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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

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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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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Blog Post

IFPRI’s insights on nutrition challenges and opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean

2026Margolies, Amy; McNamara, Brian
Details

IFPRI’s insights on nutrition challenges and opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) face a unique set of dietary and nutritional challenges. The region’s nutrition transition—population-wide shifts from traditional diets to more processed, unhealthier foods—began decades ago, well before countries in Africa and Asia that are now undergoing similar changes. Compounding that problem, healthy diets in LAC are currently the most expensive globally and are unaffordable for over a quarter of the region’s population.

Year published

2026

Authors

Margolies, Amy; McNamara, Brian

Citation

Margolies, Amy; and McNamara, Brian. 2026. IFPRI’s insights on nutrition challenges and opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean. IFPRI Blog Post. https://www.ifpri.org/blog/ifpris-insights-on-nutrition-challenges-and-opportunities-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/

Keywords

Latin America and the Caribbean; Americas; Nutrition; Social Protection; Food Systems; Food Environment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Resilient Cities

Record type

Blog Post

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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

Urea super granules with deep placement

2025Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; McNamara, Brian
Details

Urea super granules with deep placement

Urea deep placement, an alternative to traditional broadcast methods, consists of applying urea super granules (USG) directly into the soil next to the root of the plant and beyond the roots of weeds. Traditionally, farmers broadcast prilled urea fertilizer on top of their plots, which is associated with high rates of nitrogen loss, leading to reduced crop yields and environmental damage, especially among rice farmers. In contrast, the use of USG deep placement better contains nitrogen in the soil, facilitating its absorption into crops and improving nitrogen use efficiency. In this way, USG can reduce nitrogen losses along with the associated economic and environmental consequences.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; McNamara, Brian

Citation

Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; and McNamara, Brian. 2025. Urea super granules with deep placement. Climate Finance Brief 2. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178965

Keywords

Urea; Granules; Fertilizers; Deep Placement; Costs; Return on Investment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Blogs

IFPRI's insights on nutrition challenges and opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean
Research Post
 | 
July 31, 2026

IFPRI’s insights on nutrition challenges and opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean

By Amy Margolies and Brian McNamara

A key role in evaluating social protection programs.

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.

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