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The road to resilience: Rethinking responses to food crises
No full textIn 2022, the world faced multiple crises. Globally, disruptions to food systems continued amid a protracted pandemic, major natural disasters, civil unrest and political instability, and the growing impacts of climate change, all while the war in Ukraine exacerbated a global food and fertilizer crisis. Yet some aspects of food systems have proved surprisingly resilient in the face of crisis. The International Food Policy Research Institute’s (IFPRI’s) 2021 Global Food Policy Report: Transforming Food Systems after COVID-19 showed, for example, that adopting new business models helped to keep food value chains functioning during the pandemic, and expanding social protection programs reduced negative impacts on food security.PRIFPRI4DGO; Development Strategies and Governance (DSG); Transformation Strategie
Regional developments [in 2023 Global Food Policy Report]
No full textRecent global crises have led to diverse impacts across the world’s low- and middle-income regions, reflecting local conditions and differing policy responses. These effects are often compounded by more local shocks and crises, including prolonged conflict and violence, natural disasters, and fragile economic and governance systems. This section examines the impacts of recent food crises to identify both future risks and promising policy options that could improve early warning, immediate response, and resilience building in each region.PRIFPRI4AFR; SAR; LAC; Development Strategies and Governance (DSG); Foresight and Policy Modeling (FPM); Markets, Trade, and Institutions (MTI); Food and Nutrition Policy; Transformation Strategie
Crisis resilience: Humanitarian response and anticipatory action
No full textIn human, economic, and environmental terms, the total cost of disaster and crisis response is extremely high, and the disastrous combination of the food price crises coming on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic and natural calamities is straining public budgets and squeezing financial options. In 2020, private and public losses from weather-related disasters alone exceeded a total of US$258 billion globally — 29 percent above the 2001–2020 average — making it the fifth costliest year on record, and rising temperatures are expected to bring even more frequent and severe extreme weather events. At the same time, conflict has become a leading contributor to humanitarian crisis situations — as seen most recently with the food and energy crises precipitated by the Russia-Ukraine war and refugee flows driven by the Syrian civil war.PRIFPRI4Development Strategies and Governance (DSG); Transformation Strategie
Political constraints and opportunities for agricultural investment in Sudan
No full textThis note reviews Sudan’s contemporary political landscape and how it affects the viability of much needed investments central to the country’s agricultural transformation. It specifically focuses on livestock and horticulture value chains in Greater Khartoum and natural resource management in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan States. Successive governments have largely neglected the agriculture sector even though it is the largest employment sector in Sudan and contributes about 56 percent to total exports (CBoS, 2020). Moreover, the sector has a high potential for tackling the twin challenges of food insecurity and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. These two are critical priorities given high food price inflation and restricted access to agricultural inputs exacerbated by the Ukraine war.
An enabling political and governance environment is essential for adopting and implementing the policies required for agricultural transformation, especially in fragile states like Sudan. This Political Economy Assessment (PEA) exercise has highlighted that the military and paramilitary structures occupy a large market share of the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), private company partnerships, and land leases to foreign companies in the agriculture sector. Thus, this study forms a basis for deeper PEA and an opportunity for the exploration of the role of intermediaries and the rent seeking activities at the subsequent levels of agricultural value chains, and the extent to which they are linked to both formal and informal economic structures. We have highlighted how smallholder farmers are largely disadvantaged given the current distribution of economic rents.Non-PRIFPRI1; SSSP; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; 4 Transforming Agricultural and Rural Economies; 5 Strengthening Institutions and Governance; DCADevelopment Strategies and Governance (DSG); Transformation Strategie
Challenges to joint planning, monitoring, and evaluation for nutrition-sensitive agriculture in Ethiopia: An exploratory qualitative study
No full textBackground: Nutrition-sensitive agriculture is an efective multi-sectoral approach to address the underlying causes of malnutrition. However, successful implementation requires the involvement of diferent sectors to jointly plan, monitor, and evaluate key activities, which is often challenged by contextual barriers. Previous studies in Ethiopia have not adequately explored these contextual barriers. Hence, the current study aimed to qualitatively explore the challenges to joint planning, monitoring, and evaluation for nutrition-sensitive agriculture among sectors in Ethiopia.
