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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.

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Kinya Kaibung’a

Kinya Kaibung’a is a Research Officer with the Development Strategies and Governance Unit, based in Nairobi, Kenya. She has a keen interest in leveraging machine learning, AI, and other cutting-edge technologies to boost climate resilience and food security in smart agriculture systems.

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experts

Agrifood Innovation and Resilience

Alejandro Nin Pratt

Senior Research Fellow

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Bio

Alejandro Nin-Pratt is a Senior Research Fellow in the Agrifood Innovation and Resilience Unit at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), based in Washington, DC, where he has worked since 2005. His research focuses on agricultural growth and productivity, production efficiency, technical change, and the role of agricultural science and technology in development policy. As a researcher in the Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) program since 2013, he has developed new tools for analyzing R&D investment and the efficiency of agricultural research systems and has led studies on agricultural performance and research investment in collaboration with partners across Africa, East Asia, and Latin America.

Recent work includes analysis of returns to agricultural R&D investment and priority setting, assessments of public R&D investment effects on productivity and sustainable development goals, and the development of analytical frameworks linking strategic breeding investments to long-term productivity outcomes. He has also contributed to major cross-regional research initiatives on food system innovation, agricultural productivity, and sustainable agricultural growth in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Before joining IFPRI, Alejandro worked as a Research Fellow at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Ethiopia and Kenya, and as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. He holds a BS in Agronomy and an MS in International Economics from the Universidad de la República in Uruguay, and a PhD in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University (2001). He has published extensively in refereed agricultural economics journals and was awarded the Elsevier Atlas Award for his 2015 article “Agricultural intensification in Ghana: Evaluating the optimist’s case for a Green Revolution,” published in Food Policy.

Publications

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Publications

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Book Chapter

Reassessing agricultural growth: Introducing a sustainable productivity index for Latin America and the Caribbean

2025Nin-Pratt, Alejandro
Details

Reassessing agricultural growth: Introducing a sustainable productivity index for Latin America and the Caribbean

This chapter introduces a sustainable productivity index (SPI) to evaluate agricultural growth in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) between 1995 and 2021, integrating economic output with environmental costs. While LAC doubled its agricultural output and led global productivity gains during this period, this progress came with significant environmental degradation, including a 50% rise in pollution and pressures on natural resources, such as water stress, soil erosion, and deforestation. The SPI adjusts conventional total factor productivity (TFP) by penalizing undesirable outputs like greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient runoff, offering a more accurate picture of sustainable growth. Findings reveal that while productivity increased by 60%, sustainability-adjusted productivity rose by only 13%, with sharp disparities across subregions. The Southern Cone achieved the highest output and productivity growth but also incurred the steepest environmental costs. Central America and the Andean region recorded moderate gains with varying environmental impacts, while the Caribbean fell behind. The study underscores that agricultural modernization in LAC has often been capital-intensive and export-driven, marginalizing smallholders and degrading ecosystems. The results call for a policy shift toward integrated, context-sensitive strategies that balance productivity with environmental stewardship. Technological innovations—such as precision fertilization and biological alternatives—combined with policy incentives like payments for ecosystem services and environmental taxes, institutional reforms to strengthen interministerial coordination, and public investment in dual-purpose R+D+i systems, are essential to support sustainable and resilient agricultural systems across the region.

Year published

2025

Authors

Nin-Pratt, Alejandro

Citation

Nin-Pratt, Alejandro. 2025. Reassessing agricultural growth: Introducing a sustainable productivity index for Latin America and the Caribbean. In Agricultural Productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean: What We Know and Where We Are Heading, eds. Lina Salazar, Maja Schling, Carmine Paolo De Salvo, and Pedro Martel, Pedro. Part Three: Productivity with Purpose: Building Sustainable Agrifood Systems, chapter 12, pp. 145-160. Inter-American Development Bank. https://doi.org/10.18235/0013802

Keywords

Latin America and the Caribbean; Agricultural Growth; Sustainability; Models; Environment; Policies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.18235/0013802 Source record

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

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Book Chapter

Agricultural productivity in Kenya: 2000-2020

2023Nin-Pratt, Alejandro
Details

Agricultural productivity in Kenya: 2000-2020

Agriculture is key to economic growth and poverty reduction in Kenya as it plays a pivotal role in employment creation, food security, exports, and sustainable development. In 2019, it directly contributed 22.7 percent of GDP, accounted for 20.9 percent of total exports, and generated 43.3 percent of employment (Chapter 2). The sector is thus not only an important driver of Kenya’s economy but also the means of livelihood for many Kenyan people. Given the economic and social importance of agriculture in Kenya, policies have revolved around the main goal of increasing productivity and incomes, especially for smallholders, to enhance food security and equity, with an emphasis on production intensification, commercialization, and environmental sustainability (Alila and Atieno 2006). In this context, the declining perfor mance of the sector measured in terms of its growth has been a major concern for policymakers. This file includes the introduction to Part Three.

