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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

Elodie Becquey

Elodie Becquey is a Senior Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit, based in IFPRI’s West and Central Africa office in Senegal. She has over 15 years of research experience in diet, nutrition, and food security in Africa, including countries such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, and Tanzania.

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Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

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

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TOPIC

Poverty

Today, nearly 10 percent of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty, making them vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition. Though substantial progress has been made in reducing poverty as well as food insecurity in recent decades, recent events, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, and the increasing incidence of weather shocks linked to a changing climate, have slowed that progress.  Poverty is more prevalent in rural areas of developing countries (though it is becoming increasingly common in urban areas), and intersects with gender disparities in rights, assets holdings and economic opportunities, as well as similar inequities experienced by marginalized communities.

Identifying research-based policy solutions to poverty is central to IFPRI’s mission. IFPRI’s researchers explore the linkages between poverty, food security, and nutrition, and evaluate programs and policies that help families move out of poverty.

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IFPRI evaluations focus on multifaceted livelihoods interventions designed to address the multiple constraints faced by households in poverty, in addition to technical and policy innovations that can boost productivity and market access, and financial tools such as insurance that can reduce risks and raise incomes. This research agenda on poverty also links to our research agenda on social protection, given that social protection is a major antipoverty initiative in many countries and a launching point for multifaceted antipoverty initiatives. IFPRI’s research on development strategies uses economic modeling to explain how policies to support food system transformation and agriculture-led growth can create new opportunities both on and off farm and contribute to poverty alleviation. IFPRI also has strong expertise in probing the intersections between poverty and gender.  IFPRI’s research identifies effective and sustainable strategies that ensure that women are empowered to participate in new economic opportunities.

IFPRI’s research on this topic is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG1, and the CGIAR Impact Area on Nutrition, Health, and Food Security; Poverty Reduction, Livelihoods and Jobs; and Gender Equality, Youth, and Social Inclusion.

poverty

topics

Publications

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Journal Article

How much do our neighbors really know? The limits of community-based targeting

2026Trachtman, Carly; Permana, Yudistira Hendra; Sahadewo, Gumilang Aryo
Details

How much do our neighbors really know? The limits of community-based targeting

Social assistance programs in developing countries often rely on local community members to identify potential beneficiaries. As community members may observe neighbors’ welfare, their reports may capture transitory shocks better than the proxies typically observable by a centralized policy implementer. To test this, we conduct a lab-style experiment in Central Java, in which participants rank other community members’ welfare, using benchmarks that vary in sensitivity to transitory shocks, and target small cash transfers. We find little evidence that community-held welfare information better reflects transitory shocks and find that targeting decisions mostly depend on perceived differences in overall wealth. JEL Codes: O12, I32, D83

Year published

2026

Authors

Trachtman, Carly; Permana, Yudistira Hendra; Sahadewo, Gumilang Aryo

Citation

Trachtman, Carly; Permana, Yudistira Hendra; and Sahadewo, Gumilang Aryo. 2025. How much do our neighbors really know? The limits of community-based targeting. Journal of Development Economics 178(January 2026): 103555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103555

Country/Region

Indonesia

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Oceania; Community Development; Policy Innovation; Poverty; Targeting

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103555 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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Brief

Mozambique: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development

2025Aragie, Emerta A.; Benfica, Rui; Thurlow, James; Xu, Valencia Wenqian; Jones, Eleanor
Details

Mozambique: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development

In this policy brief, we present findings of a systematic evaluation and ranking of investment options for Mozambique’s agrifood system based on their cost-effectiveness in achieving multiple development outcomes, including agrifood gross domestic product (GDP) growth, agrifood job creation, poverty reduction, declining undernourishment, and lowering diet deprivation. Additionally, the study assesses their environmental footprint, focusing on water consumption, land use, and emissions. In Mozambique, investments in small and medium enterprise (SME) processors and traders are identified as the most cost-effective means of enhancing social outcomes, such as poverty reduction and addressing undernourishment. They are also highly ranked in accelerating agrifood GDP and employment. Moreover, extension services for livestock and agronomy, rural road infrastructure, and post-harvest losses reduction are also highly ranked. However, many of these cost-effective investments come with relatively high environmental footprints, which highlight potential tradeoffs. The study further reveals shifts in the cost-effectiveness ranking of investment options over time and marginally so in the presence of extreme production shocks.

Year published

2025

Authors

Aragie, Emerta A.; Benfica, Rui; Thurlow, James; Xu, Valencia Wenqian; Jones, Eleanor

Citation

Aragie, Emerta A.; Benfica, Rui; Thurlow, James; Xu, Valencia Wenqian; and Jones, Eleanor. 2025. Mozambique: Cost effective options for inclusive and sustainable development. Agrifood Investment Prioritization Country Series Brief 8. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178505

Country/Region

Mozambique

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Agricultural Sector; Sustainable Development; Poverty; Nutrition; Environmental Impact; Investment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Resource thumbnail

Brief

From pledges to action: NDC 3.0 for poverty reduction and climate justice in Nepal

2025Chaudhary, Arbind; Babu, Suresh Chandra; Chaudhary, Bibek
Details

From pledges to action: NDC 3.0 for poverty reduction and climate justice in Nepal

Located in the heart of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, Nepal plays a vital geopolitical and ecological role in South Asia’s climate landscape. Although the country contributes less than 0.03 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions (MoFE 2020) and has extensive forest cover of 46 percent (MoFE 2025), it faces disproportionate risks from climate-induced disasters, such as glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), erratic monsoons, and prolonged droughts. The HKH region spans eight countries and hosts 10 major river basins and more than 87,000 square kilometers of glaciers, delivering water and ecosystem services to more than 1.9 billion people downstream (ICIMOD 2025a). Within this complex hydrological system, Nepal’s rivers—including the Koshi, Gandaki, and Karnali—not only sustain local livelihoods but also feed millions in India’s Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and even parts of China. Climate justice is imperative in this context: Nepal’s low emissions profile stands in stark contrast to its high vulnerability (CVF 2024), requiring urgent attention to equity, adaptation finance, and inclusive development pathways. This policy note discusses Nepal’s role in climate justice diplomacy, examines the regional and country-level context of climate risk, and assesses Nepal’s third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) to reframe climate action through a justice-centered lens.

