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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.

IFPRI Regional Programs

IFPRI Country Programs

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partnerships

The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs main task is to advance Dutch interests and values across the globe. The Ministry negotiates and cooperates on issues in the E.U. and partners with international NGOs to achieve their goals. The Ministry is dedicated to promoting prosperity, security, and justice within the Netherlands and all around the world.

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Projects

Supporting ReSAKSS and CAADP

Supporting ReSAKSS and CAADP

From 2006 to 2020, IFPRI facilitated the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) to support the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development……

Spatial Typologies for Targeted Food and Nutrition Security Interventions

Spatial Typologies for Targeted Food and Nutrition Security Interventions

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Voice for Change Partnership (V4CP)

Voice for Change Partnership (V4CP)

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Publications

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Working Paper

The political economy of large-scale food fortification in West Africa: Pathways toward harmonization

2025Resnick, Danielle
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The political economy of large-scale food fortification in West Africa: Pathways toward harmonization

For two decades, there have been ongoing efforts at harmonizing large-scale food fortification (LSFF) policies and procedures in West Africa. Despite some notable successes, micronutrient deficiencies in the region remain elevated. To identify which bottlenecks exist towards greater harmonization on LSFF, this study adopted a political economy perspective to consider areas of contention over interests, ideas, and institutions between domestic stakeholders, across countries, and within regional bodies. The study finds that West African governments have made impressive strides with harmonizing their LSFF standards and committing to the importance of fortification as one of several instruments for improving micronutrient deficiencies. Likewise, the donor and technical community have worked closely with the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as well as specialized institutions of ECOWAS, such as the West African Health Organization (WAHO), to advance the LSFF agenda, support the private sector and national fortification alliances, and identify new food vehicles for fortification. At the same time, incoherent trade, tax, and macroeconomic policies in a context of multiple shocks and crises, protectionist impulses aimed at building up domestic agro-industries, lack of financial commitment to LSFF structures in the absence of donor support, and uneven financial contributions to ECOWAS and WAHO remain barriers to progress. Learning from these lessons and considering how to address LSFF from a holistic perspective that accounts for West Africa’s unique demographic, economic, and political characteristics will not only benefit extant harmonization efforts in ECOWAS but also help with broader continental alignment on fortification under the African Union’s 2025-2036 food and nutrition security strategy.

Year published

2025

Authors

Resnick, Danielle

Citation

Resnick, Danielle. 2025. The political economy of large-scale food fortification in West Africa: Pathways toward harmonization. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2337. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174593

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Food Fortification; Nutrition; Nutrition Policies; Micronutrient Deficiencies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

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Brief

Uganda: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development

2025Aragie, Emerta A.; Thurlow, James; Ahmed, Hashim; Jones, Eleanor
Details

Uganda: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development

In this policy brief, we present findings of a systematic evaluation and ranking of investment options for Uganda’s agrifood system based on their cost-effectiveness in achieving multiple development outcomes, including agrifood gross domestic product (GDP) growth, agrifood job creation, poverty reduction, declining rates of undernourishment, and lowering diet deprivation. Additionally, the study assesses their impact on environmental footprints, focusing on water consumption, land use, and emissions. Investments in small and medium enterprise (SME) processors are shown to be the most cost-effective at expanding agrifood GDP and employment, while livestock extension services rank highest among the farmer-facing investments. Most R&D related interventions rank lowest in terms of cost-effectiveness at achieving economic and social outcomes. However, many cost-effec tive investments have relatively high environmental footprints, highlighting tradeoffs. The study further reveals shifts in the cost-effectiveness ranking of investment options over time and when ex treme production shocks occur.

Year published

2025

Authors

Aragie, Emerta A.; Thurlow, James; Ahmed, Hashim; Jones, Eleanor

Citation

Aragie, Emerta; Thurlow, James; Ahmed, Hashim; and Jones, Eleanor. 2025. Uganda: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development. Agrifood Investment Prioritization Country Series Brief 3. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174467

Country/Region

Uganda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Agrifood Sector; Sustainable Development; Investment; Poverty; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

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Brief

Rwanda: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development

2025Aragie, Emerta A.; Niyonsingiza, Josue; Thurlow, James; Warner, James; Xu, Valencia Wenqian
Details

Rwanda: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development

In this policy brief, we present research findings of a systematic evaluation and ranking of investment options for Rwanda’s agrifood system based on their cost-effectiveness in achieving multiple devel opment outcomes, including agrifood gross domestic product (GDP) growth, agrifood job creation, poverty reduction, declining rates of undernourishment, and lowering diet deprivation. Additionally, the study assesses their environmental footprint, focusing on water consumption, land use, and emissions. Investments in small and medium enterprise (SME) processors are shown to be the most cost-effective at expanding agrifood GDP and employment, while extension and advisory services on livestock and climate emerge as the most efficient farmer-facing investments. However, crop ex tension services rank least in cost-effectiveness for economic and social outcomes. However, many cost-effective investments have relatively high environmental footprints, which highlights potential tradeoffs. The study further reveals shifts in the cost-effectiveness ranking of investment options overtime and when extreme production shocks occur.

Year published

2025

Authors

Aragie, Emerta A.; Niyonsingiza, Josue; Thurlow, James; Warner, James; Xu, Valencia Wenqian

Citation

Aragie, Emerta; Niyonsingiza, Josue; Thurlow, James; Warner, James; and Xu, Valencia Wenqian. 2025. Rwanda: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development. Agrifood Investment Prioritization Country Series Brief 2. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174468

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Agrifood Sector; Sustainable Development; Poverty; Nutrition; Environmental Impact

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Events

Improving Diets and Nutrition through Food Systems: What Will it Take? A Dialogue on IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy Report
Series/Special Event

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November 6, 2024, 1:00 – 5:00 pm

Improving Diets and Nutrition through Food Systems: What Will it Take? A Dialogue on IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy Report

IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy flagship publication arrives at a pivotal moment, as the importance of addressing food systems for better nutrition continues to gain global recognition. With United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 29th Conference of the Parties taking place in November, the SUN Global Gathering on the horizon and the Nutrition […]

Netherlands Discussion of IFPRI’s 2021 Global Food Policy Report: Transforming Food Systems After COVID-19
Series/Special Event

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April 15, 2021, 8:00 – 9:15 am

Netherlands Discussion of IFPRI’s 2021 Global Food Policy Report: Transforming Food Systems After COVID-19

IFPRI’s 2021 Global Food Policy Report explores the impacts of the pandemic and government policy responses to date, particularly for the poor and disadvantaged, and consider what it all means for transforming our food systems to be healthy, resilient, efficient, sustainable, and inclusive. The chapters in this flagship report explore key requisites for such a […]

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.

Global Food Policy Report 2021: The challenges of food system transformation
IFPRI Blog
 | 
May 07, 2021

Global Food Policy Report 2021: The challenges of food system transformation

By Ying Visser and Mariëlle Karssenberg

Plotting a course for post-pandemic innovations—a discussion organized with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Netherlands Food Partnership.

Virtual seminar: Build on knowledge, translate to action with the 2020 Global Food Policy Report
IFPRI Blog
 | 
May 29, 2020

Virtual seminar: Build on knowledge, translate to action with the 2020 Global Food Policy Report

By Mariëlle Karssenberg

Insights from the GFPR's inclusive food systems theme in light of the COVID-19 crisis. Co-organized with the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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