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Who we are

With research staff from more than 70 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

David Spielman

David Spielman is the director of IFPRI’s Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit and has been with the institute since 2004. His research agenda covers a range of topics including agriculture and rural development policy; agricultural science, technology, and innovation; plant genetic resources and seed systems; agricultural extension and advisory services; and community-driven rural development.

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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.

Where we work

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Where we work

IFPRI currently has more than 480 employees working in over 70 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

Fairgrounds is a collaborative, research platform redefining how agricultural data are accessed, shared, and applied. Built on FAIR principles (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable), it connects CGIAR research with global data ecosystems to accelerate discovery, innovation, and impact.

The platform provides access to thousands of digital assets from past and current research initiatives, operational systems, and public data hubs that span agronomic, climate, and genomic information.

The result: increased visibility, improved data quality, and readiness for advanced analysis.

Why Fairgrounds?

Your work gets noticed. Share once, and your data gains traction with more citations, more credibility, and more doors opened to funding and collaboration.

You get answers, not headaches. Skip the data-wrangling. Find what you need, run your analysis, and move on—with tools built for actual research, not busywork.

You make smarter moves, faster. Real-time dashboards. Cross-dataset insights. Advanced analytics that connects the dots. Now you can fund, design, or scale with confidence.

Whether you’re advancing crop genetics, shaping policy, or solving real-world agronomic challenges, Fairgrounds helps you do it better, faster, and more collaboratively. It empowers research teams to reduce duplication, gain insights from previously siloed data, and drive meaningful results.

By aligning with global data standards and enabling seamless integrations, Fairgrounds ensures researchers stay competitive, relevant, and ready for what’s next in agricultural science.

Get Fairgrounds. For Science. For Sharing. For Good.

Resources:
Koo, Jawoo; Paul, Edie; Weber, Steffen; Moretto Embersics, Andre; and Clevenger, James. 2025. Fairgrounds: The Gateway to FAIR, Collaborative Agricultural Research – Introduction. Presentation, flyer, and framework. International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178289.

  • Presentation: Koo, Jawoo; Paul, Edie; and Weber, Steffen. 2025. Welcome to Fairgrounds (slide deck). International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178289. [Link]
  • Flyer: Koo, Jawoo. 2025. Fairgrounds: Project Overview Flyer. International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178289. [Link]
  • Data Framework: Koo, Jawoo; Moretto Embersics, Andre; and Clevenger, James. 2025. The FAIR Data Governance Framework. International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178289. [Link]

  • Funders

    Gates Foundation

    Team members

    Jawoo Koo

    Senior Research Fellow, Natural
    Resources and Resilience

    Jawoo Koo

    Senior Research Fellow, Natural
    Resources and Resilience

    Bishal Aryal

    Senior Program Manager, Natural
    Resources and Resilience