IFPRI Publications: Journal Articles

Adding small quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements to an enhanced homestead food production program improves child hemoglobin, iron and vitamin A status in rural Burkina Faso: A cluster randomized controlled trial

Background Enhanced homestead food production programs (EHFP) including nutrition behavior change communication and women’s empowerment activities have limited impacts on child nutrition. This may be due to short program duration or the absence of interventions to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and access to nutritious foods. Objective We assessed impacts on child anemia, micronutrient status and anthropometry of prior village exposure to an EHFP, and of adding WASH alone or WASH with daily small quantity-lipid based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS). Design This 2y longitudinal cluster-randomized controlled trial (2014-2016) included 60 villages in Burkina Faso randomized to four groups (15 per group): (1) EHFP-2014, (2) EHFP-2014+WASH, (3) EHFP-2010+WASH, and (4) EHFP-2010+WASH+SQ-LNS. Groups 3 and 4 had previously received EHFP (2010-2012). We assessed impacts on child anemia and micronutrient status (n=1,704; 3-12.9 mo at baseline) and anthropometry (n=2,308; 0-12.9 mo at baseline) using difference-in-difference (DID) specifications. We controlled for covariates, adjusted for clustering, and assessed interactive effects by child age at baseline. The trial was registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02236468). Results We found no impact of prior exposure to EHFP (groups 2 vs 3) on the outcomes examined. Adding WASH (groups 1 vs 2) reduced anemia (hemoglobin (Hb)<11 g/dL) (DID=9.43 pp, p<0.01) and led to a decline in weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ) (DID -0.11±0.04, p=0.01). Adding SQ-LNS (groups 3 vs 4) increased Hb (DID=0.26±0.13 g/dL, p<0.05), plasma ferritin (DID=7.61±2.69 μg/L, p<0.01), and retinol binding protein (DID=0.07±0.02 umol/L, p<0.01) concentrations. Effects were larger in children <6 mo at baseline, where providing SQ-LNS (>6 mo) positively impacted Hb, plasma ferritin, height-for-age Z-score, WAZ, and underweight. Conclusions Using EHFP to deliver WASH and SQ-LNS reduced child anemia and improved micronutrient status. Anthropometric improvements were found in children who joined the program before 6 mo of age and were exposed for the whole complementary feeding period.

Beyond the 24-hour recall: Aligning dietary diversity metrics with nutrient physiology

Cash transfers relax climate-induced mobility constraints in Kenya

The use of migration as an adaptation strategy is now recognized by scholars and policymakers as a key response to climate change. Cash transfer programs, now being implemented worldwide, also have the potential to facilitate adaptation and promote resilience in low- and middle-income countries. We investigate the extent to which a cash transfer program in Kenya promoted the mobility of household members due to climate shocks, leveraging exogenous variation in local deviations from the historical climate and the administration of the program through a randomized controlled trial. Our findings indicate that beneficiary households were less likely to reduce migration amid cold spells, likely via shifts in education-related migration. We also find that heat spells ubiquitously encourage new members to join the household, while cold spells have the opposite effect, and that cash transfers do not appear to alter these relationships. Together the results suggest that cold spells can trap migrants in temperate, low-resource settings and that cash transfers can partially alleviate these constraints. Modeling migration and complementary strategies in the presence of climate tipping points will become necessary to predict when more permanent migration will be triggered and modifying social assistance will become necessary.

Modeling the association between repeated measures of hemoglobin during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes

Changing rural labor markets and welfare in Malawi

Youth in relation to agroecology: practices, promises, and perceptions in five countries

In the context of rising youth populations in many low- and middle-income countries, coupled with high youth unemployment and aging farmer populations, this paper asks in what ways agroecology, as a sustainable alternative to the conventional agricultural practices and paradigm, attracts youth to farming and rural-based livelihoods. We draw on empirical data from semi-structured interviews and photovoice conducted with young women and men in five countries: Kenya, India, Peru, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe. In our discussion, we highlight which dimensions and aspects of agroecology resonate with youth and why.

Uncovering bottlenecks and innovative solutions for scaling small-scale irrigation through a system approach and design thinking: Evidence from Nigeria

CONTEXT Small-scale irrigation (SSI) is central to food system transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet its scaling remains low in Nigeria despite the apparent demand and policy narratives. OBJECTIVE Examine intermediary ‘missing middle’ barriers to SSI scaling and co-create solutions for socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and institutionally coherent scaling of SSI. METHODS We integrated Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) theory with a Human-Centered Design (HCD) approach to examine SSI diffusion in a Responsible Scaling lens. For qualitative study, a series of HCD workshops were conducted in three geographies (Kano, Oyo, and FCT) with a total of 85 stakeholders drawn from government institutions, financial organizations, and private irrigation technology suppliers. To complement qualitative insights, we analyzed the 2023 National Agricultural Sample Survey microdata to generate a national snapshot of irrigation prevalence, methods, and water sources. This is a nationally representative data from sample of 152,485 households and over 76 million agricultural plots included in the Nigeria National Agricultural Sample Survey (NASS) 2022/2023. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The study demonstrates that Nigeria’s SSI bottlenecks stem not simply from farmer reluctance or technological ignorance but primarily from systemic intermediation failures across policy coordination, finance, and market supply chains—producing a “missing-middle” ecosystem. These failures include fragmented government mandates, high lender risk perceptions, weak supplier networks, gendered exclusion, and pervasive information gaps. Applying responsible scaling (RS) we show how scaling of SSI is being hindered by institutional fragmentation, liquidity constraints, gender exclusion, and data/information deficiency. SIGNIFICANCE The study presents co-created innovation pathways, including a national SSI coordination platform, blended-finance mechanisms, supplier hub models, and gender-responsive financing, mapped to AIS functions to guide responsible, inclusive, and climate-resilient scaling. The integrated AIS–HCD–RS approach advances system learning and participatory co-design and offers a practical methodology for responsible scaling of agricultural innovation.

Antimicrobial and other aquamedicine use for disease treatment in pond-based commercial tilapia farms in Bangladesh

This study addresses the limited information on use of antimicrobials and other chemical use in commercial tilapia farms in Bangladesh. A retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted in November 2022 in the Mymensingh district, a major tilapia production hub. Nearly half of the farms (46.6%) experienced fish mortality during the last production cycle, and 75.0% of farmers did not seek professional assistance during disease outbreaks. Among those who did, 68.0% relied on chemical or drug suppliers for guidance rather than veterinary experts. Biosecurity practices were inadequate, with 98.3% not implementing four basic monitored measures: disinfection of vehicles, footwear, hands, and equipment. Awareness of antimicrobial use (AMU) risks among respondents was low, with 56.0% unaware of its negative impacts and 88.8% unfamiliar with antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Antibiotic use was low, with only 15.5% of farms reporting antibiotic treatments, primarily oxytetracycline hydrochloride (23.8%), enrofloxacin (19.0%), and erythromycin–sulphadiazine–trimethoprim (19.0%). However, other chemicals with antimicrobial properties, such as disinfectants, were more commonly applied, reported by 39.7% of farms for disease management. The use of both antimicrobial and non-antimicrobial medicine varied significantly by location, being significantly less likely observed in Tarakanda (p < 0.05) and Fulbaria (p < 0.01), suggesting location-specific differences in disease management. The presence of clinical signs was significantly associated with increased use of both antimicrobials, non-antimicrobial medicine and use of overall aquamedicine (p < 0.001), while longer cultivation durations showed a weak association with reduced AMU. Imprudent use of antimicrobials and other chemicals may pose One Health risks, including disruption of pond microbial ecosystems, AMR development, chemical residues, and occupational hazards. In-depth qualitative studies are needed to further understand and optimize antimicrobial and other chemical use practices and determine how tilapia farmers may benefit from improved biosecurity, training, and veterinary access.

