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With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Kate Ambler

Kate Amber is a Senior Research Fellow in the Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit. Kate’s research broadly focuses on interventions that can increase incomes for smallholders and other microenterprises in agrifood value chains, with a specific focus on the inclusion of women. This includes work on programming in fragile settings, innovations in agricultural finance, and regulatory solutions for food safety. 

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Where we work

IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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Benin

countries and regions

Publications

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Journal Article

Diets, fruit and vegetables consumption, and nutritional status in Benin: A scoping review

2025Bliznashka, Lilia; Pather, Kamara; Mitchodigni, Irene M.; Hess, Sonja Y.; Olney, Deanna K.
Details

Diets, fruit and vegetables consumption, and nutritional status in Benin: A scoping review

Unhealthy diets, including low fruit and vegetables (F&V) intake, contribute to morbidity and mortality related to non-communicable diseases. Designing culturally appropriate interventions to improve diets and F&V intake requires an in-depth understanding of individual-level dietary patterns, household consumption patterns, and nutritional status resulting from inadequate F&V intake. In this scoping review, we summarised the literature on diets, F&V intake, and nutritional status in Benin. We searched PubMed from 2012 to August 2024 to identify articles on diets and nutritional status, and from 2002 to August 2024 to identify articles on F&V intake. We included 36 articles on diets, 27 on F&V intake, and 16 on nutritional status. Existing literature demonstrated that Beninese diets are cereal-based and monotonous, characterised by low diversity and low F&V intake across all population groups. Available evidence indicated a high burden of undernutrition in children <5 years of age, a rising prevalence of overnutrition in women of reproductive age, and a high prevalence of overnutrition in adults. Evidence on how diets and F&V intake vary by urban/rural location, season, and socioeconomic characteristics was limited and inconsistent. Two evaluations of garden irrigation programmes assessed impacts on women's dietary diversity and F&V consumption. Additional research is needed to improve our understanding of diets, F&V intake, and diet-related nutritional challenges and how they evolve over time and across different population groups. Understanding these gaps can help identify entry points and targets for interventions to improve diet quality and F&V intake in Benin.

Year published

2025

Authors

Bliznashka, Lilia; Pather, Kamara; Mitchodigni, Irene M.; Hess, Sonja Y.; Olney, Deanna K.

Citation

Bliznashka, Lilia; Pather, Kamara; Mitchodigni, Irene M.; Hess, Sonja Y.; and Olney, Deanna K. Diets, fruit and vegetables consumption, and nutritional status in Benin: A scoping review. Maternal and Child Nutrition. Article in Press. First published online on December 10, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13747

Country/Region

Benin

Keywords

Sub-saharan Africa; Western Africa; Africa; Diet; Fruits; Vegetables; Non-communicable Diseases; Household Consumption; Nutrition; Research; Children; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13747 Source record

Project

Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

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Working Paper

Leveraging the role of MSMEs for healthier diets and nutrition: Insights from fruit and vegetable value chain studies across five countries

2024Nguyen, Trang; Termeer, Emma; Berkhout, Ezra; Mekonnen, Daniel Ayalew; Dijkxhoorn, Youri; de Steenhuijsen Pieters, Bart
Details

Leveraging the role of MSMEs for healthier diets and nutrition: Insights from fruit and vegetable value chain studies across five countries

In most low and middle-income countries (LMICs) the food system falls short in providing sufficient amounts of healthy foods to a burgeoning population. The growing awareness of how food systems are stressing planetary boundaries and failing to provide sustainable healthy diets and livelihoods has prompted the widespread call to transform the global food system (Béné 2022; FAO et al. 2020, 2024; Webb et al. 2020). Transforming food systems requires engaging various groups of actors with diverse perspectives and challenges (Leeuwis et al. 2021), including setting up alliances with the informal sector (Brouwer & Ruben 2021) and a strengthened focus on the role of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Globally, MSMEs represent about 90 percent of all businesses and account for 60 to 70 percent of employment and 50 percent of GDP. In the current food system, by being present at all value chain stages and better linking small-scale farmers to markets, MSMEs can offer affordable food to both urban and rural areas, create jobs and opportunities for young and female entrepreneurs, and support sustainable, circular food practices (IFAD 2021). These promises can be fulfilled if certain barriers that can hinder their contributions, such as high rates of food loss and waste (FLW), food safety concerns, and the uncertain informal context in which the majority of them operate are addressed (Termeer et al. 2024).

