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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.

Erick Boy

researcher spotlight

Erick Boy

Erick Boy is the Chief Nutritionist in the HarvestPlus section of the Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit. As head of nutrition for the HarvestPlus Program since 2008, he has led research that has generated scientific evidence on biofortified staple crops as efficacious and effective interventions to help address iron, vitamin A, and zinc deficiency in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia.

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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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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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Food Policy: Lessons and Priorities for a Changing World

2025 Global Food Policy Report

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IFPRI at 50

What’s New

UN Desertification and Drought Day 2025: Linking soil health, gender equity, and sustainable land management
IFPRI Blog
 | 
June 16, 2025

UN Desertification and Drought Day 2025: Linking soil health, gender equity, and sustainable land management

By Claudia Ringler, Edward Kato, and Geoffrey Kiguli

Lessons from Uganda

DNA testing reveals hidden benefits of improved crop varieties for Ethiopian farmers
IFPRI Blog
 | 
June 18, 2025

DNA testing reveals hidden benefits of improved crop varieties for Ethiopian farmers

By Nina Jovanovic and Jacob Ricker-Gilbert

Clearing up confusion over seeds.

Invest in climate adaptation – before disaster strikes
IFPRI Blog
 | 
June 06, 2025

Invest in climate adaptation – before disaster strikes

By Kalle Hirvonen and Olli-Pekka Kuusela

Approaches to build resilience amid global aid cuts.

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Journal Article

Development and validation of the global diet quality score (GDQS) for children 5 to 9 years of age

2025
Arsenault, Joanne E.; Ali, Nazia Binte; Atayde, Agata M. P.; Batis, Carolina; Becquey, Elodie; Bromage, Sabri; Deitchler, Megan; Diop, Loty; Gelli, Aulo; Castellanos Gutierrez, Anali
…more Kehoe, Sarah H.; Krishnaveni, Ghattu V.; Leonardo, Sofia; Moursi, Mourad; Nkengfack, Brunhilda Tegomoh

Development and validation of the global diet quality score (GDQS) for children 5 to 9 years of age

Objective The purpose of the study was to develop and validate a Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) for children aged 5–9 years adapted from the existing GDQS developed for adults. Background Diet quality is important for nutrient adequacy and risk of nutrition-related chronic disease. A diet quality metric for global use with children is needed. Methods The 25 food groups of the GDQS were used to assign points for categories of consumption according to gram-weight cutoffs adapted for children based on energy requirements. As a preliminary step, alternative versions of gram-weight cutoffs were tested by comparing correlation analyses using 4 existing dietary datasets from low-, middle-, and high-income countries. A final GDQS metric version, selected based on strength of correlations and operational feasibility, was further examined in regression analyses with individual nutrient intake an overall nutrient intake adequacy score and biomarker and anthropometry outcomes in 7 dietary datasets from different countries. Regressions were also undertaken with other diet quality metrics to compare their relative performance with that of the GDQS. Results The GDQS had strong associations with most nutrient intakes, including an overall mean nutrient adequacy score and some nutrients associated with noncommunicable disease risk, such as fiber and added sugar. Biomarker data were limited in the available datasets and few associations with GDQS were found. The GDQS performed better or as well as other dietary quality metrics in predicting nutrient intakes. Conclusion The GDQS was associated with nutrient intakes and fills a gap in a global diet quality metric for children. The GDQS will be a useful tool to measure diet quality and monitoring changes in diet quality over time.

Year published

2025

Authors

Arsenault, Joanne E.; Ali, Nazia Binte; Atayde, Agata M. P.; Batis, Carolina; Becquey, Elodie; Bromage, Sabri; Deitchler, Megan; Diop, Loty; Gelli, Aulo; Castellanos Gutierrez, Anali; Kehoe, Sarah H.; Krishnaveni, Ghattu V.; Leonardo, Sofia; Moursi, Mourad; Nkengfack, Brunhilda Tegomoh

Citation

Arsenault, Joanne E.; Ali, Nazia Binte; Atayde, Agata M. P.; Batis, Carolina; Becquey, Elodie; et al. 2025. Development and validation of the global diet quality score (GDQS) for children 5 to 9 years of age. Nutrition Reviews 83(Supplement 1): 37-49. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuae146

Keywords

Non-communicable Diseases; Diet Quality; Children; Nutrient Intake; Measurement

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuae146 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

High-frequency monitoring enables machine learning–based forecasting of acute child malnutrition for early warning

2025Constenla-Villoslada, Susana; Liu, Yanyan; McBride, Linden; Ouma, Clinton; Mutanda, Nelson; Barrett, Christopher B.

High-frequency monitoring enables machine learning–based forecasting of acute child malnutrition for early warning

The number of acutely food insecure people worldwide has doubled since 2017, increasing demand for early warning systems (EWS) that can predict food emergencies. Advances in computational methods, and the growing availability of near-real time remote sensing data, suggest that big data approaches might help meet this need. But such models have thus far exhibited low predictive skill with respect to subpopulation-level acute malnutrition indicators. We explore whether updating training data with high frequency monitoring of the predictand can help improve machine learning models’ predictive performance with respect to child acute malnutrition by directly learning the dynamic determinants of rapidly evolving acute malnutrition crises. We combine supervised machine learning methods and remotely sensed feature sets with time series child anthropometric data from EWS’ sentinel sites to generate accurate forecasts of acute malnutrition at operationally meaningful time horizons. These advances can enhance intertemporal and geographic targeting of humanitarian response to impending food emergencies that otherwise have unacceptably high case fatality rates.

Year published

2025

Authors

Constenla-Villoslada, Susana; Liu, Yanyan; McBride, Linden; Ouma, Clinton; Mutanda, Nelson; Barrett, Christopher B.

Citation

Constenla-Villoslada, Susana; Liu, Yanyan; McBride, Linden; Ouma, Clinton; Mutanda, Nelson; and Barrett, Christopher B. 2025. High-frequency monitoring enables machine learning–based forecasting of acute child malnutrition for early warning. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) 122(23): e2416161122. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2416161122

Keywords

Monitoring; Machine Learning; Children; Malnutrition; Food Security; Early Warning Systems

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2416161122 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Journal Article

Impact of food system interventions to increase fruit and vegetable intake among urban adults in Nigeria and Vietnam

2025
Pastori, Giulia; Talsma, Elise F.; Feskens, Edith J. M.; Huong, Le Thi; Samuel, Folake O.; Shittu, Oluyemisi F.; Eyinla, Toluwalope E.; de Brauw, Alan; Ambler, Kate; Wertheim-Heck, Sigrid
…more Hernandez, Ricardo; Even, Brice; Meldrum, Gennifer; De Filippo, Amanda; Xuan, Le Thi Thanh; Phuong, Ngo Thi Ha; Mai, Truong Tuyet; Lundy, Mark; Brouwer, Inge D.

Impact of food system interventions to increase fruit and vegetable intake among urban adults in Nigeria and Vietnam

Fruit and vegetable consumption is below the WHO recommendations, globally, in Southeast Asia, and in West Africa. Affordability, accessibility, and acceptability are the main drivers of consumption. Nutrition-sensitive food system interventions that address these drivers may be effective in increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. This study evaluates the effect of an integrated nutrition-sensitive program that aimed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in low-income urban adults in Hanoi, Vietnam (n = 582), and Ibadan, Nigeria (n = 626), through the simultaneous implementation of three interventions at the market and consumer levels. Fruit and vegetable intake data were collected after eight months of exposure to the program with repeated quantitative 24-hour recalls and exposure effect was estimated with inverse probability weighting with regression adjustment, adjusting for potential confounders. The impact size on total fruits and vegetables (144 g/d, 95%CI 93, 196), fruits (137 g/d, 95%CI 93, 183) and vegetables (6 g/d, 95%CI -12, 24) showed that intake was higher in the exposed Nigerian population than the control group. In Vietnam, intakes of fruits and vegetables in the exposed group did not statistically differ from the control group when controlling for differences between groups with propensity scores. Participants exposed to all three interventions reported slightly higher intakes compared to those who were exposed to fewer interventions, but these differences were not statistically significant. Integrated approaches of nutrition-sensitive food system interventions need to be implemented to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Co-creation of interventions provides the possibility to address the different drivers and barriers of healthy diets specific of the context.

Year published

2025

Authors

Pastori, Giulia; Talsma, Elise F.; Feskens, Edith J. M.; Huong, Le Thi; Samuel, Folake O.; Shittu, Oluyemisi F.; Eyinla, Toluwalope E.; de Brauw, Alan; Ambler, Kate; Wertheim-Heck, Sigrid; Hernandez, Ricardo; Even, Brice; Meldrum, Gennifer; De Filippo, Amanda; Xuan, Le Thi Thanh; Phuong, Ngo Thi Ha; Mai, Truong Tuyet; Lundy, Mark; Brouwer, Inge D.

