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With research staff from more than 70 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

David Spielman

David Spielman is the director of IFPRI’s Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit and has been with the institute since 2004. His research agenda covers a range of topics including agriculture and rural development policy; agricultural science, technology, and innovation; plant genetic resources and seed systems; agricultural extension and advisory services; and community-driven rural development.

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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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Mexico

countries and regions

Publications

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Journal Article

Validation of the Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) among children 10 to 14 years of age

2025
Batis, Carolina; Castellanos-Gutiérrez, Analí; Ali, Nazia Binte; Arsenault, Joanne E.; Atayde, Agata M. P.; Bromage, Sabri; Deitchler, Megan; Diop, Loty; Gelli, Aulo; Kehoe, Sarah H.
…more Leonardo, Sofia; Moursi, Mourad; Nkengfack, Brunhilda Tegomoh; Willett, Walter C.
Details

Validation of the Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) among children 10 to 14 years of age

Objective We aimed to evaluate the performance of the Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) in predicting nutrient intake and health outcomes among children aged 10–14 years old in Mexico, the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. For comparison, we evaluated other dietary metrics (Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women [MDD-W], the Global Dietary Recommendations score [GDR], and the Healthy Eating Index–2020 [HEI-2020]). Background Given the magnitude of the health burden associated with all forms of malnutrition, monitoring dietary quality is fundamental to improving global health. Early adolescence is a key stage of development, and thus validated tools to measure diet quality that are pertinent for the global context are needed. Methods The GDQS and comparison metrics were estimated from 24-hour dietary recalls (Mexico: n = 2533; United States: n = 685; China: n = 1087, and United Kingdom: n = 1675). Regression models were conducted to evaluate the association between the change in 1 SD of each metric score and usual intake of nutrients, mean probability of nutrient adequacy, and biomarker and anthropometric outcomes adjusted by age, sex, socioeconomic status, educational level, urban/rural area, and usual energy intake (for dietary outcomes). Results The GDQS showed a higher diet quality in China (16.7 points) and Mexico (15.9 points), followed by the United States (13.6 points) and the United Kingdom (12.2 points). The GDQS was found to be associated with the intake of micronutrients as well as noncommunicable disease (NCD)–related nutrients (fiber, added sugar, and saturated fat) (P < .05). The performance of the GDQS was comparable to all other metrics; yet, in the case of NCD-related nutrients the MDD-W was slightly inferior. Few associations were found across countries and metrics with biomarker and anthropometric outcomes. Conclusion The GDQS was associated with the intake of micronutrients and NCD-related nutrients; these results suggest that the GDQS is an appropriate tool to monitor dietary quality among 10–14-year-olds across several contexts globally.

Year published

2025

Authors

Batis, Carolina; Castellanos-Gutiérrez, Analí; Ali, Nazia Binte; Arsenault, Joanne E.; Atayde, Agata M. P.; Bromage, Sabri; Deitchler, Megan; Diop, Loty; Gelli, Aulo; Kehoe, Sarah H.; Leonardo, Sofia; Moursi, Mourad; Nkengfack, Brunhilda Tegomoh; Willett, Walter C.

Citation

Batis, Carolina; Castellanos-Gutiérrez, Analí; Ali, Nazia Binte; Arsenault, Joanne E; Atayde, Agata M P; Bromage, Sabri; et al. 2025. Validation of the Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) among children 10 to 14 years of age. Nutrition Reviews 83(Supplement 1): 50–60. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuaf006

Country/Region

Mexico; United States; United Kingdom; China

Keywords

Northern America; Americas; Western Europe; Europe; Asia; Eastern Asia; Diet Quality; Children; Nutrient Intake; Health; Adolescents

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuaf006 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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Working Paper

Covid-19 and lockdown policies: A structural simulation model of a bottom-up recession in four countries

2021Robinson, Sherman; Levy, Stephanie; Hernández, Victor; Davies, Rob; Gabriel, Sherwin; Arndt, Channing; van Seventer, Dirk Ernst; Pleitez, Marcelo
Details

