Research alone cannot produce meaningful change in the lives of poor African people. And a commitment to achieving food security, however well intentioned, will not automatically eliminate poverty and hunger. Bridging the gap between the creation and implementation of policy options, however, can catalyze development in Africa.

To realize this objective, IFPRI and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)—an initiative by African leaders to eradicate poverty and promote development by entering into new partnerships with the international community—recently forged a collaborative relationship to link food policy research with the political will of African governments.

“When NEPAD heads of state and delegates agreed that agriculture and food security must be a top priority for Africa, we saw an opportunity to support this commitment,” explains Joachim von Braun, director general of IFPRI. “Collaboration between our organizations will help move NEPAD’s agenda forward, which is close to our own.”

Following a series of meetings between von Braun and Wiseman Nkuhlu, chairman of NEPAD’s steering committee, IFPRI and NEPAD signed a Memorandum of Understanding on August 14 for joint work in food policy research, capacity strengthening, and policy communications.

“IFPRI will help NEPAD design development strategies related to food, agriculture, and natural resource sectors for an initial period of three years,” says Suresh Babu, a senior research fellow at IFPRI and the institute’s liaison to the partnership.

IFPRI will also facilitate cooperation on food and agricultural policy between NEPAD and CGIAR centers in Africa that conduct research on crop development, poverty alleviation, and environmental sustainability.

By working together, IFPRI and NEPAD hope to increase the pace of progress in reducing poverty and hunger in Africa.