Subscribe

Back

Who we are

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

Danielle Resnick

Danielle Resnick is a Senior Research Fellow in the Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit and a Non-Resident Fellow in the Global Economy and Development Program at the Brookings Institution. Her research focuses on the political economy of agricultural policy and food systems, governance, and democratization, drawing on extensive fieldwork and policy engagement across Africa and South Asia.

Back

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.

Research topics

Projects and impact

Food Security Portal

Modeling tools

What’s new

Where we work

Back

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.

IFPRI Regional Programs

IFPRI Country Programs

Research by country and region

Subscribe

experts

Innovation Policy and Scaling

Catherine Ragasa

Senior Research Fellow

Follow

Catherine

at:

ORCiD

Bio

Catherine Ragasa is a Senior Research Fellow in the Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit at IFPRI. She is an agricultural and applied economist analyzing policies and institutions affecting innovation, productivity growth, and transformation of agrifood systems. Prior to joining IFPRI, she worked for five years in the Agriculture and Rural Development Department at the World Bank, Washington, DC, focusing on agricultural innovation systems, value chains, and gender and inclusion in agriculture. She has also led several large-scale household and firm-level surveys in various countries and managed research programs and grants while at the World Bank and IFPRI. Catherine received her PhD in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University in 2008 and holds a master’s in Economics from the University of the Philippines-Diliman.

Publications

Google Scholar Profile

Research Gate Profile

CV

Publications

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Constraints and promising interventions to strengthen fish seed systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Ghana

2026Ragasa, Catherine; Kruijssen, Froukje; Agyakwah, Seth Koranteng; Mensah, Emmanuel Tetteh-Doku; Asmah, Ruby; Ataa-Asantewaa, Martha; Amewu, Sena; Loison, Sarah Alobo
Details

Constraints and promising interventions to strengthen fish seed systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Ghana

CONTEXT Aquaculture has surpassed capture fisheries in terms of production and is among the fastest growing food sectors. It has great potential to contribute to food security and nutrition, poverty reduction, jobs, and environmental sustainability. Fish seed is increasingly considered to be a major driver and disabler of aquaculture development. However, little is known about how fish seed systems operate, their challenges and opportunities, or entry points for strengthening them. OBJECTIVE This study analyzes primary data on the challenges and opportunities faced by various actors along the fish seed chain, documents the lessons from a fish seed project (Ghana Tilapia Seed Project, 2019–2022), and provides an analysis of entry points for strengthening fish seed systems. METHODS Using an analytical framework that tracks germplasm base, seed production and quality, seed availability and distribution, and the information flow along the fish seed value chain, we analyze the case of Ghana, the top producer of farmed tilapia in sub-Saharan Africa. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, including value chain analysis, action-oriented research methods, and statistical analysis of survey data. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate that the initial rapid growth in tilapia production in Ghana was partly due to an improved local strain released in 2004; however, the recent stagnation is largely caused by seed-related issues (poor maintenance and improvement of germplasm base, seed quality and availability, lack of information and coordination, and lack of enforcement of regulations). This study highlights the successes and lessons learned from the Ghana Tilapia Seed Project on broodstock distribution, training on fingerling production, establishment of nurseries, and training of fish farmers. The lessons highlight the need for policy changes and capacity building related to strain development and broodstock management. SIGNIFICANCE These findings fill the large gap in evidence on the functioning of fish seed systems and how to strengthen them. They can directly inform ongoing country-level efforts and programs aiming to develop aquaculture.

Year published

2026

Authors

Ragasa, Catherine; Kruijssen, Froukje; Agyakwah, Seth Koranteng; Mensah, Emmanuel Tetteh-Doku; Asmah, Ruby; Ataa-Asantewaa, Martha; Amewu, Sena; Loison, Sarah Alobo

Citation

Ragasa, Catherine; Kruijssen, Froukje; Agyakwah, Seth Koranteng; Mensah, Emmanuel Tetteh-Doku; Asmah, Ruby; Ataa-Asantewaa, Martha; et al. 2025. Constraints and promising interventions to strengthen fish seed systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Ghana. Agricultural Systems 231(January 2026): 104511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104511

Country/Region

Ghana

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Aquaculture; Capacity Development; Fish; Hatcheries; Seed Systems

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104511 Source record

Project

Seed Equal

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Working Paper

Are food policies empowering women? Framework, measurement, and empirical evidence from India and Nigeria

2025Kyle, Jordan; Ragasa, Catherine
Details

Are food policies empowering women? Framework, measurement, and empirical evidence from India and Nigeria

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasize equal participation and empowerment of women in all levels of decisionmaking, yet frameworks and tools to measure and strengthen women’s empowerment in policy spaces remain limited. Focusing on agrifood systems, this paper introduces a framework, metrics, and scoring method to track women’s empowerment in policy processes (WEAGov) and presents findings from pilot applications in India and Nigeria. The pilots draw on novel surveys with more than 200 agrifood organizations and policy experts across the public sector, private sector, civil society, and research communities in both countries. Across both countries, we find that agrifood policy documents incorporate gender priorities on paper but fall short in budgeting, implementation, and evaluation. Prevailing social attitudes and limited awareness of policies, regulations, and legal rights remain major constraints on women’s ability to engage meaningfully in policy processes. Women participate as staff and mid-level managers in agrifood organizations, but their representation at higher decision-making levels are limited. Expert assessments also highlight disconnects between formal roles and the actual influence women can exert over policy decisions. Gender-responsive budgeting processes are absent in Nigeria and weakly-institutionalized in India, where compliance has become procedural rather than transformative. These patterns reveal persistent bottlenecks in translating gender commitments into practice. By systematically tracking barriers and identifying entry points for reform, the WEAGov framework offers governments, researchers, and civil society organizations a practical tool to diagnose gaps in women’s empowerment in agrifood policy processes and to strengthen their inclusiveness and accountability.

