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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.

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Danielle Resnick

Danielle Resnick is a Senior Research Fellow in the Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit and a Non-Resident Fellow in the Global Economy and Development Program at the Brookings Institution. Her research focuses on the political economy of agricultural policy and food systems, governance, and democratization, drawing on extensive fieldwork and policy engagement across Africa and South Asia.

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IFPRI currently has more than 480 employees working in over 70 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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TOPIC

Markets and Value Chains

Well-functioning markets for agricultural inputs and agrifood products are essential for economic growth and development, as well as food and nutrition security. The development, marketing, distribution, and use of agricultural inputs play an important role in determining production and yields. Agricultural growth and development require efficient and inclusive value chains for agricultural outputs, dynamic markets, efficient contract farming arrangements, horizontal coordination mechanisms, access to information and risk-coping tools for producers and traders, and opportunities for increasing gender equity. But ineffective policies, weak institutions, and inadequate infrastructure often prevent developing countries from moving toward a more market-oriented agricultural economy.

IFPRI researchers study food and agricultural value chains to better understand how to address these challenges. Using tools and experimental approaches developed by IFPRI, researchers test and validate innovative marketing arrangements and public interventions meant to help develop value chains that are efficient, inclusive, and resilient to external shocks. Our work builds understanding of the challenges and opportunities related to risk management, collective action, market failures and missing markets, and public investments to reduce gaps in physical infrastructure.

IFPRI’s research on this topic is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1, SDG 2, SDG 9, SDG 10, and SDG 16, and the CGIAR Impact Areas on Nutrition, Health, and Food Security and Poverty Reduction, Livelihoods, and Jobs.

markets

topics

Publications

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Journal Article

Wholesalers and the transformation of the “hidden middle” of the aquaculture value chain in Bangladesh

2026Ali, Hazrat; Belton, Ben; Haque, Mohammad Mahfujul; Hernandez, Ricardo; Murshed-e-Jahan, Khondker; Ignowski, Liz; Reardon, Thomas
Details

Wholesalers and the transformation of the “hidden middle” of the aquaculture value chain in Bangladesh

The rapid growth of aquaculture in Bangladesh over the past 30 years has been accompanied by a proliferation of wholesalers. Wholesalers are often assumed in academic and public discourse to be exploitative and inefficient: extracting rents rather than driving technological change. This view gives rise to development programs that seek to bypass marketing intermediaries or upgrade their practices. However, there has been little rigorous research on the behavior of wholesalers and its implications for outcomes of value chain performance, including food security. To address this gap, we implemented a statistically representative survey of 229 aquatic food wholesalers in 31 markets in one of Bangladesh’s most important aquaculture zones. We found the following. (1) The wholesale segment of the aquaculture value chain has grown rapidly. (2) Markets are increasingly competitive, with open auctions leading to disintermediation and transparent pricing. (3) Wholesale businesses operate on thin margins. (4) Very little food loss or waste occurs in the farm, wholesale, or retail value chain segments in the study zone. (5) Trading aquaculture products generates substantial employment for men but little for women. Contrary to popular belief, the midstream of the aquaculture value chain in southern Bangladesh is dynamic and efficient. The paper contributes to a growing literature highlighting the contributions that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the “hidden middle” segments of agri-food value chains make to food security.

Year published

2026

Authors

Ali, Hazrat; Belton, Ben; Haque, Mohammad Mahfujul; Hernandez, Ricardo; Murshed-e-Jahan, Khondker; Ignowski, Liz; Reardon, Thomas

Citation

Ali, Hazrat; Belton, Ben; Haque, Mohammad Mahfujul; Hernandez, Ricardo; Murshed-e-Jahan, Khondker; Ignowski, Liz; and Reardon, Thomas. Wholesalers and the transformation of the “hidden middle” of the aquaculture value chain in Bangladesh. Food Security 18(1): 53-76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-025-01605-w

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Southern Asia; Aquaculture; Fish; Wholesale Markets; Surveys; Value Chains; Prices; Food Losses

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-025-01605-w Source record

Project

Asian Mega-Deltas

Record type

Journal Article

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Brief

The state of fisheries in Hadramawt: Insights from a scoping review

2026Belton, Ben; Abdelhadi, Ali; Dey, Durjoy; Jovanovic, Nina; Kurdi, Sikandra; Ecker, Olivier
Details

The state of fisheries in Hadramawt: Insights from a scoping review

In this project note, we review prior research and integrate insights from 14 semi-structured key informant interviews with experts on fisheries in southern Yemen to synthesize current knowledge on fisheries in Hadramawt governorate—home to the largest population of fishers in Yemen—and identify gaps that warrant further investigation.

Year published

2026

Authors

Belton, Ben; Abdelhadi, Ali; Dey, Durjoy; Jovanovic, Nina; Kurdi, Sikandra; Ecker, Olivier

Citation

Belton, Ben; Abdelhadi, Ali; Dey, Durjoy; Jovanovic, Nina; Kurdi, Sikandra; and Ecker, Olivier. 2026. The state of fisheries in Hadramawt: Insights from a scoping review. MENA Project Note 29. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179858

Country/Region

Yemen

Keywords

Asia; Western Asia; Fisheries; Systematic Reviews; Stakeholders; Value Chains; Fishing Vessels; Fishery Industry Equipment; Governance; Markets; Postharvest Losses; Fish Consumption