Methods: A qualitative exploratory study was conducted in Tigray and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples (SNNP) of Ethiopia regional states in 2017. Ninety-four key informants were purposively selected from government agencies primarily in health and agriculture, from local (kebele) to national levels, and ranging from academic organizations, research institutions, and implementing partners. Researchers developed a semi-structured guide and conducted key informant interviews which were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim in local language, and translated to English. All transcriptions were imported into ATLAS.ti Version 7.5 software for coding and analysis. The data analysis followed an inductive approach. Transcriptions were coded line by line; then similar codes were grouped into categories. Subsequently, non-repetitive themes were identifed from the categories using thematic analysis methodology.
Results: The following themes were identifed as challenges that hinder joint planning, monitoring, and evaluation to link nutrition to agriculture: (1) limited capacity, (2) workload in home sector (agriculture or nutrition), (3) lack of attention to nutrition interventions, (4) inadequate supportive supervision, (5) problematic reporting system, and (6) weak technical coordinating committees.
Conclusions and recommendations: Gaps in human and technical resources, limited attention from diferent sectors, and absence of routine monitoring data hindered joint planning, monitoring, and evaluation activities for nutrition-sensitive agriculture in Ethiopia. Short-term and long-term training for experts and intensifcation of supportive supervision may address gaps in capacity. Future studies should address whether routine monitoring and surveillance in nutrition-sensitive multi-sectoral activities provides long-term improvement in outcomes.PRIFPRI3; CRP4A4NHCGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH
The global burden of high fasting plasma glucose associated with zinc deficiency: Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textNon-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for the largest share of the global disease burden, and increasing evidence shows that zinc deficiency (ZD) contributes to NCDs by inducing oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and impaired lipid metabolism. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine whether ZD was associated with fasting plasma glucose (FPG), a key risk factor for NCDs. A random effects meta-analysis was conducted to determine the strength of the association in the form of an odds ratio (OR) and subsequently the population attributable risk (PAR) with population prevalences of high FPG. The disease burden from high FPG attributable to ZD was expressed as disability adjusted life years (DALYS). Data from seven studies were obtained as part of the systematic review. The meta-analysis shows a significant (p<0.01) inverse relationship between ZD and high FPG (OR = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.16, 4.72). Globally, the PAR of ZD’s contribution to high FPG is 6.7%, with approximately 8.2 million high FPG DALYs attributable to ZD. Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and chronic kidney diseases account for more than 90% of the total DALYs. Total DALYs attributable to ZD are largest in the “Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania” and “High Income” Super Regions. While the disease burden is highest among populous countries (e.g., China, India, USA), the population-standardized DALYs are highest among island nations, particularly island nations in the South Pacific and Caribbean. While ZD accounts for a small share of the high FPG disease burden, the total number of DALYs far surpasses other estimates of the disease burden attributable to ZD, which focus on diarrheal diseases in childhood. Zinc interventions are urgently needed to help address the increasing disease burden from NCDs, and the double burden of malnutrition.PR2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; IFPRI3; HarvestPlusHarvestPlus; Innovation Policy and Scaling (IPS); Transformation Strategie
Long term association between of maternal preconception hemoglobin and anemia and child health and development in Vietnam
No full textBackground: The long-term association between preconception maternal hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations and child health and development is unclear.
Objective: We examined associations between maternal preconception Hb concentrations and anemia with: a) birth outcomes (weight, length, preterm, gestational age, small-for-gestational-age); b) child Hb at 3 mo, 6 mo, 12 mo, and 24 mo; c) motor and mental development at 12 mo and 24 mo (Bayley scales for infant development) and cognitive functioning at 6-7y (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children).
Methods: We used data from a randomized controlled trial (PRECONCEPT) conducted in Vietnam. Over 5000 women who were intending to conceive were recruited and offspring were prospectively followed from birth (n=1599) through 6-7y (n=1318). Multivariable linear and logistic regressions were used to assess the association between preconception Hb or anemia (Hb < 11g/dL) on child health and development outcomes, adjusted by supplementation group (tested for interactions) and confounding at maternal, child and household levels.
