Blog World Hunger

IFPRI Division Director Speaks on Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change at High-Level Forum in Manila

clakatos — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:35:00 GMT

Climate change and its impacts on Asian countries was the focus of a high-level dialogue, hosted by the Asian Development Bank in Manila, on June 16-17. The event convened climate change policy leaders to discuss the path forward for the region and was co-hosted by Dr. R. K. Pachauri (Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda. Prominent participants included UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon via video. Dr. Mark Rosegrant, Director of IFPRI's Environment and Production Technology Division, delivered a presentation on "Building Climate Resilience in the Agriculture Sector in Asia and the Pacific " (5.5 Mb). Based on a project commissioned by ADB for IFPRI, Dr. Rosegrant described the serious but varied impacts of climate change across Asia (see "Impacts on Asian Rice Production" above), using the results of IFPRI's modeling. He also proposed policies for adaptation and mitigation, with a focus on benefiting poor, smallholder farmers. More information on the event can be found on the ADB website.

Malaria and Agriculture

M Allen — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:38:00 GMT

Agriculture has increased the intensity of malaria around the world, because it can support the breeding of mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite. Urbanization is increasing in most developing countries as a result of population growth. To feed the increasing population, farmers are cultivating undeveloped land around cities to produce and supply vegetables to the city dwellers. Water is vital for the success of the venture as cultivation is done year round. However, water is scarce in most of the cities and so it becomes a constraining factor. Farmers have learned to adapt to the constraints by storing water in dugouts and bunds. These water storage receptacles provide favorable aquatic habitats for mosquitoes. Additionally, farmers are implementing irrigation methods, such as furrow irrigation, that increase the potential for mosquito breeding. People who live around these urban agricultural field gardens easily contract malaria throughout the year if they are not properly protected by bed nets or pesticides or other control measures. It is important for policy makers to be cognizant of the relationship between agriculture and health when devising agricultural development and disease control policies and strategies.

For more information see The Linkages Between Agriculture and Malaria: Issues for Policy, Research, and Capacity Strengthening

IFPRI Hosts Side Event at International Climate Change Negotiations in Bonn

clakatos — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:25:00 GMT

On the eve of World Environment Day on June 4, 2009, IFPRI hosted a side event at the June meetings, held in Bonn, of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), focusing on "Agriculture and climate change: an agenda for negotiation in Copenhagen." The event discussed the importance of negotiation outcomes that support adaptation and mitigation by poor farmers in developing countries and was based on a collection of policy briefs from IFPRI's 2020 Vision Initiative, authored by leading global climate change experts. Speakers included:

Gerald C. Nelson (IFPRI): Agriculture and climate change in Copenhagen: perspectives from the experts
Rattan Lal (Ohio State University): Carbon sequestration in world soils
Paul Vlek (Center for Development Research, University of Bonn): Agricultural science and technology needs for climate change adaptation and mitigation
Sean Smukler (Earth Institute, Columbia University): Monitoring and measuring progress in meeting mitigation prospects
Peter Minang (Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins): Direct and indirect mitigation through tree and soil management

The webcast and presentations from the side event are available here.

Researchers, Policymakers Convene Conference to Discuss the Implications of GM Crops for Smallholder African Farmers

clakatos — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:02:00 GMT

International experts, key policymakers, heads of farmers associations, and private sector representatives gathered in Entebbe from May 19-21 to examine the potential benefits and challenges of producing genetically modified (GM) crops in Africa. The conference, “Delivering Agricultural Biotechnology to African Farmers: Linking Economic Research to Decision Making,” was organized by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in collaboration with the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology and the Science Foundation for Livelihoods and Development.

Deciding whether or not to make GM crops a priority in their agricultural development and food and nutrition security strategies and invest in modern biotechnology is an important consideration for many African countries. To help inform such policy decisions, conference participants shared research findings that address critical questions such as the economic impacts of GM crops on small farmers, the obstacles preventing farmers from gaining access to and successfully using GM technology, as well as what lessons countries can learn from each other. A critical element of the conference was determining how to better communicate these research findings to policymakers.

