Ifpri Podcast

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

POLICY SEMINAR Socio-Technical Innovation Bundles for Agri-Food Systems Transformation: Implications for research and the One CGIAR agenda MAR 19, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EDT “Innovations do not diffuse independently of enabling market, regulatory, and sociocultural environments. Scaling promising technological advances requires sociotechnical innovation bundles of context-dependent, customized combinations of mutually reinforcing innovations.” > Expert Panel report on “Socio-Technical Innovation Bundles for Agri-Food Systems Transformation” convened by the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability and Nature Sustainability IFPRI is pleased to host a conversation with Professor Christopher Barrett and other experts on what is required to bring about healthy, equitable, resilient, and sustainable (HERS) food systems and the pressing need to bundle social and technological innovations to most effectively accomplish this. Introductory Remarks: Johan Swinnen, Director General, IFPRI Speaker: Christoph

SPECIAL EVENT The 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit: How to Incentivize Food Loss and Waste Reduction? Co-Organized by the International Food Policy Research Institute, Embassy of Denmark in Washington D.C., World Resources Institute, and Champions 12.3 MAR 12, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EST The ongoing COVID-19 health crisis continues to expose vulnerabilities in food systems, highlighting the insecurity of rural livelihoods, the tragedy of food loss and waste, and the stark inequities in access to healthy food. The upcoming, first-ever UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS), presents a unique opportunity to bring together stakeholders from across the food value chain to address these challenges and unlock barriers to sustainable food systems transformation. Absurd quantities of food are lost and wasted every year in a world where 700 million people go hungry each day and where planetary boundaries are being exceeded by unsustainable food production. Drastic reduction of food loss and waste is therefore imp

The first feature in IFPRI's new video series, "On the Table," provides an insightful interview with our Director for Africa, Jemimah Njuki. Njuki has long been a leader in gender equality and women's empowerment in Africa's agriculture sectors, and this year was named a UN Food Systems Summit Champion and leader of the summit's women's empowerment lever of change. She shares how a gender lens has been integrated into the upcoming 2021 UN Food Systems Summit from the beginning, and the importance of ensuring that gender equality and women's voices are central to systems transformation. Links: IFPRI resources on Food Systems: https://www.ifpri.org/topic/food-systems Jemimah Njuki: https://www.ifpri.org/profile/jemimah-njuki Charlotte Hebebrand: https://www.ifpri.org/profile/charlotte-hebebrand Subscribe IFPRI Insights newsletter and event announcements at www.ifpri.org/content/newsletter-subscription

POLICY SEMINAR Food systems lessons from COVID-19: From understanding fragilities to building resilience Co-Organized by IFPRI and the CGIAR COVID-19 Hub MAR 2, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EST COVID-19’s impacts on our global food system have affected the food security and nutritional wellbeing of millions of people worldwide, with market closures, supply disruptions, and income and employment losses. Understanding the extent and nature of these impacts will be critical to building resilience to future shocks. At this seminar, researchers from the CGIAR COVID-19 Hub present results from the first global assessment of the impacts of COVID-19 on food systems and their actors. The analysis highlights points of vulnerability and resilience, identifies who suffered and who benefitted, and examines how lockdowns and other policies shaped outcomes. Considering these findings, a panel discussion will offer insights and suggestions on what steps must be taken to avoid these negative impacts in future emergencies. S

BOOK LAUNCH Resetting the Table: Straight talk about the food we grow and eat FEB 10, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 10:30 AM EST Consumers want to know more about their food–including the farm from which it came, the chemicals used in its production, its nutritional value, how the animals were treated, and the costs to the environment. They are being told that buying organic foods, unprocessed and sourced from small local farms, is the most healthful and sustainable option. In his new book, Paarlberg delineates the ways in which global food markets have improved our diet, and how “industrial” farming has recently turned green, thanks to GPS-guided precision methods that cut energy use and chemical pollution. Join us to hear from the book’s author and discussants on solutions that can make sense for farmers and consumers alike through the rapidly changing worlds of food and farming. Book Overview: Robert Paarlberg, Adjunct professor of public policy, Harvard Kennedy School; & Associate, Weatherhead Center for Internat

BOOK LAUNCH An evolving paradigm of agricultural mechanization development: How much can Africa learn from Asia? FEB 9, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 10:30 AM EST Agricultural mechanization in Africa south of the Sahara — especially for small farms and businesses — requires a new paradigm to meet the needs of the continent’s evolving farming systems. Can Asia, with its recent success in adopting mechanization, offer a model for Africa? An Evolving Paradigm of Agricultural Mechanization Development analyzes the experiences of eight Asian and five African countries. The authors explore crucial government roles in boosting and supporting mechanization, from import policies to promotion policies to public good policies. Hear from the authors and discussants on the book’s recommendations and insights, which are beneficial to national policymakers and the development community who can adapt this knowledge to local contexts and use it as a foundation for further research. Book Overview: Xinshen Diao, Deputy Division Directo

BOOK LAUNCH Agricultural Development: New Perspectives in a Changing World FEB 4, 2021 - 08:30 AM TO 09:30 AM EST The changing global landscape, combined with new and better data, technologies, and understanding, means that agriculture can and must contribute to a wider range of development outcomes than ever before, including reducing poverty, ensuring adequate nutrition, creating strong food value chains, improving environmental sustainability, and promoting gender equity and equality. Agricultural Development: New Perspectives in a Changing World is the first comprehensive exploration of key emerging issues facing developing country agriculture today, from rapid urbanization to rural transformation to climate change. In this four-part volume, top experts offer the latest research in the field of agricultural development. Hear from the book’s editors and discussants on policy options and strategies for developing sustainable agriculture and reducing food insecurity and malnutrition. Book Overview: -