Ifpri Podcast

GLOBAL FOOD POLICY REPORT 2023 Global Food Policy Report: Rethinking Food Crisis Responses Hybrid Global Launch Event APR 13, 2023 - 9:00 TO 10:30AM EDT Economic crises, epidemics, conflicts, and extreme weather events can wreak havoc on food systems, in particular when several of these shocks overlap. Food system shocks risk increasing food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition, and can disrupt livelihoods, increase poverty, and further diminish prospects for the world’s most vulnerable populations. Governments and the international community, including research organizations such as IFPRI, support efforts to better predict, monitor, and respond to crises as they arise, but these efforts often are not sustained when the crises end. Addressing the “new normal” of possibly more frequent and compounding crises requires rethinking food crisis responses to drive renewed and broader efforts to prevent, mitigate, and recover from crises in ways that build long-term resilience. Please join us for the launch of IFPR

POLICY SEMINAR Science and Innovation for Food Systems Transformation – follow up to the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit In cooperation with the former Scientific Group of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit APR 11, 2023 - 9:30 TO 11:00AM EDT The UN Food Systems Summit held in September 2021 was first of its kind in several respects: it was the first UN summit to focus on food systems, the first food-related summit involving heads of state in the UN General Assembly, and the first such summit that was informed by an independent Scientific Group. Food systems require ongoing attention, as evidenced by the widespread repercussions of the Ukraine crisis and the focus on food systems at COP27. A UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, established in early 2022, coordinates follow-up to the summit, including facilitation of food systems transformation pathways at the country level, and will organize the first biannual stocktaking of the summit outcomes and follow-up actions in 2023. Please join us as we bring together memb

POLICY SEMINAR Water & SDGs - Downscaling WATer relevant SDGs (DWAT-SDGs) 2023 UN Water Conference Side Event Jointly organized with the International Water Resources Association (IWRA) MAR 20, 2023 - 10:00 TO 11:00AM EDT Localizing and realizing SDGs will require deep transformations in every country and region, including contextualizing toward a locally relevant subset of goals. Localization is essential due to the diversity of local conditions and priorities across regions in both the developed and developing world, local disagreements over priorities, competing interests, trade-offs, and synergies among multiple sectors and stakeholders, and country- and region-specific risks posed by future uncertainties. However, current SDG localization efforts are hampered by lack of appropriate institutional support (especially the participation of local communities), future uncertainties and risk, limited interactions between science and practice communities, and limited communication among countries and regions.

POLICY SEMINAR Groundwater: Potential and Pitfalls for Africa 2023 UN Water Conference Side Event MAR 20, 2023 - 8:00 TO 9:30AM EDT Development of groundwater is key to accelerating agricultural and overall economic growth, fighting climate change, and generating employment in Africa. However, improvements in groundwater institutions are needed to increase equity and environmental sustainability in groundwater use. This session discusses the groundwater program of the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW), including case studies on the benefits of groundwater development and institutional advances in several African countries. The importance of groundwater development for water and food security in Africa H.E. Dr. Seleshi Bekele, Ambassador of Ethiopia to the US Africa’s groundwater development program Moshood Tijani, African Ministers' Council on Water Groundwater development potential in Africa Ramon Brentführer, Policy Advice Groundwater bei BGR, Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Res

POLICY SEMINAR How USD 10 billion can transform food systems in Ethiopia, Malawi, and Nigeria: Report launch Co-organized by IFPRI, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), and Shamba Centre for Food and Climate MAR 16, 2023 - 9:00 TO 10:30AM EDT A new study finds that sustainable food system transformation can be achieved in the next decade in Ethiopia, Malawi, and Nigeria by increasing public investment by US$10 billion per year (on average from 2023 to 2030) and implementing a more effective portfolio of interventions that achieve multiple outcomes. In an ambitious effort, researchers from IFPRI and IISD, engaged closely with the government, donors, and stakeholders in each country, synthesized the evidence, and then applied sophisticated macro- and microeconomic modeling techniques to identify pathways to provide affordable and healthy diets to all people in an environmentally sustainable way. Join us to learn more about the findings. Introduction Sean Woolfrey, Senior Advisor &

