The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) have come together to develop a Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index to measure women’s roles and engagement in the agriculture sector.

IFPRI welcomes a familiar face to the role of South Asia director with the appointment of Pramod Kumar Joshi on February 1, 2012. After serving as the Institute’s South Asia coordinator from 2003 to 2006, P. K. became the director of the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management in Hyderabad before rejoining IFPRI as senior program manager in New Delhi. He holds a master’s degree and PhD in agricultural economics from the G. B.

The new year brings with it exciting changes at IFPRI, including a new director for the Institute’s Communications Division. Gwendolyn Stansbury begins her role as the division’s director on January 3, 2012. She has been at IFPRI since 2006, serving most recently as head of the Publications Unit. Gwendolyn received a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and a PhD from the University of New England in Australia, and, prior to joining IFPRI, held positions as a writer, editor, and university lecturer.

IFPRI’s Mark Rosegrant will present today at an official side event of the 2nd Intersessional Meeting of UNCSD at the United Nations Secretariat in New York. He will discuss a current IFPRI project on the impact of agricultural technologies.

Co-organized by IFPRI, Croplife International, and Farming first, the side event, Technology and Knowledge Sharing for Sustainable Agriculture, is one of only three agriculture-themed events. Tim Benton of the University of Leeds, Bruce McNamer of Technoserve, and Roger Johnson, of the World Farmers and the National Farmers Union, will also present.