International Food Policy Research Institute

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International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
TypeInternational Research Institute
Founded1975[1]
HeadquartersWashington, DC[2]
Key peopleShenggen Fan, Director General
Fawzi Al-Sultan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Area servedGlobal
FocusEnding hunger and poverty, Food security, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Nutrition, Policy analysis
MethodSocial science research
RevenueUS$47,668,000 in 2007[3]
MottoSustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty
Websitewww.ifpri.org

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is an international agricultural research center to improve the understanding of national agricultural and food policies to promote the adoption of innovations in agricultural technology. Additionally, IFPRI researches the role of agricultural and rural development in the overall development of a country.[1][4][5] According to its website, IFPRI "seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty."[6]

IFPRI is an international research institutes funded in part by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). CGIAR is funded by governments, private businesses and foundations, and the World Bank.[7][8][9][10]

Scope[change | change source]

IFPRI carries out food policy research. IFPRI communicates in publications, bulletins, conferences, and other initiatives. IFPRI was organized as a District of Columbia non-profit, non-stock corporation on March 5, 1975 and its first research bulletin was produced in February 1976.[11][12] IFPRI has offices in several developing countries, including China, Ethiopia, and India. IFPRI has research staff working in many more countries around the world.

Research Areas[change | change source]

IFPRI's strategy has the areas: research, capacity strengthening, and policy communication.[13]

Research topics have included low crop and animal productivity, and environmental degradation, water management, fragile lands, property rights, collective action, sustainable intensification of agricultural production, the impact of climate change on poor farmers, the problems and opportunities of biotechnology,[14] food security, micronutrient malnutrition, microfinance programs, urban food security, gender and development, and resource allocation within households.[15]

IFPRI also analyzes agricultural market reforms, trade policy, World Trade Organization negotiations in the context of agriculture, institutional effectiveness, crop and income diversification, postharvest activity, and agroindustry.[16]

IFPRI measures the Millennium Development Goals project and supports governments in the formulation and implementation of development strategies.[17]

Further work includes research on agricultural innovation systems and the role of capacity strengthening in agricultural development.[18]

Products and Publications[change | change source]

IFPRI publishes books, research reports, but also newsletters, briefs, and fact sheets.[19] It is also involved in the collection of primary data and the compilation and processing of secondary data.[20]

In 1993 IFPRI introduced its 2020 Vision Initiative.[21] IFPRI wants to reach food security for the world by 2020.

As of 2006 IFPRI produces the Global Hunger Index (GHI)[22] yearly measuring the progress and failure of individual countries and regions in the fight against hunger. The GHI is a collaboration of IFPRI, the Welthungerhilfe, and Concern Worldwide.[23]

IFPRI has produced the related Hunger Index for the States of India (ISHI)[24] (2008) and the Sub-National Hunger Index for Ethiopia[25] (2009).

Organizational structure[change | change source]

IFPRI is made up of the Office of the Director General, a Communications Division[13] and the Finance and Administration Division, and 5 research divisions:[3]

  • Development Strategy and Governance[17]
  • Environment and Production Technology[14]
  • Poverty, Health, and Nutrition[15]
  • Knowledge, Capacity, and Innovation[18]
  • Markets, Trade, and Institutions[16]

IFPRI hosts several research networks:

Criticism[change | change source]

CGIAR and its agencies, including IFPRI, have been criticized for their connections to Western governments and multinational agribusiness, although its research publications have also been cited by critics of agribusiness[28] and Genetically Modified Organisms in agriculture.[29][30][31][32][33] IFPRI describes itself as "neither an advocate nor an opponent of genetically modified crops."[34]

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Farrar, Curtis. 2000. The first ten years of IFPRI. Washington, DC: IFPRI.
  2. ↑ IFPRI Offices
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 IFPRI Annual Report 2008-09
  4. ↑ CGIAR Science Council Secretariat. 2006. Fourth External Program and Management Review of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Rome, Italy: CGIAR Science Council.
  5. ↑ Lele, Uma J. 2004. Policy Research in the CGIAR. In The CGIAR at 31: An Independent Meta-Evaluation of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, Chapter 11, pp. 87–92. Washington, DC: The World Bank.
  6. ↑ IFPRI Website
  7. ↑ Obituary: Peter Oram, the Guardian (London), 22 February 2007.
  8. ↑ The Europa directory of international organizations, Volume 9, Europa Publications Limited, University of California (2008) ISBN 9781857434255 p.1949
  9. ↑ Michael Barker, "Bill Gates Engineers Another Green Revolution (Part 3 of 3)", Znet, August 8, 2008.
  10. ↑ GRAIN, CGIAR joins global farmland grab, September 2009 GRAIN.org
  11. ↑ International Food Policy Research Institute. IFPRI report. International Food Policy Research Institute (Washington DC), 1976. p.39.
  12. ↑ Meeting food needs in the developing world: the location and magnitude of the task in the next decade. Volume 1 of Research report (International Food Policy Research Institute) Intl Food Policy Res Inst, 1976 ISBN 9780896290006
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Communications
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Environment and Production Technology
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Poverty, Health, and Nutrition
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Markets, Trade, and Institutions
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Development Strategy and Governance
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Knowledge, Capacity, and Innovation
  19. ↑ IFPRI's publications
  20. ↑ IFPRI's website.
  21. ↑ 2020 Vision Initiative
  22. ↑ Global Hunger Index 2009
  23. ↑ Millions Fed: Proven Successes in Agricultural Development
  24. ↑ India State Hunger Index
  25. ↑ Sub-National Hunger Index for Ethiopia, IFPRI, 2009
  26. ↑ "CGIAR Systemwide Program on Collective Action and Property Rights (CAPRi)". Archived from the original on 2010-07-16. Retrieved 2011-12-26.
  27. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-07-01. Retrieved 2011-12-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  28. ↑ Devinder Sharma. Agricultural Research:CGIAR turns to outsourcing
  29. ↑ Indian farmer suicides not GM related, says study, the Guardian (London), 5 November 2008.
  30. ↑ The next big thing in development, the Guardian (London), 6 April 2009.
  31. ↑ India to rule on future of aubergine as country's first genetically modified food, the Guardian (London), 8 February 2010.
  32. ↑ GM: just two questions?, the Guardian (London), 20 November 2008.
  33. ↑ The debate about genetically modified rice continues, the Guardian (London), 18 April 2001.
  34. ↑ Note from the Director General Biotech and Biosafety Policy, Balancing Biotechnology and Biosafety (n.d.)

Further reading[change | change source]

Other websites[change | change source]

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