researcher spotlight

Erick Boy is the Chief Nutritionist in the HarvestPlus section of the Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit. As head of nutrition for the HarvestPlus Program since 2008, he has led research that has generated scientific evidence on biofortified staple crops as efficacious and effective interventions to help address iron, vitamin A, and zinc deficiency in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia.

TOPIC

Migration and Remittances

Voluntary internal and international migration can create significant economic benefits for migrants as well as their origin and destination communities. Remittances—the money sent by migrants to their home countries—are important sources of income that drive economic growth in migrants’ sending countries. Voluntary migration can improve food security both for migrants and the households they leave behind. Those who remain behind, including women, can benefit from new economic and decision-making opportunities, but they may also face growing work burdens and inadequate access to resources; attention to empowering such individuals is critical.

Forced migration, however, may exacerbate food insecurity of displaced populations or host communities by disrupting access to resources, arable land, and employment opportunities. Migrants forced to flee conflict, violence, and natural or human-made disasters face increased vulnerability to hunger and malnutrition—with women facing especially acute vulnerabilities. Inadequate infrastructure and limited access to humanitarian aid further compound these challenges.

IFPRI conducts evidence-based research to delve deeper into the factors leading to forced and voluntary migration and migrant remittances, and on the effects of migration on migrants, source households, and host communities, including effects on food security and household well-being. This includes analysis of gender-disaggregated data on the drivers and impacts of migration, including impacts on access to resources and livelihood choices. Innovative tools are also being developed for better monitoring of migration patterns and identification of areas more prone to involuntary migration. IFPRI’s research on this topic is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG1, SDG2, SDG8, SDG10, SDG11, and SDG16, and the CGIAR Impact Areas on Poverty Reduction, Livelihoods & Jobs and Gender Equality, Youth & Social Inclusion.