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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.

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.

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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 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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The Earth Planet

Africa

countries and regions

Publications

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Book Chapter

What do we know about the future of the agrifood system in South Africa?

2025Meyer, Ferdi; Pienaar, Louw; Davids, Tracy; Kalaba, Mmatlou
Details

What do we know about the future of the agrifood system in South Africa?

South Africa’s primary agriculture sector witnessed profound productivity growth in recent decades, yet structural transformation is stalling due to a combination of sluggish nonfarm growth and persistent structural challenges that inhibit wider societal progress. Looking ahead, the agrifood system is well placed to increase the supply of goods at competitive prices but requires consistency in policymaking and an investment-friendly environment, as well as stronger domestic demand for products. Given the complexity and interconnectedness of the country’s agrifood system, future foresight research should focus on better understanding cross-sector productivity gains and how the entire system can be reoriented to support greater agricultural transformation.

Year published

2025

Authors

Meyer, Ferdi; Pienaar, Louw; Davids, Tracy; Kalaba, Mmatlou

Citation

Meyer, Ferdi; Pienaar, Louw; Davids, Tracy; and Kalaba, Mmatlou. 2025. What do we know about the future of the agrifood system in South Africa? In What do we know about the future of food systems? eds. Keith Wiebe and Elisabetta Gotor. Part Three: What Do We Know About the Future of Food Systems in Selected Countries? Chapter 27, Pp. 159-163. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175514

Country/Region

South Africa

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Southern Africa; Food Systems; Agricultural Sector; Policies; Productivity; Transformation; Economic Development; Forecasting

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Foresight

Record type

Book Chapter

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Journal Article

The digital readiness of agricultural advisory professionals: A South African case study

2024von Maltitz, Lindie; Van Niekerk, Johan A.; Davis, Kristin E.
Details

The digital readiness of agricultural advisory professionals: A South African case study

Agricultural advisory services link producers, the government, the research community, and credit and input supply organisations. This vital role can be enhanced through the efficient use of digital platforms, especially in South Africa, where the advisor-to-producer ratio was last recorded to be 1:1019. According to the last census conducted in South Africa, 92.1% of households own a mobile phone, and only 21.1% do not have access to the internet, providing the platform for timeous interaction between advisors and their clients. The affordability of technology and data services, network coverage, and digital literacy are obstacles in the country that need to be addressed if access to ICTs is to be improved. This article focuses on the readiness of South African agricultural advisors to use digital platforms. Survey research was used to collect data from professionals, and the data was evaluated using a survey instrument that was developed based in part on similar work done in Rwanda. The results show that although most advisors are ready to use digital platforms, many obstacles must be addressed for efficient application.

Year published

2024

Authors

von Maltitz, Lindie; Van Niekerk, Johan A.; Davis, Kristin E.

Citation

von Maltitz, Lindie; Van Niekerk, Johan A.; and Davis, Kristin E. 2024. The digital readiness of agricultural advisory professionals: A South African case study. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension 52(4): 47-65. https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3221/2024/v52n4a16851

Country/Region

South Africa

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Southern Africa; Advisory Services; Agriculture; Digital Technology

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3221/2024/v52n4a16851 Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Social protection amid a crisis: New evidence from South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant

2024Alloush, Mo; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Malacarne, J. G.
Details

Social protection amid a crisis: New evidence from South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant

This study estimates the effects of South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant on well-being amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With household-level data collected before and during the pandemic, it leverages the age-eligibility threshold of the grant to estimate its effects on households in both periods. Prior to the pandemic, this study finds that grant receipt substantially improves economic well-being and decreases adult hunger at the household level. During the first 18 months of the pandemic, this study finds larger effects on both economic well-being and hunger than prior to the pandemic. In particular, recipient households were less likely to report running out of money for food and hunger among either adults or children. These results, which are stronger when pandemic-related lockdown policies are in place and for more vulnerable households, provide critical insight into the effectiveness of one of the world’s most well-known cash-transfer programs during a massive global health crisis.

Year published

2024

Authors

Alloush, Mo; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Malacarne, J. G.

Citation

Alloush, Mo; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; and Malacarne, J. G. 2024. Social protection amid a crisis: New evidence from South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant. World Bank Economic Review 38(2): 371-393. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhad037

Country/Region

South Africa

Keywords

Africa; Southern Africa; Cash Transfers; Coronavirus; Coronavirus Disease; Coronavirinae; Covid-19; Data; Households; Hunger

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhad037 Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Journal Article

Datasets

Dataset

ASTI South Africa Database

2018Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators
Details

ASTI South Africa Database

This dataset includes national-level time series data on researcher capacity by qualification level, age bracket, discipline mix, and commodity, as well as a detailed breakdown of agricultural research investment across government, higher education, nonprofit, and (where possible) private for-profit agricultural research agencies. These data were derived through a series of primary survey rounds conducted by IFPRI’s Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) and in close collaboration with a large network of national collaborators. The ASTI data constitute a powerful resource for national and regional research managers, policymakers, donor organizations, and other stakeholders. ASTI’s key indicators provide both a diagnostic tool for assessing the allocation and use of existing resources and an advocacy tool for increasing resources and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of resource use. The ASTI website offers interactive pages that allow users to access country-level time series data, make cross-country comparisons, create graphs, and download country datasets and publications as well as detailed institutional information on agencies involved in agricultural research. The interactive benchmarking tool on the ASTI website is a convenient map-based instrument allowing users to make cross-country comparisons and rankings based on a wide set of financial and human resource indicators. The detailed ASTI datasets are available in an easy-to-use data download tool. Detailed information on definitions, methodology, and calculation procedures are available at www.asti.cgiar.org

