The Way ForwardShenggen FanDirector GeneralInternational Food Policy Research Institute

Workshop on Evidence-Based Policy Options For Food And Nutrition Securityin Bangladesh

1 October 2014, Dhaka

Thank you to all our partners

• Partnership with Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Food, BIDS, and BRAC

• IFPRI’s PRSP looks forward to

– expanding knowledge base – continuing to collaborate with partners– communicating research findings and policy

options

• generate policy options from research undertaken during 1st phase

• conduct new policy research to fill knowledge gaps

• strengthen analytical capacity of the Agricultural Policy Support Unit (APSU)

• evaluate how different initiatives help increase incomes and food security of smallholder farmers in Southern Bangladesh (e.g., USAID FtF).

Main objectives of the 2nd phase

Highlights of key research in 2nd phase 1. Positioning agriculture for improved nutrition and women’s empowerment

• How can agriculture policies and interventions be designed and implemented to improve nutrition?

• How can agriculture be used as empower women for improving children’s nutrition and health

• Identify actions and investments that can leverage agriculture for improved nutrition and invigorate pathways to women’s empowerment

Highlights of key research in 2nd phase2. Measuring women’s empowerment: Assessing women’s role in agriculture

• Research on the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) will continue to document role of women in agriculture and the obstacles and constraints that they face

• enable policy makers to craft policies that further unleash the potential of women in agriculture

Highlights of key research in 2nd phase3. Measuring impacts of various development initiative

• Carry out 2nd round of Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey from Oct. 2014 – Mar. 2015 and 3rd round from Oct. 2017 – Mar. 2018

• Series of studies on population-level impacts of USAID’s interventions in the FTF zone of influence

• Measure mid-term impact of FTF interventions

Highlights of key research in 2nd phase4. Cost/benefits, adoption of technologies

- Brinjal (eggplant)

- biofortified Zinc rice —BRRI dhan-62

• collect data on rates of usage by farmers over 3-yr period from 2014/15 to 2017/18 to allow for measurement of adoption and diffusion; will also identify drivers of adoption and related challenges

Creating resilient food systems

Resilient food

systems

EMPOWER SMALLHOLDERS, PARTICULARLY

WOMEN FARMERS

PROMOTE CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE

SUPPORT OPEN, TRANSPARENT,

FAIR TRADE

TARGETED SOCIAL SAFETY NET LINKING TO NUTRITION AND PRODUCTIVITY

ENHANCEMENT

PREVENT AG-RELATED HEALTH

HAZARDS & IMPROVE FOOD

SAFETY

Strengthening linkages: research and policy• research-based recommendations to shape new

policies or modify existing ones

• Understand factors in translating policy recommendations into action—e.g. values, motivations, and power of different actors

• Play a catalytic role by effectively communicating research results

• creating a sense of ownership of research-based evidence by all stakeholders

Improving capacity through APSU• Evidence-based policies can make dramatic, life-saving

changes for millions of people

• But research and policy alone are not enough to implement lasting change

• Capacity to turn policies into action is critical

• increase capacity of relevant policy actors within the government to undertake evidence-based policy

Role of APSU• Collect and analyze sector-wide data and develop

policy recommendations

• function as a reservoir of data and information

• summarize and present to policymakers alternative options to facilitate evidence-based policy choices

• APSU work with other partners (NARs, universities, and NGOs)

The most effective and sustainable actions must be

country-led and country-owned