International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Researchers, Policymakers, and Other Experts Are Meeting to Discuss Sustaining Regional Economic Growth and Achieving Food Security

admin — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:12:32 -0400

May 15, 2013, Dakar, Senegal—West Africa has sustained a solid pace of growth for nearly two decades—a welcome change after years of stagnation and decline. The strategic question remains, however: How can the region build on this success to accelerate economic transformation and broaden growth, especially to provide regional food security?

Contact Information:

Hawa Diop, h.diop@cgiar.org, +221.33.869.98.32

Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Programme to Strengthen Skills and Competencies of Ghanaian Agribusiness Professionals

admin — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:14:40 -0400

April 11, 2013—Ghana needs a vibrant, thriving and growing agricultural sector to ensure food security, reduce poverty and develop its economy. Can improving the management practices in agribusinesses that provide the needed inputs and services for the sector and add value to its outputs vitalize the sector? The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) think so, and are partnering together to launch a four-week Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Programme, from April 15-May 10, 2013.

Feeding Nine Billion in 2050

admin — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 07:51:10 -0400

April 11, 2013—During the next 40 years the world’s population is projected to reach more than nine billion people. Demand for food is expected to increase by 60 percent under business-as-usual assumptions. Competition for land, water, and food could lead to greater poverty and hunger if not properly addressed now, with potentially severe environmental impacts.

Contact Information:

Sarah Immenschuh
+1 (202) 862-5679
s.immenschuh@cgiar.org

Countries in West Africa Must Add Climate Change Adaptation to Food Security Investments

admin — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 08:56:43 -0400

Press Release
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
April 2, 2013

Contact Information:

Sarah Immenschuh
+1 (202) 862-5679
s.immenschuh@cgiar.org

Walk the Talk: It’s Time for the Global Community to Move from Aspirations to Action to Fight Hunger

admin — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 08:45:13 -0400

Press Statement
by Shenggen Fan, Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
March 14, 2013

Contact Information:

Sarah Immenschuh, s.immenschuh@cgiar.org, +1 202-862-5679

Increase in agricultural research spending in Pakistan is needed

admin — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:22:13 -0400

November 27, 2012, Islamabad, Pakistan—The agricultural sector in Pakistan plays a vital role in the nation’s food security and it employs half the country's labor force. Population in Pakistan is expected to nearly double by 2050. In order to feed the growing population and address other pressing challenges, such as adaptation to climate change and rising and volatile food prices, it is crucial that agricultural productivity is increased.

Contact Information:

Sarah Immenschuh, s.immenschuh@cgiar.org, +1 202-862-5679

Agricultural R&D Spending on the Rise, but Low-Income Countries Continue to Lag Behind

admin — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:40:36 -0400

Washington D.C.—Global challenges, including the recent food and financial crises and climate change, highlight the need for continued and scaled-up investments in agricultural research and development (R&D).

The report ASTI Global Assessment of Agricultural R&D Spending, published by the International Food Policy Research Institute’s (IFPRI) Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators initiative (ASTI) and the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), reveals trends in R&D spending from 1981 to 2008.

Contact Information:

Sarah Immenschuh, s.immenschuh@cgiar.org, +1 202-862-5679

Hunger in Times of Land, Water, and Energy Pressures

admin — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 03:21:07 -0400

Washington, D.C.—Unsustainable use of land, water, and energy is threatening the food security of the poorest and most vulnerable around the world, according to the 2012 Global Hunger Index, released for the seventh year by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Welthungerhilfe, and Concern Worldwide.

Contact Information:

Sarah Immenschuh, s.immenschuh@cgiar.org, +1 (202) 862-5679
Paul O’Mahony, paul.omahony@concern.net, +353 1 4491309
Simone Pott, simone.pott@welthungerhilfe.de, +49 0 228 22 88 132

Effectively Responding to the Drought in the United States Can Prevent another Global Food Crisis

admin — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 09:33:54 -0400

Press Statement
by Shenggen Fan, Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
August 06, 2012

Below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures have contributed to the most severe and extensive drought in the United States since the 1950s. Spanning over half the country, the severity of drought conditions increased dramatically since early July, adversely affecting the production of maize (yellow corn) and soybeans, driving up agricultural prices, and increasing the volatility of those prices to excessive levels.

The Media and Food Prices: New Tool to Reduce Gaps in Information on Global Commodity Prices

admin — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 08:27:55 -0400

July 23, 2012—Short- and long-term factors—such as climate change, the growth of commodities futures markets, and changing levels of grain stocks—contribute to rising food prices. A new tool by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) developed in collaboration with Sophic Systems Alliance Inc.® (Sophic Intelligence ^TM), analyzes daily media coverage to examine the extent to which current expectations regarding food prices, agricultural markets, and food stocks may also impact food prices and increase price volatility.

Contact Information:

Sarah Immenschuh, +1 202-862-5679, s.immenschuh@cgiar.org