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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.

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Eliot Jones-Garcia

Eliot Jones-Garcia is a Senior Research Analyst with the Natural Resources and Resilience Unit based in Washington, DC. His research focuses on human-AI interaction, user-centered design, and the ethical and responsible development of AI. Eliot is currently finalizing a PhD on the digitalization of agricultural advisory services at Wageningen University & Research.

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TOPIC

Nutrition

Good nutrition is key to human well-being. Far too many people around the world are affected by malnutrition ranging from undernutrition to problems of overweight, obesity, and diet-related noncommunicable diseases. Improving nutrition requires contributions not only from the health sector but also from sectors as diverse as agriculture, social protection, gender, and education, which together can address the underlying causes of malnutrition.

IFPRI’s nutrition research aims to generate rigorous evidence on what works—and what does not—to prevent malnutrition in low- and middle-income countries. IFPRI’s nutrition research expertise covers nutrition and dietary assessment; infant and young child nutrition; adolescent nutrition; maternal nutrition; and school-based and other multisectoral nutrition programs.

IFPRI is proud of the strong relationships it has built with program implementers, national health and nutrition institutions, policymakers, and other academics, which help us deliver high-quality research and evidence-based advice. Recognizing the multisectoral nature of malnutrition, IFPRI’s nutrition research aligns closely with work on food systems, health, social protection, education and child development, and gender.

… read more

IFPRI’s research on this topic is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG2, SDG3, SDG4, and SDG6, and the CGIAR Impact Areas on Nutrition, Health, and Food Security; Poverty Reduction, Livelihoods and Jobs, and Gender Equality, Youth, and Social Inclusion.

ATS02371NGR Fatima Abdou, in orange, who was trained by Oxfam to work in villages to survey malnutrition levels, give hygiene training sessions, and perform culinary demonstrations, helps a mother feed her baby.

topics

Publications

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Diets, fruit and vegetable intake, and nutritional status in Sri Lanka: A scoping review

2026Koyratty, Nadia; Nwabuikwi, Odiche; Silva, Renuka; Hess, Sonja Y.; Olney, Deanna K.
Details

Diets, fruit and vegetable intake, and nutritional status in Sri Lanka: A scoping review

Suboptimal diets, including low fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake, are major contributors to malnutrition and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Sri Lanka. Understanding dietary patterns is essential for addressing these challenges. This scoping review synthesizes the literature on diet, F&V intake, and nutritional status across different population groups in Sri Lanka. Searches were conducted in PubMed in October 2023. In total, 30 publications on diet, 13 on F&V intake, and 26 on nutritional status met the inclusion criteria. Sri Lankan diets were found to be rice-dominant with limited variety of nutrient-dense foods such as animal-source foods (ASF) and F&V. Trends in nutritional status varied across life stages. Among children < 5, undernutrition was prevalent, with stunting affecting 14%–21%, wasting 10%–15%, and underweight 17%–21%. Anemia was found in 8%–15% of children < 5 and 25%–30% of pregnant women. Micronutrient deficiencies, particularly vitamin D, iron, and zinc, affected more than one-third of pregnant women. In adults, over one-third were overweight/obese, 8%–12% had diabetes, and 20%–25% had hypertension. Diet, F&V intake and nutrition outcomes also differed by socioeconomic, demographic, and geographic characteristics, with estate sector residents, Indian Tamil populations, and low-income groups disproportionately affected by poor diet quality, low F&V intake, insufficient nutrient intake and malnutrition, while women (vs. men) and urban (vs. rural/estate) residents exhibited higher prevalence of overweight/obesity and NCDs. This review revealed evidence gaps such as the lack of recent dietary intake data based on individual quantitative dietary assessments that limit understanding of current diet adequacy. Additionally, only one impact evaluation designed to improve diet was identified. More research is needed to understand how to effectively improve diet including increasing intake of F&V and ASF in Sri Lanka.

Year published

2026

Authors

Koyratty, Nadia; Nwabuikwi, Odiche; Silva, Renuka; Hess, Sonja Y.; Olney, Deanna K.

