Knowledge

This working paper proposes five recommendations that Multilateral Development Banks can adopt to implement capital adequacy reforms in a way that supports National Development Banks in transforming food systems finance.

This publication presents the results of the Resilient Food Systems programme which aims to strengthen policy dialogue and decision-making in 12 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This report provides practical guidance for donors and their partners to better coordinate and align for food systems transformation and rural development.

This Rapid Evidence Assessment summarizes the role of smallholder producers and SMEs across the five Action Tracks associated with the Food Systems Summit 2022.

This report combines the results of an exploratory country mapping commissioned by IFAD on overweight and obesity.

This literature review explores how IFAD can contribute to food system transformation and mitigate the rising incidence of overweight and obesity in low and middle-income countries.

This paper presents the findings of a literature review of the main drivers of overweight and obesity, described using a food systems framework and illustrated with examples from five countries.

Resilient Food Systems promotes a holistic approach to enhancing agricultural productivity and restoring degraded landscapes in smallholder farming systems. This report showcases the achievements and innovations of the programme in 2022 across 12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Moving to a process that contributes to improving rather than endangering livelihoods is the challenge that climate change adaptation and resilience-building efforts currently face.

Using a food systems approach, this paper reviews existing evidence and discusses the conditions, rural population segments, and timelines needed to achieve desired outcomes.

This paper explores the role of water in Egypt’s food system and the dilemma the country faces: raise food self-sufficiency by allocating freshwater resources from the Nile to food production, or rely on food imports from water-abundant regions worldwide.

In this paper, the certification requirements and schemes of two export commodities—banana and cocoa—are discussed using food system analysis.

Agroecology applies ecological principles to agriculture and ensures a regenerative use of natural resources and ecosystem services, while addressing the need for socially equitable food systems in which people can choose what they eat and how it is produced.

This paper explores the rise of SMEs in transforming food systems—from traditional, to transitional, to modern.

This briefing note provides a background of the Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool and case studies from projects in Kenya and Eswatini.

This paper argues that food systems transformation should incorporate a dietary perspective that is guided by information on diets, dietary trends, consumer motives, and the food environment characteristics.

This background paper examines the linkages and interactions between women’s empowerment, food systems, and nutrition.

This paper provides a framework for assessing the dynamics of rural wellbeing and food systems change.

This article reviews how food system activities contribute to climate change and how dietary changes affect food systems. It shows that while emissions from food production are increasing in most regions, emissions from land use change are decreasing.

This paper shows that while anticipated increases in food demand by 2050 can largely be met regionally, potential yield increases or diversification will not contribute automatically to inclusive rural transformation. Instead, urbanization may potentially increase rural inequality and poverty.

 

Although the importance of inclusion in food system transformation is gaining traction, this paper argues that recent research and discourse on the topic is insufficient and that specific actions are needed to ensure that this transformation does not take place on the backs of the rural poor.

This toolbox provides guidelines on how to design and assess food biodiversity and dietary diversity projects with local communities, with the aim of improving the diets and nutrition of Indigenous Peoples.

Resilient Food Systems (RFS) promotes a holistic approach to enhancing agricultural productivity and restoring degraded landscapes in smallholder farming systems. This report showcases the achievements and innovations of the programme across 12 countries in 2021.

Based on the work of the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development over the last two years, this white paper presents a set of responses and priorities for donor engagement and a menu of options for future donor commitments.

Using country-level data from 85 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), this paper outlines a food systems index (FSI) and analyses the linkages between food systems and structural and rural transformation, as well as population distributions.

This paper explores the prospects for a food system index (FSI) capturing several key components that influence differences in food system performance at the country level.

This paper highlights five fundamental paradigm shifts that are required to overcome trade-offs and build synergies between health and nutrition, inclusive livelihoods, environmental sustainability, and food system resilience.

This report offers a consolidated analysis of pre-COVID food security and nutrition challenges across the Pacific Islands and outlines key actions needed to respond to the current impacts, inform medium- to long-term recovery planning, and better prepare for future crises.

IFAD’s Rural Development Report 2021 is focused on rural livelihoods in the context of food systems transformation. The report promotes equitable livelihoods for rural people, who are front and centre in transforming food systems, alongside the need to improve nutrition and protect the environment.

In partnership with six radio stations in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda, Farm Radio International asked small-scale farmers, vendors, processors, marketers, and others how the food system should be changed to meet their needs and the needs of their communities.

The Global Donor Platform report provides a mapping of the patterns and scale of food systems-related funding and an assessment of the extent donors are embracing a food system framing and aligning their investments to the UN Food Systems Summit Action Tracks.

This report presents the results of IFAD’s stock-take on agroecology.

This literature review report explores the conceptual linkages between climate change and nutrition using a food system approach.

This analysis investigates the potential mechanism and the practical significance of the impacts of agricultural value chain development in a geographically challenging rural area of a developing country.

The 2020 Annual Report showcases the achievements and innovations of the RFS regional partners, country project teams and beneficiary communities across 12 targeted countries.

A guide to the Summit and a summary of IFAD’s core messages on food systems.

These reviews provide a summary of results and actionable policy recommendations to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 and build resilience against future pandemic outbreaks.

Discover how the Resilient Food Systems programme is enhancing long-term sustainability and resilience for food security in sub-Saharan Africa.