Subscribe

Back

Who we are

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.

Erick Boy

researcher spotlight

Erick Boy

Erick Boy is the Chief Nutritionist in the HarvestPlus section of the Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit. As head of nutrition for the HarvestPlus Program since 2008, he has led research that has generated scientific evidence on biofortified staple crops as efficacious and effective interventions to help address iron, vitamin A, and zinc deficiency in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia.

Back

What we do

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

Research topics

Projects and impact

Modeling tools

Project microsites

What’s new

Where we work

Back

Where we work

IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

IFPRI Regional Programs

IFPRI Country Programs

Research by country and region

Subscribe

Food Policy: Lessons and Priorities for a Changing World

2025 Global Food Policy Report

View Report
IFPRI at 50

What’s New

What do we know about the future of food systems?
IFPRI Blog
 | 
July 23, 2025

What do we know about the future of food systems?

By Keith Wiebe, Elisabetta Gotor, and Evgeniya Anisimova

Challenges and opportunities for transformation.

Understanding and supporting collective action in natural resource management through experiential learning games: Examples from three continents
IFPRI Blog
 | 
July 23, 2025

Understanding and supporting collective action in natural resource management through experiential learning games: Examples from three continents

By Hagar ElDidi, Thomas Falk, Juan Felipe Ortiz-Riomalo, Franziska Auch, Wei Zhang, and Upeksha Hettiarachchi

Fostering cooperative stewardship.

How good are livestock statistics in Africa? Evidence from Ethiopia
IFPRI Blog
 | 
July 16, 2025

How good are livestock statistics in Africa? Evidence from Ethiopia

By Kibrom Abay, Hailemariam Ayalew Tiruneh, Zelalem Terfa, Joseph Karugia, and Clemens Breisinger

Typical survey methods significantly undercount the actual numbers.

See all our blogs
view more news

Journal Article

Preventing relapse from wasting: the role of sociodemographic, child feeding, and health care determinants and of wasting prevention interventions in Burkina Faso and Mali

2025Brander, Rebecca L.; Toure, Mariama; Becquey, Elodie; Ruel, Marie T.; Leroy, Jef L.; Huybregts, Lieven

Preventing relapse from wasting: the role of sociodemographic, child feeding, and health care determinants and of wasting prevention interventions in Burkina Faso and Mali

Background Relapse among children treated for wasting is a major concern. We estimated the frequency and determinants of relapse to wasting in two populations exposed to PROMIS, an integrated wasting prevention and screening program. Methods Using longitudinal data from PROMIS trials in Burkina Faso and Mali, we calculated the incidence rate and period prevalence of relapse to wasting within 6 months in children who had ≥1 wasting episode ending when they were ≥6 months old for which they were treated and recovered (NBurkina Faso=247; NMali=220). We used backward elimination to select a multivariable model of sociodemographic, nutrition- and health-related determinants of relapse. We also evaluated if prevention interventions (behavior change communication (BCC) and/or small quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) were associated with relapse, adjusting for confounders and trial arm. Results Relapse incidence was 2.6 per child-year in Burkina Faso (N=291 episodes) and 1.6 per child-year in Mali (N=300 episodes). In both countries, being fed the recommended food frequency or iron-rich foods after recovering from wasting was associated with lower risk of relapse. In Mali, longer wasting episodes, lack of minimally diverse diet consumption, and several caregiver/household characteristics were associated with lower risk of relapse. In both countries, receipt of BCC after recovery from wasting was associated with lower risk of relapse (Incidence rate ratio [IRR]Burkina Faso = 0.51 [95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.30, 0.86]; IRRMali = 0.26 [95% CI = 0.11, 0.65]), as was receipt of SQ-LNS (IRRBurkina Faso = 0.33 [95% CI = 0.16, 0.70]; (IRRMali = 0.43 [95% CI = 0.19, 0.94]), after adjustments. Conclusion Children being discharged from wasting treatment are a well-defined vulnerable population who stand to benefit from targeted post-discharge preventive interventions. BCC that includes advice on optimal infant and young child feeding practices and SQ-LNS may help prevent wasting relapse in at-risk children.

