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.

researcher spotlight

Elodie Becquey

Elodie Becquey is a Senior Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit, based in IFPRI’s West and Central Africa office in Senegal. She has over 15 years of research experience in diet, nutrition, and food security in Africa, including countries such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, and Tanzania.

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

AI search assistant

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
The Earth Planet

Kenya

countries and regions

Publications

Resource thumbnail

Brief

Digital tool integration, biodiversity, and the potato value chain in Kenya: Results from a baseline survey

2025Boukaka, Sedi Anne; Geoffrey, Baragu; Azzarri, Carlo
Details

Digital tool integration, biodiversity, and the potato value chain in Kenya: Results from a baseline survey

Potato farmers in Kenya grapple with various challenges along the value chain, including limited access to quality planting materials such as seeds and fertilizers, insufficient storage and postharvest handling facilities, fluctuating market prices, and unreliable market information systems. For women and youth, these challenges are further exacerbated by persistent social gaps in the agriculture sector. Digital tools can play a vital role in addressing these challenges by providing access to valuable agricultural information, weather forecasts, and best practices that help farmers make informed decisions and improve crop management. However, challenges persist in digital tool adoption within agricultural value chains in sub-Saharan Africa. This study assesses the impact of digital tool adoption and support on socioeconomic and agriculture-related outcomes in Kenya’s potato value chain. It piggybacks on an ongoing digital tool integration program, Business Development and Coaching (BDEC), conducted by the Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA), which targets agripreneurs in Farmer Service Centers (FSCs). By comparing a treatment group that receives this training with a control group continuing business as usual, the study evaluates the effects of agripreneurs’ adoption and expanded use of digital tools on farmers’ agriculture based livelihoods, income generation, and job creation metrics, with a focus on youth employment and gender disparities.

Year published

2025

Authors

Boukaka, Sedi Anne; Geoffrey, Baragu; Azzarri, Carlo

Citation

Boukaka, Sedi Anne; Geoffrey, Baragu; and Azzarri, Carlo. 2025. Digital tool integration, biodiversity, and the potato value chain in Kenya: Results from a baseline survey. SFS4Youth Research Note 3. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178814

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Biodiversity; Digital Technology; Potatoes; Agricultural Value Chains; Farmers

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Digital Innovation

Record type

Brief

Resource thumbnail

Brief

Kenya: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development

2025Aragie, Emerta A.; Pauw, Karl; Thurlow, James; Jones, Eleanor
Details

Kenya: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development

In this policy brief, we present findings of a systematic evaluation and ranking of investment options for Kenya’s agrifood system based on their cost-effectiveness in achieving multiple development outcomes, including agrifood gross domestic product (GDP) growth, agrifood job creation, poverty reduction, declining undernourishment, and lowering diet deprivation. Additionally, the study assesses their environmental footprint, focusing on water consumption, land use, and emissions. Investments in small and medium enterprise (SME) processors, irrigation, and seed subsidy are shown to be the most cost-effective at driving improvements in social outcomes, like poverty and undernourishment. They are also highly ranked in terms of expanding agrifood GDP and employment. Expansion in extension and advisory services for seeds and agronomy as well as improvements in seed systems also rank high. However, many cost-effective investments have relatively high environmental footprints, which highlights potential tradeoffs. The study further reveals shifts in the cost-effectiveness ranking of investment options overtime and when extreme production shocks occur.

Year published

2025

Authors

Aragie, Emerta A.; Pauw, Karl; Thurlow, James; Jones, Eleanor

Citation

Aragie, Emerta A.; Pauw, Karl; Thurlow, James; and Jones, Eleanor. 2025. Kenya: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development. Agrifood Investment Prioritization Country Series Brief 7. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178746

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Agrifood Sector; Sustainable Development; Poverty; Nutrition; Environmental Impact; Agrifood Systems

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Resource thumbnail

Data Paper

2023 Social Accounting Matrix for Kenya: A Nexus Project SAM

2025International Food Policy Research Institute
Details

2023 Social Accounting Matrix for Kenya: A Nexus Project SAM

The 2023 Kenya Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) follows IFPRI’s Standard Nexus SAM approach, by focusing on consistency, comparability, and transparency of data. The Nexus SAMs available on IFPRI’s website separates domestic production into 42 activities. Factors are disaggregated into labor, agricultural land, and capital, with labor further disaggregated across three education-based categories. The household account is divided into 10 representative household groups: Rural and urban households across per capita consumption quintiles. Nexus SAMs support the improvement of model-based research and policy analysis in developing countries and allow for more robust cross-country comparisons of national economic structures, especially agriculture-food systems.

