Ifpri Podcast

Publishing Agricultural Development Research in Social Science Journals: Writing and Responding to Referee Reports PIM Webinar December 7, 2020 This PIM Webinar Co-organized by the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), the CGIAR Standing Panel on Impact Assessment (SPIA), and African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), was recorded on November 30,2020. This webinar, the 3rd and final in the series “Publishing Agricultural Development Research in Social Science Journals”, focuses on the specifics of the referee process—how (and why) to do good reviews, and how to respond to referee comments received. The session includes sample “revise and resubmit” reviews. More info about the series: https://bit.ly/PublishingAgRes Presenters: Cheryl Doss, Senior Departmental Lecturer in Development Economics and Associate Professor, Oxford Department of International Development J. V. Meenakshi, Professor, Delhi School of Economics; SPIA Member Chair: Michele Mboo-T

Virtual Event - Food and Agricultural Trade in the New Policy Environment: How Can WTO Members Support Recovery and Resilience in Africa (English panel)? Co-Organized by IFPRI, Akademiya2063, and International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) DEC 8, 2020 - 09:30 AM TO 10:30 AM EST The coronavirus outbreak has affected trade in food and farm goods, imperiling efforts to reduce hunger and malnutrition and adding to pressure already on the farm sector from climate change. The pandemic-induced postponement of the WTO’s next ministerial conference and ongoing tensions among major economies have affected both the substance and process of updating the global trade rulebook. As governments revisit priorities in this new context, they should engage with various constituencies in their region and beyond to build an inclusive public policy vision – one that can contribute to economic recovery and improve resilience to future food system shocks. In Africa, continentwide economic integration under the Africa

Intra-African trade—especially agricultural trade—is much larger than official statistics suggest. In West Africa, an estimated 30 percent of staple foods cross borders informally, and informal trade across some African borders—particularly for perishable foods like fruits and vegetables—far exceeds formal trade. Recent initiatives have made great strides in assessing the magnitude of the gap between reported trade and total trade. This seminar discussed emerging trends in agricultural informal cross-border trade, the barriers to participating in formal customs procedures and trade, and the central role of female informal traders. The presenters considered how border closures and restrictions due to COVID-19 have disproportionately affected informal trade. Introduction: Patterson Brown, Senior Trade Advisor, Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Speakers: Brahima Cisse, Expert, Comité Inter-Etat de Lutte contre la Sècheresse au Sahel (CILSS) Na

Virtual Event - Food Policy Research and Capacity Development in Eurasia Co-Organized by the Eurasian Center for Food Security (ECFS), World Bank Group, and IFPRI Strengthening policy research and analytical capacity in Eurasia is critical for the region’s agricultural transformation and for development of inclusive food systems. A recent program supported by the Russian Federation and jointly implemented by the World Bank, IFPRI, and ECFS at Lomonosov Moscow State University has helped to strengthen capacities of research and educational institutions and individual researchers in Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and other countries in the region. By facilitating a network of institutions and researchers, the program has helped actors in Eurasian food policy systems engage effectively with policy, research, and capacity development objectives. Reporting from this collaborative project, webinar speakers presented recent research and case study findings and discuss key lessons

This webinar, the 2nd in the series “Publishing Agricultural Development Research in Social Science Journals”, offers a panel discussion amongst editors or associate editors of leading journals, addressing what they look for in submissions, how to avoid “desk rejections”, how to handle reviews, proofing, and publicizing articles. More info about the series: https://bit.ly/PublishingAgRes Panel: Ashok Mishra, Editor-in-Chief, Agricultural Economics Elizabeth King, Managing Editor, Journal of Development Effectiveness Laurens Klerkx, Editorial Advisory Board, Agricultural Systems Chair: Travis Lybbert, Professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis; former editor of the American Journal of Agricultural Economics; SPIA Special Initiative Member Introduction: Ruth Meinzen-Dick, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

The world is facing a new nutrition reality in which persistent undernutrition and escalating overweight and obesity coexist within countries, communities, households, and individuals. This double burden of malnutrition brings a set of new challenges for policy and programming. This seminar presented new global evidence on the magnitude of the double burden of malnutrition, describe the interconnected biological, societal, and ecological drivers of it, and propose a way forward on designing and estimating the cost-effectiveness of double-duty actions to tackle multiple forms of malnutrition simultaneously. The COVID-19 pandemic exemplifies the urgency of re-thinking nutrition policy and programming to tackle the new nutrition reality. Introduction: Francesco Branca, Director, Department of Nutrition for Health and Development (NHD), World Health Organization (WHO) Speakers: Corinna Hawkes, Director, Centre for Food Policy, City, University of London Rachel Nugent, Vice President and Director, Center for Gl

Virtual Event - Information Needs for Food Crisis Risk Early Warning: The Role of the Food Security Portal Co-Organized by IFPRI and the Food Security Portal (FSP) NOV 24, 2020 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EST Persistent drivers of food insecurity and acute hunger—conflict, climate shocks, and environmental shocks—have been compounded in 2020 by the COVID-19-related health and socioeconomic upheaval and by the severe desert locust outbreaks in East Africa. The pandemic is expected to push as many as 132 million more people into chronic hunger in 2020, in addition to the 690 million who went hungry in 2019. To navigate the increasingly complex, interlinked causes of food crises, governments and other stakeholders require timely, high-quality information to increase the resilience of food systems and cope with future crises. The EC-funded Food Security Portal (FSP)( http://www.foodsecurityportal.org/), initiated in 2010 in response to lessons learned from the 2007–2008 world food crisis, seeks to improve government

This PIM webinar was recorded November 25, 2020 and convened by Farmer Managed Irrigation System Promotion Trust (FMIST - https://fmistnepal.wordpress.com/), Nepal; International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI-http://www.ifpri.org/); International Water Management Institute (IWMI- https://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/); CGIAR Research Programs on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM - http://www.pim.cgiar.org/) and Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE- https://wle.cgiar.org/). Widespread male migration from rural areas is one of the most important forces shaping agrarian transformation in Nepal. One particularly important area affected is the governance and management of local public goods, especially irrigation systems. Given the crucial role of irrigation in agricultural productivity and food security, attention to gender in irrigation governance is not only necessary for existing systems, but also opens potential new opportunities for sustainable and inclusive development in rural Nepal. This webinar presen

Virtual Event - Food and Agricultural Trade in the New Policy Environment: How Can WTO Members Support Economic Recovery and Resilience in Latin America and the Caribbean? Co-Organized by IFPRI, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) The coronavirus outbreak has affected trade in food and farm goods, imperiling efforts to reduce hunger and malnutrition and adding to pressure already on the farm sector from climate change. The pandemic-induced postponement of the WTO’s next ministerial conference and ongoing tensions among major economies have affected both the substance and process of updating the global trade rulebook. As governments revisit priorities in this new context, they should engage with various constituencies in their region and beyond to build an inclusive public policy vision – one that can contribute to economic recovery and improve resilience to future food system shocks. Although the economies of Latin Am

This PIM Webinar co-organized by the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), the CGIAR Standing Panel on Impact Assessment (SPIA), and African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), was recorded on November 23, 2020, the 1st in the series “Publishing Agricultural Development Research in Social Science Journals”, provides an overview of the publication process, reviews the overall landscape of journal publishing, and shares guidance on selecting a journal, including: • Assessing journal audience, impact factors, and reputation • Gated, open-access and hybrid business models • How to distinguish predatory journals • Overview of the process, from submission to publication, with tips for each stage • Journal special issues. Presenters: Ruth Meinzen-Dick (https://www.ifpri.org/profile/ruth-meinzen-dick), Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI Cheryl Doss (https://www.qeh.ox.ac.uk/people/cheryl-doss), Senior Departmental Lecturer in Development Economics and Associate Profes

