MRR Innovation Lab

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk & Resilience

MRR Innovation Lab

United States Research in Agricultural Development Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets Risk and Resilience

View Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk and Resilience's recent activity on its Agrilinks Activity Page.

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk and Resilience (MRR) at UC Davis develops and tests financial and market innovations that take the most promising agricultural tools for rural families in developing economies from the lab to the field. Operating with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), our mission is to generate and transfer knowledge and innovations that promote resilience and empower rural families, communities and markets to share in inclusive agricultural growth.

Online at: basis.ucdavis.edu.

Groups of people sit around tables; one person is standing.

Going “ALL-IN” on Locally Led Development Research

Feed the Future ALL-IN flips the traditional model of development research collaborations, putting researchers at African institutions in the lead on defining and implementing high-impact research.

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk, and Resilience

Apr 25, 2023

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Policy and Governance

Two women in Malawi walk along a dirt road holding pails on their heads supported by their arms.

Applying GenderUp to Localize Inclusivity for a Horticulture Marketplace App in Malawi

Not every innovation includes everyone. In Malawi, GenderUp leveraged its participant-driven format and local research leadership for insights on scaling a horticultural marketplace app inclusively.

MRR Innovation Lab

Katheryn Gregerson

Apr 18, 2023

Markets and Trade Gender

A woman pours maize from a plastic bowl.

Stretching Savings to Shrink the Hungry Season

New research from Zambia found that a budgeting activity with maize-farming families could stretch savings for an extra month during the hungry season and increase the size of next year’s...

MRR Innovation Lab

Alex Russell

Apr 07, 2023

Agricultural Productivity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

Agrilinks Event

How a Focused Budgeting Activity Increased Savings across the Hungry Season in Zambia

Apr 20, 2023 online

Recent research support by USAID has found a way to mute the impacts of the hungry season and set families up for a better future. 

Agricultural Productivity Nutrition

An agrodealer in Mozambique stands by his truck.

Leveraging the Seed System to Solve the Last Mile Challenge for Insurance

Agrodealers in Mozambique are scaling an innovative bundle of maize seeds and insurance, which could ensure that the market itself will sustain the product and its benefits to smallholder farmers.

MRR Innovation Lab

Alex Russell

Feb 17, 2023

Agricultural Productivity Education and Extension Markets and Trade Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Resilience

A farmer in Nigeria stands in a field of tall crops.

Promoting Record Keeping to Plant the Seeds of Stronger Livelihoods and Resilience

Research with small-scale farmers in Nigeria includes training on keeping basic farm records as a first step for breaking out of subsistence-only livelihoods.

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk, and Resilience

Dec 05, 2022

Agricultural Productivity Education and Extension Resilience

COP27: Jumpstart Smallholder Climate Adaptation by Addressing Risk

Field-tested evidence provides a roadmap for supporting households most vulnerable to climate change. Three key ideas can jumpstart climate resilience by addressing risk in rural communities.

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk, and Resilience

Nov 10, 2022

Agricultural Productivity Resilience

Weathering the Pandemic in Rural Nepal without Mortgaging the Future

New USAID-supported research has found that women in rural Nepal who took part in a livelihood-building program before the COVID-19 pandemic were more resilient by being in a stronger financial...

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk, and Resilience

Aug 05, 2022

COVID-19 Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Policy and Governance Resilience

Group of people sitting and listening to a presentation outside.

Three Ingredients for High-Impact Agricultural Subsidies for Small-Scale Farmers

To put productive inputs within reach of small-scale farmers, the most effective subsidy approaches promote learning, create access and support the private sector for an end to the need for...

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk, and Resilience

May 05, 2022

Agricultural Productivity Markets and Trade Policy and Governance

Four women standing and sitting in front of a tree in Uganda.

Promoting Productivity and Empowerment for Female Smallholder Farmers in Uganda

This Q&A discusses challenges for female smallholder farmers in Uganda as well as new research seeking to increase their productivity, empowerment and resilience to shocks.

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk, and Resilience

Mar 10, 2022

Agricultural Productivity Gender Resilience

Agrilinks

MRR Innovation Lab

Latest Submissions

Going “ALL-IN” on Locally Led Development Research

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk, and Resilience

Applying GenderUp to Localize Inclusivity for a Horticulture Marketplace App in Malawi

MRR Innovation Lab

Katheryn Gregerson

Stretching Savings to Shrink the Hungry Season

MRR Innovation Lab

Alex Russell

How a Focused Budgeting Activity Increased Savings across the Hungry Season in Zambia

Leveraging the Seed System to Solve the Last Mile Challenge for Insurance

MRR Innovation Lab

Alex Russell

Promoting Record Keeping to Plant the Seeds of Stronger Livelihoods and Resilience

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk, and Resilience

COP27: Jumpstart Smallholder Climate Adaptation by Addressing Risk

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk, and Resilience

Weathering the Pandemic in Rural Nepal without Mortgaging the Future

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk, and Resilience

Three Ingredients for High-Impact Agricultural Subsidies for Small-Scale Farmers

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk, and Resilience

Promoting Productivity and Empowerment for Female Smallholder Farmers in Uganda

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk, and Resilience

Explore USAID's LINKS sites for learning and knowledge sharing