VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1 2012


Our work at IFPRI is increasingly collaborative,


and one area of


teamwork is our research on pro- poor value chains, featured in this issue of Insights. Value chains are


garnering attention as a way of achieving broad de- velopment outcomes such as food security, poverty reduction, and sustainable use of natural resources. A number of centers in the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) have been working for years on ways to strengthen value chains for the poor. Now much of this research is be- ing brought into two major research programs that are pooling resources and expertise across the CGIAR. Among other things, these research programs will study how to help smallholder farmers break into food value chains, raise their incomes, and produce safe, healthy, and nutritious food for consumers.


I hope this story, as well as the other exciting on-the- ground research highlighted in this issue, inspires a new way of thinking about agricultural development as a hub of innovation and synergy. As always, we welcome your thoughts and comments.


Shenggen Fan, Director General


EDITOR Heidi Fritschel ART DIRECTOR Julia Vivalo


EMAIL IFPRI-Insights@cgiar.org INSIGHTS ONLINE http://insights.ifpri.info IFPRI ONLINE www.ifpri.org


The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) was established in 1975 to identify and analyze national and international strategies and policies for meeting the food needs of the developing world on a sustainable basis, with particular emphasis on low-income countries and on the poorer groups in those countries. IFPRI is one of 15 CGIAR consortium agricultural research centers.


PHOTO: Transporting bananas to market in Burundi. © 2010 D. Telemans/Panos


COVER PHOTO: Women at an Ethiopian food-processing center that produces the nutritional supplement Plumpy’nut. © 2008 A. Caliz/Panos


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28