News Overview

Across Africa, soils are under stress. More than 65% of farmland is degraded, threatening food security, livelihoods, and the continent’s ability to withstand shocks. Yet, within this challenge lies a remarkable opportunity: restoring healthy soils and landscapes can unlock resilience, productivity, and sustainability for future generations. This urgency framed a side-event held during the Second Africa Climate Summit (8–10

By Valeria Piñeiro, Juan Pablo Gianatiempo, Joseph Glauber, and Fousseini Traoré September 25, 2025 African agriculture holds immense economic potential, given the continent’s vast arable land and growing demand for food, and the growing demand for food globally—yet sub-Saharan Africa continues to play a marginal role in global agrifood markets. The current moment, however, offers a crucial opportunity for SSA to boost its

By Alan de Brauw September 25, 2025 A new report, External Assessment of Outcomes from IFPRI’s Causal Impact Evaluation Research 2012–2022, authored by independent consultant Sarah Lowder, details the outcomes of IFPRI’s wide portfolio of causal impact evaluations on policies, investments, and interventions. It highlights the ways in which high-quality research design can serve as the backbone for addressing food insecurity,

Early-career researchers often fall into a “missing middle.” They have skills but little scaffolding, ideas but no networks, and research outputs that miss the very policy windows where evidence is most needed.

By Carlito Balingbing and Glenn Concepcion In a significant stride towards safeguarding global food security and reducing reliance on harmful pesticides, a new study has identified simple, environmentally friendly attractants that can effectively monitor and control insect pests in stored rice. This innovative research, spearheaded by scientists from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and partner institutions, offers a sustainable

The rain delays, sorghum withers; when a storm finally breaks, complaints rise again. To break this cycle of uncertainty, scientists from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, INERA, and the University of Ghana conducted the first large-scale survey on agricultural climate services in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, and Senegal. Published on July 9, 2025, in Frontiers in Climate, the study

On October 3, EAT —a science-based global platform for food system transformation— and The Lancet —one of the world’s leading medical journals— will launch the 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission. This landmark report updates one of the most widely cited studies of the past decade. To unpack its influence on research, policy, and global action, we spoke with Fabrice DeClerck, EAT’s Chief Science Officer and Alliance’s

By Sok Sao, Research Fellow at WorldFish, with co-authors Sanjiv De Silva, Senior Regional Researcher in Natural Resources Governance at IWMI, and Deepa Joshi, Gender, Youth, and Inclusion Lead Specialist at IWMI. Highlights: Boeng Ream Fish Refuge and Boeng Sneh Lake illustrate how wetlands sustain fisheries, biodiversity, and livelihoods, while also revealing the pressures of overuse and wider ecological challenges.