Year published

2024

Authors

Nguyen, Trang; Termeer, Emma; Berkhout, Ezra; Mekonnen, Daniel Ayalew; Dijkxhoorn, Youri; de Steenhuijsen Pieters, Bart

Citation

Nguyen, Trang; Termeer, Emma; Berkhout, Ezra; Mekonnen, Daniel Ayalew; Dijkxhoorn, Youri; and de Steenhuijsen Pieters, Bart. 2024. Leveraging the role of MSMEs for healthier diets and nutrition: Insights from fruit and vegetable value chain studies across five countries. SHiFT Working Paper December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Benin; Ethiopia; Philippines; Vietnam

Keywords

Tanzania; Western Africa; Eastern Africa; South-eastern Asia; Africa; Asia; Food Systems; Small and Medium Enterprises; Sustainability; Healthy Diets; Value Chains; Fruits; Vegetables; Food Environment; Markets

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Working Paper

Resource thumbnail

Brief

Nutrition and diet profile: Benin

2024Diatta, Ampa Dogui; Olney, Deanna K.; Honeycutt, Sydney; Mitchodigni, Irene Medeme; Bliznashka, Lilia
Details

Nutrition and diet profile: Benin

Key Findings: -In Benin, undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent, and the prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing. -Diets in Benin have declined in quality over time, particularly among children. For example, low dietary diversity and inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption are prevalent. -Food-based dietary guidelines exist; however, awareness of the guidelines is unknown. -Most nutrition policies in Benin lack guidance on promoting fruit and vegetable intake. -Stronger evidence related to how to improve diet quality and combat malnutrition in Benin is needed to develop relevant interventions and policies.

Year published

2024

Authors

Diatta, Ampa Dogui; Olney, Deanna K.; Honeycutt, Sydney; Mitchodigni, Irene Medeme; Bliznashka, Lilia

Citation

Diatta, Ampa Dogui; Olney, Deanna K.; Honeycutt, Sydney; Mitchodigni, Irene Medeme; and Bliznashka, Lilia. 2024. Nutrition and diet profile: Benin. FRESH Country Brief November 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/159608

Country/Region

Benin

Keywords

Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Nutrition; Diet; Trace Elements; Dietary Guidelines

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Brief

Datasets

Dataset

ASTI Benin Database

2014Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators
Details

ASTI Benin Database

This dataset includes national-level time series data on researcher capacity by qualification level, age bracket, discipline mix, and commodity, as well as a detailed breakdown of agricultural research investment across government, higher education, nonprofit, and (where possible) private for-profit agricultural research agencies. These data were derived through a series of primary survey rounds conducted by IFPRI’s Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) and in close collaboration with a large network of national collaborators. The ASTI data constitute a powerful resource for national and regional research managers, policymakers, donor organizations, and other stakeholders. ASTI’s key indicators provide both a diagnostic tool for assessing the allocation and use of existing resources and an advocacy tool for increasing resources and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of resource use. The ASTI website offers interactive pages that allow users to access country-level time series data, make cross-country comparisons, create graphs, and download country datasets and publications as well as detailed institutional information on agencies involved in agricultural research. The interactive benchmarking tool on the ASTI website is a convenient map-based instrument allowing users to make cross-country comparisons and rankings based on a wide set of financial and human resource indicators. The detailed ASTI datasets are available in an easy-to-use data download tool. Detailed information on definitions, methodology, and calculation procedures are available at www.asti.cgiar.org