Year published

2025

Authors

Chaudhary, Arbind; Babu, Suresh Chandra; Chaudhary, Bibek

Citation

Chaudhary, Arbind; Babu, Suresh Chandra; and Chaudhary, Bibek. 2025. From pledges to action: NDC 3.0 for poverty reduction and climate justice in Nepal. IFPRI Policy Note. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178267

Country/Region

Nepal

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Capacity Building; Poverty Reduction; Climate Change; Natural Resources

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Blogs

All in together? How communities contribute to school meals programs
IFPRI Blog
 | 
November 24, 2025

All in together? How communities contribute to school meals programs

By James Allen IV, Naureen Karachiwalla, and Deboleena Rakshit

The dynamics of cooperation.

Escaping the fragility-poverty trap: New evidence on financing food systems in Africa
IFPRI Blog
 | 
October 31, 2025

Escaping the fragility-poverty trap: New evidence on financing food systems in Africa

By Evgeniya Anisimova and Sami Husa

Mobilizing limited resources in uncertain times.

From participation to power: Advancing women’s leadership in rural development
IFPRI Blog
 | 
October 14, 2025

From participation to power: Advancing women’s leadership in rural development

By Katrina Kosec

On the International Day of Rural Women, IFPRI research shows avenues for empowerment.

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Events

Mobility in a Fragile World: Evidence to Inform Policy
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

September 18, 2025, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Mobility in a Fragile World: Evidence to Inform Policy

Migration today reflects a complex interplay of demographic pressures, conflict, poverty, climate change, and economic shocks. Worldwide, one in every seven people is a migrant—that is, someone who changes his or her country of usual residence, irrespective of the reason for migration—or a refugee forced to leave his or her home, often without warning, for […]

Food Policy for a Changing World: Lessons and Priorities for South Asia
Series/Special Event

 | 

September 16, 2025, 2:30 – 6:15 pm

Food Policy for a Changing World: Lessons and Priorities for South Asia

Agriculture plays a central role in South Asia, providing livelihoods for millions while shaping trade and food systems across the region. Countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka are major producers of rice, wheat, tea, and spices, with agricultural exports fueling economies and global supply chains. Despite these strengths, the sector faces significant challenges, […]

Worsening food insecurity, waning response capacity: Options for a better way forward
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

July 2, 2025, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Worsening food insecurity, waning response capacity: Options for a better way forward

Food crises arise from the complex interplay of conflict, poverty, climate variability, and economic shocks, resulting in acute food insecurity among vulnerable populations. According to the latest Global Report on Food Crises (2025), the number of people facing severe levels of acute food insecurity has tripled over the past decade, rising from around 100 million […]

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News

June 30, 2025 | Press Release

Sudan’s prolonged conflict could slash GDP by over 40% and push millions deeper into poverty, new IFPRI study warns

A new study finds that if Sudan’s conflict continues through the end of 2025, the country could face catastrophic economic losses, widespread unemployment, and a dramatic rise in poverty, with women and rural populations hit hardest.

February 11, 2024 | In the News

Agricultural growth key to accelerated poverty reduction in Bangladesh (Financial Express)

Senior research fellow and country representative, Akhter Ahmed writes in an op-ed for the Financial Express (Bangladesh) that the country “has witnessed substantial economic growth over the past decade, with an average annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.6 per cent between 2016 and 2022. Notably, the country experienced a 3.4 per cent increase in GDP in 2020, making Bangladesh one […]

March 06, 2023 | In the News

Real-time monitoring of imports, national supply for key commodities needed (The Daily Star)

Johan Swinnen, Managing Director, Systems Transformation, CGIAR and Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute gave an extensive interview to the Daily Star (Bangladesh).  Bangladesh should conduct real-time monitoring of imports and national supply chains for critical commodities to forecast and respond in a timely manner to policy challenges and tackle the impacts […]

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Our experts

Daniel Gilligan

Daniel Gilligan

Director, Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion (PGI), Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

James Thurlow

James Thurlow

Director, Foresight and Policy Modeling (FPM), Foresight
and Policy Modeling

Katrina Kosec

Katrina Kosec

Senior Research Fellow, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

Kristi Mahrt

Kristi Mahrt

Senior Research Analyst, Development
Strategies and Governance

Khalid Siddig

Khalid Siddig

Senior Research Fellow, Development
Strategies and Governance

Amit Burman

Amit Burman

Project Coordinator, Development
Strategies and Governance

Mariam Dawoud

Mariam Dawoud

Program Manager, Development
Strategies and Governance

Razin Kabir

Razin Kabir

Senior Program Manager, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

Antoine Bouet

Antoine Bouet

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions

Nicholas Minot

Nicholas Minot

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions