1. IFPRI in 2014
Strategic directions, outcomes, and impact
Shenggen Fan
Director General | International Food Policy Research Institute
9th Meeting of the Independent Science Partnership Council
Washington DC, March 13, 2014

2.  Rapidly changing global food policy
landscape
 New IFPRI strategy to tackle global
challenges
 Accelerating influence / impact
 Looking forward
Highlights

3. Changing global food policy landscape
 Transforming agriculture
 Increasing vulnerability and volatility of
global food system
 Expanding technological, policy, and
institutional innovations
 New players

4. New IFPRI strategy
to tackle global challenges

5. New IFPRI Strategic Framework

6. Highlights of regional priorities
West and Central Africa
• Undernutrition & malnutrition
• Smallholder friendly markets & trade
• Labor productivity
Latin America and CaribbeanLatin America and Caribbean
• Market failures in rural sector
• Land reforms
• Frameworks for decentralization
East and Southern Africa
• Undernutrition and malnutrition
• Smallholder-friendly markets and trade
• Labor productivity
South Asia
• Climate adaptation
• Growth-nutrition disconnect
• Pro-poor agricultural reforms
East and Southeast Asia
• Resource-efficient technologies
• Transformation of value chains
• Village-level governance
Central Asia
• Growth effects of public investment
• Property rights
• Collective action
Middle East and North Africa
• Food, water & energy linkages
• Inclusive growth
• Resilience to conflict
IFPRI’s regional research priorities

7. IFPRI endorses CGIAR new direction
 New vision and strategic objectives
 Results-oriented strategy
 Broadened research mandate to include nutrition
and health
 Inclusive partnerships
 Continental and regional networks
 Country-led approaches

8. Important to keep in mind
Reform Principles
Source: Kathy Sera presented in Maputo, 2008
 Simplicity and clarity of governance
 Greater efficiency and effectiveness
 Clear strategic focus
 Avoidance of overly centralized decision
making
 Active subsidiarity

9. IFPRI strategy within the CGIAR
 IFPRI’s strategy is in line with the CGIAR Strategic Results
Framework, developed in 2011
 It leverages synergies with IFPRI-led CRPs:
Strategic Research Area CRP
Ensuring Sustainable Food Production Policies, Institutions, and Markets
Strengthening Institutions and Governance Policies, Institutions, and Markets
Improving Markets and Trade Policies, Institutions, and Markets
Promoting Healthy Food Systems Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

10. Ensuring sustainable food production
IMPROVING FORESIGHT
MODELING
PROJECTING FISHERIES AND
AQUACULTURE DEMAND AND SUPPLY
ADVANCING BIOSAFETY AND
BIOTECHNOLOGY POLICIES
INFLUENCING CLIMATE
CHANGE POLICY IN AFRICA
SUPPORTING STRATEGIC
INVESTMENTS IN AGRIC. TECHNOLOGY
NEW EVIDENCE ON TECHNOLOGIES
FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

11. Promoting healthy food systems
NEW EVIDENCE ON NUTRITION
ENHANCING INTERVENTIONS
RELEASE OF 2 HIGH ZINC RICE
VARIETIES IN BANGLADESH
PROMOTING AFLATOXIN
CONTROL
ANALYZING POLITICAL ECONOMY OF
AGRIC. AND NUTRITION IN S. ASIA
ESTIMATING RETURNS TO NUTRITION
INVESTMENTS
REALIGNING AGRIC. TO REDUCE
CHILD STUNTING IN ZAMBIA

12. Improving markets and trade
PROMOTING ONION PRICE
STABILIZATION IN BANGLADESH
SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE CONTRACT
FARMING IN PERU, TANZANIA, VIETNAM
KNOWLEDGE CLEARINGHOUSE ON
VALUE CHAIN RESEARCH
INFORMING REFORM OF
EU BIOFUEL POLICY
INNOVATIVE FINANCING FOR AGRIC.
AND FOOD VALUE CHAINS IN ASIA
ANALYZING FOOD PRICE VOLATILITY
IN AFRICA

13. Transforming agriculture
SHAPING MECHANIZATION
POLICY IN AFRICA
INFLUENCING RICE POLICY
DEBATES IN NIGERIA
SUPPORTING SMALL FARM
TRANSFORMATION
INFORMING POLICY ON TEFF TECH. AND
VALUE CHAINS IN ETHIOPIA
PROMOTING INNOVATIVE
AGRIC. EXTENSION MODELS
NEW RESEARCH ON ASPIRATIONS AND
WELL-BEING IN ETHIOPIA

14. Building resilience
INFORMING CHOICE OF TRANSFER
MODALITIES
UNDERSTANDING RESILIENCE FOR FOOD
AND NUTRITION SECURITY
ENHANCING RESILIENCE IN THE ARAB
WORLD
PROMOTING INNOVATIVE INSURANCE
IN CHINA AND ETHIOPIA

15. Strengthening institutions and governance
PROMOTING WOMEN’S OWNERSHIP AND
CONTROL OF PRODUCTIVE ASSETS
AIDING IMPROVED RURAL LAND
CERTIFICATION IN ETHIOPIA
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN
RESEARCH AND POLICY
SUPPORTING DECENTRALIZATION FOR
IMPROVED CCTS IN TANZANIA

16. IFPRI’s leadership in gender research
 IFPRI is expanding evidence base on gender in
agriculture
 IFPRI is promoting gender integration into
development programming

17. RePEc Rankings, Feb. 2014
#1 Among Agricultural Economics Departments
#2 Agricultural Economics Research
#2 African Economics Research
#6 Development Economics Research
2013 Global Go To Think Tank Index
#8 International Development
Top 2% Among U.S. Think Tanks
17
IFPRI ranks high

18. Accelerating
influence / impact

19. TRANSFORMATION OF AFRICAN
ECONOMIES WITH PRESIDENT KUFUOR
IFPRI-EU PARTNERING FOR IMPACT
CONFERENCE
HARNESSING AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION
WITH DR. RAJIV SHAH
RETHINKING GLOBAL FOOD
SECURITY, WEF
FROM VALID MEASUREMENT TO EFFECTIVE
DECISION MAKING, FAO
Active engagement in global agenda setting
LEVERAGING AGRICULTURE FOR
NUTRITION AND HEALTH CONFERENCE

20. Partnerships and capacity strengthening

21. Looking forward

22. Global challenges in 2014
 Lack of consensus on food security and nutrition
goals in post-2015 agenda
 Complacency in wake of more stable global food
prices
 High food inflation in middle-income countries
 Increased risk of protectionism by emerging
countries
 Resistance to science-based solutions to food and
nutrition insecurity