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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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Nutrition, Diets, and Health

Elyse Iruhiriye

Associate Research Fellow

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Bio

Elyse Iruhiriye is an Associate Research Fellow in IFPRI’s Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit. At IFPRI, her research has focused on impact evaluations of integrated nutrition and health programs and integrated agriculture and nutrition programs. She has focused on qualitative process evaluation surveys and cost-effectiveness studies of these programs. Elyse holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Boston University. She is fluent in French and Kirundi.

Publications

Publications

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Opinion Piece

The connection between climate change and malnutrition

2025Bliznashka, Lilia; Iruhiriye, Elyse
Details

The connection between climate change and malnutrition

The linkage is increasingly being acknowledged by policies and in climate protection measures. But concrete, well-financed and institutionally backed strategies are still lacking.

Year published

2025

Authors

Bliznashka, Lilia; Iruhiriye, Elyse

Citation

Bliznashka, Lilia; and Iruhiriye, Elyse. 2025. The connection between climate change and malnutrition. Global Food Journal 02/2025. Welthulgerhilfe. https://www.welthungerhilfe.org/global-food-journal/rubrics/agricultural-food-policy/the-connection-between-climate-change-and-malnutrition

Keywords

Climate Change; Malnutrition; Policies; Health

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Opinion Piece

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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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Brief

From promises to action: Strengthening global commitments to fight hunger and food insecurity

2024
Menon, Purnima; Resnick, Danielle; Zorbas, Christina; Martin, Will; Vos, Rob; Jones, Eleanor; Suri, Shoba; Iruhiriye, Elyse; Headey, Derek D.; Arndt, Channing
…more Fritschel, Heidi
Details

From promises to action: Strengthening global commitments to fight hunger and food insecurity

Since the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, heads of state and ministers at global convenings have repeatedly expressed commitments in support of achieving SDG2 — Zero Hunger — by 2030. Yet progress toward SDG2 has stalled, owing to economic slowdowns, unforeseen crises, geopolitical conflict, and lackluster investment in agricultural productivity and open trade. Where have commitments to SDG2 fallen short? While SDG2 calls for ending global hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition by 2030, this brief predominantly focuses on progress and commitments related to hunger and food insecurity. Drawing on the results of two recent studies, the policy brief (1) discusses trends and setbacks toward reducing hunger and food insecurity, (2) analyzes progress on the “means of implementation,” or mix of finances, technology, and policy choices, to address SDG2, (3) assesses 107 commitment statements in support of SDG2 made at 68 global meetings since 2015, and (4) explores how to improve accountability in the commitment-making process to accelerate progress toward Zero Hunger.

Year published

2024

Authors

Menon, Purnima; Resnick, Danielle; Zorbas, Christina; Martin, Will; Vos, Rob; Jones, Eleanor; Suri, Shoba; Iruhiriye, Elyse; Headey, Derek D.; Arndt, Channing; Fritschel, Heidi

Citation

Menon, Purnima; Resnick, Danielle; Zorbas, Christina; Martin, Will; Vos, Rob; Jones, Eleanor; Suri, Shoba; Iruhiriye, Elyse; Headey, Derek; Arndt, Channing; and Fritschel, Heidi. 2024. From promises to action: Strengthening global commitments to fight hunger and food insecurity. IFPRI Policy Brief July 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/149046

Keywords

Food Security; Food Policies; Hunger; Governance; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Blogs

The cost of improving nutritional outcomes through food aid programs: Is more and longer better?
IFPRI Blog
 | 
November 20, 2020

The cost of improving nutritional outcomes through food aid programs: Is more and longer better?

By Jef L. Leroy, Jessica Heckert, Deanna K. Olney, Susan Richter, Elyse Iruhiriye, Marie T. Ruel, and Tracy Brown

Evidence shows that these programs can work, but are the costs reasonable?

Events

From Commitments to Impact: Analyzing the Global Commitments Toward Promoting Food Security and Healthy Diets
Series/Special Event

 | 

February 6, 2024, 9:00 – 10:30 am

From Commitments to Impact: Analyzing the Global Commitments Toward Promoting Food Security and Healthy Diets

Hybrid Event: February 6, 2024 at 9:00am-10:30am EST. This event will shed light on commitments already made, share research results on the potential of current commitments to achieve a focused set of food and nutrition security goals, and foster continued dialogue with global advocacy partners.