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With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

Erick Boy

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Erick Boy

Erick Boy is the Chief Nutritionist in the HarvestPlus section of the Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit. As head of nutrition for the HarvestPlus Program since 2008, he has led research that has generated scientific evidence on biofortified staple crops as efficacious and effective interventions to help address iron, vitamin A, and zinc deficiency in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia.

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experts

Foresight and Policy Modeling

Emerta Aragie

Research Fellow

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Bio

Emerta A. Aragie is a Research Fellow in the Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit. He is an economist whose research focuses on computable general equilibrium based ex ante analyses of the impacts of investment and agricultural policies in developing countries on income distribution, poverty, and food security. His past research focused on evaluating the consequences of climate change on internal migration, prioritizing public investment policies, and analyzing agricultural trade. His current research focuses on Africa south of the Sahara and has involved studies on Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Before joining IFPRI in 2018, Emerta worked as an economic modeler at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). He holds a PhD in economics from Oxford Brookes University, UK.

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Publications

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Working Paper

Cost effective options for inclusive agrifood system development in Tajikistan

2025Aragie, Emerta A.; Khakimov, Parviz; Ashurov, Timur; Goibov, Manuchehr; Aliev, Jovidon; Diao, Xinshen; Fang, Peixun; Thurlow, James
Details

Cost effective options for inclusive agrifood system development in Tajikistan

This paper presents a model-based and data-driven analysis of alternative public investment options for Tajikistan’s agrifood system based on cost-effectiveness in achieving multiple development outcomes. The study indicates that there is no single intervention that is the most cost-effective across all economic and social outcomes, including agrifood GDP growth, job creation, poverty reduction, lowered undernourishment, and improvement in diet quality. Irrigation infrastructure development, R&D in husbandry, and food loss and waste reduction are the most cost-effective investments in the combined economic outcomes, including growth and jobs. In contrast, irrigation, food loss and waste reduction, and seed systems are more effective in the combined social outcomes, including poverty, undernourishment, and diet. Considering time horizons, extension services are more effective in the short run, while irrigation and R&D deliver greater impact over time. Sector variations in the magnitude of effects are also observed among investment interventions. Overall, comparisons across development outcomes, sectoral focus, and timeframes reveal important synergies and trade-offs, underscoring the need for evidence-based tools to guide effective policy and investment decisions.

Year published

2025

Authors

Aragie, Emerta A.; Khakimov, Parviz; Ashurov, Timur; Goibov, Manuchehr; Aliev, Jovidon; Diao, Xinshen; Fang, Peixun; Thurlow, James

Citation

Aragie, Emerta; Khakimov, Parviz; Ashurov, Timur; Goibov, Manuchehr; Aliev, Jovidon; Diao, Xinshen; Fang, Peixun; and Thurlow, James. 2025. Cost effective options for inclusive agrifood system development in Tajikistan. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2341. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175060

Country/Region

Tajikistan

Keywords

Asia; Central Asia; Public Investment; Agrifood Systems; Development; Economic Impact

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

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Brief

Tanzania: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development

2025Aragie, Emerta; Thurlow, James; Xu, Valencia Wenqian; Jones, Eleanor
Details

Tanzania: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development

In this policy brief, we present research findings of a systematic evaluation and ranking of investment options for Tanzania’s agrifood system based on their cost-effectiveness in achieving multiple development outcomes, including agrifood gross domestic product (GDP) growth, agrifood job creation, poverty reduction, declining rates of undernourishment, and lowering diet deprivation. Additionally, the study assesses their environmental footprint, focusing on water consumption, land use, and emissions. Investments in extension and advisory services on livestock are shown to be the most cost-effective in expanding agrifood GDP and jobs. We also find that targeting SME processors generates stronger impacts on jobs, while extension services in agronomy are particularly cost-effective in fostering growth. Similarly, investing in extension services in agronomy and livestock, along with support to SME processors, yields significant gains in social outcomes, though with varying effects on poverty, hunger, and diet quality. However, many cost-effective investments have relatively high environmental footprints, highlighting potential tradeoffs. The study further reveals shifts in the cost-effectiveness ranking of investment options over time and when extreme production shocks occur.

Year published

2025

Authors

Aragie, Emerta; Thurlow, James; Xu, Valencia Wenqian; Jones, Eleanor

Citation

Aragie, Emerta; Thurlow, James; Xu, Valencia Wenqian; and Jones, Eleanor. 2025. Tanzania: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development. Agrifood Investment Prioritization Country Series Brief 4. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175041

Keywords

Tanzania; Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Agrifood Systems; Economics; Environment; Poverty Reduction

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

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Brief

Synopsis: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development in Rwanda

2025Aragie, Emerta A.; Niyonsingiza, Josue; Thurlow, James; Warner, James; Xu, Valencia Wenqian
Details

Synopsis: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development in Rwanda

The study systematically ranks investment options in the agrifood system based on their cost-effectiveness across multiple development outcomes. Investments in SME processors and traders and livestock extension are the most cost-effective for promoting agrifood GDP growth and employment. SMEs and livestock services together with seed systems and credit access contribute positively to social outcomes (poverty, undernourishment, and diet). The analysis finds a trade-off between economic gains and environmental outcomes— higher GDP effects often come with greater environmental costs. The Rwandan case demonstrates a slight shift in the relative cost-effectiveness of investments when accounting for historical climatic risks. The study emphasizes the need for data-driven investment planning, climate-aware policies, and balancing short-term gains with long-term sustainability objectives.

Year published

2025

Authors

Aragie, Emerta A.; Niyonsingiza, Josue; Thurlow, James; Warner, James; Xu, Valencia Wenqian

Citation

Aragie, Emerta; Niyonsingiza, Josue; Thurlow, James; Warner, James; and Xu, Valencia Wenqian. 2025. Synopsis: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development in Rwanda. Rwanda SSP Policy Note 25. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174709

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Sustainable Development; Agrifood Systems; Investment; Agricultural Extension

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Events

How do we prioritize agrifood system policies and investments? Insights from the RIAPA modeling system
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

June 12, 2024, 10:00 – 11:00 am

How do we prioritize agrifood system policies and investments? Insights from the RIAPA modeling system

Virtual Event: June 12, 2024 at 10:00am-11:00am EDT. In this webinar, we will demonstrate how RIAPA has been used to identify priority agricultural value chains that most effectively contribute to development outcomes.

Improving evidence for better policy making in Ethiopia's livestock sector
IFPRI Program/Country Event

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June 24, 2020, 3:00 – 5:30 pm

Improving evidence for better policy making in Ethiopia’s livestock sector

In collaboration with the Livestock Systems Innovation Lab (LSIL), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has been doing collaborative work over the last 3 years with the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) and Policy Studies Institute (PSI) to study the livestock sector in Ethiopia. Analysis has been done on the consumption and markets […]

6th African Conference of Agricultural Economists
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

September 23 to 26, 2019

6th African Conference of Agricultural Economists

IFPRI is participating in the the 6th African Conference of Agricultural Economists 2019 hosted by the African Association of Agricultural Economists​. The conference will explore the recent developments in agricultural systems across Africa. Key drivers of change include population growth, rapid urbanization, productivity enhancing innovation, climate change, the rise of agri-preneurship, land reform, as well as […]

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