Year published

2025

Authors

Brander, Rebecca L.; Toure, Mariama; Becquey, Elodie; Ruel, Marie T.; Leroy, Jef L.; Huybregts, Lieven

Citation

Brander, Rebecca L.; Toure, Mariama; Becquey, Elodie; Ruel, Marie T.; Leroy, Jef L.; and Huybregts, Lieven. 2025. Preventing relapse from wasting: the role of sociodemographic, child feeding, and health care determinants and of wasting prevention interventions in Burkina Faso and Mali. Journal of Nutrition. Article in press. First published online June 30, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.06.019

Country/Region

Burkina Faso; Mali

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Northern Africa; Child Feeding; Nutrition; Recuperation; Wasting Disease (nutritional Disorder)

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.06.019 Source record

Project

Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

How much do our neighbors really know? The limits of community-based targeting

2026Trachtman, Carly; Permana, Yudistira Hendra; Sahadewo, Gumilang Aryo

How much do our neighbors really know? The limits of community-based targeting

Social assistance programs in developing countries often rely on local community members to identify potential beneficiaries. As community members may observe neighbors’ welfare, their reports may capture transitory shocks better than the proxies typically observable by a centralized policy implementer. To test this, we conduct a lab-style experiment in Central Java, in which participants rank other community members’ welfare, using benchmarks that vary in sensitivity to transitory shocks, and target small cash transfers. We find little evidence that community-held welfare information better reflects transitory shocks and find that targeting decisions mostly depend on perceived differences in overall wealth. JEL Codes: O12, I32, D83

Year published

2026

Authors

Trachtman, Carly; Permana, Yudistira Hendra; Sahadewo, Gumilang Aryo

Citation

Trachtman, Carly; Permana, Yudistira Hendra; and Sahadewo, Gumilang Aryo. 2025. How much do our neighbors really know? The limits of community-based targeting. Journal of Development Economics 178(January 2026): 103555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103555

Country/Region

Indonesia

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Oceania; Community Development; Policy Innovation; Poverty; Targeting

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103555 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Policy and regulation in seed sector development for vegetatively propagated crops: Insights from Kenya, Nigeria, and Vietnam

2025Spielman, David J.; Gatto, Marcel; Wossen, Tesfamicheal; McEwan, Margaret; Abdoulaye, Tahirou; Maredia, Mywish K.; Hareau, Guy

Policy and regulation in seed sector development for vegetatively propagated crops: Insights from Kenya, Nigeria, and Vietnam

Context In many low- and middle-income countries, smallholder farmers cultivating vegetatively propagated crops (VPCs) have limited access to quality planting material. This constraint can limit both the yield and returns to VPC cultivation. Yet policy and regulations designed to strengthen access to quality VPC planting materials and scale innovative programs that deliver these materials have been relatively unsuccessful to date. Part of the problem lies the unique biological and economic characteristics of vegetative propagation and its distinctness from cereal crops that dominate narratives on seed sector reforms and the resulting policy and regulatory regimes. Objective The study analyzes both theory and evidence on existing and alternative models of regulation that may incentivize cost-effective multiplication and distribution in VPC seed systems and markets. Methods The study draws on case studies of policy and practice related to quality assurance regulations in four crop-country combinations: cassava in Nigeria and Vietnam, and potato in Kenya and Vietnam. The case studies rely on qualitative analysis that was conducted using a combination of key informant interviews, focus group discussions, analysis of regulatory documents, and analysis of publicly available secondary data. Results and conclusions The study describes five strategies for regulating VPC seed systems in our four crop-country combinations, each with its own generalizable costs and benefits. The application (or marginalization) of these strategies is often shaped by fluid coalitions of actors with competing interests and framing narratives, and driven by organizational innovations, technological opportunities, trade relationships, and crises that are crop- and country-specific. Significance These findings suggest that regulations designed around strict, centralized quality control systems tend to limit market size, while more localized production systems are limited by both capacity and reach. They also suggest the need for alternatives that balance a permissive regulatory regime with decentralized production systems, grassroots capacity development, market surveillance, and systems that integrate multiple approaches to quality assurance. A detailed set of policy recommendations follows from these findings that inform ongoing country efforts to revise VPC seed sector policies and regulations—reforms that are being pursued not only in the crop-country case studies highlighted here, but also in other countries in both Africa and Asia.

