New IDRC funding will help SPARC to examine the impact of commodity and food price rises in Africa’s fragile environments and inform responses to support the protection of dryland livelihoods.
Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises (SPARC) has been awarded funding by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of approximately CAD 0.6 million to examine the impact of commodity and food price increases in Africa’s fragile environments.
The new funding will support rapid research to understand the drivers and impacts of rising prices in Africa’s conflict-affected environments. The evidence will aim to guide decision-makers and donors in their policy and institutional responses to ensure that livelihoods are protected, and poverty gains are sustained. The additional IDRC funding for SPARC will focus on the following priority themes:
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and other internal and external shocks on domestic prices of staple foods, fertiliser, fuel and cooking oil.
The impact of global food price increases on domestic prices.
The impact of price increases on consumer and producer behaviours and practices, including actions by governments and civil society stakeholders.
The disproportionate impact of food price increases on women vs. men.
“Africa’s fragile environments are highly vulnerable to the ongoing food price shocks. Understanding the root causes and the contributing factors of food price increases is critical to designing tailored local policies and effective donor support. The new IDRC funding provided to SPARC will be an important contribution to protecting livelihoods for Africa’s populations”, said Mark Redwood, SPARC Programme Executive Director.
The IDRC grant will complement ongoing activities in the SPARC programme. The consortium is led by Cowater International, working in partnership with ODI, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Mercy Corps. The programme is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
As part of Canada’s foreign affairs and development efforts, IDRC funds high-quality research in developing countries, shares knowledge with researchers and policymakers to inform local and global action, and mobilises alliances to drive global positive change for a more sustainable and inclusive world.