IFPRI enhances its strong reputation in developing and developed countries not only through the scientific rigor of its research, but also through cutting-edge communications, which played a key role in three major projects over the past year. The 2009 Global Hunger Index, released in October 2009, calculated and ranked the hunger levels of more than 100 developing countries based on three indicators: the proportion of undernourished in the population, the prevalence of underweight in children, and the child mortality rate. The report focused on the relationship between the financial crisis, gender inequality, and hunger in developing countries. In addition to describing the obvious connections between the financial crisis and hunger rates, the 2009 GHI showed that high levels of hunger are associated with (1) health and survival inequalities between men and women, (2) low literacy rates for women, and (3) women’s poor access to education. Reducing gender disparities will therefore reduce hunger levels. The Institute’s Communications Strategy for this report included extensive Internet and social media campaigns; an interactive digital map of global hunger levels; and international media outreach. The report was cited in the introduction of the Global Food Security Act at an October 2009 US Senate hearing and was awarded a silver medal at the 2009–10 MERCURY Awards.
Communications outputs for the Millions Fed project (see 2020 Vision Initiative) included a book, a booklet, a compendium of technical papers, a full-length video and trailer, an official website, and 20 discussion papers. IFPRI hosted several book launches and policy seminars and carried out media activities and targeted international dissemination. IFPRI’s Millions Fed communications strategy won
two gold medals and a bronze medal at the 23rd Annual International MERCURY Awards Competition.
Finally, IFPRI’s extensive climate change research in the past year was a focal point for communications professionals, who helped produce and publicize the food policy report Climate Change: Impact on Agriculture and Costs of Adaptation in addition to research briefs, French and Spanish translations, discussion papers, and events related to the effects of climate change on global food security.