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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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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

Markets, Trade, and Institutions

Brian McNamara

Program Manager

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Bio

Brian McNamara is a Program Manager in the Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit. He assists in analyzing and managing projects related to food security, nutrition, agriculture, rural development, and poverty reduction, with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. Before joining IFPRI, he researched healthcare financing at the Minnesota Department of Health and worked in Guatemala at the nonprofit Maya Health Alliance. Brian completed his master’s of public policy degree at the University of Minnesota.

Languages: English, Spanish

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Publications

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Book Chapter

Moving the technology frontiers in African agrifood systems: Lessons from Latin America

2026Piñeiro, Valeria; Rueda, Jorge Armando; Gianatiempo, Juan Pablo; McNamara, Brian
Details

Moving the technology frontiers in African agrifood systems: Lessons from Latin America

Africa’s agrifood systems face a complex set of structural challenges. Low productivity, high vulnerability to climate shocks, fragmented markets, and weak integration into global value chains continue to constrain development. Yet these challenges coexist with significant opportunities. The region’s demographic profile—with more than 50 percent of the population under the age of 25 years—and a projected population growth rate of 2.3 percent in 2025 offer the potential for a demographic dividend that could help drive transformation in agri-food systems.

Year published

2026

Authors

Piñeiro, Valeria; Rueda, Jorge Armando; Gianatiempo, Juan Pablo; McNamara, Brian

Citation

Piñeiro, Valeria; Rueda, Jorge Armando; Gianatiempo, Juan Pablo; and McNamara, Brian. 2026. Moving the technology frontiers in African agrifood systems: Lessons from Latin America. In Moving the Technology Frontiers in African Agrifood Systems, eds. Christian Henning, Menale Kassie, and Racine Ly. Chapter 17, Pp. 275-293. Kigali, Rwanda: AKADEMIYA2063. https://doi.org/10.54067/9798991636940

Keywords

Africa; Latin America; Technology; Agrifood Systems; Production; Trade; Food Security; Investment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.54067/9798991636940 Source record

Record type

Book Chapter

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Brief

Lessons from the Digital Agricultural Advisory Services (DAAS) project in Ethiopia: Dairy use case

2025Abate, Gashaw T.; McNamara, Brian; Bonilla, Juan; Yesigat, Habtamu; Spielman, David J.
Details

Lessons from the Digital Agricultural Advisory Services (DAAS) project in Ethiopia: Dairy use case

Agricultural extension services are a cornerstone of rural development and a vital instrument for policymakers to directly shape economic, social, and environmental outcomes in rural areas. These services aim to enhance farm productivity by promoting the adoption of agricultural technologies, inputs, and management practices. Through outreach, training, knowledge sharing, and learning, extension activities help bridge the gap between research and practice, potentially supporting more resilient and productive farming systems (Davis 2008; Jack 2013).

Year published

2025

Authors

Abate, Gashaw T.; McNamara, Brian; Bonilla, Juan; Yesigat, Habtamu; Spielman, David J.

Citation

Abate, Gashaw T.; McNamara, Brian; Bonilla, Juan; Yesigat, Habtamu; and Spielman, David J. 2025. Lessons from the Digital Agricultural Advisory Services (DAAS) project in Ethiopia: Dairy use case. IFPRI Policy Note. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178948

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Advisory Services; Dairying; Agricultural Extension

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Resource thumbnail

Brief

Lessons from the Digital Agricultural Advisory Services (DAAS) project in Ethiopia: Wheat use case

2025Abate, Gashaw T.; McNamara, Brian; Bonilla, Juan; Asrat, Daniel T.; Spielman, David J.
Details

Lessons from the Digital Agricultural Advisory Services (DAAS) project in Ethiopia: Wheat use case

Agricultural extension services are a cornerstone of rural development and a vital instrument for policymakers to directly shape economic, social, and environmental outcomes in rural areas. These services aim to enhance farm productivity by promoting the adoption of agricultural technologies, inputs, and management practices. Through outreach, training, knowledge sharing, and learning, extension activities help bridge the gap between research and practice, potentially supporting more resilient and productive farming systems (Davis 2008; Jack 2013).

Year published

2025

Authors

Abate, Gashaw T.; McNamara, Brian; Bonilla, Juan; Asrat, Daniel T.; Spielman, David J.

Citation

Abate, Gashaw T.; McNamara, Brian; Bonilla, Juan; Asrat, Daniel T.; and Spielman, David J. 2025. Lessons from the Digital Agricultural Advisory Services (DAAS) project in Ethiopia: Wheat use case. IFPRI Policy Note. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178949

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Advisory Services; Agricultural Extension; Wheat

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Blogs

Mercosur Outlook launch: Charting a course for sustainable agricultural growth amid uncertainty
Event Post
 | 
October 16, 2024

Mercosur Outlook launch: Charting a course for sustainable agricultural growth amid uncertainty

By Juan Pablo Gianatiempo and Brian McNamara

Meeting challenges of the coming growing season and beyond in South America.

Síntesis de evidencia: Lineamientos para el diseño de programas crediticios agropecuarios condicionados para el fomento de prácticas agropecuarias sostenibles
Research Post
 | 
September 03, 2024

Síntesis de evidencia: Lineamientos para el diseño de programas crediticios agropecuarios condicionados para el fomento de prácticas agropecuarias sostenibles

By Daniel Eduardo Vergara Mateus, Jorge Armando Rueda Gallardo, Brian McNamara, and Valeria Piñeiro

Enfoques para el desarrollo de políticas del sistema alimentario.

Identifying guidelines for the design of conditional credit programs to promote sustainable agricultural practices in Latin America
Research Post
 | 
September 03, 2024

Identifying guidelines for the design of conditional credit programs to promote sustainable agricultural practices in Latin America

By Daniel Eduardo Vergara Mateus, Jorge Armando Rueda Gallardo, Brian McNamara, and Valeria Piñeiro

Tools for food system policy development.

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