All conference information, including the presentations, press release, and more, are available on its website: africabiotech.wordpress.com/

"Land Grabbing" by Foreign Investors in Developing Countries: Risks and Opportunities

M Allen — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:45:00 GMT

One of the lingering effects of the food price crisis of 2007–08 on the world food system is the proliferating acquisition of farmland in developing countries by other countries seeking to ensure their food supplies. Increased pressures on natural resources, water scarcity, export restrictions imposed by major producers when food prices were high, and growing distrust in the functioning of regional and global markets have pushed countries short in land and water to find alternative means of producing food. These land acquisitions have the potential to inject much-needed investment into agriculture and rural areas in poor developing countries, but they also raise concerns about the impacts on poor local people, who risk losing access to and control over land on which they depend. It is crucial to ensure that these land deals, and the environment within which they take place, are designed in ways that will reduce the threats and facilitate the opportunities for all parties involved.

Read full brief

Download comprehensive table (PDF 136K)

IFPRI invites observers to share evidence-based information on land deals by posting a contribution on this blog.

Improving Access to Quality Seeds for Small-Scale Farmers

M Allen — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:34:00 GMT

Traders in the open-air markets of Kathonzweni, a market center in semi-arid eastern Kenya, sell several varieties of pigeonpea, a nutritious cash-crop that can grow well in dryer climates. Even though they sell the pigeonpea for use as seed, traders sometimes times do not know the origin or name of the variety. This information is critical for farmers planting in diverse, harsh conditions.

Luisa Munyao, an enterprising farmer-trader, obtained improved pigeonpea seed through a farm trial sponsored by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). She was impressed by pigeon pea’s performance and has recommended this variety to others ever since. She uses an innovative approach to market her product in small seed packs, which are attractive, clean, affordable, and easy to transport and use. Farmers prefer purchasing quality seeds from Luisa due to her extensive knowledge of these pigeonpea types and because the seeds guarantee good performance in their local environments.

Farmers such as Luisa, in semi-arid areas of developing countries, have not benefited from the Green Revolution; they are too isolated and their farms suffer from prolonged periods of dry weather. However, Luisa and neighboring farmers have adapted to their conditions by selling seed in local grain markets. While this system can work at times, it is unreliable, especially after droughts.

Farmers could benefit from improved varieties developed by the private or public sector. Unfortunately, the private sector has little incentive to provide these seeds to small farmers because of high transaction costs and systems for the certification and distribution of seeds are poorly developed.

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, together with their partners in India, Kenya, and Mali, undertook research to determine the obstacles that prevent small farmers from obtaining improved seeds in local markets. The study focused on farmers in semi-arid environments, their access to seed and the role of village markets in supplying it. As a result of this research, IFPRI and its collaborators are able to make country-specific recommendations to increase poor farmers’ access to better seeds.

For more information see Local Markets, Local Varieties: Rising Food Prices and Small Farmers' Access to Seed.

See also comments by Peter Bloch on the CGIAR CAS-IP Blog and by Dan Morrison on the 1 Well Blog.

International Women’s Day, March 8, 2009

M Allen — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:59:00 GMT

Around the world, women like Filomena Reyes Gomez, a Mexican mother of three, are on the frontlines in the fight against poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. But Filomena is starting to win that battle. She sends her 12-year-old daughter to school, takes her baby for regular medical check-ups, and attends health and nutrition education sessions. And gets paid for it.

Filomena participates in a government-run conditional cash transfer program that puts money directly into the hands of poor women and provides their children with basic healthcare.

"I spend the money on food and shoes," said Filomena. "It has helped us keep our children healthy and means they can go to school to have a better life."

Years of IFPRI research shows that empowering women is key to improving food and nutrition security. When resources, such as cash and food assistance, are targeted to women, their children are healthier and better educated.

