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IFPRI’s new strategy features Strengthening Institutions and Governance as one of six key research areas and emphasizes the cross-divisional nature of this important topic. In order to enhance awareness of ongoing work in this area, a Strengthening Institutions and Governance (SIG) seminar series will be formally launched this Tuesday, November 5, 2013 at 12:30pm EST. […]

Women’s empowerment is increasingly a priority in international development, for reasons of social justice, and also because it is considered an important way by which to achieve development goals, such as those related to health, nutrition, and education. Research has shown that men and women often have different preferences for how they allocate food and […]

The following is an excerpted version of a story originally published on the IFPRI South Asia website. OneWorld Foundation, India (OWFI) has launched a new website for the OneWorld-POSHAN Media Fellowship that features news articles, published by fellows, related to undernutrition in India. Despite targeted initiatives, undernutrition remains one of the major development challenges faced by India today. In […]

Aflatoxins—naturally occurring fungal toxins that contaminate grains and other crops— pose one of the world’s most significant food safety risks, particularly in developing countries. On November 5, IFPRI will launch a series of 19 policy briefs on managing aflatoxins as part of IFPRI’s 2020 Vision Initiative and under the auspices of the IFPRI-led CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture […]

The following story originally was published on the website for the IFPRI 2020 Policy Conference & Consultation on “Building Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security”. Strengthening the resilience of smallholder farmers requires integrated programming across sectors and a coherent policy framework for resilience, according to panelists at a lead-in event for the 2020 conference. Tom Arnold of Concern Worldwide, Kathy […]

Today’s era of food, financial, and weather-related crises, combined with household-level stressors, makes food and nutrition security for the world’s most vulnerable people ever more challenging. Research has shown that such groups not only spend a higher percentage of their household income on food, but also have fewer assets to help them cope with shocks. […]

At the 6th annual Open Access Week the academic and research communities celebrate their continued commitment to data sharing and access to information. As part of this global commitment to Open Access and Open Data, the CGIAR Consortium’s board recently approved the CGIAR Open Access and Data Management Policy. Since releasing an Open Access Statement in 2012, access to IFPRI’s […]

This blog story by Eva Donelli was originally posted on the Devex Development News site. The agricultural sector’s growth has lagged behind national economic growth in Africa, according to an International Food Policy Research Institute study. Given that most poor people are dependent on farming, this slow growth is an obstacle to regional poverty reduction, the study finds, and […]

With support from the European Commission, IFPRI conducts cutting-edge research on biofuels, trade, and country-specific development strategies. The European Commission (EC) has long championed food security, nutrition, and sustainable and productive agriculture. Since 2006, the EC has committed €1 billion every year to strengthen global food security and sustainable agriculture. In fact, with the 2008 […]

Today marks World Food Day, and despite significant gains in the fight against hunger in recent years, an estimated 842 million people—or 1 in 8 people worldwide—still suffer from chronic hunger. According to the 2013 Global Hunger Index (GHI), levels of hunger are still “alarming” or “extremely alarming” in 19 countries. As the international community grapples with […]

About one in eight people worldwide suffered from chronic hunger during the past two years, according to the United Nations. Though daunting, that ratio is an improvement over previous years. In fact, the 2013 Global Hunger Index report released today shows that global hunger levels have declined by nearly 35 percent since 1990. The Global […]

“After decades of hiatus, the global community and, most importantly, high-burden countries are stepping up to the challenge of malnutrition.” So said Shawn K. Baker, director of nutrition for the Gates Foundation’s Global Development Program, at last week’s 23rd Annual Martin J. Forman Lecture, held at IFPRI. In his talk, “Stepping into the SUN: Successes […]

Africa is confronting a complex development challenge: population pressures are driving land scarcity, resulting in progressively smaller plots of land per farmer. On the land that’s still available, soil is rapidly degrading. How can Africa maintain, let alone ramp up, agricultural productivity to fuel the economic growth necessary to alleviate poverty? At a recent roundtable […]

Although the level of food insecurity in Yemen is alarming, it is also declining. In 2011, Yemen was among the bottom 10 countries of the world in terms of food security, but by the end of 2012, food security levels had almost reached pre-crisis levels, according to research presented at a workshop on “Reactivating the […]

In recent years, many governments, civil society organizations, research groups, and intergovernmental agencies have sought ways to scale up effective actions for better nutrition. Research suggests that such efforts are successful if all the different groups work together in support of sound national policies, the implementation of effective interventions, and sector programs that are sensitive […]

It is a problem that extends far beyond the borders of a single country: Exponentially growing populations and a finite pool of resources needed to support them, including land, water, food and energy. In Ethiopia, expanding populations and shrinking land availability translate to smaller and smaller plots of farm land and waning incomes to match. […]

The following is an excerpted version of a story originally published on the IFPRI South Asia website. Onion prices have reached all-time high, not only in India but also in Bangladesh, and it’s mostly pinching the pockets of the country’s low-income population. According to The New Age, onion prices jumped by Tk 15-20, per kg domestically supplied onions were […]

To ensure the best use of resources and undertake research that is relevant and useful in a rapidly changing world, IFPRI commissions external assessment of its activities. A recent review focused on IFPRI activities in Ethiopia, one of the most populous and poor countries in Africa south of the Sahara, and thus a high priority […]

The following is an excerpted version of a story originally published on IFPRI’s Food Security Portal. The WTO Doha Development Round trade negotiations have been at an impasse since their launch in 2001, and have gotten particularly bogged down over the difficult technical and political aspects of agricultural trade reform. Further complicating the talks is the fact that the […]

IFPRI is pleased to announce the launch of its Outcome Stories website, highlighting the impact of IFPRI and partners’ work around the world. The website will showcase 30 initial stories of success, benchmarking progress achieved in areas such as building resiliency, facilitating markets, improving production, promoting nutrition, strengthening governance, and designing country strategies. Each week, IFPRI […]