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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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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

Brazil

countries and regions

Publications

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Journal Article

The technopolitics of agronomic knowledge and tropical(izing) vegetables in Brazil

2024Nehring, Ryan
Details

The technopolitics of agronomic knowledge and tropical(izing) vegetables in Brazil

This article critically analyzes the social and political factors behind the advancement of technoscientific development in modern Brazilian agriculture. In the second half of the 20th century, Brazil underwent a rapid industrialization in the agricultural sector by more than doubling productivity in key global commodities and a widespread migration of people from rural to urban areas. Most observers point to the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) as the technological engine that drove the industrialization of Brazilian agriculture. Existing approaches to analyze technoscientific development tend to overlook the role of the environment and individual scientists in enacting change. I argue that, especially in the case of agriculture, technoscientific development hinges on the extent to which the environment is disregarded or embraced by those who have the institutional support and capacity to innovate. To support my argument, I draw on two contrasting cases of crop development spearheaded by Embrapa scientists: the tropicalization of the carrot and participatory research on non-conventional vegetables. Through those two cases, the article demonstrates how the general and specific, the transnational and local, and the industrial and agroecological are all key contrasting factors for understanding technoscientific development in agriculture. This research is based on extensive interviews and participant observation at Embrapa’s vegetable research center near Brasilia, Brazil.

Year published

2024

Authors

Nehring, Ryan

Citation

Nehring, Ryan. 2024. The technopolitics of agronomic knowledge and tropical(izing) vegetables in Brazil. Environmental Science and Policy 162(December 2024): 103911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103911

Country/Region

Brazil

Keywords

Americas; South America; Agricultural Research; Carrots; Food Systems; Politics; Technology; Tropical Zones; Vegetables

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103911 Source record

Project

Agroecology

Record type

Journal Article

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Working Paper

T20 Brasil: Communiqué and implementation roadmaps

2024CEBRI Rethink Tank; Instituto de Pesquisa Economica Aplicada; Fundacao Alexandre De Gusmao
Details

T20 Brasil: Communiqué and implementation roadmaps

The world is experiencing a polycrisis as it slowly and unevenly recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. This polycrisis is characterized by interconnected and cascading geopolitical, socioeconomic, and environmental risks and threats. The evermore tangible impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss are compounded by rising international and internal armed conflict, deepening economic inequalities and financial instability, with developing countries, particularly low-income ones, facing persistently high debt levels and shrinking fiscal space. The latter jeopardizes their capacity to increase investments that are necessary to catch up on lagging outcomes related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Year published

2024

Authors

CEBRI Rethink Tank; Instituto de Pesquisa Economica Aplicada; Fundacao Alexandre De Gusmao

Citation

CEBRI, IPEA and FUNAG. 2024. T20 Brasil: Communiqué and implementation roadmaps. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Centro Brasileiro de Relacoes Internacionais. https://www.t20brasil.org/en/communique

Country/Region

Brazil

Keywords

Americas; South America; Covid-19; Climate Change; Sustainable Development Goals; Food Security

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Farming cattle in the tropics: Transnational science and industrializing pastures in Brazil

2024Nehring, Ryan
Details

Farming cattle in the tropics: Transnational science and industrializing pastures in Brazil

Societal Impact Statement Society is increasingly concerned over the environmental impact of diets. Much of this concern is over the environmentally destructive nature of meat production, especially beef and especially in the Amazon. This article aims to understand the production of beef in Brazil through the understudied perspective of forage grasses. In doing so, the article traces who was involved in the importation and improvement of forage grasses in Brazil, why they were involved, and what the consequences of their actions were. By centering forage grasses, we can better understand the potential consequences of seemingly unimportant plant breeding efforts. Summary Beef is viewed by many as one of the more environmentally destructive foods today. Whether it is deforestation in the Amazon or concentrated feedlots, the rancher and the cow have come to epitomize the dangers of a global industrial food system. This article looks at the industrialization of beef cattle from another angle, a bit closer to the ground. It looks at the role and circulation of plants and plant breeders in the expansion of beef cattle in the Brazilian tropics. The article draws on documents collected from the institutional archives of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, known by its Portuguese acronym Embrapa and the Rockefeller Archive Center. Additional archival documents were acquired by a personal contact. Embrapa was established in 1973, but its archives contain documents from Brazilian agricultural research agencies from as far back as 1952. Documents from the Rockefeller Archive Center include research bulletins and reports from Nelson Rockefeller’s IBEC Research Institute (IRI), which conducted research on forage grasses from the 1950s until the 1970s. The article puts forth the argument that imported and improved forage grasses made large-scale cattle ranching environmentally viable and economically profitable in Brazil. One type of grass in particular, Brachiaria, was central in propelling Brazil as the world’s largest producer of beef and underpinning perhaps the most environmentally and socially destructive cattle ranching system in the world. Brachiaria was a key biological and technological input to further entrench longstanding structural inequalities of land ownership. One of the key conclusions of this article is that perspectives from the margins can be illustrative of how seemingly unimportant research (forage grass breeding) can have massive consequences as part of a broader socio-environmental system.

