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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.

Ahmed Akhter

researcher spotlight

Akhter Ahmed

Akhter Ahmed is a Senior Research Fellow in the IFPRI’s Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit and Country Representative for IFPRI Bangladesh. He has worked on strategies for agricultural and rural development, social protection, and women’s empowerment to reduce poverty, food insecurity, and undernutrition in developing countries including Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Malawi, the Philippines, and Turkey.

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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.

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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 International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is a Crown corporation of Canada which funds research to promote growth, reduce poverty, and drive large-scale positive change in developing countries. IDRC’s mandate was established by an act of Canada’s parliament. It is mandated “to initiate, encourage, support, and conduct research into the problems of the developing regions of the world and into the means for applying and adapting scientific, technical, and other knowledge to the economic and social advancement of those regions.”

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Projects

Strengthening National Capacities and Policies for Food Systems Analysis and Transformation in Kenya, Ghana, and Senegal

Strengthening National Capacities and Policies for Food Systems Analysis and Transformation in Kenya, Ghana, and Senegal

Food systems encompass the entire range of actors and their interlinked value-adding activities involved in the production, aggregation, processing, distribution, consumption, and disposal of food……

Gender-Responsive Policies for Inclusive Agri-Food Systems in Africa

Gender-Responsive Policies for Inclusive Agri-Food Systems in Africa

Boys, girls, men, and women have various roles in global socioeconomic development. However, the norms, behaviors and responsibilities associated with being a boy, girl, man,……

Publications

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Brief

Comprehensive mapping of food systems is necessary to guide transformation efforts: The case of Rwanda

2025Ulimwengu, John M.; Warner, James; Mutyasira, Vine; Keizire, Boaz
Details

Comprehensive mapping of food systems is necessary to guide transformation efforts: The case of Rwanda

Rwanda has made significant strides in improving its food systems, with notable progress in reducing malnutrition and stunting, especially among children. Stunting rates declined from over 50% in the early 2000s to 33% by 2020, reflecting the government’s commitment to addressing food insecurity and enhancing nutrition through a range of agricultural and public health initiatives. The country’s Crop Intensification Program (CIP) has played a pivotal role in increasing agricultural productivity, especially for staple crops like maize, beans, and Irish potatoes, which has contributed to better food availability across the country. Despite these achievements, substantial challenges persist. Almost 19% of households still face food insecurity, with the highest prevalence in rural areas. Additionally, malnutrition continues to affect vulnerable populations, with anemia rates among women of reproductive age at 37%, signaling gaps in nutrition security. Environmental concerns, including soil degradation, water scarcity, and climate change, further complicate efforts to sustain agricultural productivity. Approximately 40% of Rwanda’s land is affected by soil erosion, and shifting climate patterns pose increasing risks to agricultural yields. These challenges indicate the need for a more strategic, research-based approach to understanding and transforming Rwanda’s food system.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ulimwengu, John M.; Warner, James; Mutyasira, Vine; Keizire, Boaz

Citation

Ulimwengu, John; Warner, James; Mutyasira, Vine; and Keizire, Boaz. 2025. Comprehensive mapping of food systems is necessary to guide transformation efforts: The case of Rwanda. AGRA-IFPRI Policy Brief 4. Nairobi: AGRA, IFPRI, and IDRC. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/169384

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Southern Africa; Food Systems; Malnutrition; Stunting; Food Security; Agriculture; Public Health; Intensification; Agricultural Productivity; Sustainability

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

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Brief

The case for food system knowledge support system (FS-KSS)

2025Ulimwengu, John M.; Mutyasira, Vine; Keizire, Boaz
Details

The case for food system knowledge support system (FS-KSS)