Le commerce des denrées alimentaires et des produits agricoles a été affecté par la pandémie du COVID-19, mettant en péril les efforts visant à faire progresser la lutte contre la faim et la malnutrition conformément au cadre défini par les Objectifs de développement durable (ODD). En même temps, le secteur agricole subit une pression croissante pour répondre aux nouveaux défis environnementaux, notamment ceux liés aux changements climatiques. La prochaine Conférence ministérielle de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce étant reportée en raison de la pandémie, tant le contenu que le processus des discussions à Genève autour de la mise à jour des règles du commerce mondial ont été affectés sur fond de tensions persistantes entre les principales économies. Au fur et à mesure que les gouvernements réexaminent leurs priorités dans ce nouveau contexte, il est important qu'ils établissent un dialogue avec les différentes circonscriptions de leurs régions et au-delà afin de s'assurer que les stratégies de négociation

The economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting pressures on public finances and donor resources are necessitating stark trade-offs among different policy priorities within the agriculture sector and across the food system. In what ways has the pandemic altered the balance of power among urban and rural populations, the state and private sector, and across government ministries? For example, are social protections and interventions to help heavily hit urban areas complementing or displacing government and donor investments in the agriculture sector? How are governments helping agri-businesses during this period, and which industries are prioritized for financial and other forms of state support? And are responses to COVID-19 fostering improved coherence across the food system to protect incomes, livelihoods, and food security, or leading to increased inter-governmental fractionalization around scarce resources? These are some of the considerations that decision makers must now confront. This s

Against the background of worldwide trade disruptions due to COVID-19, IFPRI and AKADEMIYA2063 are launching the third annual Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor (AATM), the leading comprehensive report on African agricultural trade flows and policies. The report's authors will discuss emerging trends in African countries’ trade flows and compositions, comparative advantages globally and regionally, tariff and non-tariff trade protection, and recent extraregional and intraregional trade developments. The 2020 AATM includes special coverage of the extensive informal cross-border trade across Africa and initiatives to measure informal trade, along with an assessment of regional integration outcomes in this year’s region of focus: The Southern African Development Community (SADC). This seminar explored the opportunities to develop stronger regional value chains by removing trade barriers and capitalize on the recently ratified African Continental Free Trade Area. Opening Remarks: Ousmane Badiane, Executive Chair

This is a recording of an IFPRI hosted a side event at the World Food Prize 2020 Borlaug Dialogue. The session addresses COVID-19 and Developing-Country Responses, presenting country and regional perspectives including from China, India, Africa south of the Sahara, and a global perspective. Speakers offered brief perspectives followed by an engaging q&a session with the virtual audience. Opening Remarks: Johan Swinnen, Director General, IFPRI Speakers: Mahendra Dev, Director (Vice Chancellor), Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) Shenggen Fan, CGIAR System Board Member Chair & Professor at the College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University Fadel Ndiame, Deputy President, AGRA Jemimah Njuki, Senior Program Specialist and Coordinator, Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women, International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Moderator: Rajul Pandya-Lorch LINKS: Book: COVID-19 and Global Food Security: https://www.ifpri.org/publication/covid-19-and-global-food-secu

China has quickly transformed itself from a place of stark poverty into a modern, urban, technologically savvy economic powerhouse. Authors Scott Rozelle and Natalie Hell draw on extensive surveys on the ground in China and reveal that while China may be the second-largest economy in the world, its labor force has one of the lowest levels of education of any comparable country. Over half of China’s population—as well as a vast majority of its children—are from rural areas. Their low levels of basic education may leave many unable to find work in the formal workplace as China’s economy changes and manufacturing jobs move elsewhere. Hear the views of the book’s author and discussants on how understanding the situation in China today is essential if we are to potentially avoid an economic crisis and humanitarian concerns that could upend economies and foreign relations around the globe. Book Overview: Scott Rozelle, Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and Helen F. Farnsworth Endo

Ethiopia has experienced impressive agricultural growth and poverty reduction, stemming in part from substantial public investments in agriculture. Yet, the agriculture sector now faces increasing land and water constraints along with other challenges to growth. Growth in the agriculture sector remains essential to continued poverty reduction in Ethiopia and will depend on sustained investment in the agrifood system, especially private sector investment. This book presents a forward-looking analysis of Ethiopia’s agrifood system in the context of a rapidly changing economy. Hear from speakers on how many of the policies for a successful agricultural and rural development strategy for Ethiopia are relevant for other African countries and how this book can serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, development specialists, and others concerned with economic development in Africa south of the Sahara. Opening Remarks: Johan Swinnen, Director General, IFPRI Book Presentation: Paul Dorosh, Director, Develo

Too often, research aiming to inform public policies or strengthen institutions for effective policy implementation remains disconnected from the real political economy of policy and institutional reform. This webinar introduces a new rubric to assess opportunities for research partnerships that navigate this complex terrain of power and leverage sometimes unexpected spaces of engagement. Presenter: Blake Ratner, Executive Director, Collaborating for Resilience. Panelists: Danielle Resnick, Senior Research Fellow and Theme Leader, Governance, IFPRI; Philippa Cohen, Program Leader, Resilient Small-scale Fisheries, WorldFish; Jonathan Mockshell, Agricultural Economist, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT. For more information, visit the event page: https://bit.ly/2GFIdx1. Presenter: Blake Ratner, Executive Director, Collaborating for Resilience Panelists: Danielle Resnick, Senior Research Fellow and Theme Leader, Governance, IFPRI Philippa Cohen, Program Leader, Resilient Small-scale Fisheries, WorldFish Jonathan

The economic shocks of COVID-19 on global markets have left the African continent, along with its producers and consumers, distinctly vulnerable. This seminar will examine how changes in global food trade since the pandemic have impacted African food systems, regional supply chains and food access. Presenters discussed the potential long-term risks of trade disruptions for nutrition and economic growth, and identify recovery policies that governments can prioritize to strengthen food security, regional supply chains and livelihoods. The speakers will consider the social, political and logistical barriers to trade across the continent in the face of COVID-19, the challenges of equitably distributing the benefits of trade, and trade’s role in building back better. Opening Remarks: Samuel Benin, Deputy Division Director, Africa, IFPRI Patterson Brown, Senior Trade Advisor, Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Speakers: David Laborde

Virtual Book Launch Agricultural Extension: Global Status and Performance in Selected Countries SEPT 10, 2020 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EDT This book provides a global overview of agricultural extension and advisory services, assesses and compares extension systems at the national and regional levels, examines the performance of extension approaches in a selected set of country cases, and shares lessons and policy insights. Drawing on both primary and secondary data, the book contributes to the literature on extension by applying a common and comprehensive framework — the “best-fit” approach — to assessments of extension systems, which allows for comparison across cases and geographies. Insights from the research support reforms — in governance, capacity, management, and advisory methods — to improve outcomes, enhance financial sustainability, and achieve greater scale. Hear from the book’s editors on how this book can be applied as a valuable resource for policymakers, extension practitioners, and others con

This policy seminar was recorded Aug. 18,. 2020. Efforts to improve food security and nutrition have contributed to dramatic declines in forest and other natural ecosystems and rapid increases in contact rates between human and wild and domestic animals. Since 1940, agricultural drivers were associated with more than one quarter of all infectious diseases—and more than half of all zoonotic infectious diseases—that emerged in humans. Current risks of infectious diseases are particularly high in Asia, but projections suggest that infectious disease risk will grow fastest in Africa south of the Sahara, as crop area and livestock populations expand. This policy seminar discussed the agriculture-ecosystem health interface that was magnified by COVID-19, and will consider cross-sectoral solutions that could reduce such risk and enhance human and ecosystem health with a focus on the contributions that One CGIAR can make. Speakers: John E. Fa, Senior Research Associate at CIFOR and Professor of Biodiversity and Hu