Blog posts

Building impact at scale: what is scalability and scaling preparedness?

Naomi.Black — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 07:59:31 +0000

Building impact at scale: what is scalability and scaling preparedness?

In September and October country teams of the RFM initiative hosted scalability and scaling preparedness workshops in Nigeria, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Honduras to ensure the longevity of the research initiative’s interventions

Naomi.Black Tue, 10/22/2024 - 03:59

Building impact at scale: scaling up agri-food interventions from the Rethinking Food Markets initiative

Naomi.Black — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 07:49:52 +0000

Building impact at scale: scaling up agri-food interventions from the Rethinking Food Markets initiative

In September and October country teams of the RFM initiative hosted scalability and scaling preparedness workshops in Nigeria, Uganda, and Ethiopia to ensure the longevity of the research initiative’s interventions

Naomi.Black Tue, 10/22/2024 - 03:49

Co-evolution of horticultural breeding and product value chains - a product cycle perspective

Laura.Monikowska — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 13:02:52 +0000

Co-evolution of horticultural breeding and product value chains - a product cycle perspective

In an ever-evolving global market, the symbiotic development of new varieties of horticultural products in response to shifting international value chain priorities has become a pivotal factor in the expansion of the food industry. However, with rapid changes in product cycles and value chain processes, there are still significant gaps in how low and middle-income countries (LMICs) adapt and benefit from these innovations. Understanding these challenges, especially in the fruit sector, is crucial to unlocking the full potential of breeding and product development worldwide.

Laura.Monikowska Mon, 09/30/2024 - 09:02

Stakeholder Workshop Insights: Driving sustainability in the coffee value chain through traceability systems

Carla — Fri, 24 May 2024 16:11:38 +0000

Stakeholder Workshop Insights: Driving sustainability in the coffee value chain through traceability systems

On March 19, 2024, at the Clarion Hotel in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT convened a workshop focused on the interoperability of traceability systems and their importance in complying with the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-Fee Products (EUDR). This workshop, which was arranged by the Alliance team and titled “Common Interests and Joint Solutions for EUDR Compliance: A Roadmap Towards Interoperability of Traceability Systems”, gathered 33 stakeholders from various institutions involved in the coffee sector and agricultural supply chain

Carla Fri, 05/24/2024 - 12:11

Agrifood Value Chains are Complex Transaction-Linked Networks What Does this Mean for Sampling Methodology?

Carla — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 13:18:04 +0000

Agrifood Value Chains are Complex Transaction-Linked Networks What Does this Mean for Sampling Methodology?

Agrifood value chains are an integral part of food systems, moving food from farms where it is produced to retailers where it is sold to consumers. Agrifood value chains can be quite simple—consumers can buy directly from farms at farmers’ markets, for example—or they can be quite complex, involving processing steps on multiple continents before products reach retailers. Yet research often sets aside these distinctions and depicts agrifood value chains as highly stylized and simple—typically as a simplified series of steps involving traders, aggregators, processors, and/or wholesalers between farms and retailers. The most common method for studying multiple intermediary actors within agrifood value chains—“stacked surveys” that randomly sample respondents within each of these steps—follows this simplified approach.

Carla Wed, 03/13/2024 - 09:18

Webinar insights: Impact of outsourcing agricultural services on smallholder farmers

Vi.Nguyen — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 14:23:47 +0000

Webinar insights: Impact of outsourcing agricultural services on smallholder farmers

One of the emerging developments in agrifood systems worldwide is the rise of enterprises which provide farmers with “outsource” agricultural services. These services are emerging in various agricultural operations traditionally carried out by farmers themselves. But what has driven this growth? And how might they impact the future of farms?

Vi.Nguyen Mon, 02/19/2024 - 09:23

Stakeholder Workshop Insights: Coffee value chain in Honduras

Carla — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 11:59:59 +0000

Stakeholder Workshop Insights: Coffee value chain in Honduras

The initiative Rethinking Food Markets - CGIAR team organized a one-day stakeholders’ workshop for WP1 global coffee value chain in Honduras on February 2nd, 2023, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. In Central America, the Initiative is led by the Alliance of Biodiversity International & CIAT (ABC), it focuses on two work packages: WP1 focuses on increasing participation and profitability of smallholders and agrifood SMEs in the global coffee value chain, and WP2 on innovations for inclusive and sustainable growth of domestic maize and bean value chains.

Carla Sun, 12/31/2023 - 06:59

Stakeholder Workshop Insights: Research progress in the beans and maize value chains of Honduras and future research opportunities

Carla — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 09:55:49 +0000

Stakeholder Workshop Insights: Research progress in the beans and maize value chains of Honduras and future research opportunities

Common beans and maize are an important part of the diet of Hondurans and are the two main staple grains consumed in the country. A team from the Rethinking Food Markets Initiative hosted a half-day workshop with stakeholders in Tegucigalpa on November 29, 2023, to present research progress on two components: the production and marketing component, and the food processing industry component.

