What's New

The Food Security Portal has released a new Spanish-language version of the Pro-WEAI )Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index) Fundamentals e-course. The course provides a comprehensive introduction to the pro-WEAI tool, including its background and methodology and how to apply the tool in local and project-level contests. The Fundamentals course is now available in English, French, Arabic, and Spanish. Four additional Pro-WEAI modules are available in English. 

IFPRI’s 2025 Global Food Policy Report (GFPR) focuses on lessons learned over the institute’s 50 years of existence and how these can be applied to today’s challenges of transforming food systems to be sustainable, healthy, and equitable. Its insights are particularly valuable for Africa, which has tremendous potential for sustainable agricultural growth, yet faces many obstacles.

African agriculture holds immense economic potential, given the continent’s vast arable land and growing demand for food, and the growing demand for food globally—yet sub-Saharan Africa continues to play a marginal role in global agrifood markets. The current moment, however, offers a crucial opportunity for SSA to boost its competitiveness and reshape its role in global trade.

Trade preferences, limited progress

Due largely to conflict and subsequent instability in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda is currently home to more than 1.9 million refugees. This is the sixth largest refugee population in the world. According to a new IPC alert released this week, despite Uganda’s welcome of people fleeing neighboring countries, the rapid growth of the refugee population has placed significant strain on the country’s systems. As a result, an estimated 37% population is expected to experience high levels of acute food insecurity through February 2026.

Malawi has a history of peaceful democratic transitions. Since the advent of multiparty politics in 1994, power has regularly shifted between rival parties. Citizens and institutions have upheld electoral democratic norms, from respecting term limits to rerunning elections after irregularities.