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Who we are

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

David Spielman

David Spielman is the director of IFPRI’s Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit and has been with the institute since 2004. His research agenda covers a range of topics including agriculture and rural development policy; agricultural science, technology, and innovation; plant genetic resources and seed systems; agricultural extension and advisory services; and community-driven rural development.

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

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partnerships

The CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), led by IFPRI, leads action-oriented research for a food-secure present and future. PIM’s research provides support for policies that help poor farmers, both men and women, improve their lives; produce nutritious and affordable foods; and protect the soil, water, and biodiversity in rural landscapes. Sound policies, robust institutions, and well-functioning markets complement new discoveries of agricultural science to create dynamic and resilient food systems.

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Projects

RIAPA Data and Modeling System

RIAPA Data and Modeling System

Overview The Rural Investment and Policy Analysis (RIAPA) data and modeling system is IFPRI’s primary tool for forward-looking, economywide country-level analysis, serving as a simulation……

Impact of COVID-19 on Food Value Chains

Impact of COVID-19 on Food Value Chains

This project studied the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on eight food value chains in three countries: okra, tomatoes, and dairy in Burkina Faso; maize……

Operational Research for WFP’s Food assistance for Assets (FFA) Program in Sri Lanka

Operational Research for WFP’s Food assistance for Assets (FFA) Program in Sri Lanka

Background: The World Food Programme (WFP) and IFPRI have been collaborating for several years to increase the impacts of WFP’s programs on diet, nutrition and……

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Publications

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Book Chapter

Gender roles in South Asian food systems

2025Kumar, Neha; Manohar, Swetha; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Banerjee, Archis; Koirala, Uma
Details

Gender roles in South Asian food systems

Women are central to agrifood systems but face structural barriers such as limited access to resources, weak tenure and resource rights, and social norms that undervalue and restrict their contributions. • Women’s time in reproductive and care work is unrecognized, limits their participation in productive or market-oriented work, and reinforces gender disparities in time, income, and well-being. • Gender norms and social hierarchies shape women’s roles and limit empowerment across the food system, from agriculture to markets to the distribution of tasks and food within households, affecting diet and nutrition outcomes. • Policy must go beyond recognizing women’s work to leveling access to resources, ensuring fair pay and safe conditions, and tackling restrictive norms through gender-transformative approaches. • Empowering women in food systems requires intersectional, data-driven action that addresses caste, class, mobility, and intrahousehold dynamics to ensure equitable food, livelihood, and health outcomes. • Areas for future research include: engaging men, particularly in sharing care work; reducing labor burdens; and changing attitudes of the young through in-school curricula.

Year published

2025

Authors

Kumar, Neha; Manohar, Swetha; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Banerjee, Archis; Koirala, Uma

Citation

Kumar, Neha; Manohar, Swetha; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Banerjee, Archis; and Koirala, Uma. 2025. Gender roles in South Asian food systems. In The Agrifood System in South Asia: Pathways to Sustainable Healthy Diets, eds. Samuel Scott, Avinash Kishore, and Derek Headey. Chapter 8, pp. 69-79. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178086

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Gender; Food Systems; Gender Norms; Women; Time Use; Policies; Female Labour

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia

Record type

Book Chapter

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Working Paper

A good global investment for the United States: How investing in CGIAR makes America stronger, safer and more prosperous

2025
Hill, Ruth Vargas; McNamara, Brian; Ringler, Claudia; Spielman, David J.; Thurlow, James; Berrospi, Maria Lucia; Chambers, Judith A.; Falck-Zepeda, José B.; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Glauber, Joseph W.
…more Hernandez, Manuel A.; Headey, Derek D.; Hoffmann, Vivian; Kosec, Katrina; Martin, Will; Nia, Reza; Nin-Pratt, Alejandro; Piñeiro, Valeria; Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Vos, Rob; Zambrano, Patricia; Zhang, Wei
Details

A good global investment for the United States: How investing in CGIAR makes America stronger, safer and more prosperous

This report documents how CGIAR investments have delivered substantial economic, security, and diplomatic benefits for the U.S. that far exceed financial contributions. By driving agricultural innovation and providing evidence-based insights, CGIAR has boosted U.S. farm productivity, expanded export markets, and made food more affordable for American consumers. It has also helped prevent billions of dollars in potential damage from pests and diseases that threaten U.S. food security and farm livelihoods. CGIAR promotes American leadership in agricultural innovation by supplying the majority of the genetic materials used in U.S. crop breeding and acting as a critical research partner for U.S. businesses and universities. CGIAR also makes America safer and stronger through its work on predicting crises, protecting food security, and on improving livelihoods as an alternative to migration.

