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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

Kinya Kaibung’a

Kinya Kaibung’a is a Research Officer with the Development Strategies and Governance Unit, based in Nairobi, Kenya. She has a keen interest in leveraging machine learning, AI, and other cutting-edge technologies to boost climate resilience and food security in smart agriculture systems.

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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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TOPIC

Agriculture Production

Sustainable food production is critical to meeting growing global food needs amid climate change and natural resource scarcity. It is also the starting point for a shift toward sustainable, equitable food systems. But in many developing countries, underinvestment in agricultural production means that productivity and farmer incomes remain low, with negative impacts on rural development. Lack of knowledge, capital, labor, or other resources can lead to degradation of the natural resources that support agricultural production. As a result, food production is vulnerable to natural and socioeconomic shocks.

Evidence shows that sound and sustained investment in agriculture, especially in research and development, is key to increasing agricultural productivity, reducing poverty, and fostering economywide growth. Yet many developing countries give little consideration to agricultural science and technology in their national development plans.

… read more

IFPRI’s research examines emerging technologies and policy innovations designed to meet global food needs sustainably and equitably. Our researchers consider innovations in natural resource management, climate and energy policies, mechanization and digital options, biosafety systems for biotechnology, agricultural diversity, property rights, and collective action that can lead to improved food production and sustainability.

With proven innovations in hand, improvements in agricultural extension can lead to greater adoption of productivity-enhancing technologies. Work on nutrition and value chain development can help to build demand for diverse agricultural products. IFPRI’s foresight research helps to identify future threats to food production and security and ensure that scarce budgetary resources are directed toward sustainable development investments that achieve the greatest impact.

IFPRI’s agriculture production research is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1, SDG 2, SDG 7, SDG 8, SDG 10, SDG 13, and SDG 15. It also aligns with the CGIAR Impact Areas on Climate Adaptation and Mitigation; Environmental Health and Biodiversity; Nutrition, Health, and Food Security; and Poverty Reduction, Livelihoods, and Jobs.

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topics

Publications

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Journal Article

After quantification: Insights from India’s Soil Health Card scheme

2026Ghosh, Ritwick; Nehring, Ryan; Zhang, Wei
Details

After quantification: Insights from India’s Soil Health Card scheme

As the concept of soil health gains prominence, it becomes increasingly important to examine how states design and implement soil health policies. Does soil health offer a novel pathway to enact and legitimize institutional changes toward more sustainable farming systems, or does it risk becoming another neologism that preserves status quo, productivist agriculture? We explore these questions through an analysis of one of the most ambitious state-led initiatives organized around soil health: India’s Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme. The SHC scheme seeks to provide every farmer in the country with bi-annual soil test reports, based on the assumption that improved information will encourage more judicious use of fertilizers and pesticides. The assumption reflects a broader emphasis within the agricultural sciences on the importance of quantifying soil health. Drawing on government documents and farmer perception studies (n = 38), we find that although farmers view the cards positively, they make few substantive changes to their farming practices. As an illustrative case, India’s grand SHC scheme shows that quantification alone is insufficient and could even dampen momentum for transformative policy reforms. Effective and durable change lies in pairing efforts to quantify soil health with (a) plural epistemic approaches to knowledge production, (b) participatory models for knowledge dissemination, and (c) structural reforms in the agri-food system that address issues around land tenure and subsidies.

Year published

2026

Authors

Ghosh, Ritwick; Nehring, Ryan; Zhang, Wei

Citation

Ghosh, Ritwick; Nehring, Ryan; and Zhang, Wei. 2026. After quantification: Insights from India’s Soil Health Card scheme. Land Use Policy 169(October 2026): 108147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2026.108147

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Project Evaluation; Soil Health; Agricultural Policies; Environmental Policies; Sustainable Agriculture; Governance

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2026.108147 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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Brief

The Iran War and rising fuel and fertilizer prices: Implications for Myanmar’s rice value chain

2026Masias, Ian; Minten, Bart; Goeb, Joseph; Htar, May Thet; Aung, Nilar
Details

The Iran War and rising fuel and fertilizer prices: Implications for Myanmar’s rice value chain