Covid-19 and lockdown policies: A structural simulation model of a bottom-up recession in four countries

This paper considers different approaches to modelling the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic/lockdown shocks. We review different modelling strategies and argue that, given the nature of the bottom-up recession caused by the pandemic/lockdowns, simulation models of the shocks should be based on a social accounting matrix (SAM) that includes both disaggregated sectoral data and the national accounts in a unified framework. SAM-based models have been widely used to analyze the impact of natural disasters, which are comparable to pandemic/lockdown shocks. The pandemic/lockdown shocks occurred rapidly, in weeks or months, not gradually over a year or more. In such a short period, adjustments through smooth changes in wages, prices and production methods are not plausible. Rather, initial adjustments occur through changes in quantities, altering demand and supply of commodities and employment in affected sectors. In this environment, we use a linear SAM-multiplier model that specifies a fixed-coefficient production technology, linear demand system, fixed savings rates, and fixed prices. There are three different kinds of sectoral shocks that are included in the model: (1) changes in demand due to household lockdown, (2) changes in supply due to industry lockdown, and (3) changes in demand due to induced macro shocks. At the detailed industry level, data are provided for all three shocks and the model imposes the largest of the three. We applied the model on a monthly time step for the period March to June 2020 for four countries: US, UK, Mexico, and South Africa. The models closely replicate observed macro results (GDP and employment) for the period. The results provide detailed structural information on the evolution of the different economies month-by-month and provide a framework for forward-looking scenario analysis. We also use the SAM-multiplier model to estimate the macro stimulus impacts of policies to support affected households. The model focuses attention on the structural features of the economy that define the multiplier process (who gets the additional income and what do they do with it) and provides a more nuanced analysis of the stimulus impact of income support programs than can be done with aggregated macro models.

Year published

2021

Authors

Robinson, Sherman; Levy, Stephanie; Hernández, Victor; Davies, Rob; Gabriel, Sherwin; Arndt, Channing; van Seventer, Dirk Ernst; Pleitez, Marcelo

Citation

Robinson, Sherman; Levy, Stephanie; Hernández, Victor; Davies, Rob; Gabriel, Sherwin; Arndt, Channing; van Seventer, Dirk; and Pleitez, Marcelo. 2021. Covid-19 and lockdown policies: A structural simulation model of a bottom-up recession in four countries. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2015. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134369.

Country/Region

Mexico; United States; United Kingdom; South Africa

Keywords

Sub-saharan Africa; Europe; Africa; Americas; Northern America; Latin America; Southern Africa; Central America; Northern Europe; Models; Economic Impact; Policies; Covid-19; Employment; Households; Modelling; Recession; Gross National Product; Quarantine; Pandemics

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134369 Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Working Paper

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

The contribution of increased equity to the estimated social benefits from a transfer program: An illustration from PROGRESA/Oportunidades

2019Alderman, Harold; Behrman, Jere R.; Tasneem, Afia
Details

The contribution of increased equity to the estimated social benefits from a transfer program: An illustration from PROGRESA/Oportunidades

Most impact evaluations of Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) and Unconditional Cash Transfers (UCTs) focus on the returns to increased human capital investments that will be reaped largely or exclusively in the future (e.g., when current children have increased productivities as adults). But the objectives of these programs are not only to increase human capital investments with implications for future levels and distributions of income but also to alleviate current poverty and reduce current inequality. The current distributional gains from such programs depend on the degree of inequality aversion in the social welfare function. Simulations show that, for a range of inequality aversion parameters, the welfare gains from current redistribution for the Mexican PROGRESA CCT program can be as large, or possibly much larger, than the estimated present discounted value of future earnings from human capital investments in lower and upper secondary schooling. These, moreover, are underestimates of the gains from redistribution because, in addition to current gains, such gains will be augmented in the future through the distribution of the returns on the human capital investments induced by cash transfer programs. Therefore, to fully evaluate such programs, it is critical to incorporate the distributional gains, not only the impacts on human capital investments.

