researcher spotlight

Akhter Ahmed is a Senior Research Fellow in the IFPRI’s Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit and Country Representative for IFPRI Bangladesh. He has worked on strategies for agricultural and rural development, social protection, and women’s empowerment to reduce poverty, food insecurity, and undernutrition in developing countries including Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Malawi, the Philippines, and Turkey.

TOPIC

Food Safety

Food safety is closely linked to food security, the safety and availability of water, and human health. In developing countries, food and waterborne diseases are a major cause of illness and death, and unsafe food and water threaten the livelihoods and long-term prospects of the poor.

We cannot reduce poverty and improve health and nutrition without ensuring access to safe food for all people. However, food safety standards that are too difficult or costly for small farmers to meet can prevent poor populations from accessing markets, and thus limit incomes.

IFPRI researchers and partners provide evidence to policymakers on the importance of food and water safety, as well as on the issues that arise in providing food and water safety. Evaluation of policies and technologies for food safety can help farmers and other value chain actors can meet higher safety standards and reduce food loss and waste, and improve consumer access to safe food.

Our researchers explore a wide range of questions relevant to food safety: can institutional mechanisms like cooperatives, food safety certifications, and contract farming help poor producers access markets? Are there cost-effective strategies to minimize risks to food and water safety? Can labeling increase consumer demand for safer products? The answers to these and other questions will help policymakers craft effective solutions to provide safe food and water for all. IFPRI’s research on this topic is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1, SDG 2, SDG 3, and SDG 6, and the CGIAR Impact Areas on Nutrition, Health, and Food Security and Poverty Reduction, Livelihoods, and Jobs.