The Iran War has driven up fuel and fertilizer prices in Myanmar and created the risk of shortages in some parts of the country. At the end of June, diesel prices were 34 percent higher and petrol prices 57 percent higher than at the end of February, while reference prices for urea in mid- and late June were 49 and 28 percent higher, respectively, than last monsoon season. Myanmar’s rice value chain depends heavily on fertilizer for paddy production and on fuel for land preparation, irrigation, harvesting, transport, and processing. Alongside an expected El Niño, these higher costs of fuel and fertilizer are likely to lower yields and rice production in the 2026 monsoon season. Higher costs are likely to reach consumers, raising the price of rice, the country’s main staple, and worsening food security at a time of already high humanitarian need. Recommended Actions: Ease forex restrictions and import licensing on fertilizer imports, which raise input prices above those of regional competitors. Promote more efficient use of chemical fertilizer, since prices are likely to stay elevated even after the crisis eases. Support the local production of organic fertilizer and educate farmers on its effective use, to reduce reliance on imported chemical fertilizer. Expand alternative and more reliable energy sources, addressing a constraint that predates the shock. Expand alternative and more reliable energy sources, addressing a constraint that predates the shock.

Year published

2026

Authors

Masias, Ian; Minten, Bart; Goeb, Joseph; Htar, May Thet; Aung, Nilar

Citation

Masias, Ian; Minten, Bart; Goeb, Joseph; Htar, May Thet; and Aung, Nilar. 2026. The Iran War and rising fuel and fertilizer prices: Implications for Myanmar’s rice value chain. Myanmar SSP Research Note 132. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183599

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Inflation; Fuels; Fertilizer Industry; Prices; Agricultural Value Chains; Rice

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

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Book Chapter

Regional integration, resilience, and innovation

2026Sall, Leysa Maty; Girma, Mahlet; Havsteen Branner, Victoria
Details

Regional integration, resilience, and innovation

Regional integration has become a strategic objective for Africa in an era marked by global tensions, climate vulnerability, and persistent structural transformation challenges. Despite decades of regional trade agreements, intra-African trade remains limited and concentrated in a narrow range of products, reflecting shallow productive integration and high trade costs. These constraints are particularly present in agriculture, which employs nearly 60% of Africa’s labor force and plays a central role in food security, income generation, and poverty reduction (Mamboundou et al. 2026). The launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents a structural shift toward continent-wide deep integration, with the potential to expand intra-African trade, strengthen regional value chains, and enhance economic resilience. At the same time, digital innovation and climate imperatives are reshaping the policy landscape, creating both opportunities and adjustment pressures. This chapter examines the interconnections between regional integration, resilience, and innovation in Africa, assessing the evolution and performance of regional trade integration, evaluating the projected impacts of AfCFTA implementation, and analyzing the roles of digitalization and climate-smart trade pathways in supporting inclusive and sustainable transformation. In the context of the post-MC14, the chapter contributes to ongoing debates on how regional integration can complement multilateral reform, particularly in agriculture, digital trade governance, and climate-related trade measures.

Year published

2026

Authors

Sall, Leysa Maty; Girma, Mahlet; Havsteen Branner, Victoria

Citation

Sall, Leysa Maty; Girma, Mahlet; and Havsteen Branner, Victoria. 2026. Regional integration, resilience, and innovation. In Agricultural Trade at a Crossroads with Latin American, Caribbean, and African Perspectives for Post-MC14, eds. Valeria Piñeiro, Simon Mevell, and Martin Piñeiro. Part Three: Africa: Regional Perspective, Chapter 3.3, Pp. 204-236. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183497

Keywords

Africa; Climate-smart Agriculture; Multilateral Organizations; Trade Agreements; Regional Policies; Trade; Resilience; Innovation

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-SA-3.0-IGO

Source

Source record

Record type

Book Chapter

Blogs

When climate shocks reduce harvests, children pay the price: Evidence from Nigeria
Research Post
 | 
June 05, 2026

When climate shocks reduce harvests, children pay the price: Evidence from Nigeria

By Mulubrhan Amare and Bedru Balana

The pathway from climate change to child nutrition and health.

