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Who we are

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

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. 

Where we work

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Where we work

IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

IFPRI Regional Programs

IFPRI Country Programs

Research by country and region

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TOPIC

Health

Having access to nutritious, affordable, and safe food is critical for individuals to reach their physical and cognitive potential, maintain their health, and ensure economic productivity. Since agriculture, nutrition, diet, and health are intrinsically linked, IFPRI’s health research covers a range of issues, including antimicrobial resistance, agriculture-associated, infectious, and noncommunicable diseases, food safety, intimate partner violence, malnutrition, and maternal and child health, as well as social protection, agriculture, health, and education programs and policies for reducing poverty and enhancing nutrition, health, and education outcomes.

IFPRI’s research on this topic is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 2 and SDG 3.

health

topics

Publications

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Working Paper

Maize residue management in Myanmar

2024Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis
Details

Maize residue management in Myanmar

This note provides an overview of maize residue management practices in Myanmar based on interviews conducted in June 2024 with a sample of 599 maize farmers in the primary maize growing region. Key Findings  Burning maize residues is not the most common practice in Myanmar, and the share of farmers burning fell from 44 percent in 2013 to 34 percent in 2023 as farmers have adopted alternate approaches, such as retaining residues in the soil.  The broader maize sector evolution over the last decade has brought several changes, some of which likely increase the relative benefits of burning – e.g., decline in labor availability, decline in livestock ownership.  Access to markets for maize residues has improved, though still less than one fifth of farmers can sell their maize residues.  Soil fertility is important to farmers. Soil fertility improvement was the most common reported benefit to both burning and retaining residues. However, most farmers that do not burn disagree that soils are improved by burning, while most farmers that burn agree.  Most farmers are aware of the human health effects of burning, but more than a quarter strongly disagree that burning residues negatively affects the health of others.  The majority of farmers that burn agree that their community expects them to. Recommendations  Farmer education and extension are leading candidates to reduce maize residue burning in Myanmar. Key topics where there are evident knowledge gaps include highlighting the large relative gains in long-term soil health from retaining the residues compared to burning, and the high external health costs of burning.  Interventions to reduce burning are critical to reducing environmental and health externalities, and in light of the planned Thai bans in the importation of maize from countries using burning as a residue management practice. However, the Thai government should adapt their strategy and consider other methods to reduce residue burning in neighboring countries including supporting education, or providing price incentives or reduced tariffs for not burning as opposed to outright bans which would likely have limited effects on burning decisions at the farm level.  More research is needed to better understand the driving factors behind maize residue management decisions.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis

Citation

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis. 2024. Maize residue management in Myanmar. Myanmar SSP Research Note 113. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155051

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Maize; Agriculture; Farmers; Burning; Market Access; Soil Fertility; Health

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Working Paper

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Abstract

South Asia Nutrition Knowledge Initiative: Abstract digest October 2024

2024International Food Policy Research Institute
Details

South Asia Nutrition Knowledge Initiative: Abstract digest October 2024

In the fourth edition of the South Asia Nutrition Knowledge Initiative’s Abstract Digest, we present global, regional, and country-level evidence on various aspects of nutrition. The global studies include a discussion on strategies to improve infant and child survival rates that are currently off track, a systematic review examining effects of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements on maternal and infant outcomes, a scoping review to understand delivery platforms for reaching adolescents with nutrition interventions, a study assessing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption trends among children and adolescents across 185 countries, and a policy-oriented study shedding light on the cost to inaction in achieving nutrition targets. Other studies of interest include assessment of factors associated with adolescent motherhood and child undernutrition in Bangladesh, double and triple-burden of malnutrition among adolescents and children in India, and two sub-national level studies from India on diets and nutritional status of women of reproductive age, and women’s empowerment and child anthropometry. This issue also includes several studies on antenatal care, including its quality, utilization, and integration of other services to improve child growth, and two studies are focused on factors affecting dietary behaviors, and diet quality of women and children. Please scroll down to explore the abstracts of these studies. If you received this Abstract Digest via forwarding, we invite you to subscribe for future editions.

Year published

2024

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute. 2024. South Asia Nutrition Knowledge Initiative: Abstract digest. SANI Abstract Digest October 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155052

Keywords

Southern Asia; Nutrition; Maternal and Child Health; Supplements; Anthropometry

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Abstract

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Blog Post

Beyond the Health Extension Program: Developing a focused approach to improve nutrition in Ethiopia

2024Zerfu, Taddese
Details

Beyond the Health Extension Program: Developing a focused approach to improve nutrition in Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Health Extension Program (HEP) has long been a cornerstone of the country’s public health strategy, especially in rural and underserved areas. Launched with high hopes in 2003, the HEP aimed to advance health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and provide essential health services to communities with limited access. From its early years, the HEP demonstrated significant promise. Focusing on health education and preventive measures, its efforts in promoting hygiene, maternal and child health, and disease prevention have been pivotal in advancing public health across Ethiopia. A key strength of the program is its deployment of community health workers (CHWs), who deliver services directly within communities, making health care more accessible, especially in remote and underserved areas.

