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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.

Ahmed Akhter

researcher spotlight

Akhter Ahmed

Akhter Ahmed is a Senior Research Fellow in the IFPRI’s Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit and Country Representative for IFPRI Bangladesh. He has worked on strategies for agricultural and rural development, social protection, and women’s empowerment to reduce poverty, food insecurity, and undernutrition in developing countries including Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Malawi, the Philippines, and Turkey.

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Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

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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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John M. Ulimwengu

Senior Research Fellow

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Bio

John Ulimwengu is a Senior Research Fellow in the Development Strategies and Governance Unit who currently works on food systems mapping in selected African countries. His research interests include food systems dynamics, resilience, and spatial typology for food and nutrition security. Since 2007, John has been involved in strategic research on the transformation of food systems in Africa under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) agenda and has served as the Africa-wide coordinator of the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS). He has codeveloped an interactive spatial typology tool for food and nutrition security that is being used in several countries. He holds a PhD in agricultural economics and a master’s degree in economics from Ohio State University, as well as a master’s degree in development economics from Williams College.

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Publications

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Brief

Informing CAADP 2026–2035: What a decade of IFPRI Research in Africa tells us

2025Ulimwengu, John M.; Hema, Aboubacar; Marivoet, Wim; Omamo, Steven Were
Details

Informing CAADP 2026–2035: What a decade of IFPRI Research in Africa tells us

This policy brief distills insights from a decade of IFPRI’s research and engagement across 54 African countries, offering a strategic synthesis to inform the Kampala 2026–2035 implementation phase of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). Drawing from almost 5,700 publications between 2015 and 2025, and using a combination of natural language processing (NLP), deep learning algorithms and rule-based approaches, the review maps key findings against CAADP’s six strategic objectives: (1) intensifying sustainable food production, agro-industrialization, and trade; (2) boosting investment and financing for agrifood systems transformation; (3) ensuring food and nutrition security; (4) advancing inclusivity and equitable livelihoods; (5) building resilient agrifood systems; and (6) strengthening agrifood systems governance. By aligning evidence with strategic priorities, this synthesis aims to sharpen the research and policy agenda needed to accelerate agricultural transformation, ensure food security, and deepen resilience across the continent. The review reveals areas of significant progress—such as advances innovative finance, nutrition policy, social protection design, gender equity, and market functioning—while also exposing enduring gaps in data, investment diagnostics, and imple mentation capacity. The brief is thus both a stocktaking and a springboard, harnessing what is known to guide the next phase of CAADP.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ulimwengu, John M.; Hema, Aboubacar; Marivoet, Wim; Omamo, Steven Were

Citation

Ulimwengu, John M.; Hema, Aboubacar; Marivoet, Wim; and Omamo, Steven Were. 2025. Informing CAADP 2026–2035: What a decade of IFPRI Research in Africa tells us. IFPRI Policy Brief May 2025. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174708

Keywords

Africa; Research; Caadp; Food Systems; Development; Social Protection; Food Security; Livelihoods

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

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Working Paper

Household coping strategies and food security in the multi-shock environment of Mali

2025Ulimwengu, John M.
Details

Household coping strategies and food security in the multi-shock environment of Mali

This study investigates household coping strategies and food security outcomes within the context of multiple, overlapping shocks, including conflict, food price volatility, climate events, and economic instability. Utilizing a unique household dataset on Mali combined with probit models to account for the compounded effects of these systemic shocks, the analysis highlights significant elasticities between specific shocks and household responses. Key findings demonstrate that while preventive measures, such as income diversification, strengthen resilience, reactive strategies like selling productive assets or borrowing money or food provide only short-term relief but undermine long-term sustainability. The impact of coping strategies on food security measures, including the Food Consumption Score (FCS), Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), and Household Hunger Scale (HHS), reveals the trade-offs Malian households make between immediate needs and future stability. The study emphasizes the critical role of policy interventions in mitigating these vulnerabilities, including strengthening social safety nets, expanding access to financial services, and promoting climate-resilient agricultural practices. By integrating the analysis of multiple shocks, this research provides actionable insights for building household and community resilience in environments of compounded risk.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ulimwengu, John M.

