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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.

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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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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experts

Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion

Ara Go

Senior Program Manager

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Bio

Ara Go is a Senior Program Manager in the Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit. She coordinates research, technical assistance, and capacity strengthening activities for projects on gender, women’s empowerment, and nutrition-sensitive social protection. Before joining IFPRI, Ara worked with the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Food Security (now the Bureau of Resilience, Environment, and Food Security) as a gender program analyst. She holds an MA in international development with a concentration in gender and global health from the University of Denver.

CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform

Publications

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Report

Scaling Fund Report 2025

2025
Kihoro, Esther ; Innocenti, Anna; Buono, Nicoletta; Galiè, Alessandra; Jumba, Humphrey ; Navarro, Carlos; Zapata, Emmanuel ; Omair, Bolda ; Go, Ara; Malapit, Hazel J.
…more Kamau, J.; Bodach, Susanne ; Jasada, Ijudai ; Mudereri, Bester ; Rao, E.J.O.; Mwendia, Solomon W. ; Gebreyes, Million
Details

Scaling Fund Report 2025

The CGIAR Scaling Fund is a strategic financing and technical support mechanism designed to bridge the gap between innovation development and impact at scale by combining flexible funding with tailored, hands-on scaling support. Anchored in CGIAR’s commitment to responsible and demand-driven scaling, the Fund supports innovation teams to translate research outputs into context-specific solutions with measurable benefits, while anticipating and mitigating social and environmental risks. In 2025, the Fund supported eight innovation teams across six CGIAR science programs, five CGIAR centers, and 11 countries through a dual structure comprising the competitive Scaling Challenge and the flexible Needs-Driven Support window, complemented by a strategic partnership with ENABEL. Now in its third year, the Scaling Fund continues to embed scaling science into practice, strengthen partnerships, and advance equitable, sustainable impact at scale.

Year published

2025

Authors

Kihoro, Esther ; Innocenti, Anna; Buono, Nicoletta; Galiè, Alessandra; Jumba, Humphrey ; Navarro, Carlos; Zapata, Emmanuel ; Omair, Bolda ; Go, Ara; Malapit, Hazel J. ; Kamau, J.; Bodach, Susanne ; Jasada, Ijudai ; Mudereri, Bester ; Rao, E.J.O.; Mwendia, Solomon W. ; Gebreyes, Million

Citation

Kihoro, E., Innocenti, A., Buono, N., Galie, A., Njumba, H., Navarro, C., Zapata, E., Omair, B., Go, A., Malapit, H., Kamau, J., Bodach, S., Jasada, I., Mudereri, B., Rao, J., Mwendia, S. and Gebreyes, M. 2025. Scaling Fund Report 2025. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI.

Keywords

Scaling Up

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Report

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Brief

Women’s empowerment in Ghana’s agriculture sector: Insights from the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index

2025Abdu, Aishat; Malapit, Hazel J.; Go, Ara
Details

Women’s empowerment in Ghana’s agriculture sector: Insights from the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index

Key messages • Gender disparities in agriculture persist in Ghana, particularly in land ownership, credit access, and decision-making power, limiting women’s productivity and contribution to food security. • The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) has been instrumental in revealing these gender gaps in northern Ghana, but similar data are lacking for other regions, hindering national-level policy responsiveness. • Targeted interventions, such as securing land rights for women, improving access to financial services, and promoting participation in farmer-based organizations, are critical to advancing women’s empowerment and achieving gender-equitable agricultural development.

Year published

2025

Authors

Abdu, Aishat; Malapit, Hazel J.; Go, Ara

Citation

Abdu, Aishat; Malapit, Hazel J.; and Go, Ara. 2025. Women’s empowerment in Ghana’s agriculture sector: Insights from the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index. WEAI Applications and Insights Brief 5. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176637

Country/Region

Ghana

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Agriculture; Gender; Land Ownership; Women’s Empowerment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

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Training Material

Ethical use of artificial intelligence in food, land and water systems research: A guide for equity and inclusion

2025Jones-Garcia, Eliot; Malapit, Hazel J.; Magalhaes, Marilia; Go, Ara; Bryan, Elizabeth
Details

Ethical use of artificial intelligence in food, land and water systems research: A guide for equity and inclusion

This document aims to support CGIAR researchers and their partners by providing guidance, recommendations and resources on ethical considerations in using artificial intelligence (AI) in food, land and water systems (FLWS) research and practice with attention to equity and inclusion dimensions. This toolkit complements the GENDER Impact Platform Ethics and Standards Toolkit and aligns with CGIAR’s core ethical values outlined in the CGIAR Ethics Framework and the CGIAR Research Ethics Code. In response to the rapid development and adoption of emerging AI technologies, the toolkit presents key issues and practical recommendations for researchers to consider across the research cycle, drawing on a comprehensive literature review and interviews with experts in AI ethics and social inclusion. AI systems, as used in this context, refer to technologies that mimic aspects of human cognition and behavior—interpreting real-world data, generating predictions, and adapting through continuous learning (Benefo et al. 2022; Fu 2022; Manning et al. 2022). These systems are increasingly central to a suite of AI and agricultural technologies poised to transform FLWS research: not only in how we conduct research and generate insights, but also in how we define best practice for gender-related research and understand the downstream impacts of our research outputs.

Year published

2025

Authors

Jones-Garcia, Eliot; Malapit, Hazel J.; Magalhaes, Marilia; Go, Ara; Bryan, Elizabeth

Citation

Jones-Garcia, E., Malapit, H., Magalhaes, M., Go, A. and Bryan, E. 2025. Ethical use of artificial intelligence in food, land and water systems research: a guide for equity and inclusion. Nairobi, Kenya: CGIAR Gender Equality and Inclusion.

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence; Agrifood Systems; Research

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Training Material

Blogs

Now available: The project-level Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index Distance Learning Module
Issue Post
 | 
March 08, 2021

Now available: The project-level Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index Distance Learning Module

By Ara Go and Emily Myers

A new online course launching on International Women's Day offers training for researchers and development practitioners.

Events

2025 Gender Conference: Accelerating Equality in Food, Land, and Water Systems
IFPRI at External Event

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October 7 to 9, 2025

2025 Gender Conference: Accelerating Equality in Food, Land, and Water Systems

Join the CGIAR Accelerator Gender Equality & Inclusion, in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Western Cape Government, in Cape Town for the 2025 Gender Conference, a pivotal gathering at the intersection of gender equality and sustainable development. This year’s theme, “Accelerating Equality in Food, Land, and Water Systems,” highlights the urgent need […]

From Research to Impact: Towards just and Resilient Agri-food Systems
IFPRI Program/Country Event

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October 9 to 12, 2023

From Research to Impact: Towards just and Resilient Agri-food Systems

Conference: October 09, 2023 – 9:00 AM to October 12, 2023 – 6:00 PM IST. IFPRI is participating in the 2023 annual CGIAR gender research conference will take place in New Delhi, India.