Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk & Resilience (MRR Innovation Lab)

So every rural family can take control of their future

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 families in developing economies from the lab to the field. The Lab’s 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.

The MRR Innovation Lab focuses the most advanced tools in development economics and related fields on three core themes:

  • Resilient Escapes from Poverty: Bundled programs that can have a bigger and more lasting impact on persistent poverty than the sum of their parts.
  • Financial and Agronomic Innovations for Inclusive Growth and Resilience: Expanding the potential of insurance, stress-tolerant seeds and other tools to manage the risk of drought, flood or other disasters.
  • Resilient Systems for Broadly-based Agricultural Growth: Ensuring that markets and other social systems are competitive and do not bypass women and young people.

In addition to funding research and building the capacity of local institutions, the MRR Innovation Lab translates their work into accessible policy documents and sponsor outreach events that integrate our findings into a coherent and effective voice about priorities and options for governments, NGOs and others working to reduce poverty and increase prosperity worldwide.

Latest news and articles

Advancing the Conversation Around Building a Resilient Future

Resilience — or the ability of people, households, communities, countries and systems to manage adversity and change without compromising future well-being — is becoming more relevant and better known outside of food security circles as the world struggles to cope with increased and overlapping global shocks.

Scaling Global Resilience: New Report Highlights Increasing Momentum for Evidence-backed Solutions 

The Resilience Evidence Forum (REF) 2023 Synthesis Report presents the findings and insights from the Resilience Evidence Forum.

Tharu tribe women lead their climate justice movement in India

In this story, we learn how the women of the Tharu tribe are at the forefront of climate justice movements and reclaiming their land. This is one of the five winning stories from Resilience Perspectives, a storytelling competition for young people.

Meet the shortlisted candidates of the RAIN Challenge for Non-profits 

Eight seed-level initiatives have been selected and over the next six months will work in collaboration with GRP to receive tailored mentoring and leadership training. The RAIN Challenge for non-profits is a joint effort between GRP and the Munich-Re Foundation.

The Butterfly Effect:  A Story of Resilience from a DRR Young Leaders Fellow

In this story, Manashree Newa shares her experience as a young DRR fellow in Nepal's Terai region and how the experience left a lasting impact on her and the municipality. This is one of the five winning stories from the Resilience Perspectives storytelling contest.