Ifpri Podcast

POLICY SEMINAR Making the most of intra-African trade: the 2021 Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor Co-Organized by IFPRI and AKADEMIYA2063 SEP 23, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EDT African countries have diversified their exports and trade partners over the last decade, but agricultural trade still lags behind its potential. The pandemic and recent implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) present a critical challenge and an unprecedented opportunity for Africa. The newly launched 2021 Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor (AATM) (https://akademiya2063.org/publications/resakss/EN/AATM/Africa%20Agriculture%20Trade%20Monitor_2021_ENG.pdf) examines these recent events, as well as long-term structural issues, and offers recommendations for improving Africa’s competitiveness and increasing agricultural trade flows. The AATM has become the essential annual African agricultural trade publication, highlighting trends, competitiveness of Africa’s local and global value chains, and regional market int

PIM Webinar Myths About the Feminization of Agriculture: Implications for Global Food Security September 14, 2021 The feminization of agriculture is a term used to describe women’s increased roles in agriculture in many parts of the world. However, the changes occurring in the agricultural sector are more complex than this term suggests. In this webinar, we will present and discuss findings of a new paper on myths about the feminization of agriculture, which resulted from the PIM-supported project on Feminization of Agriculture: Building evidence to debunk myths on current challenges and opportunities. ( https://pim.cgiar.org/2018/10/11/feminization-of-agriculture-call-for-proposals-five-projects-selected/) Drawing on a wide range of literature, this paper debunks four common myths: 1) feminization of agriculture is the predominant global trend; 2) feminization is bad for agriculture; 3) the women remaining in agriculture are passive victims and not farmers; and 4) women farmers everywhere face similar ch

Food Security Portal Virtual Seminar Using Big Data and Machine Learning to Predict Poverty and Malnutrition for Targeting, Mapping, Monitoring, and Early Warning July 28, 2021, 08:00 am EDT Increasingly plentiful data and powerful predictive algorithms have heightened the promise of data science for humanitarian and development programming. As agencies increasingly embrace and invest in machine learning methods for poverty and malnutrition targeting, mapping, monitoring, and early warning, it is essential to recognize that different objectives require distinct data and methods. In this webinar, we highlight the differences between poverty and malnutrition targeting and mapping, the differences between structural and stochastic deprivation, and the modeling and data challenges of early warning systems development based on machine learning methods. We also present two studies that apply machine learning methods to predict poverty and malnutrition. This webinar is the second of a two-part webinar to present

Food Security Portal Virtual Seminar Better Measures of Land Surface Temperatures and Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF) to Improve Monitoring for Drought-Stressed Crops and Crop Productivity July 20, 2021, 10:00 am EDT Weather and climate shocks (such as droughts, floods, and heat waves) can imperil climate-sensitive agricultural systems in food-insecure regions, threatening the livelihoods and nutritional status of vulnerable populations in these areas. Satellite remote sensing offers an inexpensive, timely solution to monitor conditions on the Earth’s surface and has become increasingly used to generate data used in decision-making by private and public actors. In this webinar, we discuss recent advances in two satellite products, land surface temperature (LST) and solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), that can significantly improve monitoring for drought-stressed crops and crop productivity. The spatial and temporal variation traceable through LST is critical for identifying the governi

PIM Webinar Measuring employment and consumption in household surveys: Reflections from three survey experiments July 13, 2021, 10:00-11:00 am EDT Programs and policies designed to improve the lives of the poor often rely on an understanding of peoples’ livelihoods and welfare that is based on information collected during long, multi-topic household surveys. These survey efforts are invaluable tools for development practitioners, but choices made by those designing these surveys can impact the information collected in ways that are difficult to predict. Increasingly researchers are incorporating experiments into survey work in an effort to better understand these methodological issues. For example, researchers can vary the order of questions to determine impacts of respondent fatigue, or test different versions of the same question to analyze how responses change. In this webinar, we review three such experiments and reflect upon what we have learned about choices in survey design and what questions still

POLICY SEMINAR Financing food systems transformation JUL 13, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EDT In the run-up to the UN Food Systems Summit, excitement is building around game-changing solutions emerging from the Action Tracks and country policy priorities identified in national dialogues. Development of these solutions is benefiting from the lens of the five UNFSS cross-cutting levers and the evidence-based focus provided by the Scientific Group. But implementation will depend on countries’ ability to access and adequately utilize funding for food systems transformation. This event, organized by CGIAR-IFPRI in coordination with the UNFSS Scientific Group, will bring together a group of experts to discuss options for mobilizing and utilizing funding to finance food systems transformation and achieve the related Sustainable Development Goals. Speakers will consider financing options from the perspective of consumers, value chain operators, international development funds, public budgets, banking systems, and c

PIM Webinar Feminization of Agriculture: Building evidence to debunk myths on current challenges and opportunities (Webinar No. 2) July 7, 2021 While the term “feminization” of agriculture is used with both positive and negative connotation, the reality is more complex. In order to get a better understanding of what is happening on the ground, research teams from across CGIAR have been working since 2018 to explore the dynamics and impacts of the feminization of agriculture in various cultural and geographic contexts and across different agricultural value chains. Learn more (and see links to the presentations and podcast): https://bit.ly/FemofAg2 Presentations: • Gender and feminization processes in wheat agriculture in South Asia (Cathy Farnworth (http://www.pandiawarleggan.com/cathy-farnworth-work), independent consultant) • Gender and Youth Employment in Agricultural Value Chains (Kate Ambler (https://www.ifpri.org/profile/kate-ambler), research fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute)