Year published

2025

Authors

Spielman, David J.; Gatto, Marcel; Wossen, Tesfamicheal; McEwan, Margaret; Abdoulaye, Tahirou; Maredia, Mywish K.; Hareau, Guy

Citation

Spielman, David J.; Gatto, Marcel; McEwan, Margaret; Abdoulaye, Tahirou; Maredia, Mywish K.; and Hareau, Guy. 2025. Policy and regulation in seed sector development for vegetatively propagated crops: Insights from Kenya, Nigeria, and Vietnam. Agricultural Systems 229(October 2025): 104441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104441

Country/Region

Kenya; Nigeria; Vietnam

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Asia; South-eastern Asia; Policy Analysis; Regulations; Seed Systems; Quality Assurance

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104441 Source record

Project

Seed Equal

Record type

Journal Article

explore ALL our research
AI image of robot sitting at computer screen showing charts over images of agricultural fields

What Do We Know About the Future of Food Systems?

IFPRI Book published in July 2025

This book, What Do We Know About the Future of Food Systems?, is a collection of short chapters that synthesize current knowledge about different aspects of the future of food systems. Written by more than 100 scientists from around the world with expertise in a wide range of related disciplines and regions, these chapters provide accessible overviews of the latest foresight research on each topic, guide readers toward more detailed information, and offer insights into how our knowledge of future trends can be improved.

learn more

IFPRI and CGIAR

IFPRI is a Research Center of CGIAR,  the world’s largest global agricultural innovation network. IFPRI researchers collaborate closely with researchers from other CGIAR Centers, and our work contributes to the CGIAR mission of delivering science and innovation that advance the transformation of food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis.

learn more

Experts in Our Field

IFPRI’s experts work around the world to provide the evidence that supports effective policies to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition.

600+

staff across the world

80+

countries where we work

#1

in the field of Agricultural Economics

20,000+

research outputs

Meet a Researcher

Andrew Comstock is a Senior Research Analyst with the Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit based in Washington and a member of the Unit’s consumer behavior and dietary change workstream. His research focuses on food systems transformation and demand system estimation in Africa and Asia. He has provided research support to the Pakistan, Malawi, and Nigeria country programs – among others – while his recent work has focused on cross-cutting issues related to food security and diets. Andrew received his master’s…

more
Andrew Comstock

From our video channel

Ruth Hill, Director of IFPRI’s Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit

In this video, Ruth Hill explains how well-functioning food markets can lift farmers out of poverty and ensure fair prices for all. The MTI team tests innovations and policy reforms—from global trade models to local market solutions—in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The unit works closely with policymakers, traders, and financial institutions to generate evidence that drives more inclusive, efficient food systems.

more videos

Our Events

UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake (UNFSS+4)
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

July 27 to 29, 2025

UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake (UNFSS+4)

The 2nd UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) will take place from July 27–29, 2025, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, co-hosted by Ethiopia and Italy. As we approach four years since the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS), UNFSS+4 will provide a platform for reflecting on progress, strengthening collaboration, and unlocking finance and investments to accelerate […]

2025 Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Meeting
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

July 27 to 29, 2025

2025 Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Meeting

IFPRI is participating in the 2025 Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Meeting on July 27– July 29, 2025. The Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) is a not-for-profit association serving the professional interests of members working in agricultural and broadly related fields of applied economics. AAEA members are primarily employed by academic departments […]

23rd International Congress of Nutrition (ICN)
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

August 24 to 29, 2025

23rd International Congress of Nutrition (ICN)

IFPRI is participating in the 23rd International Congress of Nutrition (ICN), hosted by the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) on August 24-29 in Paris, France.  The theme of this year’s congress is “Sustainable Food for Global Health,” bringing together experts to discuss evidence and innovations in nutrition, sustainability, food science, and public health. IFPRI […]

View All Events

Making a Difference Blog Series

West Africa faces significant problems with various forms of malnutrition, especially among women and children. In 2017, the region had the highest rate of under-five wasting (low weight-for-age) in Africa—8.5% compared with the continent’s mean of 7.4%. The rate of stunting (low height-for-age) waw also extremely high at 31.4%. In 2017, 52% of women ages 15-46 suffered from anemia.

In response, IFPRI, with funding from the Gates Foundation, established Transform Nutrition West Africa (TNWA)—a regional knowledge platform to facilitate effective policy and action on maternal, infant, and young child nutrition in West Africa with a focus on four countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal. TNWA ran from 2017 to 2021.

Tamsin Zandstra, Roos Verstraeten, Ampa Dogui Diatta, Loty Diop, and Mariama Touré explore TNWA’s research, work, and long-term impact in West Africa.

Read the story
Explore the series