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Tackling Extreme Poverty and Financing for Food Systems in Africa
On October 17—UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty—IFPRI hosted an important discussion highlighting a sobering reality: extreme poverty and fragility are increasingly intertwined, calling for equally integrated policy and financing responses. This was the focus of the hybrid policy seminar, Tackling Extreme Poverty and Financing for Food Systems in Africa, held on the margins of the 2025 World Bank-International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings in Washington, DC. Two complementary studies anchored the discussion: the forthcoming UNU-WIDER–World Bank Poverty and Fragility Companion Report and the Africa Report on External Development Financial Flows to Food Systems (3FS), co-produced by IFAD, IFPRI, and AKADEMIYA2063.
In case you missed the event, watch the seminar recording and read the event blog.
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Peace on the plate: A 2025 Borlaug Dialogue conversation on food security and global stability
Conflict is a primary driver of recent food crises, while extreme poverty in fragile settings is only anticipated to rise in the years ahead—an increasingly dangerous dynamic that threatens the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. The central role of food security in ensuring global stability was the theme of an October 21 panel discussion at the 2025 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, hosted by the World Food Prize Foundation in Des Moines, Iowa.
In front of an audience of food systems stakeholders spanning sectors and continents, IFPRI Director General Johan Swinnen, CGIAR Executive Managing Director Ismahane Elouafi, New England Biolabs Chief Scientific Officer and Nobel Laureate Sir Richard Roberts, and Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Michael Werz took the main stage for a discussion on the theme “Peace on the Plate: A Legacy of Security,” moderated by 2024 World Food Prize Laureate Cary Fowler. Read Blog / Watch Video
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Affordability and nutritional challenges for the future of EAT diets: An economic modelling analysis: The EAT-Lancet Commission recently published updated dietary recommendations for improved individual and planetary health, offering a useful roadmap to inform dialogue on these issues. IFPRI and other research institutions provided inputs to that analysis. In related background work, Abhijeet Mishra, Timothy Sulser, Sherwin Gabriel, Nicola Cenacchi, Derek Headey, Keith Wiebe et al. use IFPRI’s International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT) to model how adopting the EAT-Lancet diet could affect calorie availability, share of income spent on food, nutrient availability, and food prices. (Read press release) (Read article in The Lancet Planetary Health)
Price and volatility transmission from international to domestic food and fertilizer markets in Central America: Manuel Hernandez, Francisco Ceballos, Maria Lucia Berrospi, and co-authors examine the extent to which international price levels and volatility affect domestic food and fertilizer markets in seven Central American countries. The study finds that while these prices have limited short-term influence on domestic price levels in Central America, their volatility is transmitted more strongly but briefly, leading to modest yet notable welfare impacts on consumers and producers. (Read article in Agricultural Economics)
Scalable nutrition interventions in a graduation model program: Experimental evidence from Ethiopia: Harold Alderman, Daniel Gilligan, Jessica Leight, Heleene Tambet, and co-authors evaluated scalable nutrition service models within Ethiopia’s national graduation program and found that while enhanced nutrition messaging improved maternal knowledge and health engagement, significant gains in child nutrition occurred only when the enhanced model was paired with poultry or cash livelihood grants. (Read article in Economic Development and Cultural Change)
Rural land rental markets in developing countries: Can survey design innovations improve land market participation statistics? A longstanding puzzle in the African land rental market literature is the discrepancy between the number of tenants and the much smaller number of landlords in survey data. Gashaw Abate, Kibrom Abay, and co-authors found a significant underreporting of both renting-in and renting-out land, underscoring the need for improved survey methods to accurately observe land rental market participation and evaluate its impact. (Read article in American Journal of Agricultural Economics)
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For more frequent updates on the latest peer-reviewed publications from IFPRI researchers, read and sign up for our weekly newsletter on LinkedIn, Weekly Reads from IFPRI.
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 November 10 to 21, 2025
November 12, 2025, 9:00 – 10:30 am (US/Eastern)
Empowerment in Crisis: Gender-Responsive Solutions for Fragile Food Systems
Co-organized by IFPRI and the CGIAR Science Program on Food Frontiers and Security | Part of the Fragility to Stability Seminar Series
November 19, 2025, 9:30 – 11:00 am (US/Eastern)
The Impact of Global Change on Food Security in 2050: Assessing the Risks Through the Lens of Food Trade
Organized by IFPRI in partnership with MIT Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab/FACT Alliance
November 19, 2025, 10:00 – 11:00 am (US/Eastern)
Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF): Evaluating the Impacts of HGSF Procurement and Delivery Models
Research Webinar Series: School-based Interventions in the 21st Century: Evidence Gaps and Future Directions | Co-organized by IFPRI and the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF)
November 20, 2025, 9:30 – 10:30 am (US/Eastern)
AI and Remote Sensing for Agricultural Insights: From Satellite Imagery to Decision Support
Webinar Series – AI for Food Systems Research
December 10, 2025, 10:00 – 11:00 am (US/Eastern)
Research Webinar Series: School-based Interventions in the 21st Century: Evidence Gaps and Future Directions | Co-organized by IFPRI and the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF)
December 15, 2025, 9:00 – 4:00 pm (US/Eastern)
Organized by IFPRI, with support from the Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation
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Accelerating Agrifood Systems Transformation in Latin America and the Caribbean
The Latin America launch of IFPRI’s 2025 Global Food Policy Report (GFPR) took place on October 8 at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
Held as part of a special event marking IFPRI’s 50th anniversary, the discussion explored how the evolution of food systems over the past 50 years has shaped today’s challenges and opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean—and examined the region’s vision for agrifood systems toward 2030 and beyond.
To learn more, read the blog by Juan Pablo Gianatiempo, Jorge Armando Rueda Gallardo, and Valeria Piñeiro.
For more information about IFPRI work in the LAC region, visit https://lac.ifpri.info/
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2025 marks the 50th anniversary of IFPRI. As part of our virtual celebration on IFPRI social media, we are sharing select IFPRI innovations that supported evolving food systems.
Check out the latest posts about IFPRI’s work on shifting the nutrition paradigm and the Advancing Research on Nutrition and Agriculture (AReNA) project. See more IFPRI@50 Innovations here!
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We are also showcasing the diversity of talent, geographies, and research interests across the Institute in Faces of IFPRI — a series of interviews with our colleagues around the world. Watch the latest episode featuring Mamata Pradhan! |
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Agricultural drones are taking off globally, saving farmers time and money The Conversation published an article by Ben Belton and Leo Baldiga summarizing a recent Science study that finds the use of agricultural drones has expanded rapidly worldwide. The authors detail where and how drones are being used, the factors driving their swift adoption, and the implications for farmers, the environment, the public, and governments.
Food prices are likely to remain high and volatile Welternährung (the Welthungerhilfe journal) published an article by Rob Vos examining the persistence of global food price inflation and volatility. He links these trends to a combination of geopolitical conflicts, climate-related disruptions, and economic policy responses—all of which disproportionately affect low-income countries. “For the foreseeable future, we should expect the price of our food to remain volatile and increasing,” says Vos.
School meals can nourish children—and regenerate the food system Food Tank quoted Aulo Gelli in an article on a recent event during Climate Week NYC 2025. “School meals are a very powerful connector. They can really connect the plate, production, and everything that comes with it,” Gelli said. “For every US$1 spent [on school meals], you’ve got a US$4 return…It’s a very good investment.”
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