Research News

A new book from IFPRI, Millions Fed: Proven Successes in Agricultural Development, has brought together the major successes in agricultural development that have lifted millions of people out of hunger over the past 50 years. The book was commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to determine what programs, policies and investments in agriculture have had a proven impact on hunger and food security.

Millions Fed presents 20 case studies of large-scale initiatives that are documented to have substantial, long-term effects. These stories include achievements not just in increasing the yields and production of staple food crops, but also in expanding markets, developing better policies, conserving natural resources, and improving nutrition. The case studies were chosen through a rigorous process that included an open call for nominations, an extensive literature review, and expert interviews. Nominations were evaluated using criteria that prioritized initiatives that were long-lasting and sustainable, with well-documented evidence of real impact. Initiatives also had to be large-scale, reaching hundreds of thousands or millions.

Despite the progress that has been made over the past decades, there are still about one billion people worldwide who are undernourished. "It is heartening to know – even in this time of great need – that proven, large-scale successes do exist. The lessons learned from these accomplishments can point the way to making major new strides in ending hunger worldwide," said Joachim von Braun, director general of IFPRI.

Amongst the case studies featured is Counting on Beans: Mungbean improvement in Asia, which is based on two DFID-funded projects led by the AVRDC, which have resulted in improved varieties of mungbeans:

• Promotion of Mungbean Research Outputs for Farmer Adoption in South Asia and
• Improving Income and Nutrition by Incorporating Mungbean in Cereal Fallows in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of South Asia

These improved varieties have contributed to yield gains of 28-55 percent that have benefited an estimated 1.5 million farmers and were key factors in the 35 percent increase in Asian mungbean production between 1985 and 2000. Mungbean is a crop high in protein, iron and other micronutrients, and is useful in maintaining soil fertility.

Another of the case studies, Leaving the Plow Behind: Zero-tillage rice-wheat cultivation in the Indo-Gangetic Plains, draws on findings of the DFID-funded project:
Reaping the Benefits: Assessing the impact and facilitating the uptake of resource-conserving technologies in the rice-wheat systems of the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

More information

• Click here to download the full text of the book, the individual chapters or the discussion papers on which the chapters were based.
• Watch the video highlighting case studies from the book
• Press release from IFPRI
• Read the case study summaries and the notes on selection criteria, types of success and lessons learned.
• IFPRI Discussion Paper 00922. The Mungbean Transformation: Diversifying Crops, Defeating Malnutrition.
• DFID provides core-funding to IFPRI and other CGIAR centres, and to the AVRDC.