Year published

2025

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). 2025. 2023 Social Accounting Matrix for Kenya: A Nexus Project SAM. Data Paper. Washington, DC: IFPRI. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178940

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Computable General Equilibrium Models; Household Consumption; Household Expenditure; Economic Indicators; Agrifood Systems; Social Accounting Matrix; Taxes; Labour

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Data Paper

Datasets

Dataset

Aflatoxin surveillance in Kenya

2025International Food Policy Research Institute
Details

Aflatoxin surveillance in Kenya

The dataset contains results of a project measuring the prevalence of aflatoxin contamination in maize purchased at retail sites across Kenya in 2021. Samples of packaged flour and informally milled (posho) flour were purchased from a variety of retailers across ten urban sampling sites every two months for a duration of one year. Samples were transported after purchase to the University of Nairobi for laboratory analysis to measure the prevalence of aflatoxin contamination. The results of this analysis are included in this dataset, along with information on the location of the mill where the flour was processed, the sampling location where it was purchased, the timing of data collection and the type of flour.

Year published

2025

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). 2025. Aflatoxin Surveillance in Kenya. Washington, DC: IFPRI [dataset]. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/XGNOD4. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1.

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Aflatoxins; Mycotoxins; Storage; Maize; Flours; Milling Quality

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.7910/dvn/xgnod4 Source record

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Dataset

Dataset

Nature+ Quantitative Baseline Household & Worker Survey, Kenya

2024International Food Policy Research Institute; Kula Vyema Centre
Details

Nature+ Quantitative Baseline Household & Worker Survey, Kenya

In 2023, the Nature Positive Solutions (Nature+) baseline survey was conducted in Kenya, focusing on the Counties of Kisumu, Vihiga, and Kajiado. The study aimed to describe the socio-economic conditions and agricultural systems in these areas, providing a baseline assessment to inform ongoing Nature+ interventions. The survey covered 1,502 smallholder farmer households (752 treated and 750 control) across 25 villages. Data collection employed a two-stage sampling technique and assessed various variables, including socio-economic characteristics, agricultural practices, land use, nutrition, and adoption of Nature+ practices. This data will support the evaluation of Nature+’s impacts on inclusion, poverty reduction, food security, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability. Additionally, the survey included interviews with 1056 workers, covering socio-demographic characteristics, contract types, forced labor, harassment, workplace health and safety, wages, and overtime. All monetary variables are expressed in Kenyan Shilling (KSH).

Year published

2024

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute; Kula Vyema Centre

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); Kula Vyema Centre (KVC). 2024. Nature+ Quantitative Baseline Household & Worker Survey, Kenya. Washington, DC: IFPRI [dataset]. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/QFQURF. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1.

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Baseline Studies; Farming Systems; Smallholders; Agricultural Practices; Land Use; Nutrition; Impact Assessment; Inclusion; Poverty Alleviation; Food Security; Community Involvement

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.7910/dvn/qfqurf Source record

Project

Nature-Positive Solutions

Record type

Dataset

Dataset

2021 Social Accounting Matrix for Kenya

2023The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis; Kenya National Bureau of Statistics; International Food Policy Research Institute
Details

2021 Social Accounting Matrix for Kenya

The Nexus Project is a collaboration between IFPRI and its partners, including national statistical agencies and research institutions. Our aim is to improve the quality of social accounting matrices (SAMs) used for computable general equilibrium (CGE) modeling. The Nexus Project develops toolkits and establishes common data standards, procedures, and classification systems for constructing and updating national SAMs. The 2021 Kenya SAM follows the Standard Nexus Structure. The open access version of the Kenya SAM separates domestic production into 42 activities. Factors are disaggregated into labor, land, and capital. Labor is further disaggregated across three education categories. Representative households are disaggregated by rural and urban areas and by per capita expenditure quintile. The remaining accounts include enterprises, government, taxes, savings-and-investment, and the rest of the word.

Year published

2023

Authors

The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis; Kenya National Bureau of Statistics; International Food Policy Research Institute

Citation

The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA); Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS); International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). 2023. 2021 Social Accounting Matrix for Kenya. Washington, DC: IFPRI [dataset]. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/XLKGGA. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1.

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; National Accounting; Social Accounting Matrix; Household Consumption; Household Expenditure; Economic Indicators; Labour

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.7910/dvn/xlkgga Source record

Record type

Dataset

Blogs

The hidden costs of gendered inequities: Findings from true cost accounting of cropping systems in Kenya
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 09, 2025

The hidden costs of gendered inequities: Findings from true cost accounting of cropping systems in Kenya

By Rui Benfica, Baragu Geoffrey, Sedi Boukaka, Kristin Davis, Carlo Azzarri, Carlo Fadda, Martin Oulu, and Céline Termote

Who benefits and who bears the burdens?

Building smallholder farmers’ resilience through index insurance in Kenya
IFPRI Blog
 | 
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.

IFPRI and causal impact evaluation: Evidence for real-life policies
IFPRI Blog
 | 
September 25, 2025

IFPRI and causal impact evaluation: Evidence for real-life policies

By Alan de Brauw

A new report outlines diverse applications.

View all Blogs

Events

Integrating Women’s Empowerment and Nutrition in National Agricultural Surveys: Country Experiences, Perspective and the Path Forward
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

December 2, 2025, 9:00 – 12:30 pm

Integrating Women’s Empowerment and Nutrition in National Agricultural Surveys: Country Experiences, Perspective and the Path Forward

Agrifood systems are essential to women’s livelihoods globally, yet their contributions often remain underrecognized. Women are disproportionately concentrated in informal, low-skilled, and labor-intensive roles and face limited access to resources and exclusion from key decision-making processes. To address these gaps, new tools have emerged to better assess women’s empowerment. Building on the Women’s Empowerment in […]

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 […]

Two Years of Crisis: Impact and Pathways to Recovery and Resilience
Series/Special Event

 | 

April 14 to 15, 2025

Two Years of Crisis: Impact and Pathways to Recovery and Resilience

The Sudan conflict, now entering its third year, continues to devastate the country’s socioeconomic fabric. As of January 2025, more than 8.8 million people were internally displaced, and over 3.3 million had sought refuge in neighboring countries. Conservative reports estimate over 32,000 fatalities occurred between the start of the war on April 15, 2023, and […]

View all Events

News

January 08, 2024 | Press Release

A new book provides a roadmap for food systems transformation in Kenya

The past few years have seen Kenya, along with many other countries, confronted with multifaceted and compounding challenges. The disruptions caused by COVID-19, high levels of food price inflation, and environmental crises, such as locust infestations and droughts, have severely tested the resilience of Kenya’s food systems and the affordability of food for its citizens. […]

September 28, 2023 | In the News

Food prices are rising as countries limit exports. Blame climate change, El Nino and Russia’s war (Associated Press)

“Countries have imposed restrictions on the food they export to protect their own supplies from the combined effect of the war in Ukraine, El Nino’s threat to food production and increasing damage from climate change,” writes the Associated Press. “Tanzania’s onion limits this year are part of the “contagion” of food restrictions from countries spooked by supply […]

September 18, 2023 | In the News

Kenya’s new urban school meal plan is ambitious – it could offer lessons for scaling up (The Conversation) 

More than 250,000 children in public primary schools in Nairobi will receive regular subsidized school meals provided by the county government. The Dishi Na County program is Kenya’s first in an urban setting. The national school meal program set up in 2009 serves more than 1.5 million children in rural drought-affected counties. The Conversation asked Elisheba Kiru (African Population and […]

View all News

Projects

School Meals and School-based Actions for People and the Planet

School Meals and School-based Actions for People and the Planet

…

True Cost Accounting

True Cost Accounting

True Cost Accounting (TCA) is the systematic measurement and valuation of environmental, social, health, and economic costs to inform sustainable choices by governments and food……

Economywide Risk Assessments

Economywide Risk Assessments

Developed using advanced machine learning, simulation, and data mining techniques, these country briefs provide detailed risk assessments of key economic indicators. Produced by IFPRI, the……

View all Projects