Key findings

This Working Paper takes comprehensive stock of the impacts of the first two waves of COVID-19 (in Q2 and Q4 2020) on the microfinance sector in Myanmar.

The 2018 Indonesia Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) follows IFPRI's Standard Nexus SAM approach, by focusing on consistency, comparability, and transparency of data.

The 2015 Vietnam Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) follows IFPRI's Standard Nexus SAM approach, by focusing on consistency, comparability, and transparency of data.

The 2018 Cambodia Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) follows IFPRI's Standard Nexus SAM approach, by focusing on consistency, comparability, and transparency of data.

The 2018 Philippines Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) follows IFPRI's Standard Nexus SAM approach, by focusing on consistency, comparability, and transparency of data.

Key findings

Investing in farmers through public-private-producer partnerships Rural Empowerment and Agricultural Development Scaling-up Initiative in Indonesia.

Most food retail prices in September 2021 were found to be substantially higher than in September 2020. Retail prices of the cheapest variety of rice–by far the most important staple in Myanmar–have risen by 8 percent, on average.

Immediate impacts of the Myanmar intervention indicate an improvement in women's dietary diversity scores by half a food group out of 10.

Smallholder farmers in developing countries face substantial constraints that limit their ability to reach their production potential. Two constraints—risk exposure and limited access to liquidity—pose particular challenges.

Most food retail prices in July 2021 were found to be higher than in the same period in 2020. Retail prices of the cheapest variety of rice–by far the most important staple in Myanmar–have risen by 13 percent, on average.

Smallholder farmers in developing countries face several different constraints limiting their ability to reach their production potential.

Vietnam has successfully reduced population stunting, but ethnic minority groups are being systematically left behind, limiting progress on national reductions.

In many developing countries, smallholder farmers cultivating vegetatively propagated crops (VPCs) have limited access to quality planting material. This constraint can limit both the yield of and returns on VPC cultivation.

This Research Note presents the results from seven rounds of a telephone survey with food vendors conducted in rural and urban zones throughout Myanmar, focusing more specifically on the results from the last round completed in May 2021.

Using phone survey data from March 2021, we found that the impacts of the recent political unrest in Myanmar further compound the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, both on the farm as well as on the non-farm rural economy.

Malnutrition in all its forms continues to be a massive global challenge, and the past decade has seen a growing political attention to addressing malnutrition in different contexts.

The past decade has seen a resurgence of interest in the role of mechanization in agricultural development.

To address malnutrition in low- and middle income countries (LMICs), more evidence is needed about the potential of food system innovations to help guide the transformation towards healthier, more sustainable, and equitable food systems.