POLICY SEMINAR Food Loss and Waste in Fruit and Vegetable Supply Chains Co-organized by IFPRI, Embassy of Denmark, and World Resources Institute MAR 14, 2023 - 9:30 TO 11:00AM EDT According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about one-third of all food produced around the globe is lost or wasted. This is particularly egregious in a world where one in nine persons is food insecure, and widespread food affordability concerns in low- and middle-income countries have resulted from COVID-related value chain disruptions and the global impact of the war in Ukraine. This annual event will take stock of efforts around the world to tackle food loss and waste through initiatives like Champions 12.3, a coalition of leaders from governments, businesses, international organizations, research institutions, farmer groups, and civil society dedicated to inspiring ambition, mobilizing action, and accelerating progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3 by 2030. The seminar

IFPRI-AMIS SEMINAR SERIES Ukraine One Year Later: the impact of the war on agricultural markets and food security Co-organized by IFPRI and Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) MAR 8, 2023 - 9:00 TO 10:30AM EST One year after Russia invaded Ukraine, the war continues to affect global markets. World stock levels remain tight, and while prices have fallen back to pre-war levels, much uncertainty remains. This seminar will examine how the war has affected global markets, particularly wheat markets. Speakers will discuss the war’s impacts on Ukraine’s producers, wheat buyers and importers in the MENA region, and households in Egypt and Yemen. In addition, the discussion will address export restrictions and sanctions that have exacerbated price levels and volatility. This is the second event in the IFPRI-AMIS seminar series on Making sense of food and Agriculture Markets. Welcome Remarks Seth Meyer, Chief Economist, USDA and AMIS Chair Panelists Nicholay Gorbachev, President, Ukrainian Grain Associati

POLICY SEMINAR Taking Stock of Africa’s Agrifood Processing Sector Key findings of the 2022 ReSAKSS Annual Trends and Outlook Report on Agrifood Processing Strategies for Successful Food Systems Transformation in Africa Co-organized by IFPRI and Akademiya2063 FEB 9, 2023 - 8:00 TO 9:30AM EST A high-performing, resilient, and competitive agrifood processing sector can create remunerative employment opportunities, link producers to growing and lucrative urban markets, and help to ensure that consumers have access to sufficient and healthy food. Africa’s food processing sector is growing in response to growing demand for processed and high-value foods in the continent. However, processing firms, many of them small and informal enterprises, still face serious constraints. The 2022 Annual Trends and Outlook Report (ATOR) examines Africa’s agrifood processing sector and its role in sustainable food systems on the continent. The report examines available evidence on the current status and performance of the sector,

POLICY SEMINAR The future of food and agriculture – Drivers and triggers for transformation Co-organized by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), IFPRI, and the CGIAR Research Initiative on Foresight FEB 1, 2023 - 10:00 TO 11:15AM EST A new report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on “The Future of Food and Agriculture: Drivers and Triggers for Transformation” aims to inspire strategic thinking and actions to transform agrifood systems toward a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive future. The report analyses current and emerging drivers of agrifood systems and their possible future trends, including the issues at stake and the threats and problems facing future food production and consumption. This policy seminar, co-organized by FAO, IFPRI, and the CGIAR Research Initiative on Foresight, offers an opportunity to hear from the report’s authors and engage with a group of panel discussants on challenges facing food and agriculture, foresight approaches to exploring alternative future path

IFPRI-AMIS SEMINAR SERIES Food vs Fuel V2.0: Impacts of Biofuels on Agricultural Markets and Food Security Co-organized by IFPRI and Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) JAN 24, 2023 - 9:00 TO 10:30AM EST With tight global supplies and global food inflation at the highest levels in many years, there is renewed criticism of biofuel policies that divert food and feedstuffs to produce fuels. Biofuel proponents argue that biofuel policies enhance energy self-sufficiency and reduce GHG emissions. This session will review the growth in global biofuel production and examine its impact on demand and market prices for grain and oilseeds. Welcome Remarks Joseph Glauber, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI and AMIS Secretary Market Developments and Medium-Term Projections for World Biofuel Markets (OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2022-2031) Lee Ann Jackson, Head of Division, Agro-food Trade and Markets, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Biodiesel Trends Siegfried Falk, Co-editor, Oil Wor