The case for tackling multiple constraints for smallholder farmers: Evidence from Malawi
Research Post
 | 
June 01, 2026

The case for tackling multiple constraints for smallholder farmers: Evidence from Malawi

By Kate Ambler, Alan de Brauw, and Susan Godlonton

Cash or in-kind transfers and extension services work better together.

Reducing ozone pollution can offset the food security cost of climate action
Research Post
 | 
May 15, 2026

Reducing ozone pollution can offset the food security cost of climate action

By Abhijeet Mishra, Timothy Sulser, Keith Wiebe, and Eleanor Jones

Uncovering an additional benefit of mitigation.

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Events

2026 Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Meeting
IFPRI at External Event

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July 26 to 28, 2026

2026 Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Meeting

IFPRI is participating in the 2026 Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Meeting on July 26– July 28, 2026. Taking place in Kansas City, Missouri at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown, the 2026 AAEA Annual Meeting is made up of Invited Paper Sessions, Invited Case Study Papers, Organized Symposia, Selected Presentations (Lightning Sessions, Paper […]

IFPRI @ 30th Annual ICABR Conference 2026
IFPRI at External Event

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July 7 to 10, 2026

IFPRI @ 30th Annual ICABR Conference 2026

IFPRI is participating in the 30th Annual International Consortium on Applied Bioeconomy Research (ICABR) Conference on July 7–10, 2026, in Ravello, Italy. The 30th Annual ICABR conference brings together leading minds to explore innovation, policy, and progress in biotechnology and agricultural development. Featuring keynote addresses from global experts, including Nobel Laureate Dr. Riccardo Valentini and […]

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

June 05, 2026 | In the News

West Asia crisis: Why India needs a fertiliser security strategy (The Economic Times)

The Economic Times (India) published an op-ed by Barun Deb Pal and Anjani Kumar, IFPRI South Asia Office, and Smita Sirohi, ICAR-National Professor, MS Swaminathan Chair.

November 28, 2024 | Press Release

New paper calls for harnessing agrifood value chains to help farmers be climate-smart

The global food system is uniquely vulnerable to climate impacts, making adaptation of paramount importance.

February 11, 2024 | In the News

Agricultural growth key to accelerated poverty reduction in Bangladesh (Financial Express)

Senior research fellow and country representative, Akhter Ahmed writes in an op-ed for the Financial Express (Bangladesh) that the country “has witnessed substantial economic growth over the past decade, with an average annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.6 per cent between 2016 and 2022. Notably, the country experienced a 3.4 per cent increase in GDP in 2020, making Bangladesh one […]

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Projects

True Value of Food

True Value of Food

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Ensuring Inclusiveness, Sustainability, and Efficiency of Food System Transformation in the ASEAN and BIMSTEC countries

Ensuring Inclusiveness, Sustainability, and Efficiency of Food System Transformation in the ASEAN and BIMSTEC countries

Background The project “Ensuring Inclusiveness, Sustainability, and Efficiency of Food System Transformation in the ASEAN and BIMSTEC Countries – (ATMI-II)” responds to the rapid transformation……

BRIGHT Sri Lanka

BRIGHT Sri Lanka

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Groundwater governance: Managing the world’s most precious natural resource

Groundwater governance: Managing the world’s most precious natural resource

IFPRI’s research on natural resource governance addresses questions on how natural resources can best be managed, sustained, and restored, while improving livelihoods of the millions……

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Our experts

Francisco Ceballos

Francisco Ceballos

Research Fellow, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions, Latin America and the Caribbean

Ryan Nehring

Ryan Nehring

Research Fellow, Agrifood
Innovation and Resilience

Amit Burman

Amit Burman

Project Coordinator, Development
Strategies and Governance

Ian Masias

Ian Masias

Program Head, Development
Strategies and Governance

Patrick Ward

Patrick Ward

Nonresident Fellow, Development
Strategies and Governance