Year published

2024

Authors

Nehring, Ryan

Citation

Nehring, Ryan. Farming cattle in the tropics: Farming cattle in the tropics: Transnational science and industrializing pastures in Brazil. Plants, People, Planet 6(5): 1060-1069. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10441

Country/Region

Brazil

Keywords

South America; Beef; Cattle; Diet; Environmental Impact; Meat Production; Plant Breeding

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10441 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Datasets

Dataset

Evaluation of Extension Reforms in Brazil

2018International Food Policy Research Institute; State University of Campinas; Federal University of São Carlos; Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services; Latin American Network for Rural Extension Services
Details

Evaluation of Extension Reforms in Brazil

To evaluate the impacts of the rural extension policy (PNATER), five territories were selected in three different Brazilian states, including Alto Jequitinhonha (Minas Gerais State), Cantuquiriguaçu (Paraná State), Pontal do Paranapanema (São Paulo State), São Paulo’s Southwestern (São Paulo State), and Vale do Ribeira (Paraná State). An indicator system was elaborated to collect and analyze data from farmers and extension agents in each territory. 12 indicators were proposed to accomplish the desired evaluation. These indicators express the meaningful aspects of the extension reform policy document’s values, principles, and objectives. Data collection instruments were composed of questionnaires focusing on objective questions, allowing only closed answers to identify the interviewee’s perception of his or her reality. The possibilities for responses were elaborated on a five-point Likert scale—from the least to the greatest—asking respondents to indicate how much they agree or disagree, approve or disapprove, or believe to be true or false. The questionnaire for family farmers was composed of 56 questions, encompassing different indicators, among which three were specific for black rural and indigenous communities. The researchers also added questions from the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. In total researchers conducted 1,000 interviews with farmers and 87 interviews with extensionists (in some territories the goal of 20 interviews with the extensionists in each territory was not achieved due to the difficulty in contacting them or their unavailability in the study period) in the five territories between August 2014 to January 2015.

Year published

2018

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute; State University of Campinas; Federal University of São Carlos; Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services; Latin American Network for Rural Extension Services

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute; State University of Campinas; Federal University of São Carlos; Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services; Latin American Network for Rural Extension Services. 2018. Evaluation of Extension Reforms in Brazil. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/EFUW0R. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1.

Country/Region

Brazil

Keywords

Americas; Latin America and the Caribbean; South America; Advisory Services; Extension Policies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.7910/dvn/efuw0r Source record

Record type

Dataset

Dataset

ASTI Brazil Database

2016Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators
Details

ASTI Brazil 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

2016

Authors

Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators

Citation

Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators. 2016. ASTI Brazil database. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://www.asti.cgiar.org/brazil. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1. https://www.asti.cgiar.org/brazil

Country/Region

Brazil

Keywords

Americas; Latin America and the Caribbean; South America; Agricultural Research

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-3.0

Source

Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Dataset

Dataset

Brazil, Social Accounting Matrix (SAM), 1995-1996: Aggregated Version

2003International Food Policy Research Institute
Details

Brazil, Social Accounting Matrix (SAM), 1995-1996: Aggregated Version

The aggregated and disaggregated Brazil Social Accounting Matrices for 1995-96 are primarily based on the 1995 Input-Output Table and National Accounts for Brazil, as well as the 1995-96 Agricultural Census. The disaggregated SAM has a total of 119 accounts. This SAM is characterized by its disaggregation of agricultural production activities by region (Amazon, Northeast, Center-west, and South and Southeast) and farm size (small and large). The aggregated version is based on the disaggregated SAM. It has a total of 71 accounts; agricultural activities and factors are not disaggregated by region. For a description of the construction and use of these SAMs, see Research Report #129, Balancing Agricultural Development and Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.

Year published

2003

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute. 2003. Brazil, Social Accounting Matrix (SAM), 1995-1996 — Aggregated Version. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. http://hdl.handle.net/1902.1/17084. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1.

