International Food Policy Research Institute

About: International Food Policy Research Institute is a nonprofit organization based out in Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Agriculture & Food security. The organization has 1217 authors who have published 4952 publications receiving 218436 citations.

Modeling global water use for the 21st century : The Water Futures and Solutions (WFaS) initiative and its approaches

Abstract: . To sustain growing food demand and increasing standard of living, global water use increased by nearly 6 times during the last 100 years, and continues to grow. As water demands get closer and closer to the water availability in many regions, each drop of water becomes increasingly valuable and water must be managed more efficiently and intensively. However, soaring water use worsens water scarcity conditions already prevalent in semi-arid and arid regions, increasing uncertainty for sustainable food production and economic development. Planning for future development and investments requires that we prepare water projections for the future. However, estimations are complicated because the future of the world's waters will be influenced by a combination of environmental, social, economic, and political factors, and there is only limited knowledge and data available about freshwater resources and how they are being used. The Water Futures and Solutions (WFaS) initiative coordinates its work with other ongoing scenario efforts for the sake of establishing a consistent set of new global water scenarios based on the shared socio-economic pathways (SSPs) and the representative concentration pathways (RCPs). The WFaS "fast-track" assessment uses three global water models, namely H08, PCR-GLOBWB, and WaterGAP. This study assesses the state of the art for estimating and projecting water use regionally and globally in a consistent manner. It provides an overview of different approaches, the uncertainty, strengths and weaknesses of the various estimation methods, types of management and policy decisions for which the current estimation methods are useful. We also discuss additional information most needed to be able to improve water use estimates and be able to assess a greater range of management options across the water–energy–climate nexus.

Effect of iron supplementation on mental and motor development in children: systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the effect of iron supplementation on mental and motor development in children through a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Data sources: Electronic databases, personal files, hand search of reviews, bibliographies of books, abstracts and proceedings of international conferences. Review methods: RCTs with interventions that included oral or parenteral iron supplementation, fortified formula milk or cereals were evaluated. The outcomes studied were mental and motor development scores and various individual development tests employed, including Bayley mental and psychomotor development indices and intelligence quotient. Results: The pooled estimate (random effects model) of mental development score standardised mean difference (SMD) was 0.30 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.15 to 0.46, P , 0.001; P , 0.001 for heterogeneity). Initial anaemia and iron-deficiency anaemia were significant explanatory variables for heterogeneity. The pooled estimate of Bayley Mental Development Index (weighted mean difference) in younger children (,27 months old) was 0.95 (95% CI 20.56 to 2.46, P ¼ 0.22; P ¼ 0.016 for heterogeneity). For intelligence quotient scores ($8 years age), the pooled SMD was 0.41 (95% CI 0.20 to 0.62, P , 0.001; P ¼ 0.07 for heterogeneity). There was no effect of iron supplementation on motor development score (SMD 0.09, 95% CI 20.08 to 0.26, P ¼ 0.28; P ¼ 0.028 for heterogeneity). Conclusions: Iron supplementation improves mental development score modestly. This effect is particularly apparent for intelligence tests above 7 years of age and in initially anaemic or iron-deficient anaemic subjects. There is no convincing evidence that iron treatment has an effect on mental development in children below 27 months of age or on motor development.