Citation

Koyratty, Nadia; Nwabuikwi, Odiche; Silva, Renuka; Hess, Sonja Y.; and Olney, Deanna K.. 2026. Diets, fruit and vegetable intake, and nutritional status in Sri Lanka: A scoping review. Maternal and Child Nutrition 22(1): e70157. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.70157

Country/Region

Sri Lanka

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Diet; Fruits; Vegetables; Nutritional Status; Food Intake; Health

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.70157 Source record

Project

Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Associations between Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) and obesity in women of reproductive age in Northern Tanzania: A cross-sectional study

2026Bliznashka, Lilia; Azupogo, Fusta; Reynolds, Elise; Arnold, Charles D.; Hess, Sonja Y.; Kinabo, Joyce; Jeremiah, Kidola; Malindisa, Evangelista; Olney, Deanna K.; Ruel, Marie T.
Details

Associations between Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) and obesity in women of reproductive age in Northern Tanzania: A cross-sectional study

Background Obesity is an increasing problem among women of reproductive age (WRA) in Tanzania. Objective We described WRA’s nutritional status by socio-demographic factors and assessed associations with diet quality. Methods We analysed baseline data from a cluster-randomised controlled trial in Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions (n=2,415). Diet was assessed using a quantitative 24-hour recall. We calculated the Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS; 0-49), with higher scores indicating healthier diet. General obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI)≥30 kg/m2; morbid obesity as BMI≥35 kg/m2; and central obesity as: waist circumference (WC)≥80 cm, WC≥88 cm, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)≥0.85, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)≥0.50, and WHR≥0.85 or BMI≥30 kg/m2. We tested associations between diet quality and nutritional status using generalised linear models controlling for age and sociodemographic factors and tested interactions to assess differential associations by age groups. Results The prevalence of general obesity was 25.1%, morbid obesity 8.4%, and central obesity 48.2-71.6% depending on the definition. Mean GDQS was 20.9±3.9. General and central obesity were more prevalent among women who were older, less educated, had light physical labour occupations, were in the highest wealth quintile, and lived in more urbanised villages and in more food secure households. Higher GDQS was associated with lower risk of morbid obesity: risk ratio (RR) 0.97 (95% CI 0.94, 1.00). Higher GDQS was also associated with 0.25-0.27 kg/m2 lower BMI, 0.54-0.66 cm lower WC, and 0.53-0.58 cm lower hip circumference in women 30-49 years of age. Conclusion Better diet quality emerged as a protective factor for morbid obesity and for other obesity measures among women 30-49 years of age. Our study suggests that interventions to improve diet quality in Tanzania should target women in their thirties and forties and those with lower physical activity and higher education, food security, and wealth to maximise effectiveness.

Year published

2026

Authors

Bliznashka, Lilia; Azupogo, Fusta; Reynolds, Elise; Arnold, Charles D.; Hess, Sonja Y.; Kinabo, Joyce; Jeremiah, Kidola; Malindisa, Evangelista; Olney, Deanna K.; Ruel, Marie T.

Citation

Bliznashka, Lilia; Azupogo, Fusta; Reynolds, Elise; Arnold, Charles D.; Hess, Sonja Y.; et al. 2026. Associations between Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) and obesity in women of reproductive age in Northern Tanzania: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Nutrition 156(2): 101282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.101282

Keywords

Tanzania; Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Health; Diet Quality; Obesity; Gender; Women; Healthy Diets; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.101282 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Working Paper

School meals in the 21st century: Key evidence gaps and future directions

2026
Gelli, Aulo; Bell, Winnie; Bliznashka, Lilia; Eustacchio-Colombo, Patricia; Heirman, Jonas; Jones, Eleanor; Katundu, Mangani; Khincha, Roshni; Lerva, Benedetta; Lombardini, Simone
…more Schultz, Linda; Scott, Samuel P.; Wineman, Ayala; School Meal Evidence Priorities Collaborators
Details

School meals in the 21st century: Key evidence gaps and future directions

School meal programs are a widely implemented safety net with documented impacts across social protection, education, health and nutrition and high estimated returns to investment (Alderman et al., 2024). Globally, in 2022, these programs reached over 400 million children for a total investment of $70 billion a year(Global Child Nutrition Foundation, 2024). The School Meals Coalition (SMC) created in 2021 and involving 106 member countries, has brought momentum and new opportunities for school meals. Collaborative research activities by development partners from the SMC have included evidence generation, review and synthesis, and the identification of key research gaps on school meal programs. This article provides the basis for a common research agenda to support evidence generation aimed at improving action on sustainable school meal programs. These evidence gaps were generated through a series of activities including evidence reviews, expert consultations and stakeholder workshops undertaken by SMC partners.

