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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

Timothy Thomas

Timothy Thomas is a Senior Research Fellow in the Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit. His research focuses on the impact of climate change on agricultural productivity. Tim’s work involves developing innovative methods for simulated climate futures and model coordination between climate, crop, water, energy, and economics.

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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

Markets, Trade, and Institutions

Ruth Hill

Director, Markets, Trade, and Institutions

Bio

Ruth Hill is the Director of the Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit in the Food and Nutrition Policy Department. She was previously a Lead Economist in the Poverty and Equity Global Practice at the World Bank, where she spent a decade leading work on the distributional impacts of climate change, fiscal policy, markets, and institutions. She also led the development of the World Bank’s Rural Income Diagnostics and conducted Poverty Assessments and Systematic Country Diagnostics in East Africa and South Asia. From 2019 to 2021, she was on external service as the Chief Economist at the UK government’s Centre for Disaster Protection. Before joining the World Bank in 2013, Ruth was a Senior Research Fellow at IFPRI, conducting impact evaluations on insurance and market interventions. She has published in the Journal of Development Economics, World Bank Economic Review, Economic Development and Cultural Change, Experimental Economics, the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, and World Development. She holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Oxford.

Markets, Trade, and Institutions

Publications

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Journal Article

Aligning private incentives with societal goals in smallholder agriculture

2026Abate, Gashaw T.; Baye, Kaleab; Bernard, Tanguy; Chamberlin, Jordan; Hill, Ruth Vargas; Moussadek, Rachid; Senghor, Lamine
Details

Aligning private incentives with societal goals in smallholder agriculture

Year published

2026

Authors

Abate, Gashaw T.; Baye, Kaleab; Bernard, Tanguy; Chamberlin, Jordan; Hill, Ruth Vargas; Moussadek, Rachid; Senghor, Lamine

Citation

Abate, Gashaw T.; Baye, Kaleab; Bernard, Tanguy; Chamberlin, Jordan; Hill, Ruth Vargas; et al. 2026. Aligning private incentives with societal goals in smallholder agriculture. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 123(36): e2536548123. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2536548123

Keywords

Smallholders; Incentives; Frameworks; Access to Finance; Policies

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2536548123 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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Working Paper

Targeting of beneficiaries in chemical fertilizer subsidy programs: State of knowledge and evidence gaps

2026Trachtman, Carly; Hill, Ruth Vargas
Details

Targeting of beneficiaries in chemical fertilizer subsidy programs: State of knowledge and evidence gaps

Low- and middle-income countries are under increasing fiscal pressure to rationalize spending on fertilizer subsidy programs. Policy reforms shifting expenditure away from subsidies can have beneficial impacts given the well-documented distortionary market effects and negative environmental externalities of fertilizer subsidies. However, such reforms also result in losses and often lower fertilizer use for current beneficiaries. Understanding who is impacted by reform thus requires an assessment of who is currently benefiting, yet there is little systematic work understanding who these programs currently benefit both on paper and in practice. In this paper, we identify low- and middle- income countries with active fertilizer subsidy programs, and characterize the targeting regime of each program based on both explicit and implicit criteria determining eligibility. Then in a selection of case studies, we explore which individuals are receiving subsidy benefits in practice. We find that while many fertilizer subsidy programs are designed as universal, in many countries there are implicit targeting criteria embedded in the way subsidy programs are implemented and/or informal targeting induced by supply shortfalls. Further, we find evidence that regardless of targeting regime, the targeting of subsidy programs is generally pro-poor, driven by the fact that the poor are often concentrated in the agricultural sector.

Year published

2026

Authors

Trachtman, Carly; Hill, Ruth Vargas

Citation

Trachtman, Carly; and Hill, Ruth. 2026. Targeting of beneficiaries in chemical fertilizer subsidy programs: State of knowledge and evidence gaps. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2419. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183317

Keywords

Latin America and the Caribbean; Southern Asia; Eastern Asia; Sub-saharan Africa; Middle East; Northern Africa; Fertilizers; Subsidies; Support Measures; Targeting; Inorganic Fertilizers

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Financial inclusion for agricultural investments: Experimental evidence on male and female farm managers in the Sahel

2026Delavallade, Clara; Dizon, Felipe; Hill, Ruth Vargas; Petraud, Jean-Paul
Details

Financial inclusion for agricultural investments: Experimental evidence on male and female farm managers in the Sahel

Year published

2026

Authors

Delavallade, Clara; Dizon, Felipe; Hill, Ruth Vargas; Petraud, Jean-Paul

Citation

Delavallade, Clara; Dizon, Felipe; Hill, Ruth Vargas; and Petraud, Jean-Paul. Financial inclusion for agricultural investments: Experimental evidence on male and female farm managers in the Sahel. Oxford Development Studies. Article in press. First published online on April 19, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600818.2026.2650326

Keywords

Sahel; Financial Inclusion; Investment; Gender; Farm Managers; Risk; Insurance; Savings; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1080/13600818.2026.2650326 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Events

Double exposure: How El Niño and the Iran crisis could reshape food security
IFPRI Policy Seminar

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October 8, 2026, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Double exposure: How El Niño and the Iran crisis could reshape food security

Please type your questions into the chat box with name, affiliation, and country. The event video, presenter slides, and podcast will be available in the days following the event. Both El Niño and the ongoing crisis in Iran threaten to disrupt the global food system and affect food prices through impacts on agricultural production, energy […]

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and Climate Week 2026
IFPRI at External Event

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September 20 to 27, 2026

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and Climate Week 2026

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and Climate Week bring together global leaders, policymakers, researchers, and partners in New York City to address some of the world’s most pressing development and climate challenges. Throughout the week, discussions and events will focus on accelerating action toward sustainable development, strengthening climate resilience, and advancing solutions for a […]

Agricultural Trade at a Crossroads with Latin American, Caribbean, and African Perspectives for Post-MC14
IFPRI Policy Seminar

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June 30, 2026, 9:00 – 11:00 am

Agricultural Trade at a Crossroads with Latin American, Caribbean, and African Perspectives for Post-MC14

Agricultural trade is facing an increasingly complex environment shaped by geopolitical tensions, climate pressures, and growing trade disruptions. These developments are reshaping trade flows, affecting food security, and challenging the ability of existing institutions and policy frameworks to respond effectively. These pressures are also creating new opportunities for developing regions to strengthen their competitiveness, resilience, […]

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News

November 11, 2025 | In the News

Smartphones, women’s rights and coupons: new trends that can boost insurance for African farmers (The Conversation)

IFPRI’s Berber Kramer and Ruth Hill discuss how new, innovative forms of insurance could help insure farmers against weather shocks, and how South Africa’s G20 presidency can support these initiatives.

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 03, 2024 | Press Release

Ruth Hill joins IFPRI as the new Director of the Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit

Ruth Hill joins IFPRI as the new Director of its Markets, Trade, and Institutions (MTI) Unit, starting September 3, 2024. 

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Research

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