Year published

2025

Authors

Kyle, Jordan; Ragasa, Catherine

Citation

Kyle, Jordan; and Ragasa, Catherine. 2025. Are food policies empowering women? Framework, measurement, and empirical evidence from India and Nigeria. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2395. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179834

Country/Region

India; Nigeria

Keywords

Africa; Asia; Sub-saharan Africa; Southern Asia; Western Africa; Women’s Empowerment; Gender; Women; Governance; Food Policies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

The characteristics of community seed schemes for grains and legumes: Insights from northern Nigeria

2025Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Ragasa, Catherine; Bamiwuye, Temilolu; Andam, Kwaw S.; Spielman, David J.; Omoigui, Lucky
Details

The characteristics of community seed schemes for grains and legumes: Insights from northern Nigeria

CONTEXT Despite the significant roles that intermediary seed systems play in the supply of quality seed in developing countries, including Africa South of the Sahara, the knowledge gap remains generally substantial regarding the general characteristics and seed quality assurance performance of intermediary seed systems like community seed schemes (CSS), which still predominantly operate outside the formal seed systems. OBJECTIVE We aim to narrow the knowledge gap on seed production practices implemented by CSS and their economic characteristics, the extent of seed quality assurance achieved, and potential challenges CSS is facing. METHODS Using primary survey data of seed producers of key grains (maize, rice, and sorghum) and legumes (cowpea and soybean) from 380 CSS in Kano state in northern Nigeria, we qualitatively assess seed production characteristics, financial structures of their seed production, aspects of quality assurance measures they engage, and potential roles of external support like training on their implementation of these quality assurance measures. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS We discovered that many of the interviewed CSS have emerged endogenously, taking up seed production to address the challenges in access to quality seed in their locality. Their seed production has often grown into viable businesses that have provided potentially significant additions to their incomes. Oftentimes, these CSS implemented some seed quality assurance measures, including making closer visual checks of seed, checking germination rates, and bagging/packing seed, among others. However, fuller seed quality assurance may be significantly skill-intensive, and most CSS still do not implement many of the recommended measures under some of the intermediary quality assurance standards like quality declared seed. Our qualitative assessment suggests that future support for CSS can focus on technical support to raise the ability to engage in broader categories of quality assurance activities in financially viable ways and to improve the awareness and knowledge of different varieties and access to early generation seed. SIGNIFICANCE The quality assurance provided by existing community seed schemes in Nigeria may be relatively limited, particularly in terms of proper maintenance of seed production field and the quality of original varieties that they intend to multiply. Providing external support through training and technical assistance may be an effective way to transform community seed schemes into critical providers of seed quality assurance in intermediary seed systems and fill gaps in the formal seed system.

Year published

2025

Authors

Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Ragasa, Catherine; Bamiwuye, Temilolu; Andam, Kwaw S.; Spielman, David J.; Omoigui, Lucky

Citation

Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Ragasa, Catherine; Bamiwuye, Temilolu; Andam, Kwaw S.; Spielman, David J.; and Omoigui, Lucky. 2025. The characteristics of community seed schemes for grains and legumes: Insights from northern Nigeria. Agricultural Systems 230 (December 2025): 104471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104471

Country/Region

Nigeria

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Western Africa; Community Seed Banks; Seed Quality; Training; Knowledge Sharing; Grain; Legumes; Quality Assurance

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104471 Source record

Project

Seed Equal

Record type

Journal Article

Events

Promoting Resilience through Improved Varieties, Quality Seed, and Better Seed Systems: Lessons from Nigeria
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

February 11, 2026, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Promoting Resilience through Improved Varieties, Quality Seed, and Better Seed Systems: Lessons from Nigeria

Across sub-Saharan Africa, small-scale, resource-poor farmers are disproportionately affected by climatic and market shocks. Providing them with the tools and technologies to manage these shocks is critical to building resilience, especially in Nigeria, with its considerable diversity. This seminar will showcase novel evidence of how improved crop varieties, quality seed, and better seed systems can […]

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

 | 

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 […]

Fertilizer, soil health, and economic shocks: Policy lessons learned from recent events
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

June 11, 2025, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Fertilizer, soil health, and economic shocks: Policy lessons learned from recent events

Join us for a discussion of key findings from a recent special issue of Food Policy exploring the complex interactions between fertilizer use, soil health management, and economic shocks in various agricultural systems. Governments around the world have long implemented policies to enhance agricultural productivity through inorganic fertilizer application and soil management, yet recent global […]

View all Events

News

June 12, 2025 | Press Release

New special issue of Food Policy examines fertilizer and soil health policies in the wake of global crises

Key findings were presented and discussed during the IFPRI policy seminar on June 11.

September 12, 2020 | In the News

Aquaculture experts train Ghanaian small fish farm operators (Aquaculture Magazine)

Aquaculture Magazine published an article on how fish farmers in Ghana are being trained to improve the adoption of good aquaculture practices, including the use of high-quality fingerlings. “The training manuals and extension materials used in the training sessions were carefully crafted by 15 experts with diverse background and experience in aquaculture production including those in the Marine […]

September 15, 2020 | In the News

Bright Yeboah: Ghana’s Aquaculture industry set on a recovery path after a double blow (My Joy Online) 

My Joy (Ghana) published an article that after a decade of tremendous growth in production, Ghana’s tilapia farmers have been hit with severe setbacks in the last two years and those setbacks are due to disease.  Poor biosecurity measures are exposing most farms to this tragedy.  Senior Research Fellow  and project lead on the TiSeed, Catherine Ragasa says, “a lot […]

View all News