Knowledge Portal

This paper identifies the policies and systems needed to ensure that private finance blending at the least does no harm and in practice plays a positive role for small-scale producers. The paper argues that private finance blending should be used with caution in rural development until donors can demonstrate the merits of blending using evidence-based results, in particular the added value of blending for development impact. »

This article explores the role of insufficient production of fruits and vegetables and the effects of food waste and public policy in achieving recommended fruit and vegetable consumption. Even under the most optimistic socioeconomic scenarios (excluding food waste), many countries fail to achieve sufficient fruit and vegetable availability to meet even the minimum recommended target. »

This article examins relationships between consumers’ socioeconomic status, use of different modern and traditional retailers, and dietary patterns in urban Zambia. Use of modern retailers is positively associated with higher consumption of ultra-processed foods. However, the use of traditional stores and kiosks is also positively associated with the consumption of ultra-processed foods, suggesting that modern retailers are not the only drivers of dietary transitions. »

This working paper discusses the interface between gender and agricultural innovation systems. More specifically, the working paper investigates how gender norms and roles influence social relations between actors in forage innovation systems in rural Afghanistan. »

This report explores the gains digitalisation for agriculture (D4Ag) has made in Africa toward reaching its potential. D4Ag can support and accelerate agricultural transformation across the continent, sustainably and inclusively. A large number of players comprise this young sector, developing viable businesses with attractive financial models. To further mainstream D4Ag, human capital should be developed at every level of the D4Ag ecosystem. »

This article focuses on the relationship between informality and food deserts in African cities. Informal settlements in rapidly-growing African cities are urban and peri-urban spaces with high rates of formal unemployment, poverty, poor health outcomes, limited service provision, and chronic food insecurity. Traditional concepts of food deserts developed to describe North American and European cities do not accurately capture the realities of food inaccessibility in Africa’s urban informal food deserts. »