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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.

researcher spotlight

Timothy Thomas

Timothy Thomas is a Senior Research Fellow in the Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit. His research focuses on the impact of climate change on agricultural productivity. Tim’s work involves developing innovative methods for simulated climate futures and model coordination between climate, crop, water, energy, and economics.

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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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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.

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The Earth Planet

Armenia

countries and regions

Publications

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Working Paper

Promoting school readiness through a preschool feeding program: A nutritional nudge to improve at-risk preschooler’s cognitive development in Armenia

2021Knauer, Heather A.; Balasanyan, Sona; Bakhshinyan, Elmira; Alderman, Harold
Details

Promoting school readiness through a preschool feeding program: A nutritional nudge to improve at-risk preschooler’s cognitive development in Armenia

Many school feeding programs target child hunger, nutritional deficiencies, attendance, and education outcomes but often do not examine their effects on cognitive development. In this cluster-randomized controlled trial, we tested the effects of adding a morning snack to a school lunch program on the fluid intelligence of 951 children ages 4 to 6 years. While there were no significant effects on development overall, the morning snack improved short-term memory (STM) and total score on the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV) among children from the lowest quartile of household expenditures (STM: 0.35SD, p = 0.020; WPPSI-IV: 0.65SD, p = 0.087), and those whose mothers completed secondary school or less (STM: 0.35SD, p = 0.002; total WPPSI-IV: 0.81SD, p = 0.011). For at risk preschoolers, school snack programs may help meet their developmental needs.

Year published

2021

Authors

Knauer, Heather A.; Balasanyan, Sona; Bakhshinyan, Elmira; Alderman, Harold

Citation

Knauer, Heather A.; Balasanyan, Sona; Bakhshinyan, Elmira; and Alderman, Harold. 2021. Promoting school readiness through a preschool feeding program: A nutritional nudge to improve at-risk preschooler’s cognitive development in Armenia. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2046. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134624.

Country/Region

Armenia

Keywords

Asia; Western Asia; School Feeding; Preschool Children; Nutrition; Children

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134624 Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Working Paper

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Journal Article

Food and nutrition security in Eurasia: Evolution, shocks and policies

2020Burkitbayeva, Saule; Swinnen, Johan; Warrinnier, Nele
Details

Food and nutrition security in Eurasia: Evolution, shocks and policies

Food and nutrition security is at the forefront of policy making around the globe. This study focuses on a number of Eurasian countries, namely the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. From under-nutrition to various forms of malnutrition and obesity, these countries face different challenges when it comes to food and nutrition security. Over the last three decades, their situations have been affected by a number of important income shocks, including through falling remittances from relatively wealthier to poorer countries. This paper analyzes these developments and discusses how these countries have introduced policies to address food and nutrition security.

Year published

2020

Authors

Burkitbayeva, Saule; Swinnen, Johan; Warrinnier, Nele

Citation

Burkitbayeva, Saule; Swinnen, Johan; and Warrinnier, Nele. 2020. Food and nutrition security in Eurasia: Evolution, shocks and policies. Russian Journal of Economics 6(1): 6–25. https://doi.org/10.32609/j.ruje.6.49749

Country/Region

Kazakhstan; Uzbekistan; Armenia; Tajikistan; Kyrgyzstan

Keywords

Russia; Eastern Europe; Europe; Central Asia; Asia; Western Asia; Income; Nutrition Security; Policies; Food Policies; Agricultural Policies; Malnutrition; Food Security; Obesity

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.32609/j.ruje.6.49749 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Assessing poverty alleviation through social protection: School meals and family benefits in a middle-income country

2019Bakhshinyan, Elmira; Molinas, Luca; Alderman, Harold
Details

Assessing poverty alleviation through social protection: School meals and family benefits in a middle-income country

Year published

2019

Authors

Bakhshinyan, Elmira; Molinas, Luca; Alderman, Harold

Citation

Bakhshinyan, Elmira; Molinas, Luca; and Alderman, Harold. 2019. Assessing poverty alleviation through social protection: School meals and family benefits in a middle-income country. Global Food Security 23(December 2019): 205-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2019.07.005

Country/Region

Armenia

Keywords

Asia; Western Asia; School Feeding; Social Protection; Families; Assessment; Children; Food Security; Social Services; Poverty

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2019.07.005 Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Journal Article

Blogs

Managing food policy in Central Asia presents complex choices
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April 07, 2017

Managing food policy in Central Asia presents complex choices

By Per Pinstrup-Andersen

A new book presents seven case studies for managing food, water, and land in former Soviet republics.

Events

IFPRI @ UN Biodiversity Conference (UNCBD COP 17)
IFPRI at External Event

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October 19 to 30, 2026

IFPRI @ UN Biodiversity Conference (UNCBD COP 17)

IFPRI is pleased to participate in the 17th UN Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) being held in Yerevan, Armenia from October 19 to October 20, 2026. The UN Biodiversity Conference 2026 will be held in conjunction with the twelfth meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on […]

Agricultural and Food Systems Transformation for Better Food Security and Nutrition in Eurasia
IFPRI Policy Seminar

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November 13, 2018, 1:20 – 2:20 pm

Agricultural and Food Systems Transformation for Better Food Security and Nutrition in Eurasia

Significant changes in Eurasia’s agri-food systems and regional trade in the 2000s have had major impacts on food and nutrition security.   This seminar will discuss recent developments in the political economy and food and nutrition security policies across six diverse countries in the region—Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—and what the agri-food […]

International Conference on Eurasian Food Security and Nutrition Network and Eurasian Soil Partnership
Series/Special Event

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February 29 to March 3, 2016

International Conference on Eurasian Food Security and Nutrition Network and Eurasian Soil Partnership

The International Conference on Eurasian Food Security and Nutrition Network and Eurasian Soil Partnership will be held on February 29 – March 2, 2016 in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic and is jointly organized by the Eurasian Center for Food Security (ECFS), FAO, the World Bank, IFPRI, and GFAR. The conference presents the opportunity to discuss and […]

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News

February 10, 2016 | Press Release

Act now, or future generations will pay: Central Asia risks economic losses from malnutrition

Many countries off track for key indicators of nutritional well-being, report finds February 10, 2016, Moscow—Children whose growth is stunted, people who don’t get enough vitamins, micronutrients or minerals for a healthy life, adults who are overweight and obese—malnutrition takes many forms and affects every country on earth. The 2015 Global Nutrition Report (GNR) makes […]