POLICY SEMINAR UNFSS Science Days Side Event: COVID-19, food systems, and One Health in an urbanizing world: Research responses at a national level Co-Organized by CGIAR and RUAF JUL 6, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EDT COVID-19’s relentless march across the globe and subsequent lockdowns and restrictions have affected the lives of women and men everywhere, far beyond health impacts alone. Fragilities in food systems, market access, trade, rural-urban mobility, agricultural labor, food security, diet diversity, inequities between genders, and the critical connections between human, animal, and environmental health were exposed, particularly in and around the rapidly-growing cities in low- and middle-income countries. The evolving evidence on the impacts of COVID-19 on urban food systems, and on the myriad of responses, reveals important insights into vulnerabilities and inequities, but also into lessons and possible solutions for strengthening the resilience of these systems. As decision makers gather for the

POLICY SEMINAR UNFSS Science Days Side Event: Reforming Agricultural Policies to Support Food Systems Transformation Co-organized by IFPRI, Indian Council for International Economic Research (ICRIER) and Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy, China Agricultural University JUL 7, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EDT Agriculture receives around US$600 billion per year worldwide in government support, giving rise to questions about how such support could be restructured to meet important goals of food systems transformation, such as emission reduction and climate resilience, improved food and nutritional security, enhanced poverty reduction and equity. This UNFSS Science Days side event, organized by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Indian Council for International Economic Research (ICRIER), and Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy, China Agricultural University, will examine the latest trends in agricultural support policies and examine this topic of how such support could

PIM Webinar Value Chain Development and the Poor June 17, 2021 In recent years, value chain development (VCD) in the agrifood system has been hailed as a practical way to expand market access for smallholder producers, reduce poverty, enhance environmental sustainability, and improve food security and gender equity. Despite significant investments in VCD from governments, donors, and NGOs, however, evidence regarding the effectiveness of VCD interventions in addressing these important development goals remains lacking. Many existing studies have focused on the design and outputs of VCD interventions themselves rather than on their outcomes and impacts. As a result, the true reach of these programs remains unknown, particularly for poor populations. A recent book ( https://pim.cgiar.org/2020/12/12/new-book-on-value-chain-development-seeks-to-translate-ideas-into-practice-for-impact-at-scale/), published by Practical Action Publishing and supported by the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and

POLICY SEMINAR Global Report on Food Crises 2021: Building resilience to prevent food crises and conflict Co-Organized by IFPRI, FSIN, FAO North America, World Food Program USA and the Food Security Portal JUN 17, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EDT Acute food insecurity continued to rise in 2020, driven by the pandemic shock, ongoing conflicts, and extreme weather. The number of people needing urgent food and livelihood assistance hit a five-year high. The 2021 Global Report on Food Crises https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000127343/download/?_ga=2.7473648.338134682.1622747437-165400289.1620067163 (published by the Food Security Information Network for the Global Network Against Food Crises) finds that at least 155 million people experienced acute food insecurity at crisis level or worse — up about 20 million from 2019. Africa is disproportionally affected, with close to 98 million people facing acute food insecurity last year. Other parts of the world are suffering too, with Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, an

PIM Webinar June 10, 2021 Feminization of Agriculture: Building evidence to debunk myths This PIM webinar presents the findings from five projects that comprised a set of PIM grants on Feminization of Agriculture: Building evidence to debunk myths on current challenges and opportunities ( https://pim.cgiar.org/2018/10/11/feminization-of-agriculture-call-for-proposals-five-projects-selected/). Research teams from across CGIAR worked since 2018 to explore the dynamics and impacts of migration, including male-outmigration, on gender relations in agriculture and natural resource domains. Introduction: Rhiannon Pyburn, NL-CGIAR Senior Expert with PIM Gender and Senior Advisor, KIT Royal Tropical Institute; Leader of Collaborative Gender Research cluster in the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM). Presenter: Wei Zhang, Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Jordan Chamberlin, Spatial Economist, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Cent

POLICY SEMINAR CGIAR COVID-19 Hub Seminar: COVID-19 and Implications for One Health Research Co-Organized by CGIAR COVID-19 Hub and IFPRI MAY 4, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EDT The connections between human, animal, and environmental health have never been more evident than during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the CGIAR COVID-19 Hub, researchers are using integrated modeling to provide policy recommendations and address urgent issues on the role of agriculture in spreading zoonoses and how we can avoid future crossover events. This seminar will explore what a One Health approach means for food systems and the agricultural sector, what lessons can be learned from the current pandemic, and how risks, benefits, and consequences can be identified and assessed moving forward. Welcome and Introduction Ekaterina Krivonos, Deputy Director, Programs, CGIAR System Organization and co-Chair, CGIAR COVID-19 Hub Speaker John McDermott, Director, CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) and