Country/Region

Brazil

Keywords

Americas; Latin America and the Caribbean; South America; Social Analysis; Agricultural Censuses

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-3.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Dataset

Blogs

U.S.-China trade war 2.0: What are the implications for global oilseed markets?
IFPRI Blog
 | 
April 21, 2025

U.S.-China trade war 2.0: What are the implications for global oilseed markets?

By Joseph Glauber, Juan Pablo Gianatiempo, and Valeria Piñeiro

Key agrifood products may see abrupt shifts.

High global phosphate prices pose potential food security risks
IFPRI Blog
 | 
March 20, 2025

High global phosphate prices pose potential food security risks

By Delphine Leconte-Demarsy and Brendan Rice

Pandemic and Ukraine crisis impacts linger.

How countries have coped with recent agricultural trade disruptions
IFPRI Blog
 | 
February 26, 2025

How countries have coped with recent agricultural trade disruptions

By Abdullah Mamun and Joseph Glauber

Lessons from IFPRI research.

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Events

Biofuels and the Global Vegetable Oil Market
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

March 4, 2025, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Biofuels and the Global Vegetable Oil Market

Production of biodiesel fuel in Brazil, the European Union, Indonesia, and the United States has grown by nearly 40 percent over the past five years, driven largely by subsidies and government mandates. Government regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions have also boosted demand for vegetable oils and created new markets for used cooking oils […]

Advancing Sustainable Agri-food Systems for Climate Resilience, Food Security, and Global Collaboration
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

November 12, 2024, 5:00 – 6:30 pm

Advancing Sustainable Agri-food Systems for Climate Resilience, Food Security, and Global Collaboration

The livestream will be available on Tuesday November 12, 2024 at 5:00 – 6:30 pm (America/Sao_Paulo) / 3:00 – 4:30 pm (US/Eastern). Join us for an in-depth discussion on Avanzar2030, an evidence-based initiative that identifies promising innovations in agri-food systems and estimates the costs of implementing them. Launched in response to the 2021 UN Food […]

Emerging Trends in the Global Soybean Complex
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

December 14, 2023, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Emerging Trends in the Global Soybean Complex

Virtual IFPRI-AMIS Seminar Series: December 14, 2023 at 9:30am-11:00am EST. This seminar will explore the market outlook for soybeans and vegetable oils, and examine the implications of the US biodiesel industry and recent developments in South American soybean production.

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News

November 05, 2020 | In the News

Eradicate corona worldwide? ‘More money for development cooperation’ (MSN Lifestyle)

MSN Lifestyle (Belgium) published an article stating that over the past six months, millions of people have become malnourished because of their job losses. “We are 20 to 25 years back in time.” In countries such as India, Brazil, or South Africa, no work means no or bad food. And it is precisely due to malnutrition that the virus can […]

July 07, 2020 | In the News

Brazil tries to boost agriculture in the Ottawa Group (AviSite) 

AviSite (Argentina) reported that Brazil stresses that agricultural trade has shown resilience so far. International markets remained relatively stable, despite strong pressures on production, supply chains and rapid changes in demand. Crops have been above expectations; food stocks are well supplied and international prices seem to be under control. Although a global food crisis due to the pandemic is unlikely, […]

January 29, 2020 | In the News

[GangMoon Sung’s economic magnification] ‘Best student’ why ‘diagnosis of growth’ is needed in Korea (Korean Economic Magazine)

Korean Economic Magazine published an article on structural change and economic growth. The article references the findings in the book Structural Change, Fundamentals and Growth coedited by IFPRI Research Fellow Margaret McMillan, Dani Rodrik, and Claudia Sepulveda. According to the book, investment in the basic conditions highlighted by the endogenous growth theory of macroeconomics and the structural changes that are important to […]

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Projects

Agricultural Transformation and Policy: What are the policy priorities?

Agricultural Transformation and Policy: What are the policy priorities?

Achieving agricultural transformation in a country – the transformation of an agri-food system from a high prevalence of subsistence farming to high productivity, so that……

Energy use in agriculture

Energy use in agriculture

Irrigation, mechanization or fertilizer?—tradeoffs and food security implications What is the challenge? Agricultural intensification through the use of high-yielding crop varieties, fertilizers, irrigation, and other agricultural……

Food Security Portal

Food Security Portal

Volatile food prices, climate-change-driven shocks, conflict, economic downturns, and high population growth continue to raise serious concerns about food security and nutrition in many parts……

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