While public school is free in Mexico, cash payments help families pay for basic supplies and provide a strong incentive to ensure their children attend consistently. To encourage female education, the program provides more money for girls than boys to support their schooling. Educating girls is critical. According to IFPRI research, female education is the single greatest way to reduce child malnutrition.

"The program helps us a lot and then we can help our kids," explained Filomena.

Improving a woman’s social and economic status not only improves the health, life, and longevity of her children, it benefits all of society.

To learn more about IFPRI’s research on Gender and Development, visit: http://www.ifpri.org/themes/gender/gender.htm

Live Webcast from "New Green Revolution" Symposium - University of Illinois

clakatos — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:03:00 GMT

IFPRI Senior Research Fellow Claudia Ringler is presenting on “How to Ensure Sustainable Access to Water for Food in a World of Growing Scarcity” at the symposium "New Green Revolution? Meeting the Global Food and Energy Demands" taking place at the University of Illinois, March 4-6. The symposium is addressing current trends and shifts in global food and energy demands, the crisis over rising prices and access to food, the impact of global climate change on agriculture and access to water resources, the tension between biofuels vs. food demands, developments in agricultural research and their societal impact, and the role of agribusiness. Dr. Ringler's presentation is covering such challenges as increasing inter-sectoral competition, degradation of water and land resources and the environment, growing water pollution, unsustainable groundwater use, water use for biofuel production, and climate change impacts on water for agriculture. A live webcast of the symposium is available here: lightning.itcs.uiuc.edu/greenrev/live.html
Note: Click here to read the IFPRI report referenced by Keynote Speaker Per Pinstrup-Andersen, "Linkages between Land Management, Land Degradation, and Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Uganda."

ASARECA Newsletter Features IFPRI Paper on Agricultural Biotechnology and Commercial Risks

clakatos — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:17:00 GMT

The Policy Analysis and Advocacy Programme (PAAP), part of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa, featured an IFPRI Discussion Paper in the February 2009 issue of its newsletter. The Paper, "Biosafety Decisions and Perceived Commercial Risks: The Role of GM-Free Private Standards," by IFPRI Research Fellow Guillaume Gruere and Research Analyst Debdatta Sengupta, takes a closer look at the observed discrepancy between real and perceived commercial risks associated with the use of genetically modified (GM) products in developing countries. The authors focus particularly on the effects of GM-free private standards set up by food companies in Europe and other countries on biotechnology and biosafety policy decisions in food-exporting developing countries. To download the paper, visit http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/dp/ifpridp00847.asp.

Eliminating Drastic Food Price Spikes – a three pronged approach for reserves

M Allen — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:28:00 GMT

by Joachim von Braun, Justin Lin and Maximo Torero.

The 2007/08 international food price crisis caused hardship on a number of fronts. The steep rise in food prices led to economic difficulties for the poor and generated political turmoil in many countries. The crisis could also result in long-term, irreversible nutritional damage, especially among children. There is a global interest in preventing such events from recurring. This episode highlights the need to modify the architecture of international financial and agricultural markets to address the problem of price spikes, especially their effects on the livelihoods of the poor.

Although a set of guiding principles for regulating agricultural and commodity futures markets should be developed and recent inappropriate trade policy instruments such as export bans should be reviewed, these actions are not sufficient to avoid extreme price spikes and to ensure that the world can respond to emergency needs for food. We propose three global collective actions to meet these goals.

First, a small physical food reserve should be established to facilitate a smooth response to food emergencies.
Second, a new international coordinated global food reserve should be established to minimize the risk of individual countries trying to achieve grain self-sufficiency by rebuilding their own public reserves which could result in a very inefficient global production system, a large total global reserve, and a very thin global grain market.
Third an innovative virtual reserve should be set up to help prevent market price spikes and to keep prices closer to levels suggested by long-run market fundamentals like supply and demand without putting at risk the coordinated global reserves.

This note offers some specifics on implementing this proposal to stimulate further discussion.

