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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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experts

Innovation Policy and Scaling

Erick Boy

Chief Nutritionist, HarvestPlus

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Erick Boy

Bio

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. Major contributions to the global nutrition community from the HarvestPlus research portfolio during his tenure include the first publications on the impact of biofortification as a dietary intervention to improve nutritional status and aspects of health causally associated with iron, vitamin A, and zinc. Currently, his main area of research is exploring the association between zinc and chronic noncommunicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Prior to joining HarvestPlus, Erick worked for 10 years at the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP/PAHO), where his research focused on the prevention of low birth weight and the control of iodine and iron deficiencies. The demonstration of the impact of indoor biofuel smoke on birth weight was a memorable contribution during this phase of his career.

At the Micronutrient Initiative (1999-2008), Erick directed the iron and zinc research program, and managed Latin American projects and the Global Vitamin A Supplementation Procurement Project. He was instrumental in the introduction of zinc supplements for the treatment of diarrhea and multiple micronutrient powders to treat anemia in several Latin American countries. Erick holds a medical degree from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala and a master’s and doctoral degree in human nutrition from the University of California at Davis.

Publications

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Publications

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Journal Article

Absorption of zinc from mixed diets containing conventional Bangladeshi rice, zinc-biofortified Bangladeshi rice, or conventional Bangladeshi rice with added zinc among young children from a peri-urban community in Bangladesh

2026
Islam, M Munirul; Woodhouse, Leslie R; Westcott, Jamie; Sthity, Rahvia Alam; Mim, Khandaker Afsana; Ahmed, Mosabbir; Naila, Nurun Nahar; Peerson, Janet M; Boy, Erick; Krebs, Nancy F
…more Ahmed, Tahmeed
Details

Absorption of zinc from mixed diets containing conventional Bangladeshi rice, zinc-biofortified Bangladeshi rice, or conventional Bangladeshi rice with added zinc among young children from a peri-urban community in Bangladesh

Background Previous studies showed total absorbed zinc (TAZ) was comparable in diets containing a higher zinc rice variety or conventional rice variety (Lo-Zn CR). This study compared TAZ in a polished zinc-biofortified rice (Hi-Zn BfR) compared with Lo-Zn CR. Objective To measure the amount of TAZ by young Bangladeshi children from Hi-Zn BfR, Lo-Zn CR, or CR plus sufficient exogenous zinc fortificant (Lo-Zn CR+Zn) matching the zinc content of Hi-Zn BfR. Methods A total of 47 children 36–59-mo-old were enrolled in a crossover study. On the day 1, children received a Lo-Zn CR diet. On days 2 and 4, group A (n = 23) received 150 g of Lo-Zn CR and group B (n = 24) received 150g of Lo-Zn CR+Zn as part of a mixed diet. On days 3 and 5, both groups received 150 g of Hi-Zn BfR. Fractional zinc absorption (FZA) was measured in all diet periods using a triple-isotope tracer (oral 67-Zn and 70-Zn; intravenous 68-Zn) ratio technique; TAZ was calculated as product of zinc intake [total dietary zinc (TDZ)] and FZA. Results TDZ was 4.88, 6.14, and 6.70 mg/d when fed Lo-Zn CR-, Lo-Zn CR+Zn-, and Hi-Zn BfR-containing diets, respectively. Mean FZA: 0.23 ± 0.041, 0.169 ± 0.035, and 0.212 ± 0.048 for respective diets (Lo-Zn CR compared with Hi-Zn BfR: P = 0.26; Lo-Zn CR+Zn compared with Hi-Zn BfR: P < 0.001; and Lo-Zn CR compared with Lo-Zn CR+Zn: P < 0.001). Mean TAZ from respective diets were 1.13 ± 0.23, 1.04 ± 0.20, and 1.40 ± 0.33mg/d. TAZ was not significantly different between Lo-Zn CR and Lo-Zn CR+Zn diets (P = 0.52) but was significantly more in Hi-Zn BfR when compared with other 2 diets (P < 0.001 for both). Conclusions A single-day ration (150 g total) in 3 equally divided servings of Hi-Zn BfR could satisfy 47% of the recommended daily requirement of zinc (3 mg/d) for children 1–3-y old and 28% for children 4–8-y old (5 mg/d) compared with 37% and 23% from Lo-Zn CR for the same age groups, respectively. Hi-Zn BfR is a meaningful component of preventive option for childhood zinc deficiency where rice is staple.