Year published

2018

Authors

Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators

Citation

Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators. 2018. ASTI South Africa Database. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://www.asti.cgiar.org/south_africa. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1. https://www.asti.cgiar.org/south_africa

Country/Region

South Africa

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Southern Africa; Agricultural Research

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-3.0

Source

Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Dataset

Dataset

A 2009 Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) Database for South Africa

2014Human Sciences Research Council; International Food Policy Research Institute
Details

A 2009 Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) Database for South Africa

This data study includes South African Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) for the year 2009. The national SAM is built using official supply-use tables, national accounts, state budgets, and balance of payments, and so provides a detailed representation of the South African economy. It separates 49 activities and 85 commodities; labor is disaggregated by education level; and households by per capita expenditure deciles. Information on labor is d rawn from the 2009 Quarterly Labor Force Survey and on households from the 2005 Income and Expenditure Survey. Finally, the SAM identifies government, investment and foreign accounts. It is therefore an ideal database for conducting economywide impact assessments, including SAM-based multiplier analysis and computable general equilibrium (CGE) modeling.

Year published

2014

Authors

Human Sciences Research Council; International Food Policy Research Institute

Citation

Human Sciences Research Council; International Food Policy Research Institute. 2014. A 2009 Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) Database for South Africa. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/24774. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1.

Country/Region

South Africa

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Southern Africa; National Accounting; Social Accounting Matrix

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-3.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.7910/dvn/24774 Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Dataset

Dataset

South Africa Limpopo Basin Climate Change Adaptation Dataset

2010Ringler, Claudia; Sun, Yan
Details

South Africa Limpopo Basin Climate Change Adaptation Dataset

This household survey was conducted as part of a project aimed to provide policymakers and stakeholders in South Africa with tools to better understand, analyze, and form policy decisions to adapt to global change. The survey was conducted in the Limpopo River Basin in South Africa during 2005. A total of 794 households from 19 districts, in 5 Water Management Areas (WMAs), across 4 provinces of South Africa were sampled. The South Africa sample was designed to capture the diverse agricultural patterns in the basin area: farming strata, type of cultivation (dry land and irrigation), major and minor crops and livestock, and all the sub-catchment areas in each of the 5 WMAs. Topics covered include household roaster including background information, farm and non-farm activities, assets, basic services, disease, shocks; land ownership and land holdings; farm machinery, farm buildings, wells and pumps, and wage rates; crop production including production cost and income for seasonal crops and for perennial crops; crop water use; livestock production; access to extension, markets and credit; expenditures on food and income; and climate change and adaptation options.

Year published

2010

Authors

Ringler, Claudia; Sun, Yan

Citation

Ringler, Claudia; Sun, Yan. 2010. South Africa Limpopo Basin Climate Change Adaptation Dataset. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. http://hdl.handle.net/1902.1/17092. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1.

Country/Region

South Africa

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Southern Africa; Water Security; Food Security; Climate Change

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-3.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Dataset

Blogs

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.

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

Africa Food Systems Forum 2025 Summit
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

August 31 to September 5, 2025

Africa Food Systems Forum 2025 Summit

The Africa Food Systems Forum will host its annual summit in Dakar, Senegal, from August 31 to September 5, 2025. Africa’s Food Systems Forum, formerly AGRF, is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture and food systems, bringing together stakeholders to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African food systems forward. Africa […]

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 […]

Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD9)
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

July 24, 2025, 7:30 – 9:30 pm

Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD9)

The Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) is co-hosted by the Government of Japan, the United Nations, UNDP, the World Bank, and the African Union Commission and will take place in Yokohama, Japan, from August 20 to 22, 2025. The TICAD9 conference promotes African ownership and international partnership, bringing together heads of […]

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News

July 03, 2025 | In the News

Unlocking stronger food systems with African research (SciDev.Net)

Steven Omamo discusses the findings of the 2025 Global Food Policy Report and the urgent need for bold action to avert a looming food crisis in Africa.

June 23, 2025 | Press Release

New study proposes smarter cropland allocation to support sustainable agricultural intensification in Senegal

The study explores how farmers’ land-use decisions can be guided by the relative risks and returns of different crops—similar to how financial investments are managed.

June 13, 2025 | In the News

Sub-Saharan Africa can achieve grain self-sufficiency by 2050, new study finds

New research published in PNAS shows that it is feasible without further expanding agricultural land. The study, led by Wageningen University & Research (WUR) in collaboration with partners including IFPRI, offers more optimistic projections compared to earlier research.

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Projects

Supporting ReSAKSS and CAADP

Supporting ReSAKSS and CAADP

From 2006 to 2020, IFPRI facilitated the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) to support the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development……

Strengthening CAADP Biennial Review (BR)

Strengthening CAADP Biennial Review (BR)

The Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Biennial Review (BR) is a powerful instrument for triggering policy actions for agricultural transformation in Africa. It is……

Prioritizing agricultural investments for income, poverty reduction, and nutrition

Prioritizing agricultural investments for income, poverty reduction, and nutrition

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