News Overview

By Taddese Zerfu November 15, 2024 Evidence-based policymaking is crucial for developing cost-effective strategies that address the root causes of food insecurity and malnutrition around the world. However, significant gaps exist between research and policy, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). More evidence does not always lead to better policies. Often, translating evidence into action is hindered by cognitive,

By Faith Gikunda November 19, 2024 The Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) has consistently served as a pivotal platform for shaping agricultural policies and practices across the continent. By convening a wide array of stakeholders, the AFSF fosters discussions that promote inclusive and sustainable food systems and address key issues such as gender equality and nutrition. This year’s AFSF Summit, held September

By Katrina Kosec and Lucia Carrillo November 20, 2024 As the humanitarian crisis deepens in the Gaza Strip, where conflict has devastated millions, the call for durable solutions to protect vulnerable communities has never been more urgent. This crisis, as well as escalating emergencies in Sudan, Yemen, Ethiopia, and Ukraine—among many others—underscores the critical need for effective strategies to protect, respond to,

By the Bhubaneshwar consortium November 21, 2024 Public works programs have the potential to reduce poverty, provide resilience for workers to economic shocks, and improve infrastructure. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), India’s large national workfare program, has provided 3.07 billion person-days of work at a guaranteed minimum wage in the 2024 fiscal year alone, and received attention for both its

By Samyuktha Kannan and Berber Kramer November 22, 2024 Climate change is increasing the frequency of adverse weather events and reducing agricultural productivity, particularly in warmer regions of the world (Ortiz-Bobea et al 2021). Smallholder farming households in developing countries depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and spend a larger proportion of their income on food,  making them the most

By Thomas Falk, Richu Sanil, and Ruth Meinzen-Dick December 2, 2024 Over-extraction of groundwater is a prominent challenge in India, which withdraws more of this key resource each year than the United States and China combined. At least one-third of India’s districts have problems with groundwater overexploitation or contamination. This has profound implications for food security, livelihoods, and economic development. As groundwater is

By Ruth Meinzen-Dick and Bryan Bruns December 6, 2024 Groundwater is a vital common pool resource for water supply, irrigation, and ecosystems—but is difficult to govern due to its invisibility, stakeholders’ conflicting interests, and the limitations of available institutions. These issues have created an array of problems around the world that threaten ecosystems, food production, and drinking water supplies—including aquifer depletion, waterlogging, salinity,

By Andrew Comstock, Olivier Ecker, and Eleanor Jones December 10, 2024 Recent crises and shocks have eroded food security in many countries. These crises take many forms. Some are global shocks, such as a sharp rise in food commodity prices in world markets. Some are local shocks—for instance, flooding from an extreme weather event, or another from the ever-increasing list of climate