Research

Convergence research for innovative food systems solutions

Research often occurs in disciplinary silos, and at times is disconnected from context, other aspects of the industry to which it is connected, and even from the experiences, needs, and decision processes of stakeholders, like local communities on the ground. This siloed approach is not sufficient to tackle the vast and intersecting questions associated with how to make our food systems resilient to climate change.

The FACT Alliance strives to combat this with convergence research which meets complex problems with approaches that embody deep integration across disciplines. This kind of research calls for close association with the stakeholders who both make decisions and are directly affected by how our food systems work, be they farmers, extension services, policy makers, international aid organizations, or consumers. In this way, the FACT Alliance can work with stakeholders to find innovative solutions to mitigate the climate impacts of food systems and significantly improve their resilience.

Examples of research from the FACT Alliance are below. 

Four picture collage of grain silos on a farm, a large cargo ship in a port, Asian women in boats with food at a floating market, and an arid farm with dried up crops.

The Jameel Index for Food Trade and Vulnerability

Supported by Community Jameel, this three-year foundational research project will study the implications of climate change on food security as they relate to trade.
Map of Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) of East Africa

Sustainable food and climate systems transitions in the Lake Victoria Basin

Working with key stakeholders in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, this research will support the Lake Victoria Basin Commission's land and water management efforts as they relate to sustainability and climate change adaptation in food systems. 
Collage of images including an image of people in a field laughing, several people looking into a well, a large tree with individuals standing underneath, a person looking at a small pond, and three people including a person on a bike

Climate-Resilient Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa

J-WAFS Research Scientist Kenneth Strzepek and past J-WAFS visiting scholar Brent Boehlert present a series of guidance and technical notes that offer insights in support of enhancing the climate resilience of infrastructure investment projects in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Convergent science model framework diagram

A New Convergent Science Framework for Food System Sustainability in an Uncertain Climate

The J-WAFS-led Food and Climate Systems Transformation (FACT) Alliance present a new convergent science model for tackling systemic vulnerabilities in the current food paradigm.
Headshots of JWAFS researchers Greg Sixt and Ken Strzepek

Food Import Vulnerability Index (FIVI)

J-WAFS researchers Greg Sixt and Kenneth Strzepek produced a report for Community Jameel and the AEON Collective detailing the impacts of climate change on food security in high food-importing countries in West Asia. This work supported Community Jameel’s efforts at G-20 and COP26 and led to the Jameel Index for Food Trade and Vulnerability proposal.
Bar graphic on a piece of paper with pen

RFS Evidence Aggregation for Programmatic Approaches (REAPER)

In April of 2021, the FACT Alliance embarked on a project with USAID, co-led by J-WAFS and MIT D-Lab, that uses a combination of machine learning and traditional systematic review to identify evidence gaps in USAID’s evaluation metrics in the areas of agriculture, nutrition, water, and resilience.  

“MIT has a proven track record of bringing interdisciplinary expertise to bear on big global challenges. How to feed a growing population in the face of the climate crisis is a particularly complex challenge: Food systems are a key driver of climate change and, at the same time, they are dangerously vulnerable to climate impacts. We simply can’t solve climate change without addressing the role of food systems. As the central convener of MIT research on food systems, J-WAFS catalyzes collaboration across disciplines. Now, by bringing together a world-class group of research institutions and stakeholders from key sectors, the FACT Alliance aims to advance research that will help alleviate climate impacts on food systems and mitigate food system impacts on climate.”

—Maria Zuber, former Vice President for Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT's Vice president of research, Maria Zuber, standing with arms folded smiling