Year published

2019

Authors

Alderman, Harold; Behrman, Jere R.; Tasneem, Afia

Citation

Alderman, Harold; Behrman, Jere R.; and Tasneem, Afia. 2019. The contribution of increased equity to the estimated social benefits from a transfer program: An illustration from PROGRESA/Oportunidades. World Bank Economic Review 33(3):535-550. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhx006

Country/Region

Mexico

Keywords

Northern America; Central America; Income; Welfare; Social Protection; Social Policies; Cash Transfers; Poverty

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhx006 Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Journal Article

Blogs

IFPRI and causal impact evaluation: Evidence for real-life policies
Research Post
 | 
September 25, 2025

IFPRI and causal impact evaluation: Evidence for real-life policies

By Alan de Brauw

A new report outlines diverse applications.

Can foreign aid curb migration to the U.S. by creating a better alternative?
Issue Post
 | 
March 10, 2025

Can foreign aid curb migration to the U.S. by creating a better alternative?

By Manuel Hernandez, Valeria Piñeiro, and Maria Lucia Berrospi

Investing in incentives to stay put.

Achieving women’s empowerment beyond income and asset increases: What do we still need to know?
Research Post
 | 
October 29, 2024

Achieving women’s empowerment beyond income and asset increases: What do we still need to know?

By Deborah Rubin

How development organizations think about gender.

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Events

Tackling Obesity and Noncommunicable Diseases in Mexico: A Policy Approach
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

November 21, 2023, 9:00 – 10:30 am

Tackling Obesity and Noncommunicable Diseases in Mexico: A Policy Approach

Hybrid Event: November 21, 2023 – 9:00 AM- 10:30 AM EDT. The 33rd Annual Martin J. Forman Memorial Lecture will feature Dr. Simón Barquera, the Director of Nutrition and Health Research Center at the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico (INSP) who will address the growing obesity epidemic and alarming rate of diet-related noncommunicable diseases in Mexico.

#CGIARWomenInScience: shaping the world through science and innovation
Series/Special Event

 | 

February 11, 2021, 1:00 – 2:00 pm

#CGIARWomenInScience: shaping the world through science and innovation

In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, IFPRI is participating in a global conversation with CGIAR women scientists that are leading change and creating solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. The event will showcase the many ways women scientists are transforming the way we look at our food, land, […]

Strengthening Food Value Chains
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

October 27, 2020, 10:00 – 11:00 am

Strengthening Food Value Chains

Across the developing world, urbanization and income growth are driving massive shifts in consumers’ food preferences and subsequently in the form and functioning of local and regional food value chains. These changes hold great potential for improving livelihoods and food security in developing countries, but they also carry social, economic, environmental, and health risks. A […]

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News

March 26, 2021 | In the News

International Food Policy Analyst Joseph Glauber on Mexico’s agricultural plans (CGTN) 

CGTN interviewed senior research fellow Joseph Glauber on Mexico’s mission to become self-sufficient in terms of food. Glauber discusses the importance of corn to the Mexican diet. The new directive is about the #2 yellow corn fed to livestock. The directive reads that GMO crops that go for human consumption are banned, but the food that is consumed by livestock […]

June 07, 2019 | In the News

Trump says there’s a ‘good chance’ that Mexico averts tariffs with deal that includes purchase of US farm goods (CNBC)

CNBC reported on President Donald Trump’s statement that Mexico could avoid tariffs by purchasing more US agricultural goods. The article quoted Joseph Glauber, who called into question the logic of President Trump’s statement, given that Mexico’s private importers—not the government—do the majority of this purchasing. He pointed out that a number of US producers would […]

October 19, 2018 | In the News

US farmers relieved new NAFTA looks a lot like old NAFTA (The Hill)

The Hill published an op-ed by Senior Research Fellow Jospeh Glauber who summarized the pros and cons of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement for agriculture producers and consumers. 

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