Citation

Pastori, Giulia; Talsma, Elise F.; Feskens, Edith J. M.; Huong, Le Thi; Samuel, Folake O.; Shittu, Oluyemisi F.; et al. 2025. Impact of food system interventions to increase fruit and vegetable intake among urban adults in Nigeria and Vietnam. Food Security 17(3): 641–655. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-025-01529-5

Country/Region

Nigeria; Vietnam

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Asia; South-eastern Asia; Adults; Diet; Food Systems; Fruits; Vegetables

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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2024 Year in Review

Explore highlights from IFPRI’s 2024 research and outreach, including our work on food security and healthy diets, responding to conflicts and building resilience, and major outputs from our regional and country programs. Click through the interactive review to view videos, blogs, events and more.

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IFPRI and CGIAR

IFPRI is a Research Center of CGIAR,  the world’s largest global agricultural innovation network. IFPRI researchers collaborate closely with researchers from other CGIAR Centers, and our work contributes to the CGIAR mission of delivering science and innovation that advance the transformation of food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis.

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Experts in Our Field

IFPRI’s experts work around the world to provide the evidence that supports effective policies to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition.

600+

staff across the world

80+

countries where we work

#1

in the field of Agricultural Economics

20,000+

research outputs

Meet a Researcher

Raisa Shamma is a Research Analyst in the Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit. Her research interests include public health and biostatistics, with a particular focus on women’s empowerment, gender, and health-related research. Prior to joining IFPRI she was an associate at 10 Minute School, the largest online educational platform in Bangladesh. Raisa is primarily a quantitative researcher with a keen interest in generating evidence to facilitate policy development. She received both her BSc and MSc in Applied Statistics from the…

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Raisa Shamma

From our video channel

Faces of IFPRI: Tigist Gedeb

This video features Tigist Gedeb, Senior Finance Manager.

“Faces of IFPRI” is a new series of interviews with IFPRI colleagues around the world, showcasing the diversity of talent, geographies, and research interests across the Institute.

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Our Events

4th International Conference on Financing for Development
IFPRI at External Event

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June 30 to July 3, 2025

4th International Conference on Financing for Development

IFPRI is pleased to participate in the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4). This conference provides a unique opportunity to reform financing at all levels, including to support reform of the international financial architecture and addressing financing challenges preventing the urgently needed investment push for the SDGs. FFD4 Conference will be held in […]

Worsening food insecurity, waning response capacity: Options for a better way forward
IFPRI Policy Seminar

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July 2, 2025, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Worsening food insecurity, waning response capacity: Options for a better way forward

Please type your questions into the chat box with name, affiliation, and country. The event video, presenter slides, and podcast will be available in the days following the event. Food crises arise from the complex interplay of conflict, poverty, climate variability, and economic shocks, resulting in acute food insecurity among vulnerable populations. According to the […]

Organizational Journeys in Human-Centered AI: Lessons from Practice in the Development Sector
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

July 10, 2025, 11:00 – 12:00 pm

Organizational Journeys in Human-Centered AI: Lessons from Practice in the Development Sector

As AI tools become increasingly integrated into development programs, organizations are navigating both opportunities and tensions in applying human-centered principles to their design and use. This webinar explores how development organizations are adopting AI in practice—with a focus on internal processes, participatory methods, and ethical considerations. Joyce Wong of Digital Green will share insights from […]

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Making a Difference Blog Series

West Africa faces significant problems with various forms of malnutrition, especially among women and children. In 2017, the region had the highest rate of under-five wasting (low weight-for-age) in Africa—8.5% compared with the continent’s mean of 7.4%. The rate of stunting (low height-for-age) waw also extremely high at 31.4%. In 2017, 52% of women ages 15-46 suffered from anemia.

In response, IFPRI, with funding from the Gates Foundation, established Transform Nutrition West Africa (TNWA)—a regional knowledge platform to facilitate effective policy and action on maternal, infant, and young child nutrition in West Africa with a focus on four countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal. TNWA ran from 2017 to 2021.

Tamsin Zandstra, Roos Verstraeten, Ampa Dogui Diatta, Loty Diop, and Mariama Touré explore TNWA’s research, work, and long-term impact in West Africa.

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