Scaling biofortified wheat production for agrifood and nutritional security in eastern India: Evidence from five years of multi-location field evaluations in Bihar

Climate stressors and rural incomes: Multi-country evidence on wealth, gender, and age disparities

Hidden one-stop shops in transforming agrifood value chains: Agro-input retailers in Myanmar

Artificial intelligence-assisted dietary assessment in adolescent girls in Sri Lanka: Validity against weighed food records and comparison with 24-hour recalls

Background Reliable dietary data for adolescents in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are limited due to high costs and estimation errors in traditional dietary assessment methods. Although technology-assisted dietary assessment tools are becoming popular, few have been validated in LMICs. Objectives This study validated the PlantVillage Food Recognition Assistance and Nudging Insights (FRANI), an artificial intelligence-assisted mobile application for dietary assessment, against weighed food records (WFR) and multipass 24-h recalls (24HR) among adolescent girls aged 14‒18 y (n = 60) in urban/semi-urban communities in Sri Lanka. Methods Dietary intake was assessed over 2 non-consecutive days using 3 methods: FRANI, WFR, and 24HR. The equivalence of nutrient intake was evaluated using mixed-effect models accounting for repeated measures by comparing intake ratios (FRANI/WFR and 24HR/WFR) with 10%, 15%, and 20% equivalence bounds. The concordance correlation coefficient was utilized to assess the agreement between methods. Results FRANI demonstrated equivalence with WFR at the 10% bound for energy and vitamin A; 15% for protein, fiber, iron, and zinc; and 20% for fat, niacin, and folate intakes. Comparisons between 24HR and WFR found that no nutrients fell within the 10% bound. Energy, protein, fat, iron, niacin, and vitamin A intakes were equivalent at 15% bound, whereas fiber, calcium, folate, and vitamin C intakes were equivalent at 20% bound. Concordance correlation coefficient ranged from 0.49 to 0.89 for FRANI compared to WFR, and 0.44 to 0.84 for 24HR compared with WFR. Omission errors were 2% for FRANI and 12% for 24HR, and intrusion errors were 7% and 9%, respectively. Conclusions PlantVillage FRANI application accurately estimated nutrient intakes of adolescent girls in Sri Lanka compared to the WFR. Its performance was at least comparable to the traditional 24HR method, supporting its potential as a scalable alternative for dietary assessment in similar LMIC populations.

Relevance of more stringent discharge standards for acute malnutrition treatment: A pooled analysis of post-treatment relapse in 21 studies

Child hemoglobin trajectories across the first 10 years of life and association with child cognition and academic achievement at 10-11 years

Background Anemia is a global health concern, though the importance of changes in hemoglobin (Hb) and cognitive outcomes in childhood remains unclear. Objective We examined the association between child Hb trajectories and anemia with cognitive development and academic achievement at 10-11y. Methods We used prospective data from Vietnamese children (n=831) born to women who participated in a micronutrient supplementation trial (PRECONCEPT). Hb was measured at 3mo, 6mo, 1y, 2y and 10-11y. Multivariable linear regression models assessed the association between Hb trajectories and anemia with cognitive development (full-scale intelligence quotient- FSIQ), and academic achievement (mathematics and reading) at 10-11y, adjusting for maternal (intervention, education, age, mental health), child (age, sex), and household (home environment, socioeconomic status) characteristics. Results Three child Hb trajectories were identified (low-6.4%, middle-52.2% and high-41.4%). Compared to the middle and high trajectory groups, children in the low trajectory had the lowest Hb levels at 3 months (Hb: 9.7g/dL) and through age 10-11y (11.2g/dl). Children in the low-Hb trajectory had lower FSIQ (89.8 vs 93.2), math (12.1 vs 13.5) and reading (17.8 vs 19.0) scores compared to the high-Hb trajectory. These differences were attenuated in adjusted models. Children in the low and middle Hb trajectories had non-significantly lower FSIQ (-0.93; 95% CI: [-4.57, 2.71] and (-1.13 [-2.92, 0.66]), reading scores (-0.01 [-1.36,1.34]) and -0.46 [-1.13,0.21]) and math scores (-0.57 [-1.15,0.01] and -0.65 [-1.82, 0.51]). Anemia status at 10-11y was negatively associated with FSIQ (-3.82 [-6.68, -0.76]) and math scores (-1.04 [-2.03, -0.05]) in adjusted models. Conclusion Child Hb trajectories across the first 10 years of life were largely established early in life and had weak associations with cognition and academic achievement at 10-11y. Anemia among 10-year-old children was associated with lower IQ and math scores, which underscores the importance of continued investment in nutrition programs among school-age children.

Evaluating large-scale government investments in fertilizer adoption: The Ethiopian experience

We evaluate the impact of a large Government of Ethiopia intervention to raise fertilizer supply by establishing five fertilizer blending facilities supplying fertilizers tailored to local soil nutrient profiles. We rely on the phased geographic rollout of blending facility establishment to identify the causal effect on fertilizer use, application rates, crop yields, gross crop revenue, and household consumption. Combining effects of multiple treatment periods, each estimated using a doubly robust difference-in-difference model, we find that the blending facilities increased the probability that farmers adopt the new blended fertilizers by 22 percentage points and increased application rates by 17 kg/ha (baseline adoption was zero). The facilities mostly induced farmers who previously used DAP to switch to NPS, and we find large decreases in DAP adoption (by 22 percentage points, 47% of the control group base mean) and application rates (16 kg/ha, 52% of the control group base mean) yet no impact on overall fertilizer adoption or application rates. Though the new blended fertilizers were expected to perform better, there is no evidence they improved crop yields, crop gross revenue, or household consumption. The effect of the intervention was more pronounced (with larger increases in NPS use and larger decreases in DAP use) for farms located near demonstration plots, which the Government used to train farmers about the agronomic response to the new fertilizers. We confirm results using three large-scale longitudinal datasets and show that they are robust to choices of specification, treatment definition, and inference assumptions. JEL classification: O12, O13, Q16, Q18

Preconception micronutrient supplementation positively affects offspring perceptual reasoning at 10-11 years of age: Follow-up of a randomized controlled trial in Vietnam

The future in mind: Aspirations and long-term outcomes in rural Ethiopia

Phenology-aligned multi-task temporal fusion framework for satellite-based triple-seasonal rice yield estimation in Southeast Asia

