Washington D.C.— The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) launched the Excessive Food Price Variability Early Warning System today. This new tool measures excessive food price variability and is the only mechanism currently available to identify time spans of increased price variability. It is updated daily and forewarns policymakers and humanitarian agencies of periods of time with excessive food price variability.

Press Statement
by Shenggen Fan, Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
June 23, 2011 — Paris, France

Just three years after the 2007-2008 food crisis, the food security of poor and vulnerable people is once again being threatened as the prices of agricultural commodities soar and become more volatile. Urgent action is needed now to address the problem and its underlying causes.

Press Statement
Shenggen Fan, Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

St. Louis, MO—Global demand for major grains, such as maize, rice, and wheat, is projected to increase by nearly 48 percent from 2000-2025 and by 70 percent between 2000 and 2050, according to research presented by Mark Rosegrant, who delivered the Ag Economic Forum Keynote during the 2011 Ag Innovation Showcase held in St. Louis from May 23-24.

Press statement
Shenggen Fan, Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Solidifies Efforts to Tackle Poverty and Hunger

International conference to discuss opportunities and obstacles

Washington, D.C.—Investment in agricultural research and development (R&D) in Sub-Saharan Africa increased by more than 20 percent from 2001-2008, but most of this growth occurred in only a handful of countries.1 Nigeria alone accounts for one-third of the increase.

New Delhi – More than 900 participants are gathering today at an international conference from February 10–12 to examine ways that agriculture can enhance the health and nutritional status of poor people in developing countries.

Scientists Discuss Findings with Policymakers at International Workshop

Cancun — Addressing poverty today is the single best way to help poor people in developing countries achieve food security and adapt to climate change, according to a new report by researchers at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Washington — A new report by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) challenges previous analyses of the food price crisis of 2007-08. Using recently available data, Reflections on the Global Food Crisis identifies the key causes of the price surge, its consequences for the world’s poor people, and the implications for future policies.

Experts Meeting to Discuss Evidence, Effects, and Action

Washington, D.C. –Malnutrition among children under two years of age is one of the leading challenges to reducing global hunger and can cause lifelong harm to health, productivity, and earning potential, according to the 2010 Global Hunger Index (GHI).

By Shenggen Fan
Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Panic is Baseless and Hurts Poor People

By Maximo Torero
Director, Markets, Trade, and Institutions Division
International Food Policy Research Institution (IFPRI)

Accra—Following a decade of minimal growth, spending on agricultural research and development (R&D) in Ghana increased dramatically after 2002.

Brasilia—Brazil’s Bolsa Familia conditional cash transfer program has had a positive effect on the health and education of Brazil’s poor children, according to an evaluation by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Sana’a – Policymakers, researchers, and donors are considering a seven point action plan to improve food security in Yemen by 2020. The discussions are taking place at the Food Security Strategy Workshop hosted by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Government of Yemen, in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

To Meet the First Millennium Development Goal of Halving Hunger

By Shenggen Fan, Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)