Year published

2024

Authors

Zerfu, Taddese

Citation

Zerfu, Taddese. 2024. Beyond the Health Extension Program: Developing a focused approach to improve nutrition in Ethiopia. IFPRI Blog. First available online on September 11, 2024. https://www.ifpri.org/blog/beyond-the-health-extension-program-developing-a-focused-approach-to-improve-nutrition-in-ethiopia/

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Health; Millennium Development Goals; Health Services; Education; Hygiene; Maternal and Child Health; Disease Prevention

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Blog Post

Blogs

World Food Day 2024: The critical role of healthy diets for realizing the right to food
IFPRI Blog
 | 
October 15, 2024

World Food Day 2024: The critical role of healthy diets for realizing the right to food

By Marie Ruel and Inge Brouwer

IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy Report on a key paradigm shift.

Beyond the Health Extension Program: Developing a focused approach to improve nutrition in Ethiopia
IFPRI Blog
 | 
September 11, 2024

Beyond the Health Extension Program: Developing a focused approach to improve nutrition in Ethiopia

By Taddese Zerfu

A study points to reforms.

Risk of famine remains high in Gaza
IFPRI Blog
 | 
June 28, 2024

Risk of famine remains high in Gaza

By Rob Vos, Sara Gustafson, Sediqa Zaki, and Brendan Rice

After a reprieve, more dangerous conditions are reemerging.

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Events

Supporting and shaping the global nutrition agenda with evidence: A three-decade journey of research and partnerships for impact
IFPRI Policy Seminar

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October 30, 2024, 10:00 – 11:30 am

Supporting and shaping the global nutrition agenda with evidence: A three-decade journey of research and partnerships for impact

Also streaming on Please type your questions into the chat box with name, affiliation, and country. The event video, presenter slides, and podcast will be available in the days following the event. This year’s Forman Lecture will be delivered by Dr. Marie Ruel, Senior Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit at IFPRI. […]

EAT Action Dialogues on “Mobilizing Finance for the Food System Transformation”
IFPRI at External Event

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October 11 to 28, 2024

EAT Action Dialogues on “Mobilizing Finance for the Food System Transformation”

This dialogue series is by invitation only. In preparation for the 2025 launch of the EAT-Lancet Commission 2.0, EAT is hosting a series of ‘EAT Action Dialogues’ to engage with stakeholders and co-create solutions for transforming food systems in line with the new targets and recommendations of the EAT-Lancet Commission 2.0.  The first two Dialogues will […]

Agronomy and Policy Solutions for Effective Implementation of the African Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan
Series/Special Event

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September 10, 2024, 9:30 – 11:30 am

Agronomy and Policy Solutions for Effective Implementation of the African Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan

CGIAR is pleased to support our regional and national partners in their implementation of the action plan emerging from the May 2024 African Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Summit. As the seventh policy seminar in the CGIAR series on Strengthening Food Systems Resilience, this event will examine the outcomes of the AFSH Summit and consider […]

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News

May 29, 2024 | Press Release

The 2024 Global Food Policy Report Stresses Urgent Need for Transformative Action to Achieve Sustainable Healthy Diets and Improved Nutrition

Washington DC, May 29, 2024: In the face of growing challenges posed by unhealthy diets, all forms of malnutrition, and environmental constraints, the 2024 Global Food Policy Report (GFPR) — released today by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) — underscores the importance of transforming complex global food systems to ensure sustainable healthy diets for all. Progress […]

November 16, 2023 | Press Release

The IPC expands global partnership to further tackle food insecurity and malnutrition – IFPRI, UNDP, World Bank and WHO

November 16, 2023, Rome — The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) initiative reaches a new milestone today as it expands its global partnership to include four new partners – the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO) – and establishes […]

September 21, 2023 | In the News

How does promoting modern seed varieties impact forest conservation? (VoxDev) 

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.  […]

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Our experts

Deanna Olney

Deanna Olney

Director, Nutrition, Diets, and Health (NDH), Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Kwaw Andam

Kwaw Andam

Country Program Leader / Senior Research Fellow, Development
Strategies and Governance

Erick Boy

Erick Boy

Chief Nutritionist, HarvestPlus, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

Manuel Hernandez

Manuel Hernandez

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

Jef L. Leroy

Jef L. Leroy

Senior Research Fellow, Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Razin Kabir

Razin Kabir

Senior Program Manager, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

Soyra Gune

Soyra Gune

Research Analyst, Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Ester Jimmy

Ester Jimmy

Research Associate, Innovation
Policy and Scaling

Mike Murphy

Mike Murphy

Senior Research Analyst, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions

May Wang

May Wang

Research Assistant, Development
Strategies and Governance