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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.

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Eliot Jones-Garcia

Eliot Jones-Garcia is a Senior Research Analyst with the Natural Resources and Resilience Unit based in Washington, DC. His research focuses on human-AI interaction, user-centered design, and the ethical and responsible development of AI. Eliot is currently finalizing a PhD on the digitalization of agricultural advisory services at Wageningen University & Research.

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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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TOPIC

Resilience

Economic, climate, and health shocks as well as conflict can be devastating for poor and vulnerable people who have limited resources and options. These shocks include food price hikes and financial crises, environmental and natural disasters, armed and political conflicts, and disease outbreaks. They can intensify the risk of food and nutrition insecurity, drive people into poverty or prevent them from moving out of poverty, and spur migration. Building resilience means helping individuals, households, communities, and countries prepare for, mitigate, cope with, and recover from shocks—so that they can not only bounce back but even become better off.

IFPRI’s resilience research examines the impact of different shocks and explores possible interventions to enhance human capital, policies for responding to and recovering from crises, and ways to create resilient food systems, economies, and societies. This includes extensive work on climate change, food prices, migration, and crises, including COVID-19 and the food, fuel, and fertilizer price increases associated with the Russia-Ukraine war. Research on women’s empowerment and gender equity also contributes to understanding resilience.

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IFPRI’s research on this topic is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG1, SDG2, SDG9, and SDG11, and with the CGIAR Impact Areas on Nutrition, Health, and Food Security; Poverty Reduction, Livelihoods, and Jobs; Climate Adaptation and Mitigation; and Gender Equality, Youth, and Social Inclusion.

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topics

Publications

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Journal Article

Resilient futures: Acknowledging the shared challenges of early career food system researchers in uncertain times

2026Boylan, Sinead; Manohar, Swetha; Ambikapathi, Ramya; Fabila, Max; Cubillo, Beau; Mauli, Senoveva; Lukanga, Editrudith; Oloko, Ayodele; Fanzo, Jessica
Details

Resilient futures: Acknowledging the shared challenges of early career food system researchers in uncertain times

Transforming food systems to deliver sustainable, equitable, and nutritious outcomes requires confronting profound global challenges, from climate change and biodiversity loss to widening inequities and persistent malnutrition. Early career researchers (ECRs), who make up a large proportion of the research workforce, hold unique potential to drive this transformation through fresh perspectives, systems thinking, and transdisciplinary collaboration. Yet they also face distinct barriers: precarious employment, limited funding, and institutional structures that privilege dominant knowledge systems, while undervaluing Indigenous and community-centred approaches. For many, particularly in resource-constrained or Indigenous contexts, these professional pressures are compounded by structural inequities, colonial legacies, and personal responsibilities, amplifying the emotional burden of engaging with such complex challenges. This paper explores strategies to empower ECRs to navigate food systems research without becoming overwhelmed. We highlight the importance of adaptability, mentorship, and building supportive networks, alongside recognition of Indigenous knowledge systems and the contextual realities shaping food systems across geographies. Collaboration and co-production emerge as critical pathways for innovation, trust-building, and collective action, while diverse outputs beyond peer-reviewed publications are essential to translate research into meaningful policy and practice. By embracing persistence, equity, and shared responsibility, ECRs can position themselves not as isolated individuals but as key actors in a global movement for resilient and just food systems. Balancing realism with optimism, we reaffirm the transformative potential of ECRs, and call on institutions, funders, and senior researchers to establish structures that enable them to thrive as changemakers in pursuit of a sustainable food future.

Year published

2026

Authors

Boylan, Sinead; Manohar, Swetha; Ambikapathi, Ramya; Fabila, Max; Cubillo, Beau; Mauli, Senoveva; Lukanga, Editrudith; Oloko, Ayodele; Fanzo, Jessica

Citation

Boylan, Sinead; Manohar, Swetha; Ambikapathi, Ramya; Fabila, Max; Cubillo, Beau; et al. 2026. Resilient futures: Acknowledging the shared challenges of early career food system researchers in uncertain times. Global Food Security 48(March 2026): 100901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2025.100901

Keywords

Scientists; Resilience; Food Systems; Collaboration

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2025.100901 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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Journal Article

Estimating multidimensional development resilience

2026Lee, Seungmin; Abay, Kibrom A.; Barrett, Christopher B.; Hoddinott, John F.
Details

Estimating multidimensional development resilience

Existing measures of resilience are typically based on a single well-being indicator. This is problematic in contexts where households face deprivations across multiple dimensions. We develop a multidimensional resilience measure, integrating probabilistic moment-based resilience measurement approaches with multidimensional poverty measurement methods. Applying these to household panel data from Ethiopia, we show that univariate and multidimensional resilience measures based on expenditure-based poverty, dietary diversity, and livestock asset holdings can yield varied inferences on the ranking of households as well as potential impact of development interventions. Univariate resilience measures constructed using consumption expenditure, dietary diversity and livestock asset holdings show distinct temporal and spatial distributional patterns. But while univariate measures are weakly correlated with one another and with different well-being metrics, multivariate measures exhibit much stronger rank correlations. When we contrast univariate measures of resilience to multidimensional measures of resilience, we find that the latter vary less over the study period; multidimensional resilience measures seem to capture more “persistent or structural” vulnerability and associated capacity of households. We also demonstrate the differences in these univariate and multivariate measures, including the potential of the composite multidimensional resilience measures for supporting targeting processes.

Year published

2026

Authors

Lee, Seungmin; Abay, Kibrom A.; Barrett, Christopher B.; Hoddinott, John F.

Citation

Lee, Seungmin; Abay, Kibrom A.; Barrett, Christopher B.; and Hoddinott, John. 2025. Estimating multidimensional development resilience. Journal of Development Economics 178(January 2026): 103583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103583

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Data; Development; Households; Resilience

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103583 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Strengthening women’s resilience and participation in climate governance in the agrifood sector through public policies: A strategic review of literature

2026Mohammed, Kamaldeen; Najjar, Dina; Bryan, Elizabeth
Details

Strengthening women’s resilience and participation in climate governance in the agrifood sector through public policies: A strategic review of literature

Women are uniquely vulnerable to climate change but play a critical role in enhancing the climate resilience of the agrifood sector. Based on a rapid review of academic and grey literature, this paper synthesizes the state of knowledge on the level of integration of gender aspects in climate change policies and women’s involvement in policy processes in the Global South. It examines women’s participation in climate change governance, strategies for enhancing this participation, and policy approaches to strengthen women’s resilience while addressing gender inequalities. Findings show that public policies often employ quotas, incentives, and capacity building initiatives to boost women’s participation in governance. However, meaningful engagement in higher-level decision-making remains limited, with quotas sometimes resulting in superficial involvement. Facilitating women’s access to agrifood resources, human capital, and economic opportunities, as well as addressing harmful gender norms, are identified as effective strategies to build resilience. Despite these promising approaches, gaps remain in the implementation and evaluation of policies aimed at enhancing women’s resilience and participation. The paper concludes by recommending outcome-oriented research and robust evaluations of public policy effectiveness in improving women’s climate resilience and governance roles.

Year published

2026

Authors

Mohammed, Kamaldeen; Najjar, Dina; Bryan, Elizabeth

Citation

Mohammed, Kamaldeen; Najjar, Dina; and Bryan, Elizabeth. 2025. Strengthening women’s resilience and participation in climate governance in the agrifood sector through public policies: A strategic review of literature. Climate and Development. Article in press. First published online July 14, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2025.2533184

Keywords

Agrifood Sector; Climate Change; Climate Resilience; Gender; Resilience; Women; Governance; Public Policies; Women’s Participation; Global South

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2025.2533184 Source record

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Journal Article

Blogs

Reimagining Indian agriculture for a low-carbon future
Event Post
 | 
December 23, 2025

Reimagining Indian agriculture for a low-carbon future

By Vartika Singh and Arabinda Padhee

Guiding an ongoing transformation.

Building smallholder farmers’ resilience through index insurance in Kenya
Research Post
 | 
December 05, 2025

Building smallholder farmers’ resilience through index insurance in Kenya

By Anne G. Timu, Kennedy Anahinga, Eileen Bureza, and Liangzhi You

Expanding the reach and effectiveness of a key government program.