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035) is a key framework aimed at transforming Africa’s agrifood systems to achieve sustainable agricultural growth, food security, and economic development across the continent. Building on the lessons from the Malabo Declaration, the Plan emphasizes the need for sustainable food production, inclusivity, and resilience in the face of climate change and other challenges. However, achieving these ambitious goals requires a robust and integrated support system that can provide accurate, real time data, facilitate evidence-based decision-making, and promote accountability among stakeholders. Without a well-functioning knowledge system, the efforts to transform agrifood systems may be hindered by data gaps, limited analytical capacity, and a lack of coordination among various actors. The effectiveness of food systems in Africa is often hindered by data gaps, inconsistencies, and limited capacity for data analysis. These issues compromise the ability of governments and other stakeholders to make informed decisions, implement sound policies, and monitor progress toward national and continental goals such as food security and climate resilience. This is where the Food System Knowledge Support System (FS-KSS) becomes crucial, as it provides the necessary tools to ensure effective implementation of the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ulimwengu, John M.; Mutyasira, Vine; Keizire, Boaz

Citation

Ulimwengu, John; Mutyasira, Vine; and Keizire, Boaz. 2024. The case for food system knowledge support system (FS-KSS). AGRA-IFPRI Policy Brief 3. Nairobi, Kenya: AGRA, IFPRI, and IDRC.

Keywords

Africa; Sustainable Agriculture; Sustainable Development; Agrifood Systems; Caadp; Food Security; Data Analysis

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

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Brief

The case for post Malabo Agenda implementation guidelines

2025Ulimwengu, John M.; Mutyasira, Vine; Keizire, Boaz
Details

The case for post Malabo Agenda implementation guidelines

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), developed by the African Union (AU) in 2003, marked a significant turning point for Africa’s agricultural development. CAADP’s objective was to transform agriculture into a key driver of economic growth, poverty reduction, and food security across the continent. Through a focus on increasing agricultural productivity and ensuring that agricultural development was aligned with national and regional priorities, CAADP sought to tackle Africa’s persistent challenges of hunger, malnutrition, and economic stagnation. In 2014, the Malabo Declaration was introduced as the second phase of CAADP implementation, with a new set of ambitious targets aimed at ending hunger and halving poverty by 2025. The declaration reinforced the importance of agricultural-led growth and committed African governments to specific goals, including increasing agricultural productivity by at least 6% annually and allocating at least 10% of national budgets to agriculture. It also emphasized sustainable agriculture, resilience to climate change, and equitable access to resources, particularly for women and smallholder farmers.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ulimwengu, John M.; Mutyasira, Vine; Keizire, Boaz

Citation

Ulimwengu, John; Mutyasira, Vine; and Keizire, Boaz. 2025. The case for post Malabo Agenda implementation guidelines. AGRA-IFPRI Policy Brief 2. Nairobi: AGRA, IFPRI, and IDRC. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/169385

Keywords

Africa; Caadp; Agricultural Development; Agriculture; Economic Development; Food Security; Poverty; Malnutrition; Hunger; Climate Resilience

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Events

Canadian perspectives on the 2018 Global Food Policy Report
Series/Special Event

 | 

May 1, 2018, 9:00 – 10:30 am

Canadian perspectives on the 2018 Global Food Policy Report

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC), partnering with CGIAR’s International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and with the collaboration of Global Affairs Canada, is hosting the Canadian launch of IFPRI’s 2018 Global Food Policy Report. Open to the public through registration, this event will showcase Canadian perspectives on the current opportunities—and challenges—facing public servants, researchers, […]

Blogs

Evaluating impacts: Lessons from food systems interventions across Africa and Asia
IFPRI Blog
 | 
July 16, 2024

Evaluating impacts: Lessons from food systems interventions across Africa and Asia

By Jef L. Leroy, Lynnette Neufeld, Stella Nordhagen, and Sydney Honeycutt

Transforming food systems is promising but complex, requiring strong evidence and rigorous evaluations to ensure effective interventions.

Improving child and adolescent diets at school: An evaluation of Chile’s Food Labeling and Advertising Law
IFPRI Blog
 | 
June 23, 2023

Improving child and adolescent diets at school: An evaluation of Chile’s Food Labeling and Advertising Law

By Gabriela Fretes

Creating a healthier food environment.

What can we really learn from sex-disaggregated data?
IFPRI Blog
 | 
January 11, 2022

What can we really learn from sex-disaggregated data?

By Bjorn Van Campenhout, Els Lecoutere, and David Spielman

Parsing sometimes contradictory responses in household surveys.

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