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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

Kinya Kaibung’a

Kinya Kaibung’a is a Research Officer with the Development Strategies and Governance Unit, based in Nairobi, Kenya. She has a keen interest in leveraging machine learning, AI, and other cutting-edge technologies to boost climate resilience and food security in smart agriculture systems.

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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 480 employees working in over 70 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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experts

Director General’s Office (DGO)

Tamsin Zandstra

Research Analyst

Tamsin Zandstra

Bio

Tamsin Zandstra is a Research Analyst with the Director General’s Office (DGO) Unit, and is based at IFPRI-Washington, DC.

Director General’s Office (DGO)

Publications

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Blog Post

The emerging role of AI tools in smallholder finance

2026Zandstra, Tamsin; Kramer, Berber; Ambler, Kate
Details

The emerging role of AI tools in smallholder finance

Key takeaways • AI can expand access to finance for smallholders, a key element of food system transformation . AI tools can improve risk assessment, lower costs, and help lenders reach farmers without traditional credit histories. • Real-world applications show strong potential. Tools using satellite data, machine learning, and digital images are increasing credit uptake, insurance adoption, and investment decisions. • Risks and gaps must be addressed. Limited data, unequal access—especially for women—and weak governance can deepen exclusion without responsible design and oversight.

Year published

2026

Authors

Zandstra, Tamsin; Kramer, Berber; Ambler, Kate

Citation

Zandstra, Tamsin; Kramer, Berber; Ambler, Kate. 2026. The emerging role of AI tools in smallholder finance. IFPRI Blog Post. https://www.ifpri.org/blog/the-emerging-role-of-ai-tools-in-smallholder-finance/

Country/Region

India; Kenya; Ethiopia

Keywords

Southern Asia; Asia; Eastern Africa; Africa; Food Systems; Insurance; Risk

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Blog Post

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Blog Post

School meals and school-based actions for people and the planet: Nourishing bodies, minds, and futures

2026Zandstra, Tamsin; Gelli, Aulo; Gilligan, Daniel; Jones, Eleanor
Details

School meals and school-based actions for people and the planet: Nourishing bodies, minds, and futures

Undernutrition has immediate and lasting effects on children’s health. It can limit physical growth and cognitive development (meaning their ability to learn, develop new skills, and problem-solve). Over a lifetime, it can lead to poor health, limited education, decreased work capacity, and diminished economic productivity. Girls face the worst of these struggles. If they experience undernutrition in their early years, they can end up in a perpetual cycle of poor nutrition, poverty, and inequality—challenges passed onto their own children. Studies have shown that women who were undernourished in childhood are at greater risk of delivering low-birthweight babies.

Year published

2026

Authors

Zandstra, Tamsin; Gelli, Aulo; Gilligan, Daniel; Jones, Eleanor

Citation

Zandstra, Tamsin; Gelli, Aulo; Gilligan, Daniel; Jones, Eleanor. 2026. School meals and school-based actions for people and the planet: Nourishing bodies, minds, and futures. IFPRI Blog Post. https://www.ifpri.org/blog/school-meals-and-school-based-actions-for-people-and-the-planet-nourishing-bodies-minds-and-futures/

Country/Region

Ghana; Kenya; Malawi; Papua New Guinea; Yemen

Keywords

Tanzania; Western Africa; Eastern Africa; Africa; Oceania; Middle East; Northern Africa; Health; Nutrition; Social Protection

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Blog Post

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Blog Post

AReNA’s groundbreaking research on links between agriculture, nutrition, and healthy diets

2025Zandstra, Tamsin; Headey, Derek D.
Details

AReNA’s groundbreaking research on links between agriculture, nutrition, and healthy diets

Year published

2025

Authors

Zandstra, Tamsin; Headey, Derek D.

Citation

Zandstra, Tamsin; Headey, Derek D. 2025. AReNA’s groundbreaking research on links between agriculture, nutrition, and healthy diets. IFPRI Blog Post. https://www.ifpri.org/blog/arenas-groundbreaking-research-on-links-between-agriculture-nutrition-and-healthy-diets/

Keywords

Agriculture Production; Food Prices; Food Systems; Health; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Blog Post

Blogs

The emerging role of AI tools in smallholder finance
Issue Post
 | 
June 24, 2026

The emerging role of AI tools in smallholder finance

By Tamsin Zandstra, Berber Kramer, and Kate Ambler

Advancing a key element of food system transformation.

School meals and school-based actions for people and the planet: Nourishing bodies, minds, and futures
Research Post
 | 
May 01, 2026

School meals and school-based actions for people and the planet: Nourishing bodies, minds, and futures

By Tamsin Zandstra, Aulo Gelli, Daniel Gilligan, and Eleanor Jones

Impacts on education and beyond.

AReNA’s groundbreaking research on links between agriculture, nutrition, and healthy diets
Research Post
 | 
September 11, 2025

AReNA’s groundbreaking research on links between agriculture, nutrition, and healthy diets

By Tamsin Zandstra and Derek Headey

In 2014, IFPRI and the Gates Foundation launched the AReNA project to bridge agriculture and nutrition research, addressing data gaps and advancing understanding of how agriculture can better improve diets and nutrition worldwide.

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