Year published

2014

Authors

Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators

Citation

Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators. 2014. ASTI Benin database. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. http://www.asti.cgiar.org/benin. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1. https://www.asti.cgiar.org/benin

Country/Region

Benin

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Western Africa; Agricultural Research

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-3.0

Source

Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Dataset

Dataset

Benin: Small Farmer Survey, 1998

2004International Food Policy Research Institute
Details

Benin: Small Farmer Survey, 1998

This survey includes data from the Enquête des Petits Producteurs (Small Farmer Survey) carried out by IFPRI and LARES (Laboratoire d’Analyse Regionale et d’Expertise Sociale, Cotonou, Republic of Benin). The objectives were to describe rural livelihoods, examine how conditions for farmers have changed over time, and assess the impact of agricultural reforms on rural households. The training of enumerators, field testing of the survey and final revision of the questionnaire took place in June-July 1998. The survey itself was carried out over the period August to November 1998. The households were selected using a two-stage stratified random sample procedure based on the 1997 Pre-Census of Agriculture. In each of the six departments, villages randomly selected, with the number of villages proportional to the volume of agricultural production, subject to a minimum of 10 villages per department. In total, 100 villages were selected. In each village, nine households were randomly selected using listed prepared for the pre-Census. Three alternative households were selected for each village in case one or more of the nine were unavailable. In a few villages, the number of interviewed households was eight or ten, resulting in a final sample size of 899 farm households. Topics addressed in the survey include household and land characteristics, crop production, main agricultural activities, use of fertilizers and other inputs, source of credit, sale and use of crops, storage, consumption, time allocation, and sources of income as well as community level data on transport structure, marketing of agricultural products, village groups, agricultural production, extension services, and formal/informal credit.

Year published

2004

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute. 2004. Benin: Small Farmer Survey, 1998. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. http://hdl.handle.net/1902.1/10020. Harvard Dataverse. Version 1.

Country/Region

Benin

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Western Africa; Agricultural Situation; Extension; Rural Population; Household Surveys; Crops; Agriculture; Marketing; Small Farms; Livelihoods; Agricultural Productivity; Rural Areas; Credit

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-3.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Dataset

Blogs

Time-use agency: A new measure of women’s empowerment
IFPRI Blog
 | 
July 02, 2021

Time-use agency: A new measure of women’s empowerment

By Sarah Eissler, Jessica Heckert, Emily Myers, Greg Seymour, Sheela Sinharoy, Kathryn M. Yount, and Jessica Wallach

A more nuanced approach to gauging women's strategic choices about time and work.

Events

Fruit & Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets: 2024 FRESH Science Conference
Series/Special Event

 | 

August 26 to 27, 2024

Fruit & Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets: 2024 FRESH Science Conference

Poor diets are a primary cause of malnutrition and the leading cause of disease worldwide. Improving diets, especially through increasing fruit and vegetable intake, can help to address these health and nutrition challenges. However, fruit and vegetable intake falls below recommended levels globally. The factors contributing to low fruit and vegetable consumption are complex, requiring […]

News

April 12, 2022 | In the News

West Africa faces mixed food security impacts from the Russia-Ukraine conflict (Telos)

Telos (France) published an op-ed by senior research fellows Antoine Bouet and David Laborde, and research fellow Fousseini Traoré about how food security in West Africa has been deteriorating since 2015.  Now, like the rest of the world, the region faces rapidly growing impacts from Russia’s war in Ukraine, including spiking food prices and disruptions […]

Projects

National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP)

National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP)

Starting in 2016, IFPRI has led the provision of technical support to countries for next-generation National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs) at the request of the……

Program of Accompanying Research for Agricultural Innovation (PARI)

Program of Accompanying Research for Agricultural Innovation (PARI)

…