IFPRI IN AFRICA

To accelerate development and poverty reduction in Africa, decision makers need to

make strategic policy and investment choices, often with limited resources and
technical tools to guide them. They must do so judiciously by setting priorities and
understanding the trade-offs and linkages between different goals. They need to
understand not only the factors that drive economic development but also how this
knowledge can be incorporated into strategies to achieve different development goals.
It is within this context that IFPRI’s work in Africa provides research-based solutions
that contribute to food systems transformation in line with the continent’s
development agenda to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition.

Several of the development challenges facing many countries in Africa—revealed in

low agricultural productivity and growth, high levels of poverty, food and nutrition
insecurity, and poor environmental health—derive from factors that require a food
systems approach to development policy planning and implementation to effectively
solve them. Thus, IFPRI’s work in Africa is designed to use research and innovation
to stimulate new thinking about the development process through a food systems lens
by identifying development pathways that bring coherence across policies and actions
at various levels of government, analyzing the strategic options available to countries
to achieve specific development outcomes, and strengthening the strategic planning
and implementation processes through which countries can achieve these outcomes.

To support countries in transforming their food systems to be sustainable, equitable

and provide healthy and nutritious foods for all, IFPRI’s work in Africa is built
around five key research themes (technological, institutional and policy innovations;
resilience of food systems; intra-African trade and economic integration; national
strategies and public investment; and capacity strengthening), all of which integrates
gender and political economy issues, as well as data for evidence-based decision
making.

At the country level, IFPRI’s on-the-ground presence through its Country Programs
facilitates close partnership with key state and nonstate food systems stakeholders,
enabling IFPRI to respond to country priorities in line with regional, continental, and
global initiatives and build inclusive policy processes. IFPRI adapts its research
approaches to respond to country priorities and different country contexts by building
on existing work and capacities in the country, and working in close collaboration
with national partners and policymakers in setting priorities and disseminating results
from the research-based activities.

The activities at the regional level focus on building evidence, tools, and capacities on
intra-African trade and economic integration, working in close collaboration with the
regional economic communities, regional networks, and donors and nongovernmental
organizations operating at the regional.
At the continental level, IFPRI works with partners such as the Africa Union, the UN
Economic Commission for Africa, Regional Economic Communities and others to
strengthen inclusive policy processes such as the CAADP biennial review and
implementation of the continental free trade agreement (CFTA).

At the global level, IFPRI’s work focuses on sharing the experiences of Africa’s
development and food systems transformation for mutual learning and supporting
dialogues to integrate Africa’s development challenges and issues into relevant global
agendas and attract the resources that contribute to addressing the challenges and
accelerate Africa’s food systems transformation.