Results: At preconception enrollment, 20% of the women were anemic. Maternal preconception Hb was positively associated with child Hb at 3 mo (0.06; 95% CI: 0.01,0.12), 6 mo (0.08; 95% CI: 0.03,0.13), 12 mo (0.10; 95% CI: 0.04-0.15) and 24 mo (0.07; 95% CI: 0.02,0.12). Likewise, maternal preconception Hb was associated with reduced risk of child anemia at 6mo (0.89; 95% CI: 0.81-0.98), 12 mo (0.81; 95% CI: 0.74-0.89) and 24 mo (0.87; 95% CI: 0.79-0.95). Maternal preconception anemia was negatively associated with cognition (-1.64; 95% CI: -3.09, -0.19) and language development (-1.61; 95% CI: -3.20, -0.03) at 24mo. Preconception Hb was not associated with birth outcomes or cognitive outcomes at 6-7y.
Conclusion: Maternal preconception Hb was associated with child Hb across the first 1000 days of life. However, preconception Hb was not a significant predictor of birth outcomes or cognitive outcomes at 6-7y in this cohort from Vietnam.PRIFPRI3; ISI; DCA; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for allNutrition, Diets, and Health (NDH); Food and Nutrition Polic
Digital tools and agricultural market transformation in Africa: Why are they not at scale yet, and what will it take to get there?
No full textDespite enthusiasm for the potential of digital innovations to transform agricultural markets in Africa, progress made thus far has been limited to small-scale experiments that often fail to scale up. Realizing the full potential of digital innovations – tools, technologies, applications, and services – in Africa requires not just further development of these solutions at meaningful scales, but also more nuanced evidence from both successful and unsuccessful scaling efforts. This paper reviews the conceptual and empirical evidence on the transformative potential of digital innovations for African agricultural markets with an in-depth examination of solutions that have been rolled out to date in the continent. Specifically, the review addresses the following questions: (i) how can digital innovations improve the functioning of agricultural markets in Africa? (ii) what explains the apparent disconnect of most pilots to scale-ups? (iii) what is required to realize their full potential? and (iv) what are the emerging risks and opportunities associated with digital innovations for agricultural marketing? Although our review of the landscape and literature on market-focused digital innovations in Africa identifies several reasons to remain optimistic, the prevailing disconnect between pilots and scale-ups merits further evaluation. In particular, there is a need for more systematic assessments of both successes and failures at both the piloting and scaling stages.PRIFPRI3; IFPRIOA; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; 4 Transforming Agricultural and Rural Economies; 5 Strengthening Institutions and Governance; ISI; Evaluating Impact and Building Capacity (EIBC)Development Strategies and Governance (DSG); Transformation Strategies; Markets, Trade, and Institutions (MTI); Food and Nutrition Polic
Gender-inclusive, -responsive, and -transformative agricultural insurance: A literature review
No full textPR3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; ISI; G Cross-cutting gender theme; IFPRI3; CRP2; CRP7Foresight and Policy Modeling (FPM); Transformation Strategies; Markets, Trade, and Institutions (MTI); Food and Nutrition Policy; PIMCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM); CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS
Climate risks and damage abatement effects of pesticides: Evidence based on four-wave panel data in Nigeria
No full textManaging biotic stress, such as pests, diseases, and weeds, remain critical in enhancing the productivity of agrifood systems in developing countries, including Nigeria. The public sector continues to seek solutions for efficient and effective measures for addressing these biotic stresses, ranging from varietal technologies, improved crop husbandry, and the application of agrochemicals. The field-level evidence remains scarce regarding the effectiveness of these measures in developing countries like Nigeria. Furthermore, increasing climate uncertainty poses further challenges in identifying effective measures. This study assesses the damage abatement effects of agrochemicals in Nigeria and how these effects are affected by weather shocks. We extend the standard damage abatement framework to 4 waves of farm panel data to minimize the potential bias due to the endogeneity in agrochemical use decisions. Our results indicate that weather shocks have significant effects. In particular, rising nighttime minimum temperatures above 20 ℃ have significantly increased damage abatement effects of pesticides in Nigeria. This is possibly because of increased pest activities induced by the warmer nighttime temperatures, which, in the absence of pesticide uses, would cause more significant damage to crops. These results hold for all crops combined, as well as individual crops, including cowpea and maize, for which Nigeria has intensified its effort in pest control through both agrochemicals and Bt varieties in recent years.Non-PR1 Fostering Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food Supply; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; IFPRI1; DCAInnovation Policy and Scaling (IPS); Transformation Strategies; Development Strategies and Governance (DSG