Claudia Ringler
Director, Natural Resources and Resilience (NRR), Natural
Resources and Resilience
Back
With research staff from more than 60 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
Ruth Meinzen-Dick is a Senior Research Fellow in the Natural Resources and Resilience Unit. She has extensive transdisciplinary research experience in using qualitative and quantitative research methods. Her work focuses on two broad (and sometimes interrelated) areas: how institutions affect how people manage natural resources, and the role of gender in development processes.
Back
IFPRI is committed to providing policy-relevant research for better nutrition and livelihoods.
Back
IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.
The world’s natural resources provide food, water, fuel, fiber, and many other ecosystem services to society. Agriculture and food systems depend on healthy ecosystems and natural resources, but these resources face rising pressure from unsustainable production practices, population growth, and climate change. Additionally, food systems account for one-third of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, consume an estimated 85 percent of global freshwater withdrawals, and drive the loss of biodiversity and natural ecosystems.
Natural ecosystems, such as wetlands and tropical forests, are declining in quality and functioning, due to population growth, climate change, and poor management. Desertification, deforestation, overgrazing, salinization, soil erosion and biodiversity loss are on the rise, especially in low-income countries, with major impacts on the ecosystems underlying agrifood systems. The deterioration in vital natural resources and ecosystem services—from fertile soil to freshwater streams—has devastating impacts on the poor, who rely on these resources for much of their livelihoods, food, fuel, and clean water.
Current research
IFPRI conducts research on the incentives and institutions affecting the sustainable management of natural resources underlying agrifood systems and on the economics of ecosystem services and biodiversity. Work at the global and river basin level examines ways to reduce trade-offs in achieving goals for sustainable water, energy, and food security. This research is complemented by the development of policy innovations that can promote nature-based or nature-positive solutions, reduce costly and environmentally harmful practices, halt the loss of critical natural habitats or carbon sinks, and increase the use of clean energy.At the local level, IFPRI partners with NGOs and rural communities to design and test behavioral change interventions to strengthen collective action and self-governance. Participatory action research such as Living Labs for People that supports locally driven multi-actor innovation processes and transformative change can help empower women and vulnerable people most affected by resource scarcity and degradation in decision-making that affects their livelihoods.
IFPRI’s research on this topic is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1, SDG 2, SDG 12, and SDG 15, and the CGIAR Impact Areas on Climate Adaptation and Mitigation; Environmental Health and Biodiversity; and Poverty Reduction, Livelihoods, and Jobs.
Working Paper
Book Chapter
Journal Article
Avenues to empowerment.
Many dimensions of combating climate change.
Enfoques para el desarrollo de políticas del sistema alimentario.
Despite significant progress in addressing hunger and undernutrition in the early 2000s, malnutrition, in all its forms, remains a major challenge in all regions of the world. Unhealthy diets remain the primary drivers of many forms of malnutrition, including undernutrition, overweight and obesity, micronutrient deficiencies, and diet- related noncommunicable diseases. Today, the number of people […]
Click HERE to join the IFPRI-ADB Event on IFPRI’s 2024 GFPR on July 18, 2024 from 10:00am to 11:00am Manila time (GMT+8) / July 17, 2024 from 10:00pm to 11:00pm Washington, DC time (EDT). This event, co-organized by the Asian Development Bank and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) will present an overview of […]
Hybrid Event: June 6, 2024 at 9:30am-11:00am EDT. This event will have a discussion on the hidden costs of food systems and the remedies to reduce economic burdens, while moving toward more sustainable, health-promoting, and socially inclusive food systems.
A new study published today in Nature Sustainability, reaffirms the world’s growing dependence on depleting groundwater systems.
VoxDev published a research-based commentary by Tanguy Bernard (Professor of Economics, University of Bordeaux; Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI), Sylvie Lambert (Chaired Professor, Paris School of Economics), Karen Macours (Professor, Paris School of Economics), and Margaux Vinez (Senior Economist, World Bank) looking at how promoting modern seed varieties accelerated the deforestation of primary forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. […]
An article in the Malawi Nyasa Times reports that the Institute of Public Opinion and Research (IPOR), donated tree seedlings worth MK6.6m to communities around the Zomba and Malosa Forest Reserves. The seedlings will be donated to villages in Traditional Authorities (TAs) Malemia, Mlumbe, Nkula, and Sub TA Nkapita in Zomba and Machinga Districts. This […]
Director, Natural Resources and Resilience (NRR), Natural
Resources and Resilience
Director, Innovation Policy and Scaling (IPS), Innovation
Policy and Scaling
Senior Research Fellow, Innovation
Policy and Scaling
Senior Research Fellow, Natural
Resources and Resilience
Associate Research Fellow, Natural
Resources and Resilience
Senior Research Fellow, Foresight
and Policy Modeling
Research Fellow, Natural
Resources and Resilience
Program Manager, Development
Strategies and Governance
Program Manager, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions
Nonresident Fellow, Natural
Resources and Resilience
Nonresident Fellow, Natural
Resources and Resilience
Senior Research Associate, Development
Strategies and Governance
Senior Research Analyst, Natural
Resources and Resilience
Research Coordinator, Innovation
Policy and Scaling
Senior Research Analyst, Natural
Resources and Resilience
Senior Research Analyst, Natural
Resources and Resilience