Citation

Ulimwengu, John M. 2025. Household coping strategies and food security in the multi-shock environment of Mali. CGIAR Initiative on Fragility, Conflict, and Migration. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172684

Country/Region

Mali

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Households; Food Security; Shock; Conflicts; Food Prices; Resilience; Social Safety Nets

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fragility, Conflict, and Migration

Record type

Working Paper

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Brief

Comprehensive mapping of food systems is necessary to guide transformation efforts: The case of Rwanda

2025Ulimwengu, John M.; Warner, James; Mutyasira, Vine; Keizire, Boaz
Details

Comprehensive mapping of food systems is necessary to guide transformation efforts: The case of Rwanda

Rwanda has made significant strides in improving its food systems, with notable progress in reducing malnutrition and stunting, especially among children. Stunting rates declined from over 50% in the early 2000s to 33% by 2020, reflecting the government’s commitment to addressing food insecurity and enhancing nutrition through a range of agricultural and public health initiatives. The country’s Crop Intensification Program (CIP) has played a pivotal role in increasing agricultural productivity, especially for staple crops like maize, beans, and Irish potatoes, which has contributed to better food availability across the country. Despite these achievements, substantial challenges persist. Almost 19% of households still face food insecurity, with the highest prevalence in rural areas. Additionally, malnutrition continues to affect vulnerable populations, with anemia rates among women of reproductive age at 37%, signaling gaps in nutrition security. Environmental concerns, including soil degradation, water scarcity, and climate change, further complicate efforts to sustain agricultural productivity. Approximately 40% of Rwanda’s land is affected by soil erosion, and shifting climate patterns pose increasing risks to agricultural yields. These challenges indicate the need for a more strategic, research-based approach to understanding and transforming Rwanda’s food system.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ulimwengu, John M.; Warner, James; Mutyasira, Vine; Keizire, Boaz

Citation

Ulimwengu, John; Warner, James; Mutyasira, Vine; and Keizire, Boaz. 2025. Comprehensive mapping of food systems is necessary to guide transformation efforts: The case of Rwanda. AGRA-IFPRI Policy Brief 4. Nairobi: AGRA, IFPRI, and IDRC. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/169384

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Southern Africa; Food Systems; Malnutrition; Stunting; Food Security; Agriculture; Public Health; Intensification; Agricultural Productivity; Sustainability

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Events

Extraordinary Summit on Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)
IFPRI at External Event

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January 9 to 11, 2025

Extraordinary Summit on Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)

IFPRI is pleased to participate in the Extraordinary Summit on Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), organized by the African Union Commission and hosted by the Government of Uganda on January 9 to 11, 2025. The summit will focus on adopting the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Acton Plan for 2026-2035. This […]

Africa’s Food Systems Forum (AGRF) 2023 Summit
IFPRI at External Event

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September 5 to 8, 2023

Africa’s Food Systems Forum (AGRF) 2023 Summit

Event: September 5, 2023 – 3:00 AM to September 8, 2023 – 7:30 AM EDT. IFPRI is participating in Africa’s Food Systems Forum (AGRF) 2023 Summit.

IFPRI’s 2023 Global Food Policy Report: Rethinking Food Crisis Responses – Considerations for Africa
Series/Special Event

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June 22, 2023, 9:00 – 10:30 am

IFPRI’s 2023 Global Food Policy Report: Rethinking Food Crisis Responses – Considerations for Africa

Virtual Event: June 22, 2023 – 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM EDT. The virtual Africa discussion will feature a distinguished panel of experts to discuss the report’s key findings and recommendations and implications for Africa and its regions.

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News

September 06, 2023 | In the News

Unpacking the 2023 Africa agriculture assessment report (CNBC Africa) 

CNBC Africa interviewed John Ulimwengu, IFPRI Senior Research Fellow and the technical editor and lead researcher of the Africa Agriculture Status Report 2023, launched on September 6 at the Africa Food Systems Forum (AGRF). .  The Report titled “Empowering Africa’s Food Systems for the Future” highlights the ways in which Africa is uniquely positioned to redefine its future and […]

August 24, 2018 | In the News

Congo’s maiden agro-industrial park isn’t perfect, but it isn’t a failure (DEVEX)

Devex published an op-ed by IFPRI Senior Research Fellow John Ulimwengu, who detailed Congo’s move towards structural transformation in the agricultural sector with the establishment of their first special economic zone in Bukanga Lonzo.  Created to boost production, encourage private and foreign capital investments, and increase agricultural exports, the agrobusiness park is home to tremendous […]

May 22, 2018 | In the News

Africa’s green revolution stumbles at Congo project to solve food shortages (Reuters)

Exploring reasons behind failure of a Congolese agro-industrial project, Reuters interviews John Ulimwengu. 

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