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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.

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researcher spotlight

Samuel Benin

Samuel Benin is the Acting Director for Africa in the Development Strategies and Governance Unit. He conducts research on national strategies and public investment for accelerating food systems transformation in Africa and provides analytical support to the African Union’s CAADP Biennial Review.

Where we work

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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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experts

Nutrition, Diets, and Health

Deanna Olney

Director, Nutrition, Diets, and Health (NDH)

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Bio

Dr. Deanna Olney is the Director of the Nutrition, Diets and Health Unit at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and leads the CGIAR Research Initiative: Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets (FRESH). She also serves on the leadership team for the Resilient Cities CGIAR Research Initiative. Dr. Olney has a Ph.D. in Nutritional Biology from the University of California, Davis and has over 20 years of experience working in the field of international nutrition across Latin America, Asia and Africa. Her research focuses on understanding the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of food system and multisectoral approaches to improving diet, nutrition, health, and well-being outcomes. In addition to seeking to understand the impact and cost-effectiveness of different types of approaches, Dr. Olney works closely with a wide range of stakeholders to support the translation of evidence into action.

Publications

CV

Publications

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Journal Article

Understanding differential reductions in undernutrition among districts in Rwanda through the perspectives of mid‐level and community actors on policy commitment and policy coherence

2024Iruhiriye, Elyse; Frongillo, Edward A.; Olney, Deanna K.; Niyongira, Emmanuel; Nanama, Simeon; Blake, Christine E.; Rwibasira, Eugene; Mbonyi, Paul
Details

Understanding differential reductions in undernutrition among districts in Rwanda through the perspectives of mid‐level and community actors on policy commitment and policy coherence

Understanding the drivers of improvements in child undernutrition at only the national level can mask subnational differences. This paper aimed to understand the contributions of factors in the enabling environment to observed differences in stunting reduction between districts in Rwanda. In 2017, we conducted 58 semi-structured interviews with mid-level actors (n = 38) and frontline workers (n = 20) implementing Rwanda’s multi-sectoral nutrition policy in five districts in which stunting decreased (reduced districts) and five where it increased or stagnated (non-reduced districts) based on Rwanda’s 2010 and 2014/15 Demographic and Health Surveys. Mid-level actors are government officials and service providers at the subnational level who represent the frontline of government policy. Interviews focused on political commitment to and policy coherence in nutrition, and contributors to nutrition changes. Responses were coded to capture themes on the changes and challenges of these topics and compared between reduced and non-reduced districts. Descriptive statistics described district characteristics. Political commitment to nutrition was high in both reduced and non-reduced districts. Respondents from reduced districts were more likely to define commitment to nutrition as an optimal implementation of policy, whereas those from non-reduced districts focused more on financial commitment. Regarding coherence, respondents from reduced compared to non-reduced districts were more likely to report the optimal implementation of multi-sectoral nutrition planning meetings, using data to assess plans and progress in nutrition outcomes and integration of nutrition into the agriculture sector. In contrast, respondents from non-reduced districts more often reported challenges in their relationships with national-level stakeholders and nutrition and/or monitoring and evaluation capacities. Enhancing the integration of nutrition in different sectors and improving mid-level actors’ capacity to plan and advocate for nutrition programming may contribute to reductions in stunting.

Year published

2024

Authors

Iruhiriye, Elyse; Frongillo, Edward A.; Olney, Deanna K.; Niyongira, Emmanuel; Nanama, Simeon; Blake, Christine E.; Rwibasira, Eugene; Mbonyi, Paul

Citation

Iruhiriye, Elyse; Frongillo, Edward A.; Olney, Deanna K.; Niyongira, Emmanuel; Nanama, Simeon; Blake, Christine E.; Rwibasira, Eugene; Mbonyi, Paul. Understanding differential reductions in undernutrition among districts in Rwanda through the perspectives of mid‐level and community actors on policy commitment and policy coherence. Maternal and Child Nutrition 20(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13640

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Child Nutrition; Stunting; Nutrition Policies; Governance; Capacity Development

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13640 Source record

Project

Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

Record type

Journal Article

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Book Chapter

Advancing nutrition: Food system policies and actions for healthy diets

2024Menon, Purnima; Olney, Deanna K.
Details

Advancing nutrition: Food system policies and actions for healthy diets

Hunger, food insecurity, and unhealthy diets underpin many critical public health challenges, including all forms of malnutrition and diet-related noncommunicable diseases. These health outcomes, in turn, have short- and long-term impacts on the well-being and productivity of human populations worldwide. Amid these complex, interconnected challenges, the global focus on how to leverage food systems for nutrition has shifted toward sustainable healthy diets that promote well-being for both people and the planet. This chapter provides an overview of the thematic chapters of the 2024 Global Food Policy Report, which look at food demand and affordability, food environments, plant- and animal-source foods, and governance for sustainable healthy diets.

Year published

2024

Authors

Menon, Purnima; Olney, Deanna K.