POLICY SEMINAR Evolving factors shaping trade in agriculture and food APR 26, 2021 - 08:00 AM TO 09:30 AM EDT Agricultural trade is shaped by geopolitical, geo-economic, social, and cultural trends. These can lead to more or less globalization, but which is better for agriculture and food security? International trade in food favors production in the most efficient regions, a factor of growing importance as we tackle the escalating impacts of climate change. Recent experiences during the food price spikes of 2007/08 and 2010/11, and more recently during the COVID-19 pandemic, have encouraged some countries to promote self-sufficiency measures or institute export restrictions. Some governments have enacted domestic measures to promote healthier, safer, and/or more sustainable food though consumer safety standards, carbon pricing, and product labeling, all of which have implications for border measures and trade and risk hurting the most vulnerable economies and fragmenting the regulatory field. Meanwhile, go

One of the most important drivers for food system transformation is finance. In Episode Two of "On the Table," IFPRI's Charlotte Hebebrand ( https://www.ifpri.org/profile/charlotte-hebebrand ) and Eugenio Diaz-Bonilla ( https://www.ifpri.org/profile/eugenio-diaz-bonilla ) discuss ideas for funding change and share insights into the work of the UN Food Systems Summit Finance Lever. Links: IFPRI resources on UNFSS: https://www.ifpri.org/ifpri-unfss-2021

GLOBAL FOOD POLICY REPORT GLOBAL LAUNCH EVENT - 2021 Global Food Policy Report: Transforming Food Systems After COVID-19 APR 13, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EDT COVID-19 has upended local, national, and global food systems, and put the Sustainable Development Goals further out of reach. But lessons and momentum from the world’s response to the pandemic can contribute to food system change. In the 2021 Global Food Policy Report, IFPRI researchers and experts explore the impacts of the pandemic and government policy responses to date, particularly for the poor and disadvantaged, and consider what it all means for transforming our food systems to be healthy, resilient, efficient, sustainable, and inclusive. The chapters in this flagship report explore key requisites for such a transformation in light of the current shock — balancing health and economic policies, promoting healthy diets and nutrition, strengthening social protection policies and inclusion, integrating natural resource protection into food secto

POLICY SEMINAR Examining the State of Community-led Development Programming Co-Organized by IFPRI and Movement for Community-led Development APR 7, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EDT Community-led development (CLD) is a complex human change process. Join us as we dive into the Movement for Community-led Development’s State of CLD Programming report to understand what organizations are doing when they say they are implementing community-led development programs. Which characteristics are most prevalent in this work and which areas need more emphasis? How are these programs being funded? How does the practice change with program duration and context? This groundbreaking report ( https://mcld.org/download-the-unpacking-cld-report/), which was developed by a collaborative research with a team of 35 Program and Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning Specialists from 23 organizations, answers these and other questions critical to improving the implementation and sustainability of community-led programming bas

PIM Webinar April 8, 2021 Beyond agriculture: Measuring agri-food system GDP and employment Transformation of the agri-food system is a cornerstone of many governments’ national development plans and is key to the One GGIAR goals of contributing to more inclusive agricultural growth, healthier diets, and more sustainable production systems. Agri-food systems remain crucial for the livelihoods and wellbeing of most of the world’s poor, and successful agricultural transformation is still strongly associated with long-term economic development. But adopting an agri-food system perspective is not trivial – it requires us to also look beyond agriculture when prioritizing innovations and policies and tracking outcomes. The agri-food system encompasses not only the primary agricultural sector, but also all upstream and downstream agriculture-related activities. Measuring transformation of the agri-food system therefore requires economywide data and innovative metrics. This webinar presented a new approach develop

POLICY SEMINAR Tackling child undernutrition at scale: Insights from national and subnational success cases Co-Organized by IFPRI and Exemplars in Global Health APR 1, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EDT Childhood undernutrition remains a major global challenge, with profound consequences for the health, well-being, and long-term development of millions of people. Strategies to tackle malnutrition have often focused on small-scale programs and specific interventions. To improve nutrition outcomes at scale, nutrition policymakers and leaders need evidence on what works. Drawing on the experience of policymakers, nutrition leaders, and program managers, two global research programs are now providing practical insights on large-scale solutions to child undernutrition in different countries. In this event, we bring together IFPRI’s Stories of Change and Exemplars in Global Health, which have both been studying successes in reducing childhood stunting. Lessons from these deep research programs, featured in the newl

POLICY SEMINAR Towards Resilient Livelihoods, Food Security, and Nutrition for All: Confronting the Gendered Impacts of COVID-19 Co-Organized by IFPRI, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank MAR 23, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EDT The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns continue to have devastating effects around the globe, including in rural areas of developing countries, where people have been affected by livelihood and supply disruptions, income shocks, and food and nutrition insecurity. While the overall impacts are becoming clear, less attention has been paid to the differential impacts on men and women and their ability to cope with the multiple shocks associated with the pandemic. For example, women tend to experience more lingering income shocks and have greater difficulty accessing food than men. Understanding these gender differences can offer important insights to decision-makers designing and implementing policies and programs aimed at providing m