Year published

2025

Authors

Hill, Ruth Vargas; McNamara, Brian; Ringler, Claudia; Spielman, David J.; Thurlow, James; Berrospi, Maria Lucia; Chambers, Judith A.; Falck-Zepeda, José B.; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Glauber, Joseph W.; Hernandez, Manuel A.; Headey, Derek D.; Hoffmann, Vivian; Kosec, Katrina; Martin, Will; Nia, Reza; Nin-Pratt, Alejandro; Piñeiro, Valeria; Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Vos, Rob; Zambrano, Patricia; Zhang, Wei

Citation

Hill, Ruth; McNamara, Brian; Ringler, Claudia; Spielman, David; Thurlow, James; Berrospi, Maria Lucia; et al. 2025. A good global investment for the United States: How investing in CGIAR makes America stronger, safer and more prosperous. IFPRI Working Paper. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176753

Country/Region

United States

Keywords

Americas; Northern America; Economic Aspects; Finance; Agricultural Innovation; Exports; Markets; Food Security; Research

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

Resource thumbnail

Working Paper

Analyzing Early Childhood Development (ECD) in Yangon and rural Ayeyarwady: October – November 2023

2025Tauseef, Salauddin; Headey, Derek D.; Oo, Theingi; Linn, Khin Mar
Details

Analyzing Early Childhood Development (ECD) in Yangon and rural Ayeyarwady: October – November 2023

KEY FINDINGS • Support for learning: 79 percent of children received four or more stimulating activities, but only 20 percent had three or more books; fathers’ engagement with children (30 percent) lags behind mothers (81 percent). • Caregiver Reported Early Development Instruments (CREDI): the standardized score in the study sample was 58.4, which is lower than scores reported in similar studies from India (70.0), Tanzania (64.0), and Armenia (81.8) • Household inequalities: Asset-rich, food-secure households show higher ECD scores; severe food insecurity lowers scores by ~2 points. • Conflict and shocks: Migration and physical insecurity reduce ECD scores by 0.5-1.0 points. • Parental influences: Fathers’ education boosts ECD outcomes; maternal depression and low aspirations for girls reduce ECD outcomes. • Care quality: Inadequate care reduces ECD scores by 1.3 points; stunting lowers ECD scores by 0.8 points, while access to books and ECE increases ECD scores by 0.7 points.

Year published

2025

Authors

Tauseef, Salauddin; Headey, Derek D.; Oo, Theingi; Linn, Khin Mar

Citation

Tauseef, Salauddin; Headey, Derek D.; Oo, Theingi; and Linn, Khin Mar. 2025. Analyzing Early Childhood Development (ECD) in Yangon and rural Ayeyarwady: October – November 2023. Myanmar SSP Working Paper 71. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176497

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Child Development; Parental Behaviour; Household Income; Food Security; Migration; Conflicts

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

Events

Advancing Gender Equality through Agricultural and Environmental Research: Past, Present, and Future
IFPRI Policy Seminar

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November 23, 2021, 9:00 – 10:15 am

Advancing Gender Equality through Agricultural and Environmental Research: Past, Present, and Future

Discussion of the history and wealth of gender knowledge that has been generated to date by CGIAR agricultural & environmental research. 

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Myths about the feminization of agriculture: Implications for global food security
IFPRI Program/Country Event

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September 14, 2021, 10:00 – 11:00 am

Myths about the feminization of agriculture: Implications for global food security

SEP 14, 2021 – 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT. This webinar will present and discuss finding of a new paper on myths about the feminization of agriculture. 

Measuring employment and consumption in household surveys: Reflections from three survey experiments
IFPRI Program/Country Event

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July 13, 2021, 10:00 – 11:00 am

Measuring employment and consumption in household surveys: Reflections from three survey experiments

Virtual Event: July 13, 2021 – 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT. This event will discuss how survey efforts are invaluable tools for development practitioners. 

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Blogs

Shaping strategies for Rwanda’s agricultural transformation
Issue Post
 | 
June 30, 2025

Shaping strategies for Rwanda’s agricultural transformation

By Maria DiGiovanni, James Warner, and Serge Mugabo

How IFPRI research helps guide policy.

Resource-poor rice farmers in Myanmar suffer double impact from political conflict
Research Post
 | 
November 12, 2024

Resource-poor rice farmers in Myanmar suffer double impact from political conflict

By Hiroyuki Takeshima, Zin Wai Aung, Ian Masias, and Bart Minten

Productivity erodes amid turmoil.

Training Ugandan coffee farmers on agronomy practices more than pays for itself
Research Post
 | 
August 05, 2024

Training Ugandan coffee farmers on agronomy practices more than pays for itself

By Vivian Hoffmann

Promise for boosting yields and income.

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