International Food Policy Research Institute

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. Established in 1975, IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 50 countries. It is a research center of CGIAR, a worldwide partnership engaged in agricultural research for development.[6]

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Founded1975[1]
TypeNon-profit
FocusEnding hunger and poverty, Food security, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Nutrition, Policy analysis
Location
Area served
Global
MethodSocial science research
Key people
Johan Swinnen, Director General[3]
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Emorn Udomkesmalee[4]
Revenue
US$140,3082,000 in 2019[5]
Websitewww.ifpri.org

Global, regional, and national food systems face major challenges and require fundamental transformations. More than ever, responding to these challenges will require a systems-oriented, multidisciplinary approach to reshape food systems so they work for all people sustainably. IFPRI’s Strategy Refresh 2018–2020 builds on the strong base of work developed under the Institute’s 2013–2018 strategy and focuses on five strategic research areas:

  • Fostering Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food Supply
  • Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for All
  • Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry
  • Transforming Agricultural and Rural Economies
  • Strengthening Institutions and Governance

Each of the five strategic research areas considers gender within all research questions and throughout the research process.

IFPRI is a CGIAR Research Center,[7] which receives funding from national governments, private foundations, universities, non-governmental organizations, as well as from the CGIAR Trust Fund.


Scope

Current Director-General
  • Johan Swinnen (2020–Present)[8]

List of Directors-General

Board of Trustees

The IFPRI Board of Trustees is responsible for setting policies and evaluating and monitoring management’s actions. The Board hires and evaluates the Director General, approves the long-range strategic plan, approves the annual plan and budget, monitors the Institute’s progress toward the achievement of its mission and strategic research objectives, assures the Institute’s cost effectiveness, financial integrity, and accountability, exercises oversight of investments, and ensures compliance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements.

Donors

IFPRI receives funding from national governments, private foundations, universities, non-governmental organizations, as well as from the CGIAR Trust Fund. IFPRI’s partnerships with donors are bringing us closer to a world free of hunger and malnutrition. IFPRI discloses its funders in its Annual Report. IFPRI greatly appreciates the donors who supported IFPRI’s research through their contributions to the CGIAR Fund: https://www.cgiar.org/funders/, without which our work would not be possible.

Organizational structure
  • IFPRI’s Senior Management provides strategic, decision-making, and advisory guidance to the institute.
  • Research theme leaders help manage activities within IFPRI’s five strategic research areas and cross-cutting theme on gender.
  • Operational leaders help manage capacity strengthening, finance and administration, human resources, institutional relations, and partnerships and business development.
  • IFPRI’s country and sub-regional programs currently spanning 10 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean play a critical role in responding to demand for food policy research and in delivering holistic support for country-led development.

IFPRI Divisions
  • Director General (DGO)
  • Communications and Public Affairs (CPA)
  • Finance and Administration, Human Resources
  • Development Strategy and Governance (DSGD)
  • Environment and Production Technology (EPTD)
  • Markets, Trade, and Institutions (MTID)
  • Poverty, Health, and Nutrition (PHND)

CGIAR's Research Programs

IFPRI also leads two of CGIAR's Research Programs (CRPs): Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM) and Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH).

Research Outputs

For more than 40 years, IFPRI has been sharing its research with its core audience of policy makers and practitioners from governments, academia, nonstate actors, and the global development community. Since IFPRI’s work typically addresses issues of global or regional scope, its global communications efforts tend to target global or regional, rather than countrylevel, audiences. IFPRI uses a well-known set of tools to reach its global audiences, including reports, books, briefs, discussion papers, newsletters, datasets, seminars, high-level dialogues, and global conferences. IFPRI will maintain its high-quality scientific communications and make more of its products open-access and available in global portals.

Publications by IFPRI include books, research reports, but also newsletters, briefs, and fact sheets which are also available from IFPRI's Knowledge Repository.[9] It is also involved in the collection of primary data and the compilation and processing of secondary data.[10] IFPRI also produces animations, short documentaries, event recordings, presentations, and interviews that highlight research on ending hunger and malnutrition around the world.

The Global Food Policy Report is one of IFPRI's flagship publications. To meet the needs of policy makers and researchers interested in food security and nutrition, this annual report offers an overview of recent food policy developments that have contributed to or hindered progress in reducing hunger and improving nutrition. It reviews what happened in food policy and why, examines key challenges and opportunities, shares new evidence and knowledge, updates key food policy indicators, and highlights emerging issues. The 2017 Report takes an in-depth look at how rapid urbanization is reshaping food systems and its impact on food security and nutrition for rural and urban populations, focusing on policies to improve rural-urban linkages.[11]

In 1993 IFPRI introduced the 2020 Vision Initiative,[12] which aims at coordinating and supporting a debate among national governments, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, international development institutions, and other elements of civil society to reach food security for all by 2020.

Criticism

CGIAR and its agencies, including IFPRI, have been criticized for their connections to Western governments and multinational agribusiness. Its research publications have also been cited by critics of genetically modified organisms in agriculture. IFPRI describes itself as "neither an advocate nor an opponent of genetically modified crops".[13] In addition, many sources recognize CGIAR as having support of smallholders and poor farmers central to its mission.[14][15][16][17]

References
  1. "International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)". CGIAR.
  2. "Contact Us". IFPRI.
  3. "Director General's Office (DGO)". IFPRI.
  4. "Board of Trustees". IFPRI.
  5. "2019 Annual Report" (PDF). IFPRI. p. 6.
  6. "About IFPRI". IFPRI.
  7. "Our Research Centers". CGIAR.
  8. https://www.ifpri.org/division/director-generals-office-dgo
  9. http://ebrary.ifpri.org/
  10. http://thedata.harvard.edu/dvn/dv/IFPRI
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 16, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. A 2020 vision for food, agriculture, and environment (PDF). IFPRI. 1995. p. 7. ISBN 9780896296015. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  13. Note from the Director General Biotech and Biosafety Policy, Balancing Biotechnology and Biosafety (n.d.) Archived March 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  14. The Economist. (February 18, 2012) "The nutrition puzzle: Why do so many people in poor countries eat so badly—and what can be done about it?" "Marie Ruel, of the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, D.C., ticks off some of the tasks: focus on the first 1,000 days of life (including pregnancy); scale up maternal-health programmes and the teaching of good feeding practices; concentrate on the poor; measure and monitor the problem."
  15. Tran, Mark. (2011-09-02) "Investment in pastoralists could help combat east Africa food crisis" The Guardian. "The ILRI, based in Nairobi, is a proponent of pastoralism and asserts that herding in dry areas makes better economic sense than irrigation."
  16. The Economist (April 23, 2000) "Biting the silver bullet" "CGIAR ... help poor farmers"
  17. New Agriculturist (January 2005) "The CGIAR: A Bridge to the Future?" "Tropical agriculture has benefited very significantly from the work of the CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research).... the CGIAR's impact, since its founding in the 1970s, is an estimated US$9 return on every US$1 invested."

Annual reports and Flagship publications

More information on IFPRI’s work is available in the Institute’s annual reports.

Country Strategy Support Programs

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