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Resource thumbnail

Dataset

Clustering for Global Market Access in Bangladesh: Follow-Up Phone Survey

2026International Food Policy Research Institute
Details

Clustering for Global Market Access in Bangladesh: Follow-Up Phone Survey

This phone survey dataset is a follow-up to the Clustering for Global Market Access Survey, a two-round panel of 1,222 shrimp farmers in the southern Bangladesh districts of Bagerhat, Khulna, and Satkhira. The objective of the phone survey was to investigate cluster survival (following the end of the cluster implementation project), and what characteristics and dynamics distinguish surviving clusters from those that do not. This dataset also forms part of a mixed-methods undertaking that included qualitative case studies among cluster farmers. Data was collected at the cluster level between May-June 2025, with a “cluster” being a set of 20-25 farmers per village, defined by the cluster organizer. The respondents are cluster leads (presidents or secretaries) in 68 shrimp farming clusters as covered in the previous in-person panel rounds – 60 operated by the Department of Fisheries (DoF), and 4 each by the Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation (BSFF) and a private sector actor.

Year published

2026

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). 2026. Clustering for Global Market Access in Bangladesh: Follow-Up Phone Survey. Washington, DC: IFPRI [dataset]. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/AYKN1Z. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1.

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Southern Asia; Asia; Aquaculture; Shrimp Culture; Value Chains; Market Access; Food Security; Dietary Diversity; Credit; Labour; Income

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.7910/dvn/aykn1z Source record

Project

Gender Equality

Record type

Dataset

Blogs

Reimagining Indian agriculture for a low-carbon future
Event Post
 | 
December 23, 2025

Reimagining Indian agriculture for a low-carbon future

By Vartika Singh and Arabinda Padhee

Guiding an ongoing transformation.

Celebrating 50 years of IFPRI: Transforming agrifood systems in Latin America and the Caribbean
Event Post
 | 
October 29, 2025

Celebrating 50 years of IFPRI: Transforming agrifood systems in Latin America and the Caribbean

By Juan Pablo Gianatiempo, Jorge Armando Rueda Gallardo, and Valeria Piñeiro

Regional insights from the 2025 Global Food Policy Report.

TICAD 9: How IFPRI and Japan leverage advanced technologies, know-how, and institutional innovations to advance African development
Event Post
 | 
September 30, 2025

TICAD 9: How IFPRI and Japan leverage advanced technologies, know-how, and institutional innovations to advance African development

By Futoshi Yamauchi, Teunis van Rheenen, and Eduardo Maruyama

Insights from the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development.

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Events

Navigating Risk: Challenges in Agricultural Commodity Shipping and Insurance Markets
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

February 18, 2026, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Navigating Risk: Challenges in Agricultural Commodity Shipping and Insurance Markets

Shipping is at the heart of global agricultural trade, with more than 80 percent of staple crops and oilseeds moving by sea, yet maritime routes have become increasingly uncertain. Attacks on vessels in strategic corridors, drought‑restricted passages, and sharply rising war‑risk insurance premiums have created levels of exposure not seen in years. Bulk agricultural cargoes […]

Launch of the Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor (AATM) 2025
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

December 16, 2025, 12:00 – 2:00 pm

Launch of the Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor (AATM) 2025

AKADEMIYA2063 and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), in partnership with AGRA, are convening a hybrid launch event to unveil and discuss the findings of the Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor (AATM) 2025. This annual publication monitors and highlights trends in African agrifood trade, including intra-African trade, the continent’s participation in global trade, insights into […]

Trading the Crosswinds: Macroeconomic Outlook, Trade Policy Uncertainty, and Agricultural Commodity Markets
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

November 18, 2025, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Trading the Crosswinds: Macroeconomic Outlook, Trade Policy Uncertainty, and Agricultural Commodity Markets

Prospects for global grain and oilseed production remain broadly favorable, but the agricultural trade environment continues to face significant uncertainties. Trade policy developments—including the potential for retaliatory measures—are reshaping traditional trade flows and creating challenges for market participants. These shifts are occurring alongside broader macroeconomic factors such as currency movements, rising energy prices, and demand […]

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News

August 04, 2025 | Press Release

ASEAN and BIMSTEC experts convene in Jakarta for regional policy roundtable on agricultural transformation and market integration

The event formally launched a new regional initiative, Ensuring Inclusiveness, Sustainability, and Efficiency of Food System Transformation in the ASEAN and BIMSTEC countries.

September 03, 2024 | Press Release

Ruth Hill joins IFPRI as the new Director of the Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit

Ruth Hill joins IFPRI as the new Director of its Markets, Trade, and Institutions (MTI) Unit, starting September 3, 2024. 

September 06, 2023 | In the News

Unpacking the 2023 Africa agriculture assessment report (CNBC Africa) 

CNBC Africa interviewed John Ulimwengu, IFPRI Senior Research Fellow and the technical editor and lead researcher of the Africa Agriculture Status Report 2023, launched on September 6 at the Africa Food Systems Forum (AGRF). .  The Report titled “Empowering Africa’s Food Systems for the Future” highlights the ways in which Africa is uniquely positioned to redefine its future and […]

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Our experts

David Spielman

David Spielman

Director, Innovation Policy and Scaling (IPS), Innovation
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Jan Duchoslav

Jan Duchoslav

Research Fellow, Development
Strategies and Governance

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Senior Research Fellow, Markets,
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Senior Research Fellow, Markets,
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Amit Burman

Amit Burman

Project Coordinator, Development
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Razin Kabir

Razin Kabir

Senior Program Manager, Poverty,
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Nicholas Minot

Nicholas Minot

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Markets,
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