Price instability is a general feature of agricultural markets. The proposals made here are designed not to stabilize prices generally, but to prevent damaging price spikes and the collapse of confidence in the international grain market. The proposed actions will entail costs, but the modest costs of the required organizational elements must be balanced against the benefits of more effective international financial architecture. These benefits will include prevention of economic hardship, improved market efficiency, stronger incentives for long-term investment in agriculture, and prevention of political instability.

Read the full paper

Download in PDF (58K)

Enhanced HarvestChoice Website Aims to Help Better Target Agricultural Investments

clakatos — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:47:00 GMT

The HarvestChoice initiative has launched a comprehensive collection of data products designed to better inform strategic policy and investment decisions aimed at improving farm productivity and profitability, and market development. The website is intended to be the “go-to” resource for analysts and decision makers seeking integrated, consistent, and spatially-referenced information, provided in an interactive portal. The data collection focuses on factors relevant to crop production and marketing in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) agriculture, such as climate, soil and pest conditions and constraints, current and future cropping systems geography and performance, and access to markets. Recognizing the site-specific nature of many interventions designed to boost productivity, especially in the rainfed systems common throughout SSA, HarvestChoice takes a spatial approach, using interfaces built around open-source platforms such as Google Maps. By providing both public and private investors with an increasingly broad and in-depth understanding of major production and marketing challenges and opportunities, HarvestChoice hopes to shed light on the potential payoffs to productivity-enhancing innovations for smallholder farmers, as well as how to promote the commercialization of smallholder agriculture. The HarvestChoice website will continuously be updated and improved over time. To view the website and download these early data offerings, visit www.harvestchoice.org.

HarvestChoice was launched in October 2006 and is jointly led by IFPRI and the University of Minnesota’s International Science and Technology Practice and Policy (INSTePP) program. For more information, visit:
http://www.ifpri.org
http://www.instepp.umn.edu/

Renewed Grant for the Program for Biosafety Systems

ccronquist — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:28:00 GMT

© 2009, IFPRI
Photo Credit: B. Zawedde (IFPRI-PBS, Uganda).On October 1, 2008, the United States Agency for International Development awarded the IFPRI-managed Program for Biosafety Systems (PBS), a partnership program for biosafety capacity development, with an additional five years of funding for a second phase of activities (2008-2013). This funding will allow PBS to support partner countries in their development of fully functional biosafety regulatory systems, while facilitating scientific review and decision making on genetically-modified (GM) products. This is particularly significant, as GM or biotech crops are grown in over 20 countries worldwide, and several new products, tailored to improve agricultural productivity or to enhance nutritional content, are in the pipeline. With biosafety systems in place, partner countries can capture the benefits of these emerging products, while also ensuring consumer safety and minimal environmental risk.

In its first five years, PBS established itself as a leading program in biosafety. For Phase II, PBS’s highly experienced and diverse team of biotechnology and biosafety experts will continue to design and implement partner country activities in close collaboration with in-country teams, partners and collaborators to provide: 1) Regulatory and technical expertise; 2) Scientific knowledge and product advisory services; 3) Policy analysis and research-based policy advice; 4) Capacity building and skills development; and 5) Facilitation of multi-stakeholder policy processes. PBS will seize opportunities to respond to ever-changing global and regional political environments and to support biosafety review of products progressing towards commercial release.

PBS consists of five country components: Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, the Philippines and Uganda. In addition, PBS maintains an active partnership in Sub-Saharan Africa with COMESA – the Common Market for East and Southern Africa – in developing common guidelines for its member countries.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

PBS website (http://www.ifpri.org/pbs/pbs.asp)
PBS Blog (http://pbs.ifpriblog.org)
EMAIL (ifpri-pbs@cgiar.org)

IFPRI Strengthens Partnerships with Pan-African Organizations

M Allen — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:03:00 GMT

© 2008, IFPRI
Joachim von Braun and AUC chair, Mr. Jean Ping, at MOU signing.Despite enormous potential for agricultural growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, and some notable progress, food security continues to be a major problem for the continent, and the region is home to three-quarters of the world's poorest people.