Year published

2026

Authors

Islam, M Munirul; Woodhouse, Leslie R; Westcott, Jamie; Sthity, Rahvia Alam; Mim, Khandaker Afsana; Ahmed, Mosabbir; Naila, Nurun Nahar; Peerson, Janet M; Boy, Erick; Krebs, Nancy F; Ahmed, Tahmeed

Citation

Islam, M Munirul; Woodhouse, Leslie R.; Westcott, Jamie; Sthity, Rahvia Alam; Mim, Khandaker Afsana; et al. 2026. Absorption of zinc from mixed diets containing conventional Bangladeshi rice, zinc-biofortified Bangladeshi rice, or conventional Bangladeshi rice with added zinc among young children from a peri-urban community in Bangladesh. Journal of Nutrition 156(4): 101422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2026.101422

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Zinc; Dietary Diversity; Rice; Urban Areas; Biofortification; Trace Elements

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2026.101422 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Estimating the number of people eating biofortified foods on-farm and from markets: A detailed methodology and tool

2026Alioma, Richard; Wegmüller, Rita; Mudyahoto, Bho; Wirth, James P.; Pfeiffer, Wolfgang H.; Hussain, Munawar; Boy, Erick
Details

Estimating the number of people eating biofortified foods on-farm and from markets: A detailed methodology and tool

Background Biofortification is a cost-effective and scalable approach to reduce micronutrient deficiencies. Currently there is scant data detailing the number (reach) and proportion (coverage) of individuals consuming biofortified foods, which is a key limitation for policymakers. Objective Develop a method to estimate the reach and coverage of biofortified foods using primary and secondary data sources. Methods We used data from 2023 to estimate the reach and coverage of zinc biofortified rice in Bangladesh and wheat in Pakistan, and vitamin A maize and cassava in Nigeria. Our calculation is divided into 5 phases: 1) seed availability, 2) agricultural production, 3) on-farm consumption, 4) off-farm consumption, and 5) overall national level reach and coverage. Phase 4 includes two consumption scenarios: full replacement and half replacement, where biofortified foods respectively account for 100% or 50% of the per capita consumption. Results In 2023, approximately 13 to 16 million people (8-9% of the population) consumed biofortified rice in Bangladesh. In Pakistan, between 97 to 173 million people consumed biofortified wheat (39-70% of the population). In Nigeria, biofortified maize was consumed by 42 to 66 million people (18-29% of the population) and biofortified cassava by 25 to 38 million people (11-17% of the population). Conclusions Our method estimates on-farm and off-farm reach and the reach/coverage of biofortified foods with visible and invisible traits. Because there is insufficient primary or secondary data describing the intake of biofortified foods, we estimated a range for off-farm reach. We estimate that in 2023, between 177 and 293 million people consumed the four biofortified crops explored in this analysis. This approach can be used to estimate the reach and coverage of other biofortified crops in other countries. More information about the consumption of these foods is needed to improve the accuracy of national reach and coverage estimates.

Year published

2026

Authors

Alioma, Richard; Wegmüller, Rita; Mudyahoto, Bho; Wirth, James P.; Pfeiffer, Wolfgang H.; Hussain, Munawar; Boy, Erick

Citation

Alioma, Richard; Wegmüller, Rita; Mudyahoto, Bho; Wirth, James P.; Pfeiffer, Wolfgang; et al. 2026. Estimating the number of people eating biofortified foods on-farm and from markets: a detailed methodology and tool. Current Developments in Nutrition 10(3): 107653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2026.107653

Country/Region

Bangladesh; Pakistan; Nigeria

Keywords

Africa; Asia; Biofortification; Nutrition; Methodology; Food Consumption; Food Consumption Statistics; Fortified Foods

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2026.107653 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

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

Blogs

A new tool enables policymakers to measure the reach of biofortification programs
Research Post
 | 
March 17, 2026

A new tool enables policymakers to measure the reach of biofortification programs

By Richard Alioma, Rita Wegmüller, Bho Mudyahoto, James P. Wirth, Wolfgang Pfeiffer, Munawar Hussain, Erick Boy, and Jen Foley

Assessing efforts to scale up cultivation and consumption.

Global Food Policy Report 2024: Leveraging plant-source foods for sustainable healthy diets
Issue Post
 | 
November 04, 2024

Global Food Policy Report 2024: Leveraging plant-source foods for sustainable healthy diets

By Erick Boy, Inge Brouwer, Jen Foley, Natalia Palacios, Samuel Scott, and Victor Taleon

Integrating more fruits, vegetables, and other high-quality crops into food systems.

Potential impact of zinc-enriched rice on zinc intakes in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines
Research Post
 | 
September 20, 2024

Potential impact of zinc-enriched rice on zinc intakes in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines

By Fabiana F. De Moura, Mourad Moursi, Moira Donahue Angel, Erick Boy, and Jen Foley

Nutritional benefits of enhanced biofortification.

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Events

Micronutrient Forum: 6th Global Conference
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

October 16 to 20, 2023

Micronutrient Forum: 6th Global Conference

Hybrid Conference: October 16, 2023 – 8:30 AM to October 20, 2023 – 5:00 PM CEST. IFPRI is pleased to participate in this year’s Micronutrient Forum 6th Global Conference, being held at the World Forum in The Hague October 16–20, with a focus on “Nutrition for Resilience (N4R).

News

August 10, 2018 | In the News

The Bajra that can fight India’s iron deficiency problem (The Print)

India’s The Print published a news story on the effectiveness of iron biofortified pearl millet in reducing iron deficiency among the Indian adolescents. The article, based on a recent study by IFPRI’s Samuel Scott and Harvest Plus’ Erick Boy, highlighted how consumption of biofortified pearl millet improves learning and mental abilities. The article reached nearly […]