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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.

Erick Boy

researcher spotlight

Erick Boy

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.

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experts

Nutrition, Diets, and Health

Inge Brouwer

Senior Research Fellow

Bio

Inge Brouwer is a Senior Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit. Inge’s research focuses on innovative and sustainable food systems interventions that improve the diets of vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries. The core of her research is on intake, patterns, and quality of diets and their impact on consumer-food environment innovations among women, adolescents, and children. She strives to bridge different disciplines and expertise in, for example, food technology, social science, and agricultural science. She has lived and worked in many countries, especially in Africa and Asia, and has substