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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

Lilia Bliznashka

Lily Bliznashka is a Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit. Her research focuses on assessing the effectiveness of multi-input nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions and the mechanisms through which they work to improve maternal and child health and nutrition globally. She has worked in Burkina Faso, Burundi, Tanzania, and Uganda.

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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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experts

Natural Resources and Resilience

Upeksha Hettiarachchi

Research Analyst

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Bio

Upeksha Hettiarachchi is a Research Analyst at IFPRI in the Agrifood Innovation and Resilience Unit. Her background is in environmental economics and policy, and her research interests include ecosystem service valuation, nature-positive agricultural solutions, games for experiential learning, and natural resource governance. Before joining IFPRI, Upeksha worked for the Seychelles Islands Foundation at the Vallée de Mai UNESCO World Heritage site. She holds a BSc in Development and Economics from the University of London International Programmes and an MSc in Environmental Policy from Duke University, with a concentration in environmental economics.

Natural Resources and Resilience

Publications

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Report

Field visit and workshop report: Defining the problem domain and identifying possible entry point for experiential learning intervention to support lantana management and landscape restoration in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, India

2025Bell, Andrew R.; Sanil, Richu; Acharya, Pradyumna; Rakh, Pradeep; Hettiarachchi, Upeksha; Zhang, Wei
Details

Field visit and workshop report: Defining the problem domain and identifying possible entry point for experiential learning intervention to support lantana management and landscape restoration in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, India

The management of Lantana camara, an invasive plant species, is a major challenge across India. Its rapid spread across forests and adjoining agricultural lands has negatively affected biodiversity, reduced the availability of nontimber forest products (NTFPs), and rendered areas of agricultural land uncultivable. Invasive species management has become a national priority, and is reflected in goals in India’s Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, as the unchecked growth of Lantana affects landscapes across the country. In the Mandla District, in Madhya Pradesh, Lantana has decreased wildlife habitats and reduced fodder availability by replacing native grasses. This affects food security and livelihoods in the area, with disproportionate impacts on women who are responsible for collecting NTFPs, fuelwood and fodder from forests. As Lantana encroaches further, women must travel longer distances and spend more time gathering forest resources, which increases risk of human or wildlife attacks. Current by-laws in place promote collective action for eradication of Lantana and evidence shows that community-based management of Lantana can lead to positive social and ecological outcomes.

Year published

2025

Authors

Bell, Andrew R.; Sanil, Richu; Acharya, Pradyumna; Rakh, Pradeep; Hettiarachchi, Upeksha; Zhang, Wei

Citation

Bell, Andrew R.; Sanil, Richu; Acharya, Pradyumna; Rakh, Pradeep; Hettiarachchi, Upeksha; and Zhang, Wei. 2025. Field visit and workshop report: Defining the problem domain and identifying possible entry point for experiential learning intervention to support lantana management and landscape restoration in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, India. CGIAR Research Program on Multifuntional Landscapes. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179910

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Capacity Building; Experiential Learning; Landscape Conservation; Lantana; Stakeholders

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Report

Resource thumbnail

Report

Mitigating the agricultural drivers of nature loss through nature-positive agriculture: A synthesis report

2025
Kettle, Christopher J.; De Falcis, Eleonora; Gebrezgabher, Solomie A.; Davis, Kristin E.; Zhang, Wei; Nehring, Ryan; Beilloun, Damien; De Haan, Stefan; Gaisberger, Hannes; Jones, Sarah K.
…more Petsakos, Athanasios; Song, Chun; Paparella, Antonio; Somorin, Tosin; Zagaria, Cecilia; Hettiarachchi, Upeksha; Fadda, Carlo
Details

Mitigating the agricultural drivers of nature loss through nature-positive agriculture: A synthesis report

Year published

2025

Authors

Kettle, Christopher J.; De Falcis, Eleonora; Gebrezgabher, Solomie A.; Davis, Kristin E.; Zhang, Wei; Nehring, Ryan; Beilloun, Damien; De Haan, Stefan; Gaisberger, Hannes; Jones, Sarah K.; Petsakos, Athanasios; Song, Chun; Paparella, Antonio; Somorin, Tosin; Zagaria, Cecilia; Hettiarachchi, Upeksha; Fadda, Carlo

Citation

Kettle, C.J.; De Falcis, E.; Gebrezgabher, S.; Davis, K.; Zhang, W.; Nehring, R.; Beilloun, D.; De Haan, S.; Gaisberger, H.; Jones, S.K.; Petsakos, A.; Song, C.; Paparella, A.; Somorin, T.; Zagaria, C.; Hettiarachchi, U.; Fadda, C. (2025) Mitigating the agricultural drivers of nature loss through nature-positive agriculture: A synthesis report. CGIAR Nature Positive Initiative/CGIAR and Multifunctional Landscapes Science Program. 64 p.

Keywords

Agriculture; Agrobiodiversity; Nature Conservation; Sustainable Production

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Nature-Positive Solutions

Record type

Report

Resource thumbnail

Poster

Living labs for sustainable food system transformation: Insights from four countries

2025
Zhang, Wei; Nehring, Ryan; Habermann, Birgit; Leñero, Eva Marina-Valencia; Hettiarachchi, Upeksha; Falk, Thomas; Rietveld, Anne; Woltering, Lennart; Kumar, Praveen; Wang, Xinxin
…more Zhou, Yunyi; Chen, Kevin Z.; Tuy Thu Pham; Rodriquez, Luz Ángela; Vanegas-Cubillos, Martha
Details

Living labs for sustainable food system transformation: Insights from four countries

Year published

2025

Authors

Zhang, Wei; Nehring, Ryan; Habermann, Birgit; Leñero, Eva Marina-Valencia; Hettiarachchi, Upeksha; Falk, Thomas; Rietveld, Anne; Woltering, Lennart; Kumar, Praveen; Wang, Xinxin; Zhou, Yunyi; Chen, Kevin Z.; Tuy Thu Pham; Rodriquez, Luz Ángela; Vanegas-Cubillos, Martha

Citation

Zhang, Wei; Nehring, Ryan; Habermann, Birgit; Leñero, Eva Marina-Valencia; Hettiarachchi, Upeksha; et al. 2025. Living labs for sustainable food system transformation: Insights from four countries. Poster prepared for the International Forum for Agroecosystem Living Labs, Bordeaux, France, October 15-17, 2025. International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179707

Country/Region

China; Colombia; Kenya; Vietnam

Keywords

Africa; Americas; Asia; Food Systems; Sustainability; Living Labs

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Poster

Events

Rooted in Biodiversity: Transforming Agriculture through Nature-Positive Solutions
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

December 11, 2025, 2:00 – 3:30 pm

Rooted in Biodiversity: Transforming Agriculture through Nature-Positive Solutions

Agriculture is both a major driver of biodiversity loss and a crucial part of the solution. This session will present research and evidence underpinning the forthcoming World Bank report Rooted: Agriculture Rooted in Biodiversity, which identifies strategies and investment pathways to harness biodiversity for resilient agricultural systems. By showcasing sustainable practice bundles, the economics of […]