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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

Kinya Kaibung’a

Kinya Kaibung’a is a Research Officer with the Development Strategies and Governance Unit, based in Nairobi, Kenya. She has a keen interest in leveraging machine learning, AI, and other cutting-edge technologies to boost climate resilience and food security in smart agriculture systems.

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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 480 employees working in over 70 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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The Earth Planet

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

countries and regions

Publications

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Journal Article

Collecting Holistic Evidence on Agroecology Performance to Accelerate Sustainable Food System Transitions

2026
Jones, Sarah K.; Sánchez, Andrea Cecilia; Dickens, Chris; Geck, Matthias S.; Wickramaratne, Chaturangi; Alary, Veronique; Bolo, Peter; Choruma, Dennis Junior; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Fall, Modou Gueye
…more Falconnier, Gatien; Gupta, Shweta; Kettle, Chris; Krishnan, Smitha; Nyawira, Sylvia; Orjuela-Ramirez, Guillermo; Orounladji, Boko Michel; Pareja, Piedad; Sibanda, Telma; Lamanna, Christine
Details

Collecting Holistic Evidence on Agroecology Performance to Accelerate Sustainable Food System Transitions

A growing body of research shows the potential of agroecology for enabling a shift to planet-friendly and socially just agrifood systems through context-specific transition pathways. We conduct a scoping review to identify and evaluate the potential of 42 existing agroecology adherence and/or agricultural performance assessment tools to generate credible, legitimate, salient and transferable evidence to inform these transitions. Results show that while multiple relevant tools exist, each of them can be strengthened in at least one area. While most tools are transferable (low time and resource requirements) and have legitimacy (open access with transparent methods), tools have variable saliency (holistic scope inclusive of local priorities) and credibility (use scientific design principles and quality assurance processes). For a subset of 11 tools collecting multidimensional performance data, analysis of 263 identified indicators showed there is a bias towards economic measures (notably income, yield, and resilience), while certain social (e.g. land tenure, traditional knowledge retention) and environmental (e.g. climate mitigation) aspects are regularly overlooked. Through a multidisciplinary process engaging experts across 8 countries, we develop a Holistic Localized Performance Assessment for agroecology (HOLPA) framework that integrates and builds on positive features of existing multidimensional agroecology performance assessments tools and overcomes key limitations. The HOLPA framework for analysis, agroecology indicators, key performance indicators, and low-cost localization process can be used to strengthen agroecology performance assessments, empowering landscape actors to identify evidence-based pathways towards agrifood systems where both people and nature can thrive.

Year published

2026

Authors

Jones, Sarah K.; Sánchez, Andrea Cecilia; Dickens, Chris; Geck, Matthias S.; Wickramaratne, Chaturangi; Alary, Veronique; Bolo, Peter; Choruma, Dennis Junior; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Fall, Modou Gueye; Falconnier, Gatien; Gupta, Shweta; Kettle, Chris; Krishnan, Smitha; Nyawira, Sylvia; Orjuela-Ramirez, Guillermo; Orounladji, Boko Michel; Pareja, Piedad; Sibanda, Telma; Lamanna, Christine

Citation

Jones, Sarah K., Andrea Cecilia Sánchez, Chris Dickens, et al. 2026. “Collecting Holistic Evidence on Agroecology Performance to Accelerate Sustainable Food System Transitions.” Environmental and Sustainability Indicators 31: 101374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2026.101374.

Country/Region

Burkina Faso; India; Kenya; Peru; Senegal; Tunisia; Zimbabwe

Keywords

Laos; Agroecology; Agrifood Systems; Sustainability; Indicators; Frameworks; Trade-offs

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2026.101374 Source record

Project

Agroecology

Record type

Journal Article

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Poster

Principles of engagement and vision to action for transdisciplinary research and co-design in agroecology

2025Fuchs, Lisa Elena; Voss, Rachel C.; Freed, Sarah; Rietveld, Anne; Falk, Thomas; Triomphe, Bernard; Bergamini, Nadia; Dickens, Chris; Quintero, Marcela
Details

Principles of engagement and vision to action for transdisciplinary research and co-design in agroecology

Living labs or living landscapes are gaining momentum as sub-national territories within which sustainable food system transformation is sought through multi-stakeholder engagement processes. In the CGIAR Agroecology Initiative, 11 ALLs were established in 8 countries. Here, ALLs are defined as multi-stakeholder spaces in which agroecological innovations can be identified, co-designed, tested, and adopted. These landscapes emerge as coherent territories that have fuzzy boundaries defined by the functionality and meaning bestowed onto them by their diverse users, who care about and are willing to take transformative action in pursuit of just food system transitions, rather than by geographical or administrative limits. ALLs respond to the common challenges that external partners face in accompanying and supporting local stakeholders on agroecological transition pathways without imposing their own views and agendas. ALLs offer an opportunity to act as transformation vehicles that foster transdisciplinary research, including the co-creation of knowledge and co-design of innovations. Principle-based engagement methods can help to support and enable locally driven transformation processes.

Year published

2025

Authors

Fuchs, Lisa Elena; Voss, Rachel C.; Freed, Sarah; Rietveld, Anne; Falk, Thomas; Triomphe, Bernard; Bergamini, Nadia; Dickens, Chris; Quintero, Marcela

Citation

Fuchs, L.E.; Voss, R.C.; Freed, S.; Rietveld, A.; Falk, T.; Triomphe, B.; Bergamini, N.; Dickens, C.; Quintero, M. (2025) Principles of engagement and vision to action for transdisciplinary research and co-design in agroecology. 1 p.

Country/Region

Burkina Faso; India; Kenya; Peru; Senegal; Tunisia; Zimbabwe

Keywords

Laos; Africa; Asia; Americas; Eastern Africa; Western Africa; Northern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; South-eastern Asia; Southern Asia; South America; Latin America and the Caribbean; Agriculture; Transformation; Food Systems; Agroecology; Behavioural Sciences-behavioral Science; Participatory Approaches; Farming Systems-farming; Inclusion; Participatory Action Research; Value Chain Governance; Action Plans; Action Research; Governance Systems; Vision

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Agroecology

Record type

Poster

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Book Chapter

Climate smart agriculture and food systems that reduce poverty and hunger

2024Babu, Suresh Chandra
Details

Climate smart agriculture and food systems that reduce poverty and hunger

Poor communities that rely on functioning food systems for their livelihoods are highly vulnerable to the devastating effects of climate change while agri-food systems are significant emitters of greenhouse gases. This chapter reviews opportunities to scale up innovative technology and practices to transform food systems and to leverage climate action to reduce poverty, hunger and malnutrition in line with the complementary Sustainable Development Goals. Drawing on country experiences – India, Tajikistan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Myanmar – with integrated strategies, it looks at how climate strategies such as nationally determined contributions can be aligned with national agricultural and antipoverty strategies; the need for multisector and multistakeholder action and participation; challenges to joint financing for climate action, poverty and hunger goals; and adapting government and donor systems to co-ordinate implementation.

Year published

2024

Authors

Babu, Suresh Chandra

Citation

Babu, Suresh Chandra. 2024. Climate smart agriculture and food systems that reduce poverty and hunger. In Development co-operation report 2024: Tackling poverty and inequalities through the green transition. Part Two: Policies and good practices to end poverty, reduce inequalities and synergies with green transitions, Chapter 21, Pp. 250-257. Paris, France: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. https://doi.org/10.1787/50075aa6-en

Country/Region

India; Tajikistan; Myanmar

Keywords

Laos; Asia; Southern Asia; Central Asia; South-eastern Asia; Climate Change; Climate-smart Agriculture; Food Systems; Greenhouse Gases; Innovation; Technology; Poverty Reduction; Hunger

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1787/50075aa6-en Source record

Record type

Book Chapter

News

October 09, 2020 | In the News

SEARCA leads development of national road maps for agriculture value chain in Asean (Business Mirror) 

Business Mirror (Philippines) published an article that states the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is set to lead the development of national road maps for key agri-based value chains where smallholders play a prominent role in five countries, including the Philippines. The five-year project “Agricultural Transformation and Market Integration in the Asean […]

Projects

Agricultural Transformation and Market Integration in the ASEAN region: Responding to Food Security and Inclusiveness Concerns

Agricultural Transformation and Market Integration in the ASEAN region: Responding to Food Security and Inclusiveness Concerns

…

Food Security Policy, Research, Capacity, and Influence (PRCI)

Food Security Policy, Research, Capacity, and Influence (PRCI)

…

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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