A shock to the (food) system: Using new IFPRI tools to evaluate household food security outcomes

Recent crises and shocks have eroded food security in many countries. These crises take many forms. Some are global shocks, such as a sharp rise in food commodity prices in world markets. Some are local shocks-for instance, flooding from an extreme weather event, or another from the ever-increasing list of climate impacts.

When a crisis hits unexpectedly, researchers, governments, and international organizations must quickly assess the impacts on household food security in order to devise appropriate responses to avert declines in diet quality and nutrition. However, with little time to develop bespoke models or implement intensive simulations, conducting research and designing informed policies can be challenging. In these scenarios, researchers and policymakers need access to rapid-response tools. IFPRI's innovative Food Security Simulators (FSS) were developed to address this knowledge gap.