Accurate seasonal rice yield estimation across Southeast Asia’s intensive cropping systems remains challenging due to complex phenological patterns and heterogeneous environmental conditions. This study develops a phenology-aligned multi-task temporal fusion (MTTF) framework for satellite-based seasonal rice yield estimation in Vietnam’s triple-cropping systems from 2001 to 2020. The multi-task learning treats each cropping season (winter–spring, summer–autumn, monsoon) as related but distinct tasks, enabling knowledge sharing while preserving season-specific characteristics. The framework integrates multi-source time-series data, including climate variables (e.g., temperature, precipitation), satellite-based vegetation indices (e.g., NDVI, EVI, NIRv, GCVI, LSWI), productivity indicators (e.g., SIF, GPP), and static soil properties (e.g., clay content, organic carbon, bulk density) through parallel Transformer encoders and late fusion strategies. To address temporal misalignment across heterogeneous cropping calendars, we developed an automated phenology-based crop season detection method that synchronizes time-series inputs to key growth stages rather than calendar dates. MTTF achieved high performance (R2 = 0.75, RMSE = 0.63 Mg·ha−1, and rRMSE = 12.0%), outperforming baseline models including Transformer, AtBiLSTM, ANN, XGBoost, and Random Forest. The multi-task learning approach outperformed both global models (single predictor for all seasons) and local models (separate predictors for each season), demonstrating particular benefits for data-scarce seasons like monsoon rice. Phenology alignment enhanced temporal consistency across all models. Multi-modal data fusion significantly improved performance, with satellite-based vegetation measurements contributing more significantly than climate variables according to SHAP analysis. The proposed framework provides a robust approach for operational rice yield monitoring across intensive cropping systems, with implications for assessing food security and agricultural policy in monsoon regions.

Repairing the mosaic: The political economy of landscape-level agroecological transitions in India

An evolving landscape for nexus governance in transboundary basins: Recognizing and harnessing the growing role of multistakeholder platforms

Multi-stakeholder platforms for enabling agroecological transitions: Configurations and lessons from seven agroecological living landscapes

Agroecological transition (AET) of agrifood systems is a multidimensional process involving diverse stakeholders. Participatory innovation and co-creation of knowledge are also at the heart of agroecology. Deliberately designed Multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) are collaborative spaces conducive to driving this type of collaboration and change. However, how these processes are operationalized is poorly documented. This study contributes to filling this gap by highlighting how MSPs can be important vehicles for enabling AETs. As part of the CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology, Agroecological Living Landscapes (ALLs) were set up as MSPs specifically focusing on co-creation of agroecological innovations. By examining different ALL configurations in seven countries, we analyze MSP attributes that can enable and shape AETs at different stages or “levels” of the transition pathway. We find that MSPs can advance different levels of the transition pathway simultaneously by working on multiple innovations involving various stakeholder coalitions. MSPs navigate complex environments, with diverse stakeholders playing multiple policy and non-policy roles to support AETs. The results also illustrate the intersection between MSP configuration and AET objectives, such as policy change, agroecology market support, and scaling adoption. Finally, we discuss the non-linear nature of AET pathways and political economy considerations for stakeholder engagement in MSPs.

Leveraging social protection to strengthen women’s and girls’ climate-resilience in agrifood systems

Women and girls (WGs) have important roles in making agrifood systems more climate resilient. However, systemic inequalities in access to resources, technologies, information, services, and networks, alongside limited agency and restrictive gender norms, reduce their capacity to adapt to and mitigate climate change. WGs’ constraints on adaptation bear implications on the wellbeing of WGs, their households, and the sustainability of agrifood systems. With growing recognition that social protection helps promote WGs’ resilience in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) at large scale, stakeholders are interested in developing social protection programs that are responsive to both climate change and gender inequality. However, little is known about effective approaches. We develop a conceptual framework on how social assistance – the most prevalent type of social protection programming in many LMICs – affects WGs’ coping, adaptive, and mitigative responses to climate hazards. We reflect on the emerging evidence and propose recommendations on program design features that may more effectively promote WGs’ climate resilience in agrifood systems. We additionally highlight important directions for future research to guide practice.

Strengthening women’s resilience and participation in climate governance in the agrifood sector through public policies: A strategic review of literature

Women are uniquely vulnerable to climate change but play a critical role in enhancing the climate resilience of the agrifood sector. Based on a rapid review of academic and grey literature, this paper synthesizes the state of knowledge on the level of integration of gender aspects in climate change policies and women’s involvement in policy processes in the Global South. It examines women’s participation in climate change governance, strategies for enhancing this participation, and policy approaches to strengthen women’s resilience while addressing gender inequalities. Findings show that public policies often employ quotas, incentives, and capacity building initiatives to boost women’s participation in governance. However, meaningful engagement in higher-level decision-making remains limited, with quotas sometimes resulting in superficial involvement. Facilitating women’s access to agrifood resources, human capital, and economic opportunities, as well as addressing harmful gender norms, are identified as effective strategies to build resilience. Despite these promising approaches, gaps remain in the implementation and evaluation of policies aimed at enhancing women’s resilience and participation. The paper concludes by recommending outcome-oriented research and robust evaluations of public policy effectiveness in improving women’s climate resilience and governance roles.

Horticulture sector in India: Trends, performance, and impact

Saving lives through technology: Mobile phones and infant mortality

Trade-offs and synergies in agroecosystem services with organic and integrated nutrient management in South Asian agri-food systems: Evidence from a meta-analysis

Absorption of zinc from mixed diets containing conventional Bangladeshi rice, zinc-biofortified Bangladeshi rice, or conventional Bangladeshi rice with added zinc among young children from a peri-urban community in Bangladesh

Background Previous studies showed total absorbed zinc (TAZ) was comparable in diets containing a higher zinc rice variety or conventional rice variety (Lo-Zn CR). This study compared TAZ in a polished zinc-biofortified rice (Hi-Zn BfR) compared with Lo-Zn CR. Objective To measure the amount of TAZ by young Bangladeshi children from Hi-Zn BfR, Lo-Zn CR, or CR plus sufficient exogenous zinc fortificant (Lo-Zn CR+Zn) matching the zinc content of Hi-Zn BfR. Methods A total of 47 children 36–59-mo-old were enrolled in a crossover study. On the day 1, children received a Lo-Zn CR diet. On days 2 and 4, group A (n = 23) received 150 g of Lo-Zn CR and group B (n = 24) received 150g of Lo-Zn CR+Zn as part of a mixed diet. On days 3 and 5, both groups received 150 g of Hi-Zn BfR. Fractional zinc absorption (FZA) was measured in all diet periods using a triple-isotope tracer (oral 67-Zn and 70-Zn; intravenous 68-Zn) ratio technique; TAZ was calculated as product of zinc intake [total dietary zinc (TDZ)] and FZA. Results TDZ was 4.88, 6.14, and 6.70 mg/d when fed Lo-Zn CR-, Lo-Zn CR+Zn-, and Hi-Zn BfR-containing diets, respectively. Mean FZA: 0.23 ± 0.041, 0.169 ± 0.035, and 0.212 ± 0.048 for respective diets (Lo-Zn CR compared with Hi-Zn BfR: P = 0.26; Lo-Zn CR+Zn compared with Hi-Zn BfR: P < 0.001; and Lo-Zn CR compared with Lo-Zn CR+Zn: P < 0.001). Mean TAZ from respective diets were 1.13 ± 0.23, 1.04 ± 0.20, and 1.40 ± 0.33mg/d. TAZ was not significantly different between Lo-Zn CR and Lo-Zn CR+Zn diets (P = 0.52) but was significantly more in Hi-Zn BfR when compared with other 2 diets (P < 0.001 for both). Conclusions A single-day ration (150 g total) in 3 equally divided servings of Hi-Zn BfR could satisfy 47% of the recommended daily requirement of zinc (3 mg/d) for children 1–3-y old and 28% for children 4–8-y old (5 mg/d) compared with 37% and 23% from Lo-Zn CR for the same age groups, respectively. Hi-Zn BfR is a meaningful component of preventive option for childhood zinc deficiency where rice is staple.

Systematic risk profiling: Assessing compounding economic risks in developing countries

This paper presents a systematic risk profiling (SRP) framework to identify the most critical economic risks facing developing countries. Integrating computable general equilibrium (CGE) models with historical shock data and machine-learning tools, we examine how compound shocks affect development outcomes. We apply this method to Kenya, Rwanda, and Malawi, simulating thousands of plausible combinations of world price, capital flow, and productivity exogenous shocks and their impacts on countries’ GDP, household consumption, poverty, and undernourishment. The results reveal distinct risk profiles driven by structural differences: Kenya’s primary vulnerability is the volatility in global beverage crop prices, whereas Rwanda and Malawi face the highest risks from domestic root crop and cereal yields, respectively. These findings underscore that vulnerability is not just a function of shock magnitude, but of the specific structure of each economy. Specifically, the high economic volatility in Malawi and Rwanda is driven by the larger role of subsistence agriculture and more volatile domestic yields, whereas Kenya’s agricultural sector is more export-oriented. Unlike standard ad hoc scenario analysis, SRP quantifies both the likelihood of compound events and the relative importance of their drivers. This transparent, scalable framework provides policymakers a new tool to move beyond reactive measures and design targeted, country-specific resilience strategies for an increasingly volatile world.

The effects of cash and group therapy in the context of conflict: Evidence from a randomized evaluation in Ethiopia

The prevalence of depression remains high in low-income contexts, particularly those affected by conflict. This paper reports on a randomized controlled trial conducted in rural Ethiopia assessing the effects of a psychological (group therapy) intervention delivered by non-specialist health staff, as well as a large one-time cash transfer delivered post-therapy. The trial includes three arms comparing group therapy, cash, and both jointly to a status quo control within a sample of individuals reporting some depressive symptoms or functional impairment at baseline. The study occurred between 2022 and 2024, during a period of active armed conflict. Findings show that sixteen months post-baseline, there are no persistent positive effects of group therapy alone; cash alone improves time use and economic outcomes. Group therapy and cash jointly improve psychosocial skills, time use, and economic outcomes, and in areas not affected by conflict, the joint intervention also improves mental health.

Consequences of increased farm resilience on food security in Tajikistan

Unprecedented climate change, socio-economic shocks, and political conflict exacerbate food insecurity. Worsened conditions and increased vulnerability now give prominence to improving farm resilience to withstand shocks. This article aims to analyse the effect of farm resilience on food security outcomes in Tajikistan. Using panel data collected in 12 districts in the Khatlon Province of Tajikistan from 2015 to 2023, the study has the following. (a) measure farm resilience determinants (pillars) through adaptive capacity, transformation capacity, and robustness; (b) estimate the relationship between resilience pillars and food security outcomes; (c) cluster farm households based on the level of resilience pillars; and (d) estimate the effect of farm resilience on food security outcomes. The study first measures farm resilience pillars using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Next, Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) is used to classify farm households into three resilience categories: “Low Resilience”, “Medium Resilience”, and “High Resilience”. The estimation strategy involves making causal claims using LPA and Propensity Score Matching (PSM) techniques. Our results suggest a positive relationship between farm resilience and food security outcomes. Our findings also confirm that “High Resilience” and “Medium Resilience” profiles experience better dietary diversity, higher fruit and vegetable consumption, or decreased household hunger, compared to the “Low Resilience” profile. Such a positive relationship underlines the importance of strengthening farm resilience. Further development agendas for Tajikistan should consider resilience thinking, especially in shock-prone zones. Objectives: (a) measure farm resilience determinants (pillars) through adaptive capacity, transformation capacity, and robustness; (b) estimate the relationship between resilience pillars and food security outcomes; (c) cluster farm households based on the level of resilience pillars; and (d) estimate the effect of farm resilience on food security outcomes. The study first measures farm resilience pillars using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Next, Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) is used to classify farm households into three resilience categories: “Low Resilience”, “Medium Resilience”, and “High Resilience”. The estimation strategy involves making causal claims using LPA and Propensity Score Matching (PSM) techniques. Our results suggest a positive relationship between farm resilience and food security outcomes. Our findings also confirm that “High Resilience” and “Medium Resilience” profiles experience better dietary diversity, higher fruit and vegetable consumption, or decreased household hunger, compared to the “Low Resilience” profile. Such a positive relationship underlines the importance of strengthening farm resilience. Further development agendas for Tajikistan should consider resilience thinking, especially in shock-prone zones.

Market channel and other drivers of tomato farmer production and handling practices in Nigeria

Non-contract farming arrangements remain the dominant marketing option for poor, often food-insecure smallholder farmers in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), yet such farming arrangements are less studied than contract farming. Using a case study of 1,673 Nigerian tomato farmers, this study examined whether selling to midstream actors such as wholesalers and aggregators (via informal market arrangements) supports farmers’ adoption of good agricultural practices. We first explored the drivers of farmer sales to different market channels using a multinomial logit model. Then, using multivariate probit analysis, we identified factors associated with the adoption of good agricultural practices (GAP) and good handling practices (GHP) with particular attention to a farmers’ market channel. We found that larger smallholder farmers using modern irrigation are more likely to sell to midstream actors. We also found that selling to wholesalers and aggregators is an important determinant of farmers’ adoption of GAP and GHP, and this holds even for the smallest smallholder farmers. These results confirm that even where informal trading arrangements dominate (as is common in most LMICs), value chain actors in the midstream of food supply chains can support farmer adoption of GAP and GHP. These relationships have important implications for food security via enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder producers and improving the availability and safety of fresh produce for consumers, and thus should be leveraged in the design and implementation of efforts to expand farmer adoption of GAP and GHP.

Relative validity of interviewer-administered 24-hour recalls collected by telephone and in-person compared with weighed food records among rural Sri Lankan adults

Background Quantitative dietary assessment is hindered by cost, time, and logistical burdens. Collecting 24-hour recall (24HR) dietary data by phone may be particularly advantageous in rural areas. Objectives To assess the criterion and relative validity and costs of phone compared with in-person 24HR compared with observed weighed food records (WFR), a reference measure for true intake. Methods We used a randomized crossover design to collect phone and in-person 24HRs from 103 rural Sri Lankan adults, each matched to a WFR collected on the reference day. Agreement was assessed using equivalence testing with 15% error bounds and concordance correlation coefficients. Memory and portion size estimation errors were examined using descriptive statistics. Activity-based costing was used to estimate 24HR costs using expenditures and micro-costing. Results Compared with WFR, respondents underreported energy intake by 263 kcal (12.6%) in phone 24HR and 229 kcal (10.9%) in in-person 24HR, primarily due to portion size misestimation. Mean intakes of protein and 6 micronutrients were equivalent between phone 24HR and WFR. Although no nutrients were equivalent for in-person recalls, the 2 recall methods had relative equivalence for energy, carbohydrates, fat, zinc, and niacin. The average concordance correlation coefficient was slightly higher for phone recalls, whereas memory error was lower for in-person recalls. Costs per respondent were $254 for in-person 24HR and $186 for phone 24HR in a most likely implementation scenario. Conclusions Among rural Sri Lankan adults, phone-based 24HR were comparable to in-person 24HR in estimating nutrient intakes, although both methods underestimated true intakes. Phone-based recalls were less expensive and performed at least as accurately as those collected in-person.

Hope, hard lessons and the path to better nutrition

Haemoglobin concentration thresholds that discriminate functional outcomes among children aged 6–30 months in eight countries: A pooled analysis of individual participant data

Introduction The WHO cut-offs to define anaemia among children (haemoglobin, Hb <105 g/L in 6–23 months and <110 g/L in 24–59 months) are based on the distribution of Hb concentrations in a healthy population. Our objective was to identify Hb values that best discriminate functional outcomes among children aged 6–30 months. Methods We used previously compiled datasets from an individual participant data meta-analysis of effects of small quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements. Participants were eligible for this pooled analysis if they had Hb measured at 6–30 months and data on at least one functional outcome of interest, which included physical activity and sleep patterns, and language, socioemotional and motor development. We stratified the datasets by child age in 3-month intervals and analysed associations of Hb with both concurrent and subsequently measured (longitudinal) outcomes. If Hb significantly discriminated the 25th, 50th or 75th percentile of the outcome based on the pooled area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), we identified the Hb value with the highest concordance probability as the best discriminatory threshold. Results 11 datasets from 8 countries including 27 626 children were analysed. Hb significantly discriminated 21 of 47 concurrent and 11 of 32 longitudinal Hb-outcome associations. Best Hb discriminatory thresholds ranged from 102 to 111 g/L for concurrent physical activity outcomes, 103–116 g/L for concurrent developmental outcomes, and 109–117 g/L for longitudinal developmental outcomes. The I2 for the pooled AUC analysis indicated generally low to moderate heterogeneity across studies. Conclusions The current WHO cut-offs to define anaemia among children are in the middle to upper range of Hb values that best discriminate concurrent physical activity and development, and are in the lower range of values that best discriminate subsequent child development. Along with other types of evidence, this study provides additional evidence to inform Hb cut-offs to define anaemia among young children.

Disruptions to agrifood value chains in fragile and conflict-affected states: Evidence from Myanmar

Agrifood value chains (AVCs) play crucial roles in food security in fragile and conflict-affected economies where there are widespread challenges and disruptions to business operations, food access, and incomes. Yet, given these challenges, safe data collection is challenging in conflict-affected settings and, as a result, the evidence on the disruptions AVC businesses face is thin. In this paper, we rely on novel panel data from AVC businesses in Myanmar, one of 7 countries in the world with extreme conflict. This short paper documents the disruptions experienced by businesses at several levels of the food supply chain, including farmers, input retailers, crop traders, rice millers, and food vendors. We also provide evidence on the implications for prices by analyzing price changes over this period: farm input and sales prices using farm survey data, food retail using data from food vendors, and dietary cost estimates combining consumption and price data. Our results highlight vulnerabilities in food supply chains in fragile and conflict-affected settings. Potential opportunities to strengthen food supply chains in such settings include ensuring access to banking and financial services; minimizing transportation disruptions to mitigate widening gaps between producer and consumer prices; and maintaining access to fuel and electricity as well as cellphone internet networks. Efforts to support these areas could stabilize food availability and reduce food prices, while also increasing farm-gate shares of food prices thereby supporting rural incomes. JEL codes: Q13; Q11; 013

When the fire ends: Straw burning, regulation, and pollution substitution

Environmental regulations can trigger unintended pollution externalities if they lack well-designed economic incentives or fail to account for the responses of polluters. This paper examines the effectiveness and unintended consequences of the Universal Prohibition on Straw Burning (UPSB) policy in China. By exploiting a generalized difference-in-differences design, we find that the UPSB policy significantly reduces agricultural fires and air pollution through top-down campaign-style enforcement. However, as straw burning is commonly used to kill pests and fertilize the soil, the UPSB policy also increases the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, leading to magnified water pollution. Cost-benefit analysis suggests that much of the health benefit from improved air quality is offset by the health cost from degraded water quality. Our findings highlight the importance of considering the potential responses of individuals subject to the regulation when conducting policy evaluation.

Nutrition, diet, and academic performance among school-age children in urban low-income settings: A case-control study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Objective To examine the effects of nutrition, dietary practices, and other related factors on academic performance and IQ among children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods A case-control study was conducted among 309 children aged 6–14 years attending public and private schools in low-income districts of Addis Ababa from March to August 2023. Binary and multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate crude (COR) and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals. Results Hand washing (AOR = 3.7; 95% CI: 1.4, 9.8), access to toilets (AOR = 3.37; 95% CI: 1.25, 9.09), and effective teaching (AOR = 2.94; 95% CI: 1.04, 8.33) good academic performance. Stunting (AOR = 0.16; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.59), underweight (AOR = 0.25; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.70), and overweight (AOR = 0.04; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.14) were associated with poor academic performance. Low meal frequency (AOR = 2.65; 95% CI: 1.06, 6.67) and teachers with BA/BSc degrees (AOR = 6.97; 95% CI: 1.14, 42.68) predicted lower IQ. Conclusion Many factors, especially nutrition and diet, strongly influence academic and cognitive performance; targeted school interventions improve outcomes.

Asking the right question: Toward a research agenda for responsible GAI in agricultural extension

This study explores how generative AI (GAI) tools for agricultural extension can be designed and evaluated more responsibly. While current GAI systems offer scalable, personalized advice, they often ignore the lived realities of smallholder farmers—especially women—by relying on generic datasets and rigid evaluation metrics. We investigate three complementary methods: adversarial testing to expose gendered and contextual blind spots in model outputs; deliberative stakeholder engagement using the C-H-A-T framework, which focused on Collective knowledge, Human insight, Augmentation, and Trust, to surface value tensions and design trade-offs; and field-level insights from extension officers to uncover trust-building, diagnostic reasoning, and social intelligence absent from static GAI interactions. Together, these approaches reveal that responsible GAI requires more than technical accuracy. It demands participatory design processes that foreground user realities, surface stakeholder assumptions, and account for social and institutional context. We recommend developing gender-responsive benchmarks, embedding reflexive, participatory design methods, and modeling advisory reasoning based on real-world extension practice. The findings contribute to a growing agenda for responsible AI development—highlighting the importance of aligning GAI tools not only with technical goals, but with the social, cultural, and political contexts in which they operate.

Ozone pollution reduction partially offsets the negative impact of climate change mitigation efforts on global hunger

Studies warning of the potential negative effects of climate mitigation on food security through the competing use of land for bioenergy and afforestation have overlooked the impact of reduced ozone and its potential enhancement of crop yields. Here we use six global agro-economic models to compare the impacts of climate change with climate mitigation policy and ozone reduction on agriculture. We find that ozone reduction could reduce the negative impact of a 1.5 °C-consistent climate change mitigation policy on global hunger by 15% in 2050. Sub-Saharan Africa and India, where hunger is most severe, account for 56% of this global reduction. Our findings indicate that the negative effects of climate mitigation on global hunger could be partially offset by the ozone reduction impact.

Determinants of street food hygiene practices and the effectiveness of interventions for vendors and consumers in low- and middle-income countries: Protocol for a scoping review

Background: Street food is readily available food and beverages sold by vendors, frequently situated along streets or other public spaces. Street food is largely popular because it is low cost and readily available. However, unsafe food hygiene behaviors and conditions contribute to a substantial burden of foodborne illness. There is a gap in understanding what factors determine food hygiene behavior among street food vendors and consumers in low-income countries (LICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Objective: This review aims to identify the determinants of safe food hygiene behavior and explore the effectiveness of food hygiene interventions for vendors and consumers in LICs and LMICs. Methods: We will search the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Scopus databases for peer-reviewed articles and Google and Google Scholar for gray literature published in the English language from inception to October 31, 2023. We will apply the World Bank 2023 definition of LICs and LMICs to include studies from these countries in this review. Two independent reviewers will search, screen, and analyze the included literature. Data will be analyzed by narrative synthesis for all objectives. Results: This protocol outlines the methodology for conducting a scoping review. The findings will identify gaps in the existing literature and map the determinants of street food hygiene, as well as the interventions implemented for street food vendors and consumers. The project received funding in October 2022 and institutional review board approval in December 2022. Data analysis is currently underway, and the first results are expected to be submitted for publication in April 2026. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first scoping review to investigate the determinants of street food hygiene behaviors and the effectiveness of interventions for vendors and consumers on street food hygiene in LICs and LMICs.

A systematic scoping review of urban food environment research, interventions and measurement approaches in eight low- and middle-income countries

Background Food environments in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are undergoing rapid transformation, particularly in urban and peri-urban settings. These shifts—characterized by changes in food retail landscapes, consumer purchasing behaviors, and the availability and affordability of nutritious foods—have significant implications for nutrition. Yet, the key characteristics of these environments, such as food desirability, convenience, accessibility, and marketing influences, remain underexplored. This systematic scoping review synthesizes evidence published between 2001 and 2023 across eight LMICs (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Peru) to examine how urban and peri-urban food environments shape dietary behaviors and nutrition outcomes. Methods Guided by a conceptual framework encompassing nine key food environment dimensions—availability, prices, marketing and regulation, vendor and product properties, accessibility, affordability, desirability, convenience, and sustainability—we analyzed descriptive, associative, and intervention studies. We searched Scopus and Web of Science, identified 1,609 records, and included 251 studies in the review. Results As might be expected in a growing body of evidence, most research is descriptive, with limited causal or intervention-based evidence. Studies frequently focus on characteristics of informal vendors, sociocultural factors influencing shifts in dietary choice toward unhealthier options, and the proliferation of ultra-processed foods, especially near schools and in informal markets. Associations between food environment and nutrition outcomes, such as elevated BMI and overweight, are often linked to supermarket and fast-food access, though these relationships are frequently confounded by socioeconomic variables. Methodological inconsistencies in defining and measuring food environment dimensions limit cross-context comparability. Only seven intervention studies were identified, with few demonstrating significant improvements in diet or nutrition. Conclusions This review highlights critical evidence gaps in urban food environments in LMICs and underscores the need for standardized measurement and robust evaluations of diet-related interventions. Strengthening this evidence base is essential to inform food policy, urban planning, and public health strategies that promote healthier diets for populations in rapidly urbanizing settings.

Impact of climate change on cost and cost efficiency of solar irrigation in Sub‐Saharan Africa

Irrigation is widely recognized as a promising strategy for enhancing agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. To support its expansion, solar-powered irrigation systems are increasingly promoted as a sustainable alternative. However, unlike fossil fuel-based systems, the performance of solar irrigation is more sensitive to climate variability and change. This study assesses the impact of climate change on the cost and cost efficiency of stand-alone solar irrigation systems across Sub-Saharan Africa, using 15 CMIP6 climate scenarios. Our findings indicate that climate change is likely to increase investment costs and reduce the cost efficiency of solar irrigation systems compared to diesel-powered alternatives in most countries and agricultural areas of the region. Nevertheless, the expected decline in cost performance of solar irrigation systems is moderate and is likely to be offset by continued reductions in solar panel prices.

Addressing conflict and weather shocks in agrifood value chains: Policy preferences of Nigerian maize wholesalers

Resilient futures: Acknowledging the shared challenges of early career food system researchers in uncertain times

Transforming food systems to deliver sustainable, equitable, and nutritious outcomes requires confronting profound global challenges, from climate change and biodiversity loss to widening inequities and persistent malnutrition. Early career researchers (ECRs), who make up a large proportion of the research workforce, hold unique potential to drive this transformation through fresh perspectives, systems thinking, and transdisciplinary collaboration. Yet they also face distinct barriers: precarious employment, limited funding, and institutional structures that privilege dominant knowledge systems, while undervaluing Indigenous and community-centred approaches. For many, particularly in resource-constrained or Indigenous contexts, these professional pressures are compounded by structural inequities, colonial legacies, and personal responsibilities, amplifying the emotional burden of engaging with such complex challenges. This paper explores strategies to empower ECRs to navigate food systems research without becoming overwhelmed. We highlight the importance of adaptability, mentorship, and building supportive networks, alongside recognition of Indigenous knowledge systems and the contextual realities shaping food systems across geographies. Collaboration and co-production emerge as critical pathways for innovation, trust-building, and collective action, while diverse outputs beyond peer-reviewed publications are essential to translate research into meaningful policy and practice. By embracing persistence, equity, and shared responsibility, ECRs can position themselves not as isolated individuals but as key actors in a global movement for resilient and just food systems. Balancing realism with optimism, we reaffirm the transformative potential of ECRs, and call on institutions, funders, and senior researchers to establish structures that enable them to thrive as changemakers in pursuit of a sustainable food future.

Estimating the number of people eating biofortified foods on-farm and from markets: A detailed methodology and tool

Background Biofortification is a cost-effective and scalable approach to reduce micronutrient deficiencies. Currently there is scant data detailing the number (reach) and proportion (coverage) of individuals consuming biofortified foods, which is a key limitation for policymakers. Objective Develop a method to estimate the reach and coverage of biofortified foods using primary and secondary data sources. Methods We used data from 2023 to estimate the reach and coverage of zinc biofortified rice in Bangladesh and wheat in Pakistan, and vitamin A maize and cassava in Nigeria. Our calculation is divided into 5 phases: 1) seed availability, 2) agricultural production, 3) on-farm consumption, 4) off-farm consumption, and 5) overall national level reach and coverage. Phase 4 includes two consumption scenarios: full replacement and half replacement, where biofortified foods respectively account for 100% or 50% of the per capita consumption. Results In 2023, approximately 13 to 16 million people (8-9% of the population) consumed biofortified rice in Bangladesh. In Pakistan, between 97 to 173 million people consumed biofortified wheat (39-70% of the population). In Nigeria, biofortified maize was consumed by 42 to 66 million people (18-29% of the population) and biofortified cassava by 25 to 38 million people (11-17% of the population). Conclusions Our method estimates on-farm and off-farm reach and the reach/coverage of biofortified foods with visible and invisible traits. Because there is insufficient primary or secondary data describing the intake of biofortified foods, we estimated a range for off-farm reach. We estimate that in 2023, between 177 and 293 million people consumed the four biofortified crops explored in this analysis. This approach can be used to estimate the reach and coverage of other biofortified crops in other countries. More information about the consumption of these foods is needed to improve the accuracy of national reach and coverage estimates.

The rapid global rise of agricultural drones: Evidence, drivers, impacts and an agenda for future research

Implications of food trade policy for domestic and international food price volatility

This article investigates the impact of food trade policies on domestic and international price volatility, focusing on rice and wheat markets. It posits that policymakers aim to minimize the political costs associated with changing domestic prices and those associated with deviating from political-economy equilibria. The study uses price data, adjusted to reflect trade costs, to estimate an Error Correction Model that identifies key policy response parameters. The findings suggest that systematic, short-run protection changes designed to insulate against changes in world prices reduce shocks to domestic prices but exacerbate world price volatility. However, idiosyncratic, national shocks to protection rates—such as those due to national weather shocks—increase domestic price volatility relative to the amplified volatility of world prices. Our findings challenge the conventional view of price insulation as a zero-sum game, suggesting it is a negative-sum game that increases domestic price volatility for almost all countries, creating opportunities for policy reforms to lower costs and reduce price volatility.

Diets, fruit and vegetable intake, and nutritional status in Sri Lanka: A scoping review

Suboptimal diets, including low fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake, are major contributors to malnutrition and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Sri Lanka. Understanding dietary patterns is essential for addressing these challenges. This scoping review synthesizes the literature on diet, F&V intake, and nutritional status across different population groups in Sri Lanka. Searches were conducted in PubMed in October 2023. In total, 30 publications on diet, 13 on F&V intake, and 26 on nutritional status met the inclusion criteria. Sri Lankan diets were found to be rice-dominant with limited variety of nutrient-dense foods such as animal-source foods (ASF) and F&V. Trends in nutritional status varied across life stages. Among children < 5, undernutrition was prevalent, with stunting affecting 14%–21%, wasting 10%–15%, and underweight 17%–21%. Anemia was found in 8%–15% of children < 5 and 25%–30% of pregnant women. Micronutrient deficiencies, particularly vitamin D, iron, and zinc, affected more than one-third of pregnant women. In adults, over one-third were overweight/obese, 8%–12% had diabetes, and 20%–25% had hypertension. Diet, F&V intake and nutrition outcomes also differed by socioeconomic, demographic, and geographic characteristics, with estate sector residents, Indian Tamil populations, and low-income groups disproportionately affected by poor diet quality, low F&V intake, insufficient nutrient intake and malnutrition, while women (vs. men) and urban (vs. rural/estate) residents exhibited higher prevalence of overweight/obesity and NCDs. This review revealed evidence gaps such as the lack of recent dietary intake data based on individual quantitative dietary assessments that limit understanding of current diet adequacy. Additionally, only one impact evaluation designed to improve diet was identified. More research is needed to understand how to effectively improve diet including increasing intake of F&V and ASF in Sri Lanka.

Climate change‐driven shifts in staple crop structure: Evidence from northern China

Spatially explicit global assessment of cropland greenhouse gas emissions circa 2020

Spatially explicit cropland greenhouse gas emission data are essential for identifying emission hotspots and guiding sustainable mitigation strategies. Here we develop high-resolution (5 arcmin) global maps of cropland emissions across 46 crop classes in 2020 by integrating sectoral datasets on synthetic fertilizer, manure, crop residue, in-field burning, rice cultivation and cultivated drained peatlands. Global croplands emitted 2.5 (95% CI 2.4–2.7) GtCO2e yr−1, with drained peatlands (35%), rice paddies (35%) and synthetic fertilizer (23%) as the primary contributors. Four crops—rice, maize, oil palm and wheat—accounted for 67% of total emissions. Emission areal intensities averaged 2 MgCO2e ha−1 globally, with higher intensities in Asia and Europe, where croplands also achieved high caloric productivity. Spatial correlations between emission intensity and production efficiency reveal geographic trade-offs between mitigation potential and food production. The resulting dataset establishes a unified global framework for a spatially explicit assessment of agricultural emissions and efficiency.

When the wind blows: Agricultural fire exposure, parental investment, and long-term outcomes

Armed conflict, community-based cash transfers, and social cohesion: Evidence from a randomized intervention in Ethiopia

Promoting regional income equity under structural transformation and climate change: An economywide analysis for Senegal

Climate change can generate enemy‐free space for crop‐feeding herbivores

Crop-feeding herbivores reduce the world’s food output by approximately 20% and climate change (CC) is bound to deepen those losses. Endemic or introduced consumer organisms (i.e., biological control agents) naturally regulate herbivore populations and secure a quarter of crop yields, but are exceptionally susceptible to CC-related disturbances. Here, we use niche modeling for 14 globally-important herbivores (or pests) to forecast how richness of the associated biological control agents of each pest—as a proxy of service strength—may alter under a CC-driven range expansion. Results show that 57%–100% of pests are bound to lose parasitoid and predator associates. The cassava mealybug Phenacoccus manihoti may experience a 27% decline in parasitoid pressure, whereas cosmopolitan pests of cereal and horticultural crops benefit from 6% to 7% drops in predator pressure. Such ‘enemy release’ can possibly exacerbate pest-induced yield losses and threaten future harvests. Ant-pest associations change in both directions, implying that pests may either face strengthened or weakened biological control. For pests spreading towards or within food-deficit regions in the equatorial belt, parasitoid declines and increases in ant pressure are most pronounced. By exposing the fragility of biodiversity-based ecological safeguards in farmland, our work calls for urgent, integrative, and nature-friendly solutions to uphold food security under environmental change.

Time is money: Spatially explicit system analysis for rice-wheat cropping systems of Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains, India

Man vs. machine: Multi-country experimental evidence on the quality and perceptions of AI-generated research blog content

Academic research is not always available in a form that is accessible or engaging to a non-academic audience, hindering readers’ engagement with it. Non-academics, even if highly educated and policy experts in their fields, tend to need research to be presented in a more accessible way than peer-reviewed articles — one example being non-technical blogs. However, writing these requires some effort from researchers. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can make academic research easier to understand by summarizing and simplifying academic papers much more quickly than researchers can, making it easier for researchers to produce such summaries. However, disclosure of AI use may lower readers’ perceived quality of and trust in the blog, generating a trade-off for the researcher. In this paper, we evaluate an 11-country experiment cross-randomizing a blog’s actual and reported author as AI or human. We find that research stakeholders rate the quality of AI-generated blogs marginally lower than human-written ones (p 0.1), but disclosure of AI use offsets the negative effect (p 0.1). The study sample consists of policy-relevant stakeholders who typically engage with academic research; they are highly educated and include thematic specialists. Indeed, findings indicate that this audience interprets “accessibility” differently, preferring slightly more technical summaries of research. The nature of the respondents may thus explain the particular findings in this study, suggesting that researchers should tailor their prompts for their intended audience. There are no effects on readers’ reported likelihood of engaging with the blog or on beliefs about others predicted engagement with it. Consequently, we hypothesize that researchers can leverage AI to communicate their research more easily without a penalty from disclosing its use.

When the going gets tough: Experimental evidence of respondent fatigue in household surveys

Constructing per capita estimates (e.g., consumption), poverty rates, and other development indicators requires the listing of household members as well as their detailed demographic characteristics in household surveys using rosters. We designed an experiment to understand how respondents and enumerators manage such lengthy listing exercises in household surveys. We randomly assign respondents to ‘committed’ and ‘uncommitted’ household member listing rosters. If respondents are likely to reduce effort, they would decrease the number of household members reported in the uncommitted option, when they have the choice to list fewer members and save time. We find a 6–7% reduction in the number of household members listed when household rosters are enumerated with an uncommitted method, implying that 1 out of every 5 respondents reported an additional household member when asked using the committed household roster. Respondent/survey fatigue could explain the difference in the two measures of household size. Overall, our findings speak to the critical role of survey design in ensuring data quality and the important trade-off between survey length and data quality.

Gender attitudes in agriculture and positivity bias: A survey experiment in four countries in sub-Saharan Africa

The potential impact of wheat stem rust on global agricultural supply, demand, and food security, considering market interactions

Wheat stem rust, a fungal disease that can be highly devastating under the right environmental conditions, was reduced to non-economically damaging levels during the Green Revolution. However, it has reemerged as a global threat to wheat production due to the appearance of new virulent strains in Uganda in 1999 that have spread steadily to other geographic areas. Wheat experts warn that the disease could pose a catastrophic threat to the global wheat supply if not monitored. Considering the importance of wheat as a principal source of calories, nutrients, and farm income throughout the world, assessments of the potential impacts of the disease are urgently required in order to formulate an appropriate response. Published assessments so far vary widely in method and results, and generally focus on wheat production losses alone, without considering how markets may offset or aggravate impacts (spillover effects). Here we take an integrated assessment approach and examine a set of “what-if” scenarios to account for direct and indirect economic and food security impacts of wheat stem rust in various world regions over the years 2026–2050. The severity and frequency of epidemics is introduced into the modeling framework based on a survey of international wheat experts. The results suggest that global market incentives may offset the worst impacts of wheat stem rust in most affected areas via international trade. However, the market mechanism simultaneously precipitates considerable food insecurity in areas far from any epidemic, as farms in these areas reallocate resources from the domestic cereal market to the wheat export market, in response to price signals.

A descriptive analysis of smartphone access and frontline service delivery during the COVID-19 lockdown in Chhattisgarh, India

Empowerment unveiled: Gender dynamics and the impact of nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions among ethnic minority groups in northern Vietnam

Gender equality and women’s empowerment are key global agendas, yet women often face marginalization compared to men. Nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions (NSAs) often aim to benefit women but their impacts on women’s empowerment remain unclear. This study focuses on: 1) assessing the empowerment levels of women and men from three ethnic minorities in rural northern Vietnam (Thai, H’Mong and Dao) with the Project-level women’s empowerment in agriculture index (Pro-WEAI); 2) examining the potential of NSA to improve women’s empowerment during COVID-19 pandemic; and 3) applying an intersectional lens by analyzing how empowerment and treatment effects vary by ethnic subgroups. We conducted a Randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving around 600 rural households from 36 clusters that were randomly assigned to one of the following three treatment arms: receiving agriculture and nutrition training; receiving seed provision on top of the training; and a control group. We found that both men and women experienced disempowerment, due to ethnicity and systemic ethnical marginalization. While no significant gender discrimination in resource access was found, women faced limited mobility, overburdened workload and diminished agencies. Empowerment experiences varied across ethnicities. The NSAs improved women’s mobility and group membership, yet carried different implications across ethnicities, potentially due to the interaction between the intervention, initial contextual conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, NSAs alone cannot achieve structural empowerment. Meaningful and lasting empowerment requires integrated approaches that address interconnected social, political, and cultural factors.

When water runs out: Adaptation to gradual environmental change in Indian agriculture

Increasing water scarcity will affect hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers in coming decades, but little is known about the likely forms of adaptation. This study exploits a natural experiment in which heterogeneous geological formations affect the rate of groundwater depletion across 40 villages in Gujarat, India, to provide novel evidence on this question. The analysis reveals that greater water scarcity leads to widespread declines in irrigated agriculture and enhanced migration to cities, but only among dominant socio-economic groups. No evidence is found of substantial compensating investments in water-efficient technologies or in human capital, despite farmers having long been aware of the decline in water levels.

Can a light-touch graduation model enhance livelihood outcomes? Evidence from Ethiopia

Global assessment of childhood growth monitoring: Cross-sectional survey of national policies and practices

Background Monitoring children’s growth is crucial in paediatric care for early identification of health issues, with the World Health Organization (WHO) advocating for its practice throughout childhood. However, the focus and implementation of growth monitoring vary globally, reflecting different health priorities and practices. Methods We conducted a global, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey, targeted at representatives of the ministry responsible for growth monitoring and promotion, and at representatives of national paediatric societies. Results We obtained responses from 122 countries. Of these, 88% had national growth monitoring guidance, most often issued by the ministry of health. Weight was the most consistently measured early childhood growth monitoring indicator, recorded routinely in 98% of countries during growth monitoring visits for children aged <1 year. The WHO Child Growth Standards were used in 86% of countries. The most common follow-up action for growth faltering was provision of nutritional or health advice, cited by 91% of respondents for children aged <1 year, with advice frequency decreasing as child age increased. Conclusions Childhood growth monitoring is widely adopted, but implemented with considerable variation across countries. Strengthening its impact will require standardising indicators, integrating evidence-based guidelines into primary care, and ensuring equitable, actionable use across age groups.

Global soybean trade dynamics: Drivers, impacts, and sustainability

Since the 20th century, the global soybean trade has undergone major changes, shaped by rising demand, climate-related risks, and shifting international dynamics. Despite its global importance, important gaps remain in understanding the complex drivers and sustainability challenges of this transformation. This review synthesizes both direct and indirect forces reshaping trade flows, spanning market dynamics, supply chain logistics, policy shifts, and technological innovation. We examine how soybean trade expansion has impacted deforestation, inequality, and food security, and assess the responses of governments and companies to address these challenges. Finally, we provide a forward-looking perspective on the strategic pathways needed to ensure a more resilient and sustainable global soybean system. The integrated insights offered in this review can inform sustainable trade strategies and foster cross-scale policy coordination for a more resilient global agri-food system.

Unravelling trade-offs and synergies of direct-seeded rice in Indian agriculture: A meta-analysis