To help Africa reach its potential and improve the livelihoods of the poor, IFPRI has long been engaged in substantial research, outreach, and capacity strengthening programs in collaboration with various partners at the country, regional, and international levels. To formalize two of its strong partnerships, IFPRI recently signed Memorandums of Understanding with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA).

IFPRI’s continued collaboration with FARA, which is led by World Food Prize Laureate and executive director Monty Jones, seeks to spur agricultural growth and overall economic performance through agricultural research that generates innovative ways to improve crop production, and technology dissemination and adoption. IFPRI will also support the design of agricultural and nutrition strategies and improve capacity for policy research and analysis.

"FARA is pleased to collaborate with IFPRI to foster synergies between policy recommendations and priorities for technology development and capacity building, and to promote evidence-based policymaking," said Dr. Jones.

The agreement with the AUC will strengthen the strategic partnership between IFPRI and the Commission’s Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, which seeks to improve rural livelihoods and develop rural economies by increasing agricultural productivity and enhancing the sustainable use and management of Africa’s natural resources.

Mr. Jean Ping, AUC chairperson, highlighted the importance of the partnership, noting that IFPRI will offer research-based technical assistance to the Commission and strengthen its capacity with respect to food security policies and the implementation of agriculture policies by member states.

"We look forward to working hand-in-hand with both the AUC and FARA to promote food and nutrition security in Africa, with a focus on the crucial links between health and agriculture and policies that promote productivity and well-functioning markets," said Joachim von Braun, IFPRI director general. "Together, we can improve the wellbeing of all Africans and help countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals."

Hope for a Healthier Harvest

M Allen — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:52:00 GMT

A new strategy promises to reduce hidden hunger and improve peoples lives throughout the developing world. Watch this short film to find out why biofortification offers hope for a healthier harvest.

Watch this video on IFPRI's YouTube Channel.

Joachim von Braun Awarded Bertebos Prize

simmenschuh — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:28:00 GMT

Princess Christina of Sweden and the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry present the Bertebos Prize to Joachim von Braun Joachim von Braun, IFPRI Director General, is the recipient of the Bertebos Prize 2009 which is awarded bi-annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry. The prize diploma of the Academy states, that “Joachim von Braun has been awarded the Prize for his outstanding work in development economics and as effective head of several development research institutions focusing on food, agriculture, and rural poverty.”

For more information

Better Land Management Benefits Farmers

pshelton — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:09:00 GMT

Photo credit: NAADS SecretariatSabika Moses Kasaato used to worry about how he would feed his family on his unproductive land in the village of Goma, Uganda. About 25 km from the capital, Kampala, Goma is very densely populated, and residents eke out a living on soil drained by ever-increasing pressure on the land.

As part of efforts to improve their livelihood, Sabika and his family joined a group of farmers participating in a government-funded, demand-driven, agricultural advisory services program. The program is targeted to those poor people who have some assets but lack the skills to use them to their full potential. The family decided to raise improved dairy goats and learned how to grow fast-growing, leguminous trees, solving several problems: the trees fix nitrogen in the soil to improve fertility, serve as firewood, and provide food for the goats. The goats’ manure also benefits the crops.

The Kasaato family mulches their cabbage garden, which they proudly say conserves moisture and saves time and labor previously required to fetch water for irrigation. The cabbage helps to feed the children, and they sell the rest for a profit at market.

IFPRI’s new Research Report, Linkages between land management, land degradation and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: The case of Uganda, examines which policies most effectively improve productivity, incomes, and environmental sustainability. One of the study’s recommendations is to promote investments in soil and water conservation and agroforestry, which is also what has worked so well for the Kasaato family.

