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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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partnerships

Founded by 18 countries and organizations in May 1971, the CGIAR is today the world’s largest global agricultural innovation network. The CGIAR has an annual research portfolio of just over US$900 million with 11,000 staff working in more than 70 countries around the world. The CGIAR provides a participatory mechanism for national governments, multilateral funding and development agencies and leading private foundations to finance some of the world’s most innovative agricultural research.

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Projects

Food Security Simulator

Food Security Simulator

The Food Security Simulator is an innovative, easy-to-use MS-Excel-based tool for assessing the potential short-term impacts of food price or household income shocks on food……

Women’s empowerment in agrifood governance (WEAGov)

Women’s empowerment in agrifood governance (WEAGov)

The Women’s Empowerment in Agrifood Governance (WEAGov) is an assessment tool developed by IFPRI and partners to help evaluate the extent to which women are……

Nudging for Good: A.I.-driven diagnostics and behavior change to improve diets and nutrition

Nudging for Good: A.I.-driven diagnostics and behavior change to improve diets and nutrition

…

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Publications

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Journal Article

Agency and behavior change in agricultural research for development: New directions for guiding agri-food system transformations

2025
Freed, Sarah; Voss, Rachel C.; Falk, Thomas; Rietveld, Anne M.; Alary, Véronique; Chimonyo, Vimbayi G.P.; Frija, Aymen; Guettou-Djurfeldt, Nadia; Lestrelin, Guillaume; Singh, Sonali
…more Ndiwa, Aurillia Manjella; Zingwena, Taurai
Details

Agency and behavior change in agricultural research for development: New directions for guiding agri-food system transformations

CONTEXT Agri-food system transformations require change across sectors and actors within the system. Initiatives contributing to these changes need to connect system change processes to individual and collective agency and behaviors. OBJECTIVE We propose a conceptual framework on agency and behavior change for transforming agri-food systems (ACT framework). ACT emphasizes agri-food system actors’ behaviors with attention to their power, agency, and the influence of structural agri-food system elements. Researchers can apply ACT to assess an initiative’s contributions to changes in system elements through individual and collective behaviors. METHODS We conducted literature reviews and key informant interviews for 29 initiative case studies. Using ACT, we identified patterns in terms of initiatives’ targeted actors, behaviors, and the factors shaping actors’ agency and behavior. We then applied ACT in an initiative in Zimbabwe to develop a theory of change that links behavior change pathways with broader systems transformation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The reviewed initiatives focused heavily on shaping producers’ behavior through knowledge transfer, less often considering other actors and structural challenges and opportunities. Key informants frequently reported enablers and impediments to achieve initiative outcomes that were associated with structural system elements. Few were able to articulate their initiative’s theory of change and underlying assumptions. SIGNIFICANCE ACT can support a more diverse and theory-based exploration of agri-food system initiatives’ target actors, behaviors, and factors shaping behaviors. Development professionals can apply the ACT framework to design more effective TOCs that attend to diverse actor groups and leverage the factors influencing these actors’ agency and behaviors.

Year published

2025

Authors

Freed, Sarah; Voss, Rachel C.; Falk, Thomas; Rietveld, Anne M.; Alary, Véronique; Chimonyo, Vimbayi G.P.; Frija, Aymen; Guettou-Djurfeldt, Nadia; Lestrelin, Guillaume; Singh, Sonali; Ndiwa, Aurillia Manjella; Zingwena, Taurai

Citation

Freed, Sarah; Voss, Rachel C.; Falk, Thomas; Rietveld, Anne M.; Alary, Véronique; Chimonyo, Vimbayi G.P.; Frija, Aymen; et al. 2025. Agency and behavior change in agricultural research for development: New directions for guiding agri-food system transformations. Agricultural Systems 228(August 2025): 104399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104399

Keywords

Agrifood Systems; Agricultural Research; Development; Theory of Change; Agroecology

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104399 Source record

Project

Agroecology

Record type

Journal Article

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Working Paper

Measuring agrifood systems: New indicators and global estimates

2025Thurlow, James; Holtemeyer, Brian; Jiang, Shiyun; Pauw, Karl; Randriamamonjy, Josee
Details

Measuring agrifood systems: New indicators and global estimates

Transformation of the agrifood system is a cornerstone of many governments’ national development plans. This reflects the importance of agrifood systems for the livelihoods and wellbeing of poor populations as well as the continued strong association of agricultural transformation with longer-term economic development and structural change. Agrifood transformation is also key to healthier diets and more sustainable production systems. However, adopting an agrifood system perspective is not trivial—it requires looking “beyond agriculture” when prioritizing policies and tracking outcomes by also considering upstream and downstream agrifood-related activities, such as agro-processing and food distribution. Measuring transformation therefore requires economywide data and innovative metrics. This study introduces two such metrics: AgGDP+, which captures the total value-added across the on- and off-farm sectors of the agrifood system, and AgEMP+, which reflects the employment generated across its various components. It further explains how consistent estimates of AgGDP+ and AgEMP+ were produced for 211 and 186 countries, respectively, over the period between 2000 and 2021, and demonstrates how this Agri-Food System Dashboard—a publicly available resource—can be used to monitor transformation, prioritize investments, and better understand the evolving role of agrifood systems in national economies or at regional or global scales.

Year published

2025

Authors

Thurlow, James; Holtemeyer, Brian; Jiang, Shiyun; Pauw, Karl; Randriamamonjy, Josee

Citation

Thurlow, James; Holtemeyer, Brian; Jiang, Shiyun; Pauw, Karl; and Randriamamonjy, Josee. 2025. Measuring agrifood systems: New indicators and global estimates. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2339. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Keywords

Agrifood Systems; Economic Development; Investment; Livelihoods; Healthy Diets; Sustainability

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

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Journal Article

Biological control protects carbon sequestration capacity of plantation forests

2025
Wyckhuys, Kris A. G.; Giron, E.; Hyman, G.; Barona, E.; Castro-Llanos, F. A.; Sheil, D.; Yu, L.; Du, Z.; Hurley, B. P.; Slippers, B.
…more Germishuizen, I.; Bojacá, C. R.; Rubiano, M.; Sathyapala, S.; Verchot, L.; Zhang, Wei
Details

Biological control protects carbon sequestration capacity of plantation forests

In many natural and managed forest and tree systems, pest attacks and related dieback events have become a matter of increasing global concern. Although these attacks modify the carbon balance of tree systems, their contribution to climate forcing and the relative impact of nature-based mitigation measures is seldom considered. Here, we assess the extent to which biological control protects or reconstitutes carbon sequestration capacity and storage in monoculture tree plantations globally. Specifically, we draw upon field-level assessments, niche modeling and forest carbon flux maps to quantify potential risk of carbon sequestration loss due to three globally important insect herbivores of pine and eucalyptus. Specifically, herbivory by the tree-feeding insects Sirex noctilio, Leptocybe invasa and Ophelimus maskelli conservatively reduces carbon sink capacity by up to 0.96–4.86% at the country level. For a subset of 30, 11 and nine tree-growing countries, this potentially compromises a respective 4.02%, 0.80% and 0.79% of the carbon sink capacity of their tree hosts. Yet, in the invasive range, released biological control agents can help regain lost sink capacity to considerable extent. Equally, across both the S. noctilio native and invasive range, carbon sequestration capacity is protected by resident biota to the tune of (max.) 0.28–0.39 tons of CO2 equivalent per hectare per year. Our exploratory valuation of pest-induced sequestration losses and their biodiversity-driven mitigation informs climate policy, biosecurity, and management practice.

Year published

2025

Authors

Wyckhuys, Kris A. G.; Giron, E.; Hyman, G.; Barona, E.; Castro-Llanos, F. A.; Sheil, D.; Yu, L.; Du, Z.; Hurley, B. P.; Slippers, B.; Germishuizen, I.; Bojacá, C. R.; Rubiano, M.; Sathyapala, S.; Verchot, L.; Zhang, Wei

Citation

Wyckhuys, Kris A. G.; Giron, E.; Hyman, G.; Barona, E.; Castro-Llanos, F. A.; Sheil, D.; Yu, L.; et al. 2025. Biological control protects carbon sequestration capacity of plantation forests. Entomologia Generalis 45(2): 305-318. https://doi.org/10.1127/entomologia/2025/3015

Keywords

Forestry; Pests; Biological Control; Climate Change; Plantations; Restoration; Ecology

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1127/entomologia/2025/3015 Source record

Project

Low-Emission Food Systems

Record type

Journal Article

Events

Can Sustainable Livestock Systems and Alternative Proteins Address the Climate Crisis?
Series/Special Event

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November 7, 2023, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Can Sustainable Livestock Systems and Alternative Proteins Address the Climate Crisis?

Virtual Event: November 7, 2023 – 9:30 AM- 11:00 AM EDT. This CGIAR seminar will delve into the report’s findings and recommendations around livestock and alternative proteins, and identify promising initiatives and technologies that can be pursued in order to advance on three priorities outlined in the Agricultural Breakthrough report.

Food Security Trends and Resilience-Building Priorities
Series/Special Event

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September 1, 2023, 9:00 – 10:30 am

Food Security Trends and Resilience-Building Priorities

Virtual Event: September 1, 2023 – 9:00 AM- 10:30 AM EDT. The series will begin with a stock take of food security trends, review the impact of recent shocks to food systems, highlight the need for renewed efforts to strengthen food systems resilience and identify priority investments and actions.

Release of the Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) for Ghana
IFPRI Program/Country Event

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August 24, 2023, 5:30 – 7:00 am

Release of the Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) for Ghana

Event: August 24, 2023 – 5:30 AM- 7:00 AM EDT. IFPRI is co-hosting the release of the Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) for Ghana under the Nexus Project in partnership with the Ghana Statistical Service and the Institute for Statistical, Social and Economic Research.

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Blogs

Models as assets for food security: The impacts of IFPRI's IMPACT, RIAPA, and SPAM models
IFPRI Blog
 | 
May 15, 2025

Models as assets for food security: The impacts of IFPRI’s IMPACT, RIAPA, and SPAM models

By Alix Underwood, Eleanor Jones, Karl Pauw, Keith Wiebe, and Liangzhi You

Essential tools for shaping policies and decisions.

New U.S. tariff policies: What’s at stake for sub-Saharan Africa?
IFPRI Blog
 | 
May 06, 2025

New U.S. tariff policies: What’s at stake for sub-Saharan Africa?

By Valeria Piñeiro, Juan Pablo Gianatiempo, Fousseini Traoré, and Joseph Glauber

Risks and possible benefits of a chaotic global trade environment.

Reinventing payment for environmental services (PES) from the ground up: An alternative, community-driven model in China
IFPRI Blog
 | 
April 30, 2025

Reinventing payment for environmental services (PES) from the ground up: An alternative, community-driven model in China

By Yunyi Zhou, Wei Zhang, and Kevin Chen

Lessons from Qingshan village.

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