
Policy Seminar | IFPRI Policy Seminar
AI Policy Considerations for Food, Land, and Water Systems
Co-organized by IFPRI and the CGIAR Program/Accelerator Digital Transformation
September 15, 2026
Amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI), there is growing interest in using AI as a tool to advance food systems transformation. AI has significant potential to transform policy research in food, land, and water systems (FLWS) by enhancing accessibility, efficiency, and responsiveness in policy analysis, but only if tools are rigorously tested, made transparent, and appropriately integrated into research and decision-making processes.
This seminar brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to examine how AI is being developed, financed, deployed, and governed across FLWS in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and the resulting implications for food policy research. Speakers will discuss current applications of AI, emerging trends, and political and economic forces shaping its use. Attendees will gain perspectives on governance, inclusion, and design, including how to ensure AI systems respond to real-world constraints and contribute to public value rather than reinforcing existing inequalities.
Attendees will come away with three key insights:
An understanding of the broad and growing landscape of AI innovation in FLWS
Insights into how AI can most effectively strengthen policy research
Practical reflections from leading experts on responsible and equitable AI in FLWS
Welcome Remarks
Jawoo Koo, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
Landscape of AI Innovation in Food, Land, and Water Systems
Speakers will present a landscape analysis of AI innovation across food, land, and water systems, looking at current applications, emerging trends, and key gaps, with a focus on how AI is being developed and deployed in low- and middle-income countries.
Monisha Lakshminarayanan, Principal Consultant, Athena Infonomics
Zeba Siddiqui, Senior Consultant, Athena Infonomics
Shaping the Enabling Environment: Policy and Political Economy of AI
This session examines how public and private investment, regulatory frameworks, and data governance are shaping the development and adoption of AI in FLWS. Speakers will also reflect on the evolving AI policy landscape in low- and middle-income countries and its implications for innovation.
Judy Chambers, Director – Program for Biosafety Systems, IFPRI
Testing Solutions (RIAPA Demo)
This live demonstration showcases an example of how AI can be used to support policy research. It will illustrate how AI tools can make complex models more accessible and responsive, while highlighting considerations for their effective use in research and in informing policy and investment decisions.
Askar Mukashov, Research Fellow, IFPRI
Panel Discussion: AI for Policy and Practice in Food, Land, and Water Systems
The seminar features a panel discussion bringing together leading experts from academia, industry, and international research to reflect on the opportunities and risks of AI in FLWS.
Moderated by Eliot Jones-Garcia, Senior Research Analyst, IFPRI
Joyce Nabende Nakatumba, Senior Lecturer, Makerere University
Benjamin Cattermoul, Partnership Manager – FCDO & the Gates Foundation; Food and Agriculture Adviser, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
Tavonga Siyavora, Product Lead, Google Research Africa
Rajesh Veeraraghavan, Associate Professor, Georgetown University
Moderator
Charlotte Hebebrand, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, IFPRI
More about this Event: https://www.ifpri.org/event/ai-policy-considerations-for-food-land-and-water-systems/
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Sep 16
1 hr 32 min

Policy Seminar | IFPRI Policy Seminar
Global Agrifood Systems Outlook to 2050: Informing Decisions for an Uncertain Future
Organized by IFPRI in collaboration with the CGIAR Science Program on Policy Innovations
September 10, 2026
Around the world, agrifood systems are changing rapidly as populations grow, incomes rise, technological innovations emerge, and the climate shifts. But how will these systems continue to evolve over the next 25 years? Anticipating and preparing for change requires us to learn from the past and anticipate future dynamics. While near-term forecasts and medium-term outlooks on agrifood systems are readily available, information on longer-term challenges is limited. Helping decision-makers in low- and middle-income countries strategically plan for future agrifood system challenges requires a comprehensive longer-term outlook.
Join us for this virtual event to launch the Global Agrifood Systems Outlook to 2050, a new IFPRI report that explores plausible futures for diets, agricultural production, trade, food security, and natural resource use under various scenarios. Prepared as part of the CGIAR Science Program on Policy Innovations, this report aims to help inform the decisions needed to ensure healthy and sustainable agrifood systems in the decades ahead.
The event will feature key findings from the report, thematic highlights on productivity and resources, and a regional focus on Africa and trade. A panel discussion with leading experts will examine the report’s implications for the future of agrifood systems, including perspectives from development, policy, research, and practice, before concluding with a Q&A session and discussion of the report’s relevance for CGIAR and the broader policy research agenda.
Welcome & Setting the Scene
Moderator Welcome: Evgeniya Anisimova, Media and Digital Engagement Manager, IFPRI
Why Look Ahead? The Importance of Looking Ahead to the Future of Agrifood Systems:Clemens Breisinger, Director, CGIAR Policy Innovations Program
Introducing the Global Outlook Report
Overview: Keith Wiebe, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
Thematic Highlight: Productivity & Resources: Abhijeet Mishra, Research Fellow, IFPRI
Regional Highlight: Africa & Trade: Faaiqa Hartley, Scientist, IFPRI
Panel Discussion: What Does the Outlook Mean for Agrifood Systems?
A discussion with leading experts on the implications of the report’s findings for the future of agrifood systems, including perspectives from development, policy, research, and practice.
Rob Bertram, Chief Scientist, Food Security Leadership Council
Valeria Piñeiro, Director Technical Cooperation, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
Elisabetta Gotor, Director, Land Resource Economics Unit, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT
From Outlook to Action
Connecting the Findings to the CGIAR and Policy Research Agenda: James Thurlow, Director, Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit, IFPRI
More about this Event: https://www.ifpri.org/event/global-agrifood-systems-outlook-to-2050-informing-decisions-under-uncertain-future/
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Sep 10
1 hr 31 min

Policy Seminar | IFPRI Policy Seminar
Agricultural Trade at a Crossroads with Latin American, Caribbean, and African Perspectives for Post-MC14
Organized by IFPRI, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the CGIAR Science Program on Policy Innovations
June 30, 2026
Agricultural trade is facing an increasingly complex environment shaped by geopolitical tensions, climate pressures, and growing trade disruptions. These developments are reshaping trade flows, affecting food security, and challenging the ability of existing institutions and policy frameworks to respond effectively. These pressures are also creating new opportunities for developing regions to strengthen their competitiveness, resilience, and participation in global markets. Understanding these changes is essential for identifying practical pathways toward a more inclusive, sustainable, and predictable agricultural trading system.
Join us for the launch of Agricultural Trade at a Crossroads—with Latin American, Caribbean, and African Perspectives for Post-MC14 (https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183392). This seminar will bring together the book’s authors, policymakers, representatives from international organizations, development partners, and other stakeholders to discuss the future of agricultural trade and trade governance, including key findings of the book and priorities for a constructive agenda following the 14th Ministerial Conference of the WTO. Four thematic panels will cover global developments, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and opportunities for cooperation. Discussions will highlight implications for food security, sustainability, competitiveness, regional integration, and the future of the WTO, as well as opportunities for strengthening dialogue and collaboration between Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.
Opening Remarks
Ruth Hill, Director, Markets, Trade, and Institutions, IFPRI
H.E. Girma Amente, African Union High Representative to the World Trade Organization
More about this Event: https://www.ifpri.org/event/agricultural-trade-at-a-crossroads-with-latin-american-caribbean-and-african-perspectives-for-post-mc14/
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Jun 30
1 hr 52 min

Policy Seminar | IFPRI Policy Seminar
Inequality within and outside the household: Reflections from Agnes Quisumbing’s career
June 24, 2026
Throughout a career spanning more than four decades, Agnes Quisumbing has made major contributions to research on intrahousehold allocation, poverty and economic mobility, women’s empowerment, and the design and implementation of gender-sensitive agricultural programs. Stemming from her long-standing interest in inequality, Agnes’s work on gender, property rights, and women’s empowerment examines how inequality within the household intersects with broader societal inequalities.
Join us for this policy seminar highlighting Agnes’s research contributions, which will bring together colleagues and collaborators to examine the research and policy impact of her work. The event will feature a panel discussion of her legacy, as well as a keynote address from Agnes and reflections from Dan Gilligan, Director of IFPRI’s Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit, and Purnima Menon, IFPRI’s Director of Strategy and Partnerships, IFPRI.
Opening Remarks
Daniel Gilligan, Director, Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion (PGI), IFPRI
Keynote Reflections
Agnes Quisumbing, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
Panel Discussion: Reflections on Agnes’s Contributions to Research and Policy
Ruth Meinzen-Dick, Research Fellow Emeritus, IFPRI
Maria Floro, Professor Emerita, College of Arts & Sciences, American University
Markus Goldstein, Vice President and Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development
Jemimah Njuki, Director, Gender, Women and Civil Society, African Development Bank Group (AfDB)
Closing Remarks
Purnima Menon, Director of Strategy and Partnerships, IFPRI
Moderator
Hazel Malapit, Senior Research Coordinator, IFPRI
More about this Event: https://www.ifpri.org/event/inequality-within-and-outside-the-household-reflections-from-agnes-quisumbings-career/
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Jun 24
1 hr 35 min

IFPRI-AMIS Seminar Series | IFPRI Policy Seminar
Weather, Money, and Shifting Bets: What’s Driving Food Commodity Markets?
Co-organized by IFPRI and Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS)
June 23, 2026
Global food commodity markets are entering a new phase in which traditional indicators may no longer provide a clear view of market dynamics. While supply conditions for key crops appear quite promising, a closer look reveals a more complex picture—shaped by climate risks, macroeconomic pressures, and shifting market behavior.
Join us for this seminar that will bring together insights from market monitoring, macro analysis, and transportation to examine what is driving food commodity markets today—and where to expect future sources of risk and uncertainty. Presentations will unpack the conditions driving agricultural market behavior, and GEOGLAM will provide updates on crop conditions and the evolving threat from El Niño. The discussion will focus on the growing linkages between commodity markets and energy and transport markets and on renewed investor interest in agricultural commodities, the role of market speculation, and how to interpret these signals in today’s markets.
Overview of Macroeconomic Prospects
John Baffes, Senior Agriculture Economist, Development Economics Prospects Group, World Bank
Overview of Crop Conditions and Emergence of El Niño
Brian Barker, Principal Faculty Specialist, Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland; Co-Lead, GEOGLAM Crop Monitors (AMIS)
Panel Discussion
Kona Haque, Former Head of Research, ED&F
Seth Meyer, Director and Associate Professor, Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, University of Missouri
Mads Frank Markussen, Head of Freight Research, CM Navigator
Concluding Remarks
Joseph Glauber, Research Fellow Emeritus, IFPRI
Moderator
Monika Tothova, Senior Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) Secretary
More about this Event: https://www.ifpri.org/event/weather-money-and-shifting-bets-whats-driving-food-commodity-markets/
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Jun 23
1 hr 30 min

Policy Seminar | IFPRI Policy Seminar
Engines of Growth in Fragile Contexts: Launching the IFPRI–UNU-WIDER research partnership
Organized by IFPRI and United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER)
June 10, 2026
Fragile and conflict-affected settings account for a growing share of global poverty. Roughly 2 billion people live in these areas, accounting for 25% of the world’s population but 72% of the world’s extreme poor. At the national level, many fragile economies struggle to sustain growth, create jobs, and recover from repeated shocks.
Yet even amid conflict, climate stress, and political instability, some communities continue to adapt, work, trade, and invest. For these “islands of resilience,” local livelihoods, skills, trust, and collective action support local economic activity that connects to broader growth trajectories. Understanding these dynamics can help identify how strategic support can strengthen resilience, recovery, and livelihoods in at-risk economies.
Join us for this event marking the launch of the IFPRI–UNU-WIDER research partnership, which will work with local partners to generate evidence on the engines of growth that sustain economic activity amid fragility. This seminar will bring together researchers, donors, policy stakeholders, and implementation partners to discuss why some local economies remain resilient under stress, what evidence is needed to guide investment and programming, and how policy can support locally grounded pathways to economic recovery.
This event was supported by the CGIAR Food Frontiers and Security Program. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by CGIAR funders through the CGIAR Trust Fund. For more information visit: https://www.cgiar.org/cgiar-research-porfolio-2025-2030/food-frontiers-and-security/.
Welcome Remarks
Daniel Gilligan, Director, Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion (PGI), IFPRI
Patricia Justino, Director, UNU-WIDER
Presentations from IFPRI and UNU-WIDER
Katrina Kosec, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
Patricia Justino, Director, UNU-WIDER
Panel Discussion: Unlocking Local Economies for Resilient Recovery
Maya Ragab, Head of Programmes, Cairo International Centre for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding (CCCPA)
Elizabeth Radin, Senior Director of Research, International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Luis Felipe López-Calva, Global Director, Prosperity Vertical, World Bank Group
Closing Remarks
Daniel Gilligan, Director, Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion (PGI), IFPRI
Moderator
Kibrom Abay, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
More about this Event: https://www.ifpri.org/event/engines-of-growth-in-fragile-contexts-launching-an-ifpri-unu-wider-research-partnership/
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Jun 10
1 hr 55 min

Success Pathways for Scaling Biofortified Crops by International Food Policy Research Institute
May 13
1 hr 33 min

Policy Seminar | IFPRI Policy Seminar
Financing Social Protection in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Co-organized by IFPRI and the CGIAR Science Program on Policy Innovations
April 29, 2026
Social protection and safety net programs have expanded significantly across many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the last two decades. Despite this progress, the expansion and coverage of these programs remain uneven, leaving nearly 2 billion people in LMICs without access to social protection.
Innovative financing mechanisms and domestic funding have helped some LMICs make important strides in expanding their social protection programs, but fiscal constraints prevent other countries from doing so. These challenges are becoming more pronounced amid reduced international development aid and the effects of regional and global shocks, even as such shocks necessitate the expansion of social safety nets to protect poor and vulnerable populations.
This policy seminar will discuss lessons learned from countries and organizations that have implemented large-scale social protection programs. It will bring together government representatives, practitioners, and researchers to share important insights and global, regional, and national statistics related to financing social protection and safety net programs.
Welcoming Remarks
Daniel Gilligan, Director, Poverty, Gender and Inclusion (PGI), IFPRI
Global Experience and Lessons on Financing Social Protection and Safety Net Programs in LMICs
Ugo Gentilini, Lead Economist, Social Policy (MENAAP region), World Bank
Cases and Experiences from Africa
Kibrom Abay, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
Panel Discussion: Lessons and Experiences from Selected Countries
Raafat Shafeek, Assistant Minister for Social Protection and Executive Director, Takaful and Karama Program, Ministry of Social Solidarity (MoSS), Egypt
Asmita More, Deputy Collector (Land Acquisition), Gadchiroli, Govt. of Maharashtra, India
Lynette Ochuma, Ag. Secretary, Directorate of Social Development (DSD), Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MLSP), Kenya
Buthaina Al-Iryani, Social Policy & Public Finance Specialist, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Ival Cummings-John, Social Development Advisor, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
Closing Remarks
Clemens Breisinger, Director, CGIAR Science Program on Policy Innovations
Moderator
Melissa Hidrobo, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
More about this Event: https://www.ifpri.org/event/financing-social-protection-in-low-and-middle-income-countries/
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Apr 30
1 hr 31 min

How does Trade Risk Influence Agricultural Policy? by International Food Policy Research Institute
Apr 28
1 hr 28 min

IFPRI-AMIS Seminar Series | IFPRI Policy Seminar
A Narrow Strait, Global Consequences: Hormuz Strait and Fertilizer Markets
Co-organized by IFPRI and Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS)
April 23, 2026
Fertilizer markets have entered a phase of heightened uncertainty, where geopolitical risks intersect with highly concentrated production, energy dependence, and fragile logistics. These risks are no longer hypothetical. The Strait of Hormuz represents a critical chokepoint for fertilizer trade, with around 35 percent of global urea flows, over one quarter of ammonia trade, just above 20 percent of phosphates, and roughly 45 percent of global sulfur exports transiting the Strait. Ongoing restrictions on maritime traffic through Hormuz underscore its role as a key pressure point in global fertilizer supply chains. Even partial or temporary disruptions can reverberate through markets, while a prolonged or intensified disruption would pose serious challenges for securing adequate nutrient supplies ahead of future cropping seasons. Moreover, even in the event of an easing or reopening, restarting production, logistical normalization, and contract re‑alignment would take time, delaying a full recovery in supply flows.
This IFPRI-AMIS seminar looks ahead to assess how fertilizer markets may evolve under these conditions. Drawing on the latest market intelligence and trade analysis, speakers will examine transmission channels from constrained shipping and elevated insurance risks to energy‑driven production costs, price volatility, and regional supply vulnerabilities. The discussion will focus on implications for major importing regions, risks to fertilizer affordability and application decisions, and potential knock‑on effects for agricultural production and food security, as well as policy and market responses to strengthen preparedness in an increasingly uncertain global environment.
Opening Remarks
Monika Tothova, Senior Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) Secretary
Landscape of Fertilizer Markets
Delphine Leconte-Demarsy, Fertilizer consultant, Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS)
Changes in Fertilizer Trade Flows
Shawn Arita, Associate Director and Associate Research Professor, Agricultural Risk Policy Center, North Dakota State University (NDSU)
Panel Discussion
Africa: Maria Wanzala, Director of Policy, African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP)
Brazil: Joana Colussi, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University
India: Shalender Singh, Chief Manager, Marketing, Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited
United States: Veronica Nigh, Chief Economist, The Fertilizer Institute
Concluding Remarks
Joseph Glauber, Research Fellow Emeritus, IFPRI
More about this Event: https://www.ifpri.org/event/a-narrow-strait-global-consequences-hormuz-strait-and-fertilizer-markets/
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Apr 23
1 hr 31 min
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