POLICY SEMINAR Harmful Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Subsidies Co-organized by IFPRI and The University of Adelaide DEC 14, 2022 - 3:00 TO 4:30PM EST Agricultural subsidies are high—and increasing—and are largely concentrated among relatively few commodities in a handful of countries. The negative impacts of these subsidies on production and trade are widely known, but their environmental impacts are less well understood. In a recent review of the literature on agricultural subsidies, the Institute for International Trade identified key areas where further analysis is needed to strengthen the evidence base for subsidy reform. The study confirmed that many subsidies rely on environmentally harmful policy instruments, with few constraints on these expenditures. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has analyzed the impacts of removing agricultural support on various indicators measuring food security, nutrition, and climate outcomes, finding that removing support may have important

MARTIN J. FORMAN MEMORIAL LECTURE My Reflections on the Year of African Nutrition 32nd Annual Martin J. Forman Memorial Lecture DEC 12, 2022 - 10:00 TO 11:30AM EST IFPRI is delighted to announce the 32nd Annual Martin J. Forman Memorial Lecture, which will be delivered by Her Excellency Minata Samaté Cessouma, the African Union Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development. By declaring 2022 to be the Year of African Nutrition, the African Union signaled the overarching need to tackle malnutrition and increase the affordability of healthy diets for the African continent. As 2022 comes to a close—unfortunately marked by deteriorating nutritional security due to shocks from the Russia-Ukraine war—Commissioner Cessouma will reflect on the key outcomes and recommendations emerging from the Year of Nutrition and the strategy for implementing these at the pan-African and national level. The annual lecture commemorates Martin J. Forman, who headed the Office of Nutrition at USAID for more

Enhancing Biodiversity and Resilience in Intensive Farming Systems: Results from an ETH Zürich-IFPRI Collaborative study Co-organized by IFPRI, ETH Zürich, and Bayer DEC 6, 2022 - 10:00 TO 11:30AM EST The growth of our global food production capacity over the past century is unprecedented, and has been facilitated by advances in crop breeding, mechanization, intensification, and the application of chemical inputs. This has come at a cost in terms of biodiversity loss and land degradation. This apparent trade-off between productivity and environment can be resolved through adoption of new farming practices that emphasize restoring and maintaining biodiversity on agricultural land to the benefit of soils and crops. The science underpinning such practices is still being developed and trialed, but we know enough to propose alternative management principles. Similarly, farmers have long been experimenting and adapting their farming systems, sometimes drawing on scientific outputs, but more often than not drawing

Kenya NPS Seminar Leveraging the New Bottom-Up Economic Plan for Food System Transformation in Kenya Co-organized by IFPRI, CGIAR Initiative on National Policies and Strategies, and KIPPRA December 5, 2022 – 14:00 - 16:00 PM EAT The new Kenyan Government faces a complex domestic and global environment. It is expected to address these challenges with a new set of policies and programs as part of its most recent Bottom-Up Economic Plan, to which research-based evidence can contribute and support decision makers in the design and implementation process. To provide such research-based evidence, the Kenyan Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) invite you to the second edition of the Kenya National Policies and Strategies (NPS) Seminar Series. This hybrid NPS seminar will take place on Monday, December 5, 14:00 – 16.00 EAT. The seminar will discuss results from an ongoing effort by KIPPRA and the CGIAR Initiative on National Policies

POLICY SEMINAR La agricultura de las Américas en el camino a la COP27: desafíos y oportunidades de la política pública Co-organized by IFPRI and Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA) with support from USAID OCT 27, 2022 - 9:30 TO 11:00AM EDT La Vigésimo séptima sesión de la Conferencia de las Partes (COP27) de la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre Cambio Climático (CMNUCC) se llevará a cabo en Sharm-El Sheik, Egipto entre el 6 y el 16 de noviembre del presente año. Ante esto y desde inicios desde este año, se ha venido trabajando con las autoridades Ministeriales y Secretarías de agricultura y ganadería de las Américas en torno a los desafíos climáticos y la necesidad de diseñar e implementar políticas públicas acorde a los requerimientos de la acción climática. Se ha acordado, y explicitado en reiteradas oportunidades, fortalecer el trabajo colectivo para aumentar la participación y el liderazgo de la agricultura de las Américas en el proceso climático. En esta direcc

POLICY SEMINAR Ensuring a Focus on Women and Girls in the Global Food Crisis Response Co-organized by United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Feed the Future Initiative, IFPRI, and the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform OCT 26, 2022 - 9:30 TO 11:00AM EDT As the world scrambles to address the global food crisis, proposed measures may fail to meet the specific needs of women and girls and might worsen existing gender inequalities. Crisis responses, such as the provision of fertilizer subsidies or vouchers, are more likely to reach male heads of household. Other measures may add to the already high labor burdens of women and girls. Governments may shift spending away from social programs that support vulnerable women and children. The current crisis is hitting many women and girls at a time when they are already experiencing considerable hardship, following the pandemic and amid intensifying climate change. Yet this crisis presents an opportunity to design gender-responsive programs that buffer w

SPECIAL EVENT Accelerated Action for Food Systems Resilience: Egypt’s plans for COP27 and the role of CGIAR CGIAR Borlaug Dialogue Side Event organized by IFPRI, ICARDA, and the CGIAR Research Initiative on National Policies and Strategies (NPS) This event is part of the Egypt NPS Seminar Series OCT 20, 2022 - 8:15 TO 9:45AM EDT Unprecedented extreme weather events linked to climate change are contributing to the current global food and energy price crisis and severely impacting livelihoods and food and nutrition security. In this context, expectations are high for the 27th Conference of the Parties of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) taking place under the Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt. As a major agricultural producer in a highly climate-stressed region, Egypt brings a unique perspective to food system resilience. This presentation will highlight the Egyptian Presidency’s strategic objectives on climate change and food systems for COP27 and the climate challenges facing E

LAUNCH EVENT Tracking and promoting progress on gender equality: Emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities from the 2022 Global Food 5050 Report 2022 Borlaug Dialogue Side Event Co-organized by Global Health 5050, IFPRI, and UN Women OCT 18, 2022 - 8:00 TO 9:30AM EDT Established in the lead-up to the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, the Global Food 50/50 initiative is a response to stakeholder demands for a global food system that is accountable for progress toward gender equality. This event will mark the launch of the second annual Global Food 50/50 Report, which provides data and analysis on the gender- and equity-related policies and practices of 51 global food system organizations. The Report shines a light on the progress, and lack of progress, made by food organizations in promoting diversity and equality in their leadership and decision-making and in putting gender equality at the heart of their work. This year, in 2022, we complemented our annual leadership analysis with a study of the board membe

POLICY SEMINAR Globalization and food security: What could 20 years of IFPRI research teach us? OCT 12, 2022 - 11:00AM TO 12:30PM EDT 2022 has been marked by another global food price crisis, the third in 20 years. As food systems have become more interconnected, the debate around globalization and food security has reemerged. Are we too interconnected? Are multilateral institutions the only way to tackle global challenges that require collective action, or is that belief fading? These questions are not new. This webinar will revisit them through the lens of Antoine Bouet’s work on global and regional trade issues and their intersections with food security outcomes. During Bouet’s 17-year tenure as a Senior Research Fellow at IFPRI, his work informed civil society and policymakers and provided evidence for heated debates, from the intricacies of the global trade talks at the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference in 2005 to the challenges of measuring informal trade flows in West Africa during the COVID-19 pandem

POLICY SEMINAR Call for Action to Address the Global Food Security Crisis OCT 5, 2022 - 9:30 TO 11:00AM EDT The world is facing a potential food crisis worse than any seen since World War II. With Russia’s devastating war on Ukraine, a historic drought and heat wave in China, and an irregular monsoon season in South Asia, food supplies from several of the world’s largest granaries are highly uncertain and concerning. Global hunger has been rising since 2015, and the number of people facing acute, crisis-level food insecurity has doubled to well over 200 million. Famine is threatening the lives of large populations in the Horn of Africa, Yemen, and South Sudan. Already, climate change is compounding the global risks to food security. In response to this “code red for global food systems,” the world community is beginning to coalesce around several action areas set forth by the Declaration of Leaders’ Summit on Global Food Security, the Global Alliance for Food Security (GAFS) convened by the G7 Development M