Carla Sun, 12/31/2023 - 04:55

Webinar insights: Opportunities and challenges of upgrading shrimp value chains through smallholder clusters in Bangladesh

Vi.Nguyen — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 12:43:24 +0000

Webinar insights: Opportunities and challenges of upgrading shrimp value chains through smallholder clusters in Bangladesh

Shrimp is Bangladesh’s main agricultural export and a substantial source of income and employment. However, global supermarket supply chains require traceability and certification systems that are challenging for many small-scale farms to meet. Can organizing farms into clusters overcome this challenge?

Bangladesh’s shrimp production and exports have been in steady decline in recent years. Most shrimp exports from Bangladesh are used by niche food markets in Europe, but there is rising interest to enter global supermarket supply chains as these can be more profitable.

Vi.Nguyen Wed, 12/06/2023 - 07:43

Webinar insights: Innovative financial solutions within agrifood value chains

Vi.Nguyen — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 13:25:37 +0000

Webinar insights: Innovative financial solutions within agrifood value chains

Innovative financial services within agrifood value chains are rising in low- and middle-income countries. This holds great promise for employment, yet the reality is that many smallholder farmers are unable to access and benefit from these services. What are the main barriers and where are the opportunities?

Vi.Nguyen Tue, 11/14/2023 - 08:25

The status of employment for women in agrifood systems

Vi.Nguyen — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 14:18:04 +0000

The status of employment for women in agrifood systems

Agrifood systems are a major source of employment worldwide. Yet women working within agrifood systems in low-income countries are more likely to have irregular, informal, and less well-paid jobs compared to men, and experience less favourable working conditions. Closing gender gaps is critically needed to create more sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems.

Vi.Nguyen Tue, 10/24/2023 - 10:18

Webinar insights: Innovations for inclusion towards the European Union Deforestation Regulation

Carla — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 15:01:08 +0000

Webinar insights: Innovations for inclusion towards the European Union Deforestation Regulation

This internal webinar from the Honduras team of the CGIAR 'Rethinking Food Markets' Initiative presented the portfolio of innovations developed by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT in agricultural product traceability for compliance with international regulations.

The Honduran team consists of researchers from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT: Federico Ceballos-Sierra, postdoctoral researcher; Mirian Colindres, Senior Research Associate; Byron Reyes, scientist; and Jenny Wiegel, scientist and Regional Coordinator for Central America.

Carla Thu, 09/28/2023 - 11:01

Creating better employment in agrifood systems: Where is more research needed?

Vi.Nguyen — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 08:53:58 +0000

Creating better employment in agrifood systems: Where is more research needed?

Agrifood systems represent a substantial source of employment for a diverse range of supply chain actors. In recent years, we have learned a lot from the rapid rise in innovations on what is needed to build more inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems that can lift people out of poverty and provide better job opportunities. Yet there are still critical gaps in knowledge to address before we get there.

Vi.Nguyen Thu, 09/28/2023 - 04:53

Webinar Insights: Policy implications for the growing supply and demand of nutrient-dense foods in Africa

Vi.Nguyen — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 14:00:58 +0000

Webinar Insights: Policy implications for the growing supply and demand of nutrient-dense foods in Africa

The supply and demand of fruits, vegetables and animal products is often insufficient and too expensive for most consumers in sub-Saharan Africa. However, recent evidence suggests that both the production and consumption of these nutrient-dense products is rapidly growing. What are the policy implications of this? And what can governments do to stimulate more inclusive and sustainable domestic value chains?

Vi.Nguyen Tue, 09/19/2023 - 10:00

Webinar insights: Pathways to more jobs and better incomes in agrifood systems

Vi.Nguyen — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 13:30:52 +0000

Webinar insights: Pathways to more jobs and better incomes in agrifood systems

Building inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems can play a key role in achieving sustainable development goals. Agrifood systems account for more than 70% of employment in low-income countries and employs more than 1 billion people worldwide. Yet achieving equitable and inclusive livelihoods and employment is at risk.

Vi.Nguyen Mon, 08/14/2023 - 09:30

Webinar Insights: Challenges and opportunities of digital technologies for coffee value chains in Central America

Vi.Nguyen — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 13:00:19 +0000

Webinar Insights: Challenges and opportunities of digital technologies for coffee value chains in Central America

Digital technologies are transforming the agricultural sector and the global food system in innovative ways. From farm machinery automation to digital traceability tools to remote satellite data, the range of digital solutions available for different parts of the agri-food value chain is diverse.

Vi.Nguyen Tue, 06/27/2023 - 09:00

Addressing the knowledge gap on the financial needs of firms in the midstream of agricultural value chains

Vi.Nguyen — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 08:50:09 +0000

Addressing the knowledge gap on the financial needs of firms in the midstream of agricultural value chains

Agricultural value chains (AVCs) are an essential component of food systems—aggregating, processing, and delivering food to retailers. Without them, consumers throughout the world would have little to eat. Yet a set of key value chain actors—firms in their midstreams—are understudied, even as they have been undergoing substantial transformation over recent years to serve rapidly urbanizing societies.

Vi.Nguyen Tue, 06/27/2023 - 04:50 ∙

Source:

IFPRI

Increasing financial access in Ethiopia through mobile money

sara.gustafson — Mon, 01 May 2023 14:28:01 +0000

Increasing financial access in Ethiopia through mobile money

The mobile money revolution has begun to substantially increase financial access around the world. Mobile money accounts allow people previously excluded from the formal financial sector to access savings accounts, make payments to merchants, and make person-to-person transfers, among other services. Research has shown that mobile money access can have important effects on key outcomes such as improved resilience and food security.

sara.gustafson Mon, 05/01/2023 - 10:28 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Mobile banking in Bangladesh: An opportunity with constraints?

soonho.kim — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 20:13:01 +0000

Mobile banking in Bangladesh: An opportunity with constraints?

Digital financial services (DFS), particularly mobile banking, have the potential to extend financial services to unbanked populations.[1] Specifically, DFS reduce direct and indirect transaction costs. Mobile banking allows clients to access bank accounts, save money, and send and receive payments directly from their mobile phones, eliminating travel to a physical bank. Additionally, mobile banking reduces social or administrative constraints—such as in-person meetings and paperwork, and safety concerns while travelling with money—which can be especially salient for women.

soonho.kim Mon, 04/24/2023 - 16:13 ∙

Source:

Brac Institute of Governance & Development Blog

Launching KISM - the Knowledge Platform for Inclusive and Sustainable Food Markets and Value Chains

soonho.kim — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 16:02:48 +0000

Launching KISM - the Knowledge Platform for Inclusive and Sustainable Food Markets and Value Chains

by Swati Malhotra

soonho.kim Mon, 04/17/2023 - 12:02

The Russia-Ukraine war’s impact on global food markets: A historical perspective

Darline.KengneKuate — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 12:36:52 +0000

The Russia-Ukraine war’s impact on global food markets: A historical perspective

The Russia-Ukraine war has focused global attention on the key economic roles that those countries play as major exporters of agricultural commodities. Over 2019-2021, they accounted for 12% of global agricultural trade on a kilocalorie basis, with a combined market share of 34% for wheat, 26% for barley, 17% for maize, and 75% for sunflower oil. The war has scrambled this picture, with Ukraine’s exports falling dramatically, and Russia’s falling, then recovering.

Darline.KengneKuate Fri, 04/07/2023 - 08:36 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Building Better Bean Value Chains: Evidence from Uganda

sara.gustafson — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 18:06:19 +0000

Building Better Bean Value Chains: Evidence from Uganda

Beans play an important role in the diets of rural Ugandans, making up as much as 25 percent of average daily protein intake. They are also an important cash crop within the country, with biofortified beans holding the potential for significant value-added production and income generation. However, this potential is constrained by Uganda’s weak seed systems and uncoordinated value chains, which limit productivity.

sara.gustafson Mon, 03/27/2023 - 14:06

Price Insulation And Global Wheat Markets

sara.gustafson — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 15:28:05 +0000

Price Insulation And Global Wheat Markets

The real global price of food surged in 2022, reaching well above the previous peak seen in the 2011 food price crisis. While prices declined somewhat in July 2022, they remain alarmingly high, and some countries have enacted policies, such as export bans, to try to rein in prices on their domestic markets.

sara.gustafson Mon, 03/27/2023 - 11:28

Can innovations in logistics and financial services benefit actors throughout agricultural value chains?

theAdmin — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 15:45:28 +0000

Can innovations in logistics and financial services benefit actors throughout agricultural value chains?

Catalyzed by changes to global markets, urbanization, and other trends, agri-food value chains have been growing and changing rapidly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) over the past few decades. Perhaps more than ever, even in the world’s poorest countries, farmers can access high-value consumer markets both domestically and abroad. Benefiting from access to these high-value markets, however, often requires that crops meet specific quality, reliability, and volume standards.

theAdmin Tue, 01/31/2023 - 10:45 ∙

Source:

CGIAR

Rethinking Food Markets Initiative: Stakeholders Workshop in Nigeria

theAdmin — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 15:38:25 +0000

Rethinking Food Markets Initiative: Stakeholders Workshop in Nigeria

The CGIAR Initiative on ‘Rethinking Food Markets1 led by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), organized a two-day (12-13 Dec. 2022) stakeholders workshop in Abuja, Nigeria. The workshop aims to engage with key stakeholders to kick-start the co-designing of innovations and interventions in ‘Food Markets and Value Chains’ to enhance employment opportunities and increase income for smallholders and SMEs along the agri-food value chains in Nigeria.

theAdmin Tue, 01/31/2023 - 10:38 ∙

Source:

CGIAR

Measuring the prevalence of the use of toxic chemicals for tick control in Uganda

theAdmin — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 21:21:40 +0000

Measuring the prevalence of the use of toxic chemicals for tick control in Uganda

The dairy sub-sector in Uganda has witnessed a remarkable transformation over the last few decades. Just ten years ago, dairy exports were negligible; today, the sub-sector comes in third after coffee and fish as the country’s top agricultural export earner. This transformation is especially apparent in the southwest of the country, where a steady supply of raw milk, a broad network of milk collection centers, and the arrival of a handful of large processors provided a promising context for dairy value chain upgrading.

theAdmin Thu, 01/26/2023 - 16:21 ∙

Source:

CGIAR

Potentials and Pitfalls in Africa's Agrifood Processing Sector

sara.gustafson — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 22:47:48 +0000

Potentials and Pitfalls in Africa's Agrifood Processing Sector

The sustainable transformation of Africa’s agrifood processing system has been increasingly recognized as crucial to ensuring the region’s food security, reducing poverty rates, and supporting economic development. The ReSAKSS 2022 Annual Trends and Outlook Report (ATOR) takes an in-depth look at the status of the system, as well as the major challenges threatening further development and policies that can support sustainable growth in Africa’s agrifood sector.

sara.gustafson Fri, 01/13/2023 - 17:47

The Role of Food Systems in Closing the Global Emissions Gap

sara.gustafson — Sun, 08 Jan 2023 20:59:51 +0000

The Role of Food Systems in Closing the Global Emissions Gap

As the world grapples with the increasing impacts of climate change, global policymakers need to take much stronger action to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). This is the message from the recent UN Environment Programme’s Emissions Gap Report 2022. The report provides the stark conclusion that current national climate change pledges can only limit global warming rises by 2.4-2.6°C by the end of the century – far from the 1.5°C goal set forth by the Paris Agreement. To stand a chance of reaching that ambitious goal, global GHG emissions need to be cut by 45 percent by 2030.

sara.gustafson Sun, 01/08/2023 - 15:59

How mobile technologies are reducing gender inequities in Tanzania’s agrifood system

sara.gustafson — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 18:50:05 +0000

How mobile technologies are reducing gender inequities in Tanzania’s agrifood system

In the spring of 2022, we taught a graduate level course titled “Agri-food Systems and Economic Development” in Georgetown University’s Global Human Development Program. One of the assignments was writing a policy brief on the impact of a major shock to food systems (such as a significant policy or technological change, natural disaster, or the COVID-19 pandemic) on a sub-population in a country or region. This post by Christian Kamm is based on the assignment.

sara.gustafson Wed, 12/21/2022 - 13:50 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Environmental Sustainability of Latin American and the Caribbean Agrifood Systems

sara.gustafson — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 15:50:44 +0000

Environmental Sustainability of Latin American and the Caribbean Agrifood Systems

This blog post is based on the T20 Policy Brief, "Environmental Sustainability of Food Systems, Global Food Security and Trade."

Mitigating climate change and the degradation of natural resources while increasing the production of safe and nutritious food to eradicate hunger and ensure food security for a rapidly growing population is the most important and urgent challenge facing humanity today.

sara.gustafson Wed, 12/21/2022 - 10:50

Market System Development Interventions Prove Effective in Improving Agricultural Productivity in Mozambique

sara.gustafson — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 18:41:56 +0000

Market System Development Interventions Prove Effective in Improving Agricultural Productivity in Mozambique

An innovative market system development (MSD) intervention in Mozambique has helped increase use of agricultural inputs and access to critical market information among smallholder farmers, according to a new policy brief released by IFPRI. These results extended beyond the direct beneficiaries as well, highlighting the potential for such interventions to provide wide-ranging benefits.

sara.gustafson Mon, 12/05/2022 - 13:41

Can agricultural exports from Southern Cone countries make up for global supply disruptions arising from the Russia-Ukraine war?

sara.gustafson — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 18:34:35 +0000

Can agricultural exports from Southern Cone countries make up for global supply disruptions arising from the Russia-Ukraine war?

The economies of the Southern Cone (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay), major agricultural exporters still recovering from the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, have benefited from the rise in international prices accompanying the Russian invasion of Ukraine. With the war disrupting global supplies, the net exporting countries of the region have the opportunity to increase their exports.

sara.gustafson Sat, 11/19/2022 - 13:34 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org