Year published

2026

Authors

Gelli, Aulo; Bell, Winnie; Bliznashka, Lilia; Eustacchio-Colombo, Patricia; Heirman, Jonas; Jones, Eleanor; Katundu, Mangani; Khincha, Roshni; Lerva, Benedetta; Lombardini, Simone; Schultz, Linda; Scott, Samuel P.; Wineman, Ayala; School Meal Evidence Priorities Collaborators

Citation

Gelli, Aulo; Bell, Winnie; Bliznashka, Lilia; Eustacchio-Colombo, Patricia; Heirman, Jonas; et al. 2026. School meals in the 21st century: Key evidence gaps and future directions. IFPRI Working Paper. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179539

Keywords

School Feeding; Investment; Sustainability; Cost Analysis; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

Blogs

When milk quality pays: Evidence from an incentive experiment in Uganda
Research Post
 | 
January 09, 2026

When milk quality pays: Evidence from an incentive experiment in Uganda

By Bjorn Van Campenhout, Sarah Kariuki, Richard Ariong, Jordan Chamberlin, Benon Byarugaba, and Dennis Atuha

Making milk quality visible improves standards, but real gains require price incentives and competition on quality downstream.

An elevation gap: Why children at high altitudes are more likely to experience stunting
Research Post
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December 12, 2025

An elevation gap: Why children at high altitudes are more likely to experience stunting

By Taddese Zerfu

The heavy toll of thin air and poverty.

Growth monitoring and promotion as an opportunity to improve early childhood development
Research Post
 | 
November 13, 2025

Growth monitoring and promotion as an opportunity to improve early childhood development

By Leila M. Larson, Edward A. Frongillo, Rebecca Brander, Marie Ruel, and Jef L. Leroy

Leveraging a widespread practice.

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Events

Promoting Resilience through Improved Varieties, Quality Seed, and Better Seed Systems: Lessons from Nigeria
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

February 11, 2026, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Promoting Resilience through Improved Varieties, Quality Seed, and Better Seed Systems: Lessons from Nigeria

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. Across sub-Saharan Africa, small-scale, resource-poor farmers are disproportionately affected by climatic and market shocks. Providing them with the tools and technologies to manage these shocks is […]

Evidence-Informed Impact: Unpacking the Untapped Potential of the School Feeding Labor Force
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

January 28, 2026, 10:00 – 11:00 am

Evidence-Informed Impact: Unpacking the Untapped Potential of the School Feeding Labor Force

School meal programs can be powerful engines for job creation and local economic development. Many models intentionally prioritize employment for groups that face systemic barriers to entering the labor market, such as women, youth and people with disabilities. Yet despite their potential, there remains a significant evidence gap around how different program designs impact employment […]

Better Diets & Nutrition Webinar Series Session 2: Demand Creation for Fruits and Vegetables
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

January 28, 2026, 9:00 – 10:30 am

Better Diets & Nutrition Webinar Series Session 2: Demand Creation for Fruits and Vegetables

Healthy diets are essential for promoting well-being and preventing nutrient deficiencies and diet-related diseases. Fruits and vegetables play a critical role by providing essential vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and bioactive compounds, while generally having a lower environmental footprint than many other foods. Despite their importance, global fruit and vegetable consumption remains well below the World […]

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News

November 05, 2025 | Press Release

New study examines affordability and nutritional implications of the 2025 EAT–Lancet Commission diet

The study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, used IFPRI’s IMPACT model to assess how adopting the EAT-Lancet diet could affect calorie availability, share of income spent on food, nutrient availability, and food prices.

July 31, 2025 | Press Release

New study finds behavior change communication and nutrition supplements can help prevent relapse from child wasting

The study, published in The Journal of Nutrition, used longitudinal data from two cluster-randomized trials in Burkina Faso and Mali, the PROMIS project.

February 20, 2025 | Press Release

New study challenges the use of Growth Monitoring and Promotion to detect growth faltering in children

A new study published in Advances in Nutrition critically examines the effectiveness of Growth Monitoring and Promotion (GMP) in diagnosing or screening for inadequate growth in children.

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Our experts

Daniel Gilligan

Daniel Gilligan

Director, Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion (PGI), Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion

Deanna Olney

Deanna Olney

Director, Nutrition, Diets, and Health (NDH), Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Loty Diop

Loty Diop

Senior Research Analyst, Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Neha Kumar

Neha Kumar

Senior Research Fellow, Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Jef L. Leroy

Jef L. Leroy

Senior Research Fellow, Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Razin Kabir

Razin Kabir

Senior Program Manager, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion