Environment and Production Technology (EPTD)

 Agriculture is vitally important to poor and vulnerable people in developing countries, the majority of whom live in rural areas and depend on the land as a source of both food and income. Unpredictable weather, unstable markets, fragile natural resources, energy scarcity, rising population pressures, a swiftly changing climate, and poor policies and investments further compound the vulnerability of the world’s 800 million people who already face regular food insecurity. Vast improvements can be made to agricultural and rural livelihoods, however, by combining appropriate and affordable food and agriculture technologies with supportive policies, institutions, and investments. IFPRI’s Environment and Production Technology Division (EPTD) identifies ways to make that happen.

How can we meet the world’s food production needs without degrading the natural resource base? Which policies, institutions, and investments improve agricultural productivity while conserving water, land, and energy use; reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and enhancing environmental services?

Through research and outreach, EPTD aims to answer these questions and contribute to IFPRI’s mission of seeking sustainable solutions to ending poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. Through its focus on sustainable intensification strategies at the nexus of food, land, water, energy, and environment, the division contributes to several IFPRI-wide research areas, such as sustainable food production, increasing resilience, strengthening governance, and gender.