IFPRI Global Food Policy Reports
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/137912
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Item Regional developments: Latin America and the Caribbean [in 2025 GFPR](Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Piñeiro, Valeria; McNamara, Brian; Segura, Joaquín Arias; Díaz-Bonilla, EugenioOver the past five decades, Latin America and the Caribbean has experienced significant changes in its food systems, while also facing both long-standing and new challenges. The region plays a key role in global food security and nutrition, as well as in stabilizing the global climate and conserving biodiversity. Moving forward, the region must overcome the hurdles created by economic and political instability, climate change, and deep-rooted structural inequalities. This chapter draws on research by IFPRI and partners to outline the evolving food systems landscape and present policy options and research priorities for the years ahead. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Regional developments: South Asia [in 2025 GFPR](Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Rashid, Shahidur; Dev, S. Mahendra; Joshi, Pramod Kumar; Menon, PurnimaFood systems in South Asia have evolved tremendously over the past 50 years, marked by progress in establishing agricultural growth linkages, policymaking and investments in agriculture, and institutional innovations. This chapter examines this evolution, highlighting how policy research has played a critical role in shaping national policies on food security, rural development, and nutrition. Looking ahead to 2050, research on climate change, digitalization, and diets and nutrition will be needed to support South Asia in continuing to build sustainable and resilient food systems that deliver equitable and sustainable outcomes. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Regional developments: Middle East and North Africa [in 2025 GFPR](Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Kurdi, Sikandra; Hassan, Ganna; Jovanovic, Nina; Steinhuebel-Rasheed, LindaOver the past 50 years, food and agricultural policy in the Middle East and North Africa has alternated between the dual aims of prioritizing efficiency and economic growth, and ensuring national security through food self-sufficiency and broad-based provision of staple commodities. This chapter summarizes the historical trends in policies and outcomes as the region moved from heavy state interference to a period of liberalization, first examining agricultural production and related policies and then consumers and food and nutrition policy, before concluding with emerging policy issues and research priorities. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Regional developments: East and Southeast Asia [in 2025 GFPR](Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Chen, Kevin Z.; Zhou, Yunyi; Kou, Ke; Fan, ShenggenOver the past half-century, the food systems of East and Southeast Asia have been shaped by economic growth and structural transformation, extreme weather events, and unique agricultural landscape and value chain dynamics. This chapter examines how aligning research outputs, financial programs, and regional cooperation initiatives with national policy frameworks in the region has led to improvements in food security, nutrition, and livelihoods in the region’s countries, though important challenges remain. Looking ahead, food systems transformation in the region will require a multisectoral approach that includes cross-cutting foresight and integrated approaches that combine disruptive technologies, participatory governance, and scalable solutions supported by sustainable financing mechanisms. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Regional developments: Central Asia [in 2025 GFPR](Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Akramov, Kamiljon T.; Lambrecht, Isabel B.; Babu, Suresh Chandra; Rajiv, SharanyaSince the countries of Central Asia gained independence in 1991, the region’s food systems have undergone significant transformations shaped by political and economic reforms, institutional shifts, globalization, climate change, and labor migration. This chapter examines how food policy research developed evidence to inform market-oriented reforms and agricultural transformation, ultimately leading to substantial reductions in poverty, food insecurity, and undernutrition, and also assesses the interconnected challenges of climate change, land use, markets and incentives, demographic shifts, socioeconomic trends, and geopolitical factors that face the region in the lead-up to 2050. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Regional developments: Africa [in 2025 GFPR](Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Ulimwengu, John M.; Omamo, Steven Were; Badiane, Ousmane; Benin, SamuelAfrica’s food systems have undergone significant transformations over the past four decades, with notable improvements in agricultural productivity and food security, but persistent challenges remain. This chapter examines how Africa’s agrifood policy landscape has evolved over time in response to complex challenges, including food insecurity, climate change, and socioeconomic disparities. It explores how IFPRI and other international organizations have offered research-based solutions to Africa’s development challenges, as well as underscoring the necessity of systemic, inclusive, and evidence-based approaches to address the agrifood system challenges projected for 2050. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Financing: From supporting agricultural production to transforming food systems(Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Díaz-Bonilla, EugenioTheory and practice around the financing of agricultural and food production have evolved over the last 50 years amid changes in the role of agriculture in supporting economic growth and rural development, as well as perceptions of the most critical food and nutrition problems facing low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This chapter examines key financial challenges in LMIC agrifood systems and describes related policy research, as well as highlighting possible policy options to mobilize future financing for food systems transformation. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Agricultural innovation policies: Prioritizing investments and promoting uptake and impacts at scale(Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Ragasa, Catherine; Spielman, David J.; Lynam, John K.Technological progress in agriculture is essential to tackling the many challenges facing food systems, but it has been unevenly distributed around the world, along with the accompanying gains in productivity and welfare. This chapter reviews the evolution of research on technical change and public policy, from seminal economic analyses highlighting the importance of technical change, to innovation systems analyses that broadened our understanding of the technical change process, on to the latest strategies being pursued to accelerate change. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Agrifood trade: Changing challenges, changing perspectives on policy and policy research(Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio; Gautam, Madhur; Glauber, Joseph W.; Martin, Will; Piñeiro, Valeria; Robinson, Sherman; Traoré, Fousseini; Vos, RobAgrifood trade plays a key role in ensuring food security, providing smallholders and rural traders with better prices for their products in bigger and higher-value markets, improving efficiency in the production and use of natural resources, and increasing consumer access to safer and more diversified and nutritious foods. This chapter reviews the evolution of trade research, with a focus on the contributions made by IFPRI and others, as well as priorities for future research. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Gender research: Metrics and policies for greater equity and inclusion(Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.; Malapit, Hazel J.; Heckert, Jessica; Kramer, Berber; Van Campenhout, BjornResearch on gender in development has evolved in parallel with the growing awareness of women’s role in economic development, the importance of gender relations both within and outside the household, and the recognition that women’s empowerment and gender equality are important goals in themselves. This chapter examines the evolution of gender research in the context of the development discourse on gender, focusing on agrifood systems, and identifies major challenges that future research should address. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Fragility and conflict: Addressing crises and building resilient food systems(Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Abay, Kibrom A.; Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Kosec, Katrina; Siddig, KhalidMore than ever before, hunger and malnutrition are concentrated in fragile and conflict-affected areas around the world. This chapter reflects on the evolution of food policy research conducted in these areas over the past 50 years and looks ahead at how policy solutions will need to evolve to address the critical challenges that fragility and conflict present for building resilient food systems. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Political economy and governance: Agriculture and food policy from local to global(Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Kyle, Jordan; Resnick, Danielle; Mockshell, JonathanPolicymaking is shaped by evidence as well as by political economy and governance factors such as incentives, institutional structures, ideological biases, and power dynamics. Over the past several decades, these factors have intersected with significant trends affecting the international development policy landscape, with important implications for agriculture and food policy. This chapter examines the key areas of decentralization, agriculture and food policy reform processes, political economy of distribution, and state capacity, before looking ahead to the need to build effective and legitimate global institutions for food systems governance.Item Nutrition and diets: Research and action, looking back to move forward(Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Gillespie, Stuart; Ruel, Marie T.; Leroy, Jef L.; Olney, Deanna K.; Singhkumarwong, AnusaraThe last half-century has seen major changes in the nature of malnutrition around the world, as well as in our understanding of its manifestations and key drivers, the people most affected, and the policies and programs developed to address it. This chapter reviews the evolution of nutrition in both policy and programming, with particular attention to agriculture, food systems, and multisectoral approaches, before looking to future directions for nutrition policy, programming, and research. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Social protection programs: Building the evidence and defining priorities(Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Gilligan, Daniel O.; Ahmed, Akhter; Alderman, Harold; de Brauw, Alan; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hirvonen, Kalle; Hoddinott, John; Leight, Jessica; Roy, Shalini; Taffesse, Alemayehu SeyoumSocial protection programs to reduce poverty, food insecurity, and vulnerability in low- and middle-income countries have become increasingly prominent over the last 50 years. This chapter examines trends in the development of social protection programs and discusses the contribution of research to changing program approaches and social protection policies, highlighting IFPRI’s role in providing evidence and research. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Agricultural insurance: Policies and programs for reducing farmer risk(Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Ceballos, Francisco; Hazell, Peter B. R.; Hill, Ruth Vargas; Kramer, BerberFarm households face many market and production risks to their livelihoods, food security, and economic well-being. Agricultural insurance is intended to help protect households from risk, but many agricultural risks are difficult to insure against and demand for insurance products remains low. This chapter examines how policy-oriented research has encouraged public investment, facilitated farmer use, and improved farmer welfare, and explores how new technologies and approaches are creating opportunities for increasing coverage. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Quality seeds, improved varieties: The economics of crop genetic improvement and farmer uptake(Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Kramer, Berber; Spielman, David J.Crop genetic improvement has long been a cornerstone of global efforts to enhance agricultural productivity, improve food security, and foster economic development. This chapter explores evidence on the contribution of crop improvement to productivity, nutrition, environment, and poverty outcomes, before assessing evolutions in policy research and important areas for future research. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Agricultural extension services: From transfer of technology to facilitation for innovation(Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Davis, Kristin E.; Gandhi, Rikin; Koo, Jawoo; Kramer, Berber; Miller, Alesha; Repishti, Jona; Spielman, David J.; Sulaiman V., RasheedAgricultural extension and rural advisory services play a key role in the agrifood systems of many low- and middle-income countries by supporting farmers’ efforts to enhance productivity, strengthen resilience to shocks, and conserve the natural resource base on which these systems depend. This chapter applies IFPRI’s “best fit” conceptual framework to examine the global evolution of agricultural extension and rural advisory services over the past 50 years, as well as the shift from a “transfer of technology” approach to a more sophisticated “facilitation for innovation” paradigm. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Food value chains: Transformations in low- and middle-income countries(Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Reardon, Thomas; Minten, Bart; Narayanan, Sudha; Swinnen, JohanFood value chains (FVCs) play a critical role in food systems by linking from agricultural input providers to farmers and producers to consumers. Over the past 50 years, the economic, demographic, and policy context of FVCs in low- and middle-income countries has changed enormously. This chapter discusses major phases and revolutions that shaped the growth, structure, and importance of FVCs to economies, employment, and diets, as well as policy research issues and contributions, and looks ahead to key trends that will continue to shape FVCs. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Tenure: Policy research on resources, rights, and equity(Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.; Lambrecht, Isabel B.; Place, Frank; Chigbu, Uchendu Eugene; Monterroso, Iliana; Suhardiman, DianaSecure tenure of land and natural resources is critical for ensuring equitable, efficient, and sustainable production of food and resilient rural livelihoods. This chapter examines foundational concepts and key lessons from research on tenure, including how different forms of tenure affect investment in production and resource management, and identifies priorities for further study, policy, and practice. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108Item Environmental sustainability: The intersection of agrifood systems with ecosystem health(Book Chapter, 2025-05-28) Ringler, Claudia; Zhang, Wei; Nkonya, Ephraim M.; Wyckhuys, Kris A.G.; Rakotonarivo, O. Sarobidy; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S.Climate change and biodiversity loss are arguably the greatest environmental challenges facing humanity today, and unsustainable agrifood systems are both a key cause and consequence of this environmental degradation. This chapter reviews how key environmental challenges in land, water, and energy systems intersect with agrifood systems and describes research contributions toward understanding and addressing these challenges over the past 50 years, as well as exploring future directions for environmental sustainability research. Book link: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108