Northern Nigeria’s hunger crisis: Transforming food aid to rebuild food systems
Issue Post
 | 
July 11, 2025

Northern Nigeria’s hunger crisis: Transforming food aid to rebuild food systems

By David Stevenson, Abdul Kamara, Yero Baldeh, Martin Fregene, and Steven Were Omamo

Leveraging assistance to build resilience.

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Events

Advancing Poverty Graduation in Fragile Contexts: A New Agenda for Research and Policy
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

January 21, 2026, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Advancing Poverty Graduation in Fragile Contexts: A New Agenda for Research and Policy

Multifaceted livelihoods interventions that target households in extreme poverty are extremely effective in reducing extreme poverty, with consistent gains in income, consumption, savings, and psychosocial well-being. These interventions, often called graduation models, have been widely evaluated, but most evidence comes from stable rural settings. In fragile and conflict-affected environments where poverty is increasingly concentrated, household-level […]

Shaping Food Policy in a Changing World: Research Priorities for Greater Impact
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

December 15, 2025, 9:00 – 4:00 pm

Shaping Food Policy in a Changing World: Research Priorities for Greater Impact

In today’s fast-changing world and evolving food systems, the need for evidence-based food policy has never been more urgent – demanding research that is timely, inclusive, and tailored to context. Reliable data and rigorous analysis are essential, but research must also evolve – and become more timely, more relevant, and more inclusive of diverse voices […]

Empowerment in Crisis: Gender-Responsive Solutions for Fragile Food Systems
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

November 12, 2025, 9:00 – 10:30 am

Empowerment in Crisis: Gender-Responsive Solutions for Fragile Food Systems

Crises—whether driven by conflict, climate shocks, or economic instability—rarely affect everyone equally. Women and girls often bear the heaviest burdens, facing heightened food insecurity, disrupted livelihoods, and increased risks to their health and safety. Yet, women are not only victims of crisis—they are powerful drivers of resilience and recovery. “Empowerment in Crisis: Gender-Responsive Solutions for […]

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News

November 12, 2024 | Press Release

New Study: Short-term humanitarian aid alone insufficient to address severe deterioration in employment, income, access to essential services and food security.

Economic revival, social protection, and infrastructure rehabilitation are critical for urban recovery in Sudan. Nairobi, 12 November 2024 – Eighteen months of war have deeply affected urban households in Sudan: 31 percent have been displaced, full-time employment has plummeted by half, over 70 percent of the urban households in Sudan had all or some of […]

August 29, 2024 | Press Release

Trade can support climate change mitigation and adaptation in Africa’s agricultural sector, new data shows

New report analyzes trade performance amid pressure points from climate change, water use, and carbon emissions, with recommendations for sustainable practices.

June 21, 2023 | Press Release

WFP resilience programmes in Sahel act as buffer against instability, build peace and social cohesion – study finds

DAKAR – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)’s efforts to build resilience to climate-related and human-made shocks and stressors have been shown to boost food security, while also strengthening social cohesion and improving the prospects for peace in Burkina Faso and Niger – a new study reveals.  The “Sahel Social Cohesion Research in Burkina […]

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Our experts

Deanna Olney

Deanna Olney

Director, Nutrition, Diets, and Health (NDH), Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Claudia Ringler

Claudia Ringler

Director, Natural Resources and Resilience (NRR), Natural
Resources and Resilience

David Spielman

David Spielman

Director, Innovation Policy and Scaling (IPS), Innovation
Policy and Scaling

James Thurlow

James Thurlow

Director, Foresight and Policy Modeling (FPM), Foresight
and Policy Modeling

Prapti Barooah

Prapti Barooah

Senior Research Analyst, Natural
Resources and Resilience

Francisco Ceballos

Francisco Ceballos

Research Fellow, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions, Latin America and the Caribbean

Olivier Ecker

Olivier Ecker

Senior Research Fellow, Foresight
and Policy Modeling

Razin Kabir

Razin Kabir

Senior Program Manager, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion