A chance for world leaders to end malnutrition and save lives | Letter
Parliamentarians from the UK and France urge governments to make strong pledges at the nutrition summit in Paris this week
This week, world leaders meet in Paris for Nutrition for Growth, the critical four-yearly summit that aims to tackle the scourge of soaring global malnutrition and hunger. As a group of cross-party politicians from the UK – the birthplace of Nutrition for Growth in 2013 – and the summit’s current host, France, we believe that the fight against malnutrition is an issue on which every policymaker should unite.
As official development assistance budgets diminish, it becomes increasingly essential for governments to invest funds strategically. Given that investments in nutrition are low-cost and high-impact, they should be prioritised and elevated on the international development agenda. We urge our governments – and other governments around the world – to make strong pledges on nutrition at the summit to save lives, reduce inequality and enhance global security.
Continue reading...Microplastics hinder plant photosynthesis, study finds, threatening millions with starvation
Researchers say problem could increase number of people at risk of starvation by 400m in next two decades
The pollution of the planet by microplastics is significantly cutting food supplies by damaging the ability of plants to photosynthesise, according to a new assessment.
The analysis estimates that between 4% and 14% of the world’s staple crops of wheat, rice and maize is being lost due to the pervasive particles. It could get even worse, the scientists said, as more microplastics pour into the environment.
Continue reading...World Food Programme to close office in southern Africa after Trump aid cuts
UN food agency received half its budget from US last year and is accelerating merger plan as a result of funding cuts
The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) is closing its southern Africa office in the wake of the Trump administration’s aid cuts.
In a statement, a spokesperson said the office in Johannesburg would close and the WFP would consolidate its southern and east Africa operations into one regional office in Nairobi, Kenya.
Continue reading...King asks Moroccans not to kill sheep for Eid al-Adha as drought reduces herds
First such request in 29 years blames economic hardship and climate crisis for high livestock prices and shortages
King Mohammed VI has urged his fellow Moroccans not to slaughter sheep for upcoming Eid al-Adha festivities as the country grapples with dwindling herds due to a six-year drought.
The request was delivered on Wednesday by the minister of Islamic affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, who read a letter on the monarch’s behalf on the state-run Al Aoula TV channel. He cited economic hardship and the climate crisis as reasons for the rising prices of livestock and sheep shortage in the north African state.
Continue reading...New study challenges the use of Growth Monitoring and Promotion to detect growth faltering in children
A new study published in Advances in Nutrition critically examines the effectiveness of Growth Monitoring and Promotion (GMP) in diagnosing or screening for inadequate growth in children.
The post New study challenges the use of Growth Monitoring and Promotion to detect growth faltering in children appeared first on IFPRI.
Ecowas breakup could push up food prices and worsen hunger in west Africa (The Conversation)
Ecowas breakup could push up food prices and worsen hunger in west Africa (The Conversation)
The Conversation Africa published this op-ed by Danielle Resnick, IFPRI Senior Research Fellow, on the recent Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) breakup, or “Sahelexit,” and the implications for West African food security and regional cooperation. “The exit from Africa’s largest political and economic union threatens to disrupt flows of goods, services and people. […]
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Young, old, refugees and returnees: thousands fleeing violence cross border into South Sudan
Makeshift hospitals and informal settlements deal with daily influx of those escaping the war in neighbouring Sudan
- Photographs by Diego Menjíbar Reynés
At the Joda border crossing between Sudan and South Sudan, movement is constant. Just 100 metres separate the two border checkpoints – on the Sudanese side, three raised flags welcome newcomers; on the South Sudanese side, a sign in Arabic and English marks the entrance to the country.
Women arrive carrying their children, with their belongings balanced on their heads. Some families bring bed frames, nightstands, food, chairs and suitcases, loading them on to carts pulled by donkeys and crossing into South Sudan to escape war in Sudan.
The entry point for refugees from Sudan to South Sudan; in the background is the border. In December, more than 5,000 people crossed this point each day
Continue reading...The Long Wave: Why Trump’s aid freeze endangers millions
Abandoning vulnerable populations impacts everything from food security to fragile ecosystems. Plus, the symbolism of Serena Williams’ crip walk
Hello and welcome to The Long Wave. I have been following Donald Trump’s suspension of the US Agency for International Development. USAid is the world’s single biggest aid donor, and the decision to halt its work has sent shockwaves around the world. This week, I trace the effects of its potential demise on the Black diaspora. But first, the weekly roundup.
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The UK’s food supply has been threatened by recent events, such as the war in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic
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Days after the US president, Donald Trump, warned Europe would be next for tariffs on trade after he imposed tax levies on Canada, China and Mexico, the report said the UK’s post-second world war food system was no longer fit for purpose, and the country’s food security was in a precarious state.
Continue reading...Women behind the lens: ‘I fish like a woman, not like a man’
A photograph of Milagros ‘Corito’ Molina and her sons is part of a project exploring how a group of Venezuelan women went from weaving nets to using them
A woman on board a boat is a sign of bad luck; and if she is on her moon, bleeding, the sea gets angry. This is just one of the many superstitions of seafarers on the Venezuelan coast. But the economic, social and migration crisis has led to a change: a feminisation of fishing, traditionally a masculine activity. We, the all-woman Solunar collective, combine photography, local knowledge, journalism, anthropology and feminist activism to map this development, especially in the states of Aragua, La Guaira and Falcón.
The project, Luna de Agua, or Water Moon, touches on the natural cycles that affect the fisherwomen’s lives, such as lunar phases and tides, and cycles of the body. It speaks too, to the country’s economic crisis.
Andrea Hernández Briceño is a journalist and photographer based in Caracas and a 2024 Women Photograph grantee. The Solunar collective is an interdisciplinary team brought together by Hernández Briceño, Freisy González and Lety Tovar with support from Vist Projects
Continue reading...Solving global hunger: New report highlights school meal programs as drivers of change
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School meal programs don’t just ensure children go to school and stay fed — they are a powerful force for change in communities and food systems worldwide. According to the results of the latest Global Survey of School Meal Programs© conducted by Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF), school meal programs can increase demand for nutritious […]
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Ibrahim Saleh joins IFPRI as the new Director of Finance and Administration Unit
Ibrahim Saleh joins IFPRI as the new Director of Finance and Administration Unit
Saleh is taking over from James Fields, IFPRI’s F&A Director of over 10 years, who will be retiring in March.
The post Ibrahim Saleh joins IFPRI as the new Director of Finance and Administration Unit appeared first on IFPRI.
FEWS NET Seasonal Forecast Review for January 2025
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633La Niña conditions are present in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. High flooding risks continue in eastern southern Africa and the Atlantic coasts of Central America, while dryness persists in southern Colombia. Cold conditions occur in Central Asia.
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16A Shift to Less Water-Intensive Crops May be the Key to Protecting Farmer Lives (The Wire)
A Shift to Less Water-Intensive Crops May be the Key to Protecting Farmer Lives (The Wire)
The Wire (India) interviewed Avinash Kishore, Senior Research Fellow based in IFPRI’s South Asia Office in New Delhi, for an article discussing the impact of government subsidies on water-intensive crop production in India, emphasizing the depletion of groundwater resources. Researchers commenting on the topic highlight how subsidies, particularly minimum support price (MSP) and guaranteed procurement, […]
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La Niña conditions are present in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Numerous flooding expected in eastern southern Africa. Heavy snow forecast in central and northern Central Asia. Flooding risks are high in western northern South America.
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16Nobel prize winners call for urgent ‘moonshot’ effort to avert global hunger catastrophe
More than 150 Nobel and World Food prize laureates sign open letter calling for immediate ramping up of food production
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The coalition of some of the world’s greatest living thinkers called for urgent action to prioritise research and technology to solve the “tragic mismatch of global food supply and demand”.
Continue reading...UK faces broccoli and cauliflower shortage this spring
Growers blame weather challenges in UK and Europe, which Met Office says will become more frequent with climate breakdown
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Any shortages will prolong the so-called “hungry gap”, which runs from April to early June, when very few crops are grown in the UK.
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16Global Food Costs in 2025: Interview with Joseph Glauber (CGTN America)
Global Food Costs in 2025: Interview with Joseph Glauber (CGTN America)
In a video interview with CGTN America, Joseph Glauber, Research Fellow Emeritus at IFPRI, explains the dynamics of global food prices. He emphasizes that the FAO Food Price Index measures commodity prices (e.g., grains, meat, vegetable oils) rather than retail food prices. Although commodity prices have generally decreased since their 2022 peaks, retail prices remain high […]
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