Climate shocks and youth labour - Gender-disaggregated evidence from sub-Saharan Africa
2026
Although climate change is a global challenge, it does not affect all people equally. This research project uses a novel dataset spanning six sub-Saharan African countries and combining nationally representative socio-economic survey data with daily rainfall and temperature information. Using regression analysis, we show that when rural areas are exposed to extreme heat, precipitation or droughts, young people adjust their engagement in productive labour in different ways than older adults.
Integrating participatory extension and material support - Evidence from Farmer Field Schools in Malawi
2026
This study examines the effectiveness of integrated agricultural extension and material support programmes on agricultural productivity and food security among smallholder farmers in Malawi. It evaluates three interventions: Farmer Field Schools (FFS) alone, FFS combined with input transfers, and FFS combined with cash transfers.
Climate stressors and rural incomes: multi-country evidence on wealth, gender, and age disparities
2026
This paper examines how income vulnerabilities to climate stressors differ in rural areas by wealth, gender, and age, using household survey and climate data from 24 countries. It finds that poor and female-headed households suffer the largest income losses from extreme heat and long-term warming, while younger-headed households partially offset shocks through off-farm income.
Impacts of cash transfers, e-vouchers and Farmer Field Schools on agricultural outcomes in Mozambique
2026
Combining cash transfers with input e-vouchers and Farmer Field Schools helped vulnerable households adopt improved practices, diversify production, and increase agricultural income, particularly through vegetables and cash crops. Aligned with national social protection programmes, this integrated approach illustrates adaptive social protection that supports more resilient and market-oriented livelihoods.
Wellbeing dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa: a spatial perspective across territorial typologies
2025
Efforts to track welfare trends and spatially target interventions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have been constrained by a lack of recurrent and sufficiently granular data. To address this gap, we examine the spatial distribution and temporal dynamics of welfare in the SSA using a new dataset of spatially-explicit welfare indicators (ATLAS AI) and explore how they have been influenced by different territorial typologies over the last two decades.
The agrifood-system wage gap and structural transformation: cross-country evidence
2025
This study examines how the gender pay gap in wage employment evolves during structural transformation. Using a multi-country dataset and decomposition analysis, it finds persistent gender gaps in both agrifood and non-agrifood systems. These gaps are driven by differences in characteristics and returns, highlighting the need for gender-responsive policies.
Natural resources for resilient, inclusive rural transformation
2025
This paper examines the role of natural resources in fostering resilient and inclusive rural transformation. It reviews land and water availability for agriculture, highlighting the reliance of poor and vulnerable rural communities on these resources. As land degradation, climate change, and competition intensify, current agricultural models face limits in supporting inclusive development.
Climate adaptation, perceived resilience, and household wellbeing: Comparative evidence from Kenya and Zambia
2025
This study examines how climate-adaptive agricultural practices influence perceived resilience and household wellbeing in pastoralist Kenya and rain-fed Zambia. Using a typology of adaptation strategies and a doubly-robust IPWRA approach, findings show capital-intensive practices consistently enhance resilience and wellbeing, while labor-intensive and diversification strategies have more context-dependent effects. Results underscore the need for integrated, context-specific adaptation support.
Measuring the impacts of FAO’s livestock protection package in Afghanistan
2025
This policy brief looks at the Livestock Protection Package (LPP) implemented by FAO in Afghanistan, focusing on how it addresses challenges in the country's livestock sector. The programme aims to support communities affected by extreme weather events like cold spells and droughts. By evaluating the outcomes for beneficiary households, the brief offers insights into the effectiveness of winter assistance programmes in helping maintain livelihoods and food security during difficult times.
Inclusive rural transformations in Latin America. Reassessing and planning under pressures and constraints.
2025
Latin America is at a strategic point in rural development, as recent shocks have exposed deep-rooted challenges in rural policies, particularly regarding inequality and employment. Slow economic recovery, climate change, food system transitions, and rapid technological change further complicate these issues.
Well-being dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa - A spatial perspective across territorial typologies
2025
In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), efforts to track poverty trends and spatially targeted interventions are constrained by a lack of recurrent and sufficiently granular data. In this paper, we address this lack of information by using a new dataset of spatially explicit welfare indicators (developed by Atlas AI) to examine the spatial distribution and temporal dynamics of welfare in the region.
The unjust climate Assessing multidimensional poverty and climate vulnerabilities in rural India
2024
This brief summarizes findings from the report The unjust climate: Measuring the impacts of climate change on rural poor, women, and youth, and examines how exposure to climate stressors impacts the livelihoods of impoverished rural households in India. The brief highlights the critical need to address the adverse effects of climate stressors, including long-term temperature changes, to effectively combat poverty in the country and foster equitable opportunities for all.
The unjust climate. Measuring the impacts of climate change on the rural poor, women and youth: Annexes
2024
These annexes are supplementing "The unjust climate - Measuring the impacts of climate change on rural poor, women and youth" report, offering in-depth insights into the dataset, methodology and results. It serves to validate our findings through rigorous analysis and provides additional context for understanding the global impact of climate stressors on rural livelihoods.
Manejo sostenible y restauración del bosque de la costa norte del Perú: Informe de la encuesta de línea de base para la evaluación de impacto del proyecto
2024
This baseline report provides insights into the project beneficiaries' socioeconomic status, land use, and agricultural activities. This information helps project implementers guide their activities and identify where possible problems may arise. Additionally, the report establishes whether there are any differences between those beneficiaries selected for treatment and those that, ex-ante, were identified as an appropriate control group. T
Manejo sostenible y restauración del bosque de la costa norte del Perú: Informe de la encuesta de línea de base para la evaluación de impacto del proyecto
2024
This baseline report provides insights into the project beneficiaries' socioeconomic status, land use, and agricultural activities. This information helps project implementers guide their activities and identify where possible problems may arise. Additionally, the report establishes whether there are any differences between those beneficiaries selected for treatment and those that, ex-ante, were identified as an appropriate control group.
The unjust climate: Measuring the impacts of climate change on the rural poor, women and youth: Summary
2024
The brief summarizes the key messages and findings of the "Unjust Climate" report, which measures the impacts of climate change on the rural poor, women, and youths. This report compiles extensive data from 24 low- and middle-income countries across five world regions.
The unjust climate: Measuring the impacts of climate change on rural poor, women and youth
2024
This report assembles an impressive set of data from 24 low- and middle-income countries in five world regions to measure the effects of climate change on rural women, youths and people living in poverty. The data enable us to disentangle how different types of climate stressors affect people’s on-farm, off-farm and total incomes, labour allocations and adaptive actions, depending on their wealth, gender and age characteristics.
Evaluating the impacts of in-kind productive transfers and extension training in Zambia. Baseline analysis of the integration of the Food Security Pack programme and farmer field schools.
2024
The Government of Zambia has prioritized the scaling up of the Food Security Pack (FSP) to address the economic hardships faced by vulnerable rural households in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The baseline report will provide a snapshot of the current socioeconomic conditions of a random sample of 3000 eligible non-beneficiaries, FSP beneficiaries, and FSP+extension services beneficiaries, and will inform the government about its accuracy in their targeting.
The role of social protection in mitigating the effects of rainfall shocks. Evidence from Ethiopia
2023
We examine how social protection programs in Ethiopia affect smallholder farmers facing adverse rainfall shocks. Our findings show mixed effects: public works reduce productivity, especially during shocks, while free food recipients see higher sales and profits. Cash transfers have a neutral impact on production but increase farming profitability.