Citation

Menon, Purnima; and Olney, Deanna K. 2024. Advancing nutrition: Food system policies and actions for healthy diets. In Global food policy report 2024: Food systems for healthy diets and nutrition. Chapter 1, Pp. 8-17. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/141883

Keywords

Nutrition; Food Systems; Policies; Healthy Diets

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Book Chapter

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Brief

Improving fruit and vegetable intake and production in Tanzania: An evaluation of the FRESH end-to-end approach

2023Bliznashka, Lilia; Kumar, Neha; Kinabo, Joyce; Mwombeki, Wiston; Hess, Sonja; Marshall, Quinn; Azupogo, Fusta; Olney, Deanna
Details

Improving fruit and vegetable intake and production in Tanzania: An evaluation of the FRESH end-to-end approach

Poor diets are a primary cause of malnutrition and the leading cause of disease worldwide. Improving diets, including increasing fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake, could save one in five lives annually. Micronutrients are essential for health; those obtained from F&Vs have a lower environmental footprint than those obtained from other foods making F&Vs essential to sustainable healthy diets. Globally, F&V intake is below recommended levels. However, the extent and nature of the problem is poorly understood due to insufficient data on dietary intake and food environments, especially in low- and middle-income countries. More than 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet. Often, F&V are among the least affordable foods. Even when F&V are accessible and affordable, intake is too low6 highlighting the role of desirability in F&V intake. Solutions for improving diet quality, in part by increasing F&V intake, will need to be multifaceted and interconnected. Solutions should start with understanding dietary patterns, and addressing barriers across desirability, accessibility, affordability, and availability using an end-to-end approach.

Year published

2023

Authors

Bliznashka, Lilia; Kumar, Neha; Kinabo, Joyce; Mwombeki, Wiston; Hess, Sonja; Marshall, Quinn; Azupogo, Fusta; Olney, Deanna

Citation

Bliznashka, Lilia; Kumar, Neha; Kinabo, Joyce; Mwombeki, Wiston; Hess, Sonja; Marshall, Quinn; Azupogo, Fusta; and Olney, Deanna. 2023. Improving fruit and vegetable intake and production in Tanzania: An evaluation of the FRESH end-to-end approach. FRESH Research Brief 1. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Keywords

Tanzania; Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Capacity Development; Fruits; Vegetables; Diet; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Brief

Blogs

Transforming food systems for sustainable healthy diets: A global imperative
IFPRI Blog
 | 
May 29, 2024

Transforming food systems for sustainable healthy diets: A global imperative

By Purnima Menon and Deanna Olney

The 2024 Global Food Policy Report focuses on the pivotal role of nutrition.

From theory to practice: The latest in program implementation and effectiveness at #MNF2023
IFPRI Blog
 | 
October 11, 2023

From theory to practice: The latest in program implementation and effectiveness at #MNF2023

By Mduduzi Mbuya and Deanna Olney

Navigating the complexities of diet and nutrition solutions.

Improving fruit and vegetable consumption will require a holistic approach
IFPRI Blog
 | 
May 25, 2022

Improving fruit and vegetable consumption will require a holistic approach

By Deanna Olney, Ravi Gopal Singh, Pepijn Schreinemachers, and Janet Hodur

A new research initiative takes aim at a major nutrition challenge.

Events

2024 Global Food Policy Report LAC: Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Nutrition
Series/Special Event

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June 27, 2024, 3:00 – 4:30 pm

2024 Global Food Policy Report LAC: Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Nutrition

Unhealthy diets are a major driver of all forms of malnutrition, including undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight and obesity. At the same time, our food systems contribute about a third of greenhouse gas emissions and degrade natural resources. The 2024 Global Food Policy Report examines policies, innovations, and governance solutions to strengthen diet quality and […]

2024 Global Food Policy Report: Improving Diets and Nutrition through Food Systems: What Will it Take?
IFPRI Policy Seminar

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May 29, 2024, 9:30 – 11:00 am

2024 Global Food Policy Report: Improving Diets and Nutrition through Food Systems: What Will it Take?

Hybrid Event: May 29, 2024 at 9:30am-11:00am EDT. IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy Report on Food Systems for Healthy Diets, presents evidence-based policy and governance solutions to strengthen diet quality and nutrition in low- and middle-income countries, and examines priorities for future research on food systems for better nutrition.

Micronutrient Forum: 6th Global Conference
IFPRI at External Event

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October 16 to 20, 2023

Micronutrient Forum: 6th Global Conference

Hybrid Conference: October 16, 2023 – 8:30 AM to October 20, 2023 – 5:00 PM CEST. IFPRI is pleased to participate in this year’s Micronutrient Forum 6th Global Conference, being held at the World Forum in The Hague October 16–20, with a focus on “Nutrition for Resilience (N4R).

News

May 29, 2024 | Press Release

The 2024 Global Food Policy Report Stresses Urgent Need for Transformative Action to Achieve Sustainable Healthy Diets and Improved Nutrition

Washington DC, May 29, 2024: In the face of growing challenges posed by unhealthy diets, all forms of malnutrition, and environmental constraints, the 2024 Global Food Policy Report (GFPR) — released today by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) — underscores the importance of transforming complex global food systems to ensure sustainable healthy diets for all. Progress […]

March 22, 2016 | Press Release

Homegrown Nutrition Works in Burkina Faso

Study could have profound effects on the overall health of some of the world’s most undernourished populations   March 22, 2016, Washington, D.C.—A recent study out of Burkina Faso shows that integrating nutrition and health education and women’s empowerment interventions into an agriculture program, if well-designed and run, can improve child and maternal undernutrition in […]