BY JAN DUCHOSLAV, MAZVITA CHIDUWA, SIMON DENHERE, JOACHIM DE WEERDT, RODWELL MZONDE AND GEORGE PHIRI OPEN ACCESS | CC-BY-4.0 Malawi is heading towards a severe food crisis later this year after an El Niño induced mid-season dry spell—the worst in the last hundred years—affected the harvest of maize, the staple food grown by nine out of 10 farming households. The government declared a state of disaster in March
BY PURNIMA MENON AND DEANNA OLNEY OPEN ACCESS | CC-BY-4.0 The impacts of our diets extend well beyond mealtime to affect our health and well-being. Unhealthy diets underpin many public health challenges, including all forms of malnutrition and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Many countries are facing a double burden of malnutrition—meaning that undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies coexist with overweight
PRESS RELEASE MAY 29, 2024 Washington DC, May 29, 2024: In the face of growing challenges posed by unhealthy diets, all forms of malnutrition, and environmental constraints, the 2024 Global Food Policy Report (GFPR) — released today by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) — underscores the importance of transforming complex global food systems to ensure sustainable healthy diets for all.
BY ELEANOR JONES OPEN ACCESS | CC-BY-4.0 IFPRI and its research partners have studied the pace and pattern of agricultural transformation within the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Feed the Future (FTF) countries. A series of 21 case studies were produced that measure each country’s agrifood system, analyze changes over the past decade, and identify common patterns across
BY CARLO AZZARRI, SEDI-ANNE BOUKAKA, JESSICA HECKERT, RUTH MEINZEN-DICK, GREG SEYMOUR, AND SARA SAVASTANO OPEN ACCESS | CC-BY-4.0 A new tool based on IFPRI’s Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI)—developed by IFPRI and the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s (IFAD) Research and Impact Assessment Division (RIA)—provides a streamlined way to track and evaluate impacts on women’s empowerment in development
BY ZHE GUO, ELEANOR JONES, AND LIANGZHI YOU OPEN ACCESS | CC-BY-4.0 With climate change impacts, deforestation, and land use changes accelerating around the world, the need for mapping croplands—which cover 1.2 billion hectares, approximately 12% of Earth’s surface—is growing more urgent. Sustaining a growing global population, while protecting vital natural ecosystems, requires more efficient crop systems that sustainably
BY MARTIN PAUL JR. TABE-OJONG, ONASIS THARCISSE ADETUMI GUEDEGBE, AND JOSEPH GLAUBER OPEN ACCESS | CC-BY-4.0 Cocoa bean prices have been rising since the last quarter of 2023, hitting a record high of $10.97 per kilogram on April 19 (Figure 1). The price spike is due to a significant drop in bean production by major global suppliers—four key producing nations in West and
BY CLAUDIA RINGLER AND CARGELE MASSO OPEN ACCESS | CC-BY-4.0 Healthy soils play a critical role in supporting agricultural productivity, climate change mitigation and resilience, and a range of ecosystem services. Up to 65% of Africa’s productive land is estimated to be degraded, and far too many smallholder farmers must eke out a living on degraded and nutrient depleted soils. While