Blog Category

Resilience

Women as shock absorbers: Gendered costs of the global fuel and fertilizer crisis

• by Elizabeth Basauri Bryan, Muzna Alvi, Marame Cisse, Faith Gikunda, Eric Kirimi, Hamza Muhammad, Claudia Ringler, Tirsit Sahledengil, Bello Yakasai, and Taddese Zerfu

Key takeawaysWomen and girls in many countries are bearing the brunt of rising fuel and fertilizer prices triggered by the Iran war.Higher costs strain agrifood systems and exacerbate existing gender inequalities, further limiting women’s access to inputs, income, and food security.Gender-blind policy responses widen gender gaps.

Using Local Knowledge to Enhance Food Systems Resilience

• by Sara Gustafson

With food crises on the rise, with an estimated 295.3 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity in 2024. In the face of these stark hunger levels, policymakers, humanitarian organizations, development practitioners, and private sector actors urgently need knowledge about how to effectively enhance the resilience of local and regional food systems.

Sudan’s two years of crisis—impact and pathways to recovery and resilience

• by Tarig Alhaj Rakhy, Shima Mohamed, Khalid Siddig, Hala Abushama, Oliver Kiptoo Kirui, and Paul Dorosh

Sudan has now entered its third year of armed conflict, resulting in economic collapse and a deepening humanitarian crisis. As of April 2025, over 8.6 million people have been internally displaced, and over 3 million have fled to neighboring countries. Famine has been confirmed in 10 areas and internally displaced person (IDP) camps, with 17 others at risk. GDP contracted by 20% in 2023 and 15% in 2024 alongside soaring inflation and widespread food insecurity. The conflict is now among the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Tracking Fertilizer Price Volatility: Expanding the Food Security Portal’s Excessive Food Price Variability Early Warning System

• by Manuel A. Hernandez, Feng Yao, and Soonho Kim

Fertilizer is a critical input for agricultural productivity, and its increased use has been closely associated with rising agricultural yields in many countries. In developing economies that rely heavily on fertilizer imports and are home to vulnerable smallholder farmers, fertilizer price spikes can pose serious risks. When farmers lack access to effective risk-sharing mechanisms, sudden or excessive increases in fertilizer prices can discourage adoption, disrupt planting decisions, and reduce productivity.