been refined for myriad ecologically brittle systems. Yet, for biological control to be mainstreamed, it needs to be rebooted, intertwined with (on- and off-farm) agroecological tactics and refurbished – from research, policy and regulation, public-private partnerships up to modes of implementation. Misaligned incentives (for chemical pesticides) and adoption barriers further need to be removed, while its scientific underpinnings should become more interdisciplinary, policy-relevant, solution-oriented and linked with market demand. Thus, biological control could ensure human wellbeing in a nature-friendly manner and retain farmland ecological functioning under global change.

Year published

2024

Authors

Wyckhuys, Kris A.G.; Gu, Baogen; Fekih, Ibtissem Ben; Finger, Robert; Kenis, Mark; Lu, Yanhui; Subramanian, Sevgan; Tang, Fiona H.M.; Weber, Donald C.; Zhang, Wei; Hadi, Buyung A.R.

Citation

Wyckhuys, Kris A.G.; Gu, Baogen; Fekih, Ibtissem Ben; Finger, Robert; Kenis, Mark; Lu, Yanhui; Subramanian, Sevgan; et al. 2024. Restoring functional integrity of the global production ecosystem through biological control. Journal of Environmental Management 370(November 2024): 122446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122446

Keywords

Agroecosystems; Biodiversity; Biological Control; Plant Health; Resilience

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122446 Source record

Project

Nature-Positive Solutions

Record type

Journal Article

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The 2024 Global Food Policy Report

Food systems and diets underpin many critical challenges to public health and environmental sustainability, including malnutrition, noncommunicable diseases, and climate change, but healthy diets have the unique potential to reshape the future for both human and planetary well-being. Drawing on recent evidence and experience, the 2024 Global Food Policy Report highlights opportunities for transforming food systems to ensure sustainable healthy diets for all.

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IFPRI and CGIAR

IFPRI is a Research Center of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future. IFPRI researchers work in close partnership with researchers from other CGIAR Centers and partners through many CGIAR Research Initiatives and Platforms. Our work contributes to the CGIAR mission of delivering science and innovation that advance the transformation of food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis.

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Experts in Our Field

IFPRI’s experts work around the world to provide the evidence that supports effective policies to reduce poverty and end malnutrition.

600+

staff across the world

80+

countries where we work

#1

in the field of Agricultural Economics

20,000+

research outputs

Meet a Researcher

James Allen IV is an Associate Research Fellow in the Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit. A development economist, his research aims to improve poverty, health, and education in Africa by studying policies and interventions via randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and natural experiments. James has a PhD in economics and public policy from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in agricultural, food, and resource economics from Michigan State University. He also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali…

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James Allen IV

From our video channel

Telling the stories of women in Odisha State, India, who were able to exercise their voice and obtain assets to improve their livelihoods within the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) program
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Our Events

Debt Distress and the Right to Food in Africa
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

October 2, 2024, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Debt Distress and the Right to Food in Africa

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. More than half of low-income countries are at risk of debt distress or have already defaulted. The debt crisis, while exacerbated by recent […]

The Role of Private Philanthropy in Funding Climate Solutions
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

October 23, 2024, 12:00 – 5:00 pm

The Role of Private Philanthropy in Funding Climate Solutions

The Linkages Series is a mini-conference format designed to spark learning and action around current issues shaping the field. Together, they bridge funder, practitioner, & network constellations. Join this virtual conference for a deep dive into how and where private philanthropy plays a key role in funding climate change solutions globally and hear from leaders […]

Supporting and shaping the global nutrition agenda with evidence: A three-decade journey of research and partnerships for impact
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

October 30, 2024, 10:00 – 11:30 am

Supporting and shaping the global nutrition agenda with evidence: A three-decade journey of research and partnerships for impact

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. This year’s Forman Lecture will be delivered by Dr. Marie Ruel, Senior Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit at IFPRI. […]

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Making a Difference Blog Series

For more than three decades, IFPRI has worked with the Government of Ethiopia to provide evidence-based advice on the development of the country’s agricultural sector.

IFPRI’s research and policy recommendations led to the establishment of Ethiopia’s Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) in 2010, which continues to play a critical role in guiding the country’s agricultural development and sustainability.

Tamsin Zandstra, Gashaw T. Abate, Shahidur Rashid, and Nicholas Minot outline how IFPRI’s long-term strategic research support to the ATA has led to several tangible government policy outcomes.

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