Micronutrient deficiencies are one of the world’s most widespread health crises, impacting one in two children and two in three women globally. Inadequate intake of essential vitamins and minerals can have lasting consequences on survival, health, and well-being that echo across generations and limit economic growth. As climate change and other crises disrupt food systems and livelihoods, addressing micronutrient deficiencies has never been more urgent.
The Micronutrient Forum’s 7th Global Conference, themed “Nutrition at the Frontiers of a Changing Environment,” will take place in Accra, Ghana, and online, from September 28 to October 1, 2026. This hybrid conference will convene the global nutrition community to build knowledge, strengthen advocacy, and sustain nutrition progress in a changing world.
The program examines evidence, policy, and innovation across nutrition, food systems, climate, and development, exploring how emerging technologies, advanced data, and new partnership models can drive sustainable, equitable impact. Plenary sessions, oral presentations, and research posters are organized around three tracks: (1) biology, data, and efficacy of interventions; (2) program implementation and effectiveness; and (3) designing an enabling environment. IFPRI researchers will be actively involved in the conference, from leading thematic tracks to presenting research findings from around the world.
September 28, 2026
0100 – Sponsored Symposium | How do food environments shape diets? Quantitative evidence from Asia and Africa | 9:00 – 10:30 (Africa/Accra)
Moderated by Jef L. Leroy, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI and Kenda Cunningham, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
- Food environments and diets in LMICs – Introduction: Jef L. Leroy, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI and Kenda Cunningham, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
- Food environments, food purchasing, and healthiness of diets among adolescents in a large city and smaller town in Ethiopia: Elodie Becquey, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
- How do food environments shape the healthiness of adolescent diets in Vietnam’s urban and rural areas?: Loty Diop, Senior Research Analyst, IFPRI
- Availability, affordability, and accessibility of fruit and vegetables and household consumption: evidence from Sri Lanka: Neha Kumar, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
September 29, 2026
0400 – Sponsored Symposium | A Diet-centered Approach to Food System Transformation | 9:30 – 11:00 (Africa/Accra)
- Elyse Iruhiriye, Research Fellow, IFPRI
0480 – Concurrent Session (CSB7) | Agriculture and broader food systems solutions to address micronutrient gaps | 11:10 – 12:40 (Africa/Accra)
- Update on what’s known on food based approaches to improving intake and status: Lilia Bliznashka, Research Fellow, IFPRI
- Fruit and vegetable diversity and affordability of a healthy diet in northern Tanzania: Trends and linkages with local production: Quinn Marshall, Research Fellow, IFPRI
0540 – E-Poster Discussion | Diet and nutrition measurement | 12:50 – 13:30 (Africa/Accra)
- Low prevalence of dietary adequacies of multiple micronutrients among women of reproductive age in rural and urban communities of Sri Lanka: Nadia Koyratty, Research Fellow, IFPRI
1210 – Plenary Session (PC2) | Protecting nutrition in the context of conflict and humanitarian emergencies | 17:20 – 18:50 (Africa/Accra)
- Session Chair: Danielle Resnick, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
September 30, 2026
0770 – Concurrent Session (CSC4) | Enabling environment from large-scale food fortification interventions | 10:40 – 12:10 (Africa/Accra)
- Enablers and constraints of LSFF: Danielle Resnick, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
October 1, 2026
1100 – Oral Presentation Session: Track B (CSB8) | What works and how to achieve impact on micronutrient intake or status? New evidence on impact or effectiveness | 10:10– 11:40 (Africa/Accra)
- Impacts of food and cash transfers during pregnancy on maternal diet, birth outcomes, and intrahousehold dynamics: A cluster randomized trial in Bangladesh: Jef L. Leroy, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
- Moderator: Deanna Olney, Director, Nutrition, Diets, and Health (NDH), IFPRI
1160 | Rapid Fire Session: Track C | 11:50 – 12:50 (Africa/Accra)
- Identifying optimal diets for children in Burkina Faso through multi-objective modelling of tradeoffs between health, affordability, and environmental sustainability: Loty Diop, Senior Research Analyst, IFPRI
1120 – Concurrent Session (CSB2) | Localization for Nutrition System Resilience – National, Regional and Global Initiatives | 11:50 – 12:50 (Africa/Accra)
- Do Regional Initiatives Change Country Behavior? Evidence from Food and Nutrition: John M. Ulimwengu, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
1130 – Concurrent Sessions (CSB5) | Design of social protection programs to improve diets and nutritional status (design, delivery/implementation and effectiveness) | 11:50 – 12:50 (Africa/Accra)
- The impact of a nutrition-sensitive graduation model program on child nutrition: Experimental evidence from Ethiopia: Daniel Gilligan, Director, Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion (PGI)
1190– Plenary Session (PB1) | Doing Better with Less: Optimizing Investments for Nutrition Impact | 14:10 – 15:40 (Africa/Accra)
- Session Chair: Deanna Olney, Director, Nutrition, Diets, and Health (NDH), IFPRI