Read the Research Report and Abstract

Adapting to Climate Change in Africa

M Bayeh — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:06:00 GMT

Takie Barusha has been farming for many years near the Ethiopian village of Harufa-Lole, about 185 kilometers south of Addis Ababa. With only 2.5 hectares of land, it hasn’t been easy for Takie to provide for his large family. In recent years, however, Takie has been facing even greater challenges due to global warming.

“The rain doesn’t come at the usual, expected time and the temperature is increasing,” he said. “There are many problems because of climate change, and the indigenous way of farming can’t support my family anymore.”

The vast majority of African farmers interviewed for a recent climate change study by IFPRI and its partners perceived long-term changes in both temperature and rainfall. Most of the farmers, however, did not adjust their farming practices due to a number of obstacles—including shortage of land and lack of access to credit and information— that prevented them from effectively adapting to global warming.

To overcome these barriers, the research shows that extension services should target those who are most vulnerable to climate change, including subsistence farmers and women, and improve their access to information and agricultural technologies that can both enhance productivity and reduce risk.

Previously, Takie grew only the traditional varieties of maize and haricot beans and his yields were low. After receiving advice and assistance from researchers about ways to combat some of the negative consequences of climate change, Takie switched to new maize and bean varieties.

“I’m now growing some early-maturing crop varieties,” he proudly explained. Takie has also started using reduced tillage and practicing other soil and water conservation measures.

“We have to take care of our environment. We can revive it,” he optimistically added.

LINKS:

How can African Agriculture Adapt to Climate Change?: Insights from Ethiopia and South Africa
Research Brief series 15.

Climate Change in Africa: Media Resources for Journalists

Measuring Ethiopian Farmers' Vulnerability to Climate Change Across Regional States
Discussion Paper.

Vulnerability and the Impact of Climate Change in South Africa's Limpopo River Basin
Discussion Paper.

Analyzing the Determinants of Farmers' Choice of Adaptation Methods and Perceptions of Climate Change in the Nile Basin of Ethiopia
Discussion Paper.

Eva Schiffer Wins 2008 CGIAR Promising Young Scientist Award

simmenschuh — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:19:00 GMT

Eva Schiffer, former International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) postdoctoral research fellow, won the 2008 CGIAR Promising Young Scientist Award, for creating "Net-Map," at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research's (CGIAR) annual general meeting. Net-Map is a low-tech interview based mapping tool that helps people research, understand, visualize, discuss, and improve situations in which many different actors influence outcomes. Schiffer first developed Net-Map when she was working with the CGIAR's Challenge Program on Water and Food in Ghana.

"This is a simple way for us to understand and anticipate what can be very confusing and complicated interactions in the agriculture sector," said Joachim von Braun, IFPRI Director General. "It's so effective that we are now seeing it adopted far beyond our area of work. Net-Map is being used as a way to improve communications related to the risks of avian influenza in Asia and Africa and to understand political pressures on the legislative process in Chile."

Video on Net-Map

View video on YouTube

Has the food crisis abated?

pshelton — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:13:00 GMT

The Scientific American recently published an edited transcript from an interview with Joachim von Braun, Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). In the question-an-answer segment, von Braun discusses current issues and future projections surrounding world food prices and their relationship to the global economic downturn. Although world grain prices have dropped in recent months, von Braun warns that food security in developing contries continues to be in great risk and that increased investment in agricultural research and development is needed in order to boost productivity, lower market volatility and expand social protection and child nutrition.

Read the full article

IFPRI and African Union Commission Sign Memorandum of Understanding

pshelton — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:14:00 GMT

Photo credit: African Union CommissionOn Wednesday, December 10, Jean Ping, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and Joachim Von Braun, Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The MoU was aimed at developing a strategic partnership between the Commission (Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture) and IFPRI, with specific emphasis on capacity strengthening in policy research and analysis, provison of policy communications, and facilitation of dialogue toward the improvement and implementation of agricultural policies among AU member states.

The event was captured on the African Union Commision's (AUC) website, which includes links to an AUC Press Release (also available in French and Arabic) as well as Chairperson Ping's Signing Statement.