Year published

2023

Authors

Nin-Pratt, Alejandro

Citation

Nin-Pratt, Alejandro. 2023. Agricultural productivity in Kenya: 2000-2020. In Food Systems Transformation in Kenya: Lessons from the Past and Policy Options for the Future, eds. Clemens Breisinger, Michael Keenan, Juneweenex Mbuthia, and Jemimah Njuki. Part 3: Toward more productive food systems, Chapter 6, Pp. 131-170. https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896294561_06.

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Agriculture; Poverty; Employment; Food Security; Exports; Sustainable Development; Productivity

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896294561_06 Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Book Chapter

Blogs

The challenge of increasing agricultural productivity in Africa south of the Sahara
 | 
July 17, 2015

The challenge of increasing agricultural productivity in Africa south of the Sahara

By Alejandro Nin Pratt

Two recent discussion papers offer new possible explanations for the puzzling phenomenon of agricultural growth in SSA.

Agricultural Productivity: Good and Bad News
Research Post
 | 
April 09, 2013

Agricultural Productivity: Good and Bad News

By Alejandro Nin Pratt

The world’s population is growing, and we only have limited land for farming. Will we run out of food? That question, famously posed by Thomas Malthus in the early 19th century, has been discussed for decades. The short answer is: no, we will not run out of food. Why? Because agriculture is beating the odds. […]

Events

30th International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE)
IFPRI at External Event

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July 28 to August 2, 2018

30th International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE)

IFPRI is participating extensively in the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE) 30th Conference of Agricultural Economists. The (IAAE) is a worldwide association of agricultural economists and others concerned with agricultural economic problems, including problems related to the use of renewable resources and the environment. Its broad goal is to make a difference through the following: IFPRI Participants: Pre-Conference Workshops  […]

The 2017 ReSAKSS-Asia Conference - Agriculture and Rural Transformation in Asia
IFPRI Program/Country Event

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December 12 to 13, 2017

The 2017 ReSAKSS-Asia Conference – Agriculture and Rural Transformation in Asia

An international conference jointly organized by ReSAKSS-Asia, IFPRI, the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), and TVSEP project of Leibniz Universit Hannover with financial support from USAID and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) The conference will be followed by a field trip to Charoen Pokphand (CP) Company’s facilities on Dec 14th. The objectives are to: •Exchange experiences […]

Technology Assessments and Platforms: Tools and Reach in Africa
IFPRI Program/Country Event

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July 19 to 21, 2016

Technology Assessments and Platforms: Tools and Reach in Africa

A meeting was held in Washington, D.C. (July 19-21, 2016) sponsored by the Scientific and Technical Partnerships in Africa Program, hosted at IFPRI and supported by IFAD, in partnership with the CGIAR research program on Policies, Institutions and Markets (PIM). The gathering brought together nearly 40 participants from CGIAR Centers and fellow CRPs, CAADP partner […]

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News

November 01, 2020 | In the News

Africa’s agricultural conundrum: Vast arable land versus low production (Sunday Standard)

Sunday Standard (Botswana) published an article on Africa’s standing in agricultural production. Partly due to years of under-investment, Africa has yet to fully realize its agricultural potential. According to the IFPRI, Africa south of the Sahara has “significantly improved its agricultural performance since the mid-1990s,” but the continent is still lagging behind the rest of the world in terms […]

July 29, 2026 | Press Release

To Bring Green Revolution to Africa, Countries Must Develop New Technologies

The blind adoption of solutions from other continents won’t work for Africa Feb. 18, 2015, Washington, D.C.—African countries cannot blindly adopt food policy initiatives that spurred the Green Revolution in Asia as a way to promote agricultural development, according to new award-winning findings by researchers at the International Food Policy Research Institute. The research, which […]