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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

Emily Schmidt

Emily Schmidt is a Senior Research Fellow in the Development Strategies and Governance Unit. Her most recent research explores household livelihood strategies in Papua New Guinea, including linkages between agriculture, poverty, and nutrition outcomes among rural smallholder farmers.

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Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

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experts

Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion

Aulo Gelli

Senior Research Fellow

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Bio

Aulo Gelli is a Senior Research Fellow in the Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit. His main interests and experience are in the intersection of food policy and nutrition, with a particular focus on evaluating the impact of child health and nutrition interventions.

Prior to working at IFPRI, Aulo worked as a Research Fellow at Imperial College, as a Policy Analyst at the UK Collaborative on Development Sciences, and as a Statistician at the World Food Programme. Aulo trained as a physicist at Imperial College London, and then earned an MS in Information Processing and Neural Networks at Kings College London working on semantic memory models. He later studied human perception and cognition at the Laboratory of Neurobiology at University College London. He transitioned his career toward food policy and earned an MA in Development Economics and Food Security at the University of Rome, and a DPhil from the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College London.

Languages spoken: English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish

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Publications

Publications

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Data Paper

SELEVER study data

2025
Gelli, Aulo; Becquey, Elodie; Ganaba, Rasmané; Leight, Jessica; Heckert, Jessica; Huybregts, Lieven; Toé, Laetica; Awonon, Josué; Diatta, Ampa D.; Diop, Loty
…more Santacroce, Marco; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Hein, Alain; Somé, Henri
Details

SELEVER study data

The SELEVER study was a cluster randomized controlled trial aiming to evaluate the effects of an inte-grated agriculture–nutrition intervention package (including poultry value chain development, women’s empowerment activities, and a behavior change communications strategy to promote improved diets and feeding, care, and hygiene practices) on the diets, health, and nutritional status of women and chil-dren in rural Burkina Faso (1). Four rounds of data collection were carried out in rural communities of three regions of Burkina Faso: Boucle du Mouhoun, Centre-Ouest and Haut-Bassins between March 2017 and August 2020. The first round (Baseline) took place between March and June 2017 during the post-harvest season in a sam-ple of 1800 households. The second (Follow-up) and third (Follow-up 2) rounds took place during the lean season in 2017 (September-October) and 2019 (September-October) in a subsample of 1080 households. The last survey round (Endline) took place between March and August 2020 (including a break due to covid-19 restrictions).

Year published

2025

Authors

Gelli, Aulo; Becquey, Elodie; Ganaba, Rasmané; Leight, Jessica; Heckert, Jessica; Huybregts, Lieven; Toé, Laetica; Awonon, Josué; Diatta, Ampa D.; Diop, Loty; Santacroce, Marco; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Hein, Alain; Somé, Henri

Citation

Gelli, Aulo; Becquey, Elodie; Ganaba, Rasmané; Leight, Jessica; et al. 2025. SELEVER study data. Data Paper. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Burkina Faso

Keywords

Western Africa; Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Value Chains; Poultry; Women’s Empowerment; Maternal Nutrition; Water; Hygiene; Health; Child Nutrition; Health Communication; Dietary Assessment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Data Paper

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Journal Article

The minimum dietary diversity for women indicator can be extended to children and adolescents aged 4-15 years as a proxy population indicator for good micronutrient adequacy of diets in low- and middle-income countries

2025
Diop, Loty; Gelli, Aulo; Huybregts, Lieven; Arsenault, Joanne E.; Bliznashka, Lilia; Boy, Erick; Deitchler, Megan; Lachat, Carl; Moursi, Mourad; Ochoa-Avilés, Angelica M.
…more Olney, Deanna K.; Becquey, Elodie
Details

The minimum dietary diversity for women indicator can be extended to children and adolescents aged 4-15 years as a proxy population indicator for good micronutrient adequacy of diets in low- and middle-income countries

Background The response to the global call for more data on children’s and adolescents’ diets and nutrition is limited by the lack of straightforward practical indicators to track their diet quality. On the basis of a food group score compiled from 10 food groups (FGS-10), the minimum dietary diversity for women, calculated as FGS-10 ≥ 5, is a validated proxy population indicator for better micronutrient intake adequacy for adult women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Objectives This study aims to validate FGS-10 and its related cutoffs against micronutrient intake adequacy in 4–15-y-old children/adolescents in LMICs. Methods We conducted a secondary data analysis of 9 datasets of repeated 24-h recalls or weighed records including 11,524 children/adolescents aged 4–15 y, collected in 7 countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ecuador, India, Malawi, Uganda, and Zambia) between 2007 and 2022. For each dataset and the pooled sample (meta-analysis), we assessed the association between FGS-10 and the mean probability of adequacy (MPA) of intake over 8 micronutrients (MPA-8), and the performance of several FGS-10 cutoffs in predicting acceptable (≥0.60) and good (≥0.80) levels of MPA-8. Robustness analyses used the 7 datasets with data on 11 micronutrients (MPA-11). Results FGS-10 ranged from 3.0 to 4.8 across datasets, and the proportion of children/adolescents with acceptable MPA-8 ranged from 8.4% to 74%. Positive and significant associations between FGS-10 and MPA-8 were found in all datasets and the pooled sample. The optimal cutoff varied across datasets from FGS-10 ≥ 4 to FGS-10 ≥ 6. In the pooled sample, FGS-10 ≥ 5 had the highest performances in predicting acceptable and good levels of MPA-8. FGS-10 ≥ 5 was also the best proxy indicator for MPA-11 ≥ 0.80. Conclusions The continuous FGS-10 and dichotomous FGS-10 ≥ 5 may be extended to 4–15-y-old children/adolescents in LMICs. In this population, FGS-10 ≥ 5 can be used as a proxy population indicator for good micronutrient adequacy of diets.

Year published

2025

Authors

Diop, Loty; Gelli, Aulo; Huybregts, Lieven; Arsenault, Joanne E.; Bliznashka, Lilia; Boy, Erick; Deitchler, Megan; Lachat, Carl; Moursi, Mourad; Ochoa-Avilés, Angelica M.; Olney, Deanna K.; Becquey, Elodie

Citation

Diop, Loty; Gelli, Aulo; Huybregts, Lieven; Arsenault, Joanne E.; Bliznashka, Lilia; Boy, Erick; et al. 2025. The minimum dietary diversity for women indicator can be extended to children and adolescents aged 4-15 years as a proxy population indicator for good micronutrient adequacy of diets in low- and middle-income countries. Current Developments in Nutrition 9(January 2025): 104508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.104508

Keywords

Adolescents; Children; Dietary Diversity; Trace Elements

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.104508 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Dietary intake and micronutrient adequacy among adults in rural Sri Lanka: Findings from a cross-sectional baseline survey

2025
Joyce, Caroline A.; Caswell, Bess L.; Gelli, Aulo; Hess, Sonja Y.; Sitisekara, Hasara; Stewart, Christine P.; Tan, Xiuping; Xiuping, Renuka; Peiris, Kalana; Silva, Renuka
…more Olney, Deanna K.
Details

Dietary intake and micronutrient adequacy among adults in rural Sri Lanka: Findings from a cross-sectional baseline survey

Objective To characterize food group consumption, assess the contribution of food groups to energy and micronutrient intake, and estimate usual nutrient intake among adults in rural Sri Lanka. Design A baseline survey (Dec 2020–Feb 2021) was conducted as part of an agriculture-based, nutrition-sensitive resilience program evaluation. Dietary intake was assessed using telephone-based 24-hour recalls (n=1283), with repeat recalls from 769 participants. Mean daily intake of food groups and their contribution to energy and nutrient intakes were calculated. The National Cancer Institute method was used to estimate usual intakes and the prevalence of adequate micronutrient intake (PAI). Differences by sex, district, and wealth were assessed using t-tests and ANOVA. Setting Forty-five rural villages throughout Sri Lanka. Participants Men and women from households in the program evaluation study area. Results On average, grains and coconut milk provided 56% and 12% of energy, respectively. Rice, fish, dairy, and pulses were the primary sources of micronutrients. Participants consumed 118±117g vegetables and 71±243g fruit per day. PAI was <25% for calcium; zinc; niacin; folate; and vitamins B6, B12, and C, reflecting low consumption of animal-source foods (ASF; 80 g/day), whole grains, fruits, and vegetables (F&V). Significant differences in food group consumption by sociodemographic subgroup were observed among districts and wealth quintiles. Conclusions We observed high consumption of rice and coconut milk and low prevalence of micronutrient adequacy. We recommend increasing ASF, whole grain, and F&V consumption to close nutrient gaps, as well as research to identify effective solutions to increase micronutrient intake.

Year published

2025

Authors

Joyce, Caroline A.; Caswell, Bess L.; Gelli, Aulo; Hess, Sonja Y.; Sitisekara, Hasara; Stewart, Christine P.; Tan, Xiuping; Xiuping, Renuka; Peiris, Kalana; Silva, Renuka; Olney, Deanna K.

Citation

Joyce, Caroline A.; Caswell, Bess L.; Gelli, Aulo; Hess, Sonja Y.; Sitisekara, Hasara; Stewart, Christine P.; et al. Dietary intake and micronutrient adequacy among adults in rural Sri Lanka: Findings from a cross-sectional baseline survey. Public Health Nutrition. Article in press. First published online January 30, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980025000072

Country/Region

Sri Lanka

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Diet; Fruits; Trace Elements; Vegetables

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980025000072 Source record

Project

Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

Record type

Journal Article

Blogs

Unlocking opportunities for planet-friendly school meals
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 08, 2023

Unlocking opportunities for planet-friendly school meals

By Aulo Gelli and Marie Ruel

Balancing nutrition and climate.

Kenya’s new urban school meal plan is ambitious – and could offer lessons for scaling up
IFPRI Blog
 | 
September 20, 2023

Kenya’s new urban school meal plan is ambitious – and could offer lessons for scaling up

By Elisheba Kiru and Aulo Gelli

Providing subsidized lunches for 250,000 Nairobi students.

Making a Difference: Childcare centers as a platform for improving child nutrition in Malawi
IFPRI Blog
 | 
May 16, 2023

Making a Difference: Childcare centers as a platform for improving child nutrition in Malawi

By Aulo Gelli, Amy Margolies, and Brian McNamara

Education programs for parents yield continuing benefits.

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Events

Official Launch of the Third School Meal Programs Around the World Report
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

February 4, 2025, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Official Launch of the Third School Meal Programs Around the World Report

School meal programs are an effective way to boost children’s nutrition and wellbeing, including physiological development and academic performance. These programs can also play an important role in food systems transformation by ensuring access to healthy diets, supporting equitable livelihoods, and contributing to environmental sustainability. However, data on large-scale school meal programs have historically been […]

School meals in the 21st century - emerging evidence and future directions
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

January 28, 2025, 9:30 – 11:00 am

School meals in the 21st century – emerging evidence and future directions

Undernutrition during childhood and early adolescence has long-term consequences for development and health, and for girls it can affect the survival and wellbeing of their children. Diet-related risk factors are estimated to cause 20% of global mortality, and changes in food systems have led to rapid shifts to unhealthy diets and reductions in physical activity, […]

Nudging for Good: AI driven diagnostics and behavior change to improve diets and nutrition
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

July 28, 2022, 12:00 – 2:00 pm

Nudging for Good: AI driven diagnostics and behavior change to improve diets and nutrition

Virtual Event: July 28, 2022 – 12:00 PM to 02:00 PM EDT. This seminar will launch the FRANI app and discuss the results of new dietary assessment technologies and perspectives on the way forward for technology-assisted diet assessment.

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News

September 18, 2023 | In the News

Kenya’s new urban school meal plan is ambitious – it could offer lessons for scaling up (The Conversation) 

More than 250,000 children in public primary schools in Nairobi will receive regular subsidized school meals provided by the county government. The Dishi Na County program is Kenya’s first in an urban setting. The national school meal program set up in 2009 serves more than 1.5 million children in rural drought-affected counties. The Conversation asked Elisheba Kiru (African Population and […]

July 11, 2023 | Press Release

Women key to crop success in low-income countries

This post is a slightly modified version of the original press release issued by the University of Edinburgh. Empowering women farmers in low and middle-income countries can lead to greater crop diversity helping to improve year-round supply of healthy foods, suggests a new article published in The Lancet Planetary Health by a group of authors including […]

July 11, 2023 | In the News

Editorial: Empower women to grow (The Lancet Planetary Health)

“Almost half of the world’s agricultural workers are women and women farmers produce up to 80% of the food grown in LMICs. Despite their large contribution to agricultural labor, fewer than 20% of landowners globally are women,” writes The Lancet Planetary Health in an editorial featuring a new article co-authored by IFPRI’s Lilia Bliznashka, Aulo Gelli, and […]

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