IFPRI Podcast

African countries have made considerable progress in increasing agricultural productivity and reducing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. But continued population growth, urbanization, changing diets, and climate change are putting pressure on food systems not only to provide more food but also to make more diverse and nutritious foods available and accessible. New digital technologies and services are already making an impact on how food is being produced, processed, marketed, traded, and consumed across the continent. How African countries position themselves to harness and deploy digital technologies will determine the future competitiveness of African agriculture and its contribution to African economies. This seminar ( http://www.ifpri.org/event/transforming-africas-food-system-digital-technologies ) will explore how African countries can develop a “digitalization ecosystem” to help foster growth and competitiveness in the continent’s value chains. Participants will also discuss the institutional and policy innovations that have already been implemented by African governments as well as efforts by the private sector and ag-tech startups to increase the development and use of digital tools and services in agriculture. Speakers Ousmane Badiane, Director for Africa, IFPRI Debisi Araba, Regional Director for Africa, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) Katrin Glatzel, Program Head, IFPRI Farbod Youssefi, Program Manager, World Bank Group Moderator David Spielman, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI Q&A

Food systems in developing countries are undergoing a rapid transformation shaped by global and regional events. But country actions will be critical in shaping future food system outcomes. Some countries are taking a systemic approach to assessing and acting on food system transformation—considering consumption and food environments, food supply and sustainability, health, and socioeconomic outcomes. This seminar ( http://www.ifpri.org/event/food-system-transformations-national-actions-globalized-world ) will introduce this approach, and representatives from Nigeria and Viet Nam will discuss the challenges, opportunities, and trade-offs they encounter in enabling food system actors in their countries. A panel will share insights into how food systems can develop in a healthy, sustainable, and equitable way. Overview -Transforming Food Systems for Healthier Diets: Supporting Actions at a National Scale -Inge Brouwer, Associate Professor of Food and Nutrition Security, Wageningen University & Research, and A4NH Flagship Leader of Food Systems for Healthier Diets Case Studies -Food System Transformation in Nigeria: Opportunities and Challenges for the Private Sector -Adebowale Akande, Senior Scientist, International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) -Policy Actions Around Food System Transformation in Vietnam -Phuong Hong Nguyen, Research Fellow, IFPRI Panel -Stuart Gillespie, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI, and A4NH Flagship Leader, Supporting Policies, Programs and Enabling Action through Research -Martien Van Nieuwkoop, Global Director of Agriculture and Food, World Bank Group -Emmy Simmons, Former Assistant Administrator, US Agency for International Development (USAID), and A4NH Independent Steering Committee member Closing Remarks -John McDermott, Director of CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) Moderator -Ruerd Ruben, Research Coordinator of Food Security, Value Chains, and Impact Analysis, Wageningen University & Research, and A4NH Managing Partner Representative Q&A

IFPRI PolSem: Using Malawi’s Community-Based Childcare Centers to Implement an Agriculture and Nutrition Intervention 11/6/2019 This policy seminar ( https://www.ifpri.org/event/using-malawis-community-based-childcare-centers-implement-agriculture-and-nutrition ) focuses on research undertaken in Malawi by IFPRI, the University of Malawi, Save the Children, and University of Washington in support to the Government’s early childhood development program. Community-based early childhood development centers in Malawi have been used as a platform to implement an integrated agriculture and nutrition behavior change intervention. Presentations will explore the findings of a rigorous evaluation on the impact, sustainability, costs, and returns on investment of this initiative. A case study will be also be presented by Research for Development (R4D) on the use of evidence in the policy processes that led to the scale-up of the program across the country. Opening Remarks / Moderator Dan Gilligan, Deputy Director of Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, IFPRI Presenters Aisha Twalibu, IFPRI consultant, formerly Save the Children Aulo Gelli, Research Fellow, IFPRI Amy Margolies, Research Consultant, IFPRI Mary D’Alimonte, Senior Program Officer, Results for Development (R4D) Discussants Julie Ruel Bergeron, Nutrition Specialist in the Human Development Network's Health, Nutrition, and Population (HNP) Unit, World Bank Group Natalie Roschnik, Senior Nutrition Advisor, Save the Children Closing Remarks Harold Alderman, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

Closing Remarks: Cheryl Doss, Associate Professor and Senior Departmental Lecturer in Development Economics, Oxford University How can agriculture and natural resource management advance gender equality? Asking this question rather than only its inverse — what does gender analysis bring to agriculture and natural resource management? — elevates the objective of gender equality within CGIAR, challenges boundaries in thinking about gender in agriculture, and stimulates new and creative perspectives. Gender researchers from across CGIAR are preparing a landmark publication that synthesizes recent research and sets a forward-looking agenda for gender research in the areas of agriculture and natural resource management. This seminar will share key reflections from the book.

Remarks from External Expert: Patricia van de Velde, Gender Lead of Agriculture Practice, World Bank Group How can agriculture and natural resource management advance gender equality? Asking this question rather than only its inverse — what does gender analysis bring to agriculture and natural resource management? — elevates the objective of gender equality within CGIAR, challenges boundaries in thinking about gender in agriculture, and stimulates new and creative perspectives. Gender researchers from across CGIAR are preparing a landmark publication that synthesizes recent research and sets a forward-looking agenda for gender research in the areas of agriculture and natural resource management. This seminar will share key reflections from the book.

Topic and Speaker: Engaging with constraining norms through gender transformative approaches: Dina Najjar, Gender Scientist, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) How can agriculture and natural resource management advance gender equality? Asking this question rather than only its inverse — what does gender analysis bring to agriculture and natural resource management? — elevates the objective of gender equality within CGIAR, challenges boundaries in thinking about gender in agriculture, and stimulates new and creative perspectives. Gender researchers from across CGIAR are preparing a landmark publication that synthesizes recent research and sets a forward-looking agenda for gender research in the areas of agriculture and natural resource management. This seminar will share key reflections from the book.

Topic and Speaker: Assessing women’s empowerment in and through agricultural research for development: Jennifer Twyman, Social Scientist, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) How can agriculture and natural resource management advance gender equality? Asking this question rather than only its inverse — what does gender analysis bring to agriculture and natural resource management? — elevates the objective of gender equality within CGIAR, challenges boundaries in thinking about gender in agriculture, and stimulates new and creative perspectives. Gender researchers from across CGIAR are preparing a landmark publication that synthesizes recent research and sets a forward-looking agenda for gender research in the areas of agriculture and natural resource management. This seminar will share key reflections from the book.

Topic and Speaker: “Feminization” of agriculture: Katrina Kosec, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI How can agriculture and natural resource management advance gender equality? Asking this question rather than only its inverse — what does gender analysis bring to agriculture and natural resource management? — elevates the objective of gender equality within CGIAR, challenges boundaries in thinking about gender in agriculture, and stimulates new and creative perspectives. Gender researchers from across CGIAR are preparing a landmark publication that synthesizes recent research and sets a forward-looking agenda for gender research in the areas of agriculture and natural resource management. This seminar will share key reflections from the book.

Topic and Speaker: Gender and human nutrition: Hazel Malapit, Senior Research Coordinator, IFPRI How can agriculture and natural resource management advance gender equality? Asking this question rather than only its inverse — what does gender analysis bring to agriculture and natural resource management? — elevates the objective of gender equality within CGIAR, challenges boundaries in thinking about gender in agriculture, and stimulates new and creative perspectives. Gender researchers from across CGIAR are preparing a landmark publication that synthesizes recent research and sets a forward-looking agenda for gender research in the areas of agriculture and natural resource management. This seminar will share key reflections from the book.

Topic and Speaker: Natural resource governance and rights: lliana Moterroso, Scientist, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) How can agriculture and natural resource management advance gender equality? Asking this question rather than only its inverse — what does gender analysis bring to agriculture and natural resource management? — elevates the objective of gender equality within CGIAR, challenges boundaries in thinking about gender in agriculture, and stimulates new and creative perspectives. Gender researchers from across CGIAR are preparing a landmark publication that synthesizes recent research and sets a forward-looking agenda for gender research in the areas of agriculture and natural resource management. This seminar will share key reflections from the book.

Introduction: Rhiannon Pyburn Senior Advisor, Royal Tropical Institute (KIT); Coordinator of the CGIAR Collaborative Platform for Gender Research How can agriculture and natural resource management advance gender equality? Asking this question rather than only its inverse — what does gender analysis bring to agriculture and natural resource management? — elevates the objective of gender equality within CGIAR, challenges boundaries in thinking about gender in agriculture, and stimulates new and creative perspectives. Gender researchers from across CGIAR are preparing a landmark publication that synthesizes recent research and sets a forward-looking agenda for gender research in the areas of agriculture and natural resource management. This seminar will share key reflections from the book.

Reflection: Robin Martino, Chief of Party, Biodiversity Results and Integrated Development Gains Enhanced (BRIDGE) Project, DAI From climate change to malnutrition, poverty to biodiversity loss, air pollution to humanitarian crises—the problems facing our world today are deeply interconnected. Holistic initiatives to address these challenges, notably the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are becoming more common. But efforts siloed within the development, health, or environment communities remain the norm. This seminar discusses the findings of the Bridge Collaborative-UN Development Programme report ( https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/hiv-aids/bigger-change-faster--.html), Bigger Change Faster: Integrated Development, Health, and Environment Actions for a Sustainable Future, that describes actions to accelerate cross-sectoral solutions.

Case Studies: The role of gender for transformative change in food and water systems: Elizabeth Bryan, Senior Scientist, Environment and Production Technology Division IFPRI From climate change to malnutrition, poverty to biodiversity loss, air pollution to humanitarian crises—the problems facing our world today are deeply interconnected. Holistic initiatives to address these challenges, notably the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are becoming more common. But efforts siloed within the development, health, or environment communities remain the norm. This seminar discusses the findings of the Bridge Collaborative-UN Development Programme report ( https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/hiv-aids/bigger-change-faster--.html), Bigger Change Faster: Integrated Development, Health, and Environment Actions for a Sustainable Future, that describes actions to accelerate cross-sectoral solutions.

Case Studies: Understanding variability in benefits from rural energy access for the Low-Carbon and Clean Air Challenge: Lydia Olander, Director, Ecosystem Services Program, Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, Duke University; Secretariat Member, Bridge Collaborative From climate change to malnutrition, poverty to biodiversity loss, air pollution to humanitarian crises—the problems facing our world today are deeply interconnected. Holistic initiatives to address these challenges, notably the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are becoming more common. But efforts siloed within the development, health, or environment communities remain the norm. This seminar discusses the findings of the Bridge Collaborative-UN Development Programme report ( https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/hiv-aids/bigger-change-faster--.html), Bigger Change Faster: Integrated Development, Health, and Environment Actions for a Sustainable Future, that describes actions to accelerate cross-sectoral solutions.

Case Studies: Alternative proteins to improve health, development and environmental outcomes under the Transforming Food System Challenge: Katharine Kreis, Director of Strategic Initiatives & Lead for Nutrition Innovation, PATH; Secretariat Member, Bridge Collaborative From climate change to malnutrition, poverty to biodiversity loss, air pollution to humanitarian crises—the problems facing our world today are deeply interconnected. Holistic initiatives to address these challenges, notably the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are becoming more common. But efforts siloed within the development, health, or environment communities remain the norm. This seminar discusses the findings of the Bridge Collaborative-UN Development Programme report ( https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/hiv-aids/bigger-change-faster--.html), Bigger Change Faster: Integrated Development, Health, and Environment Actions for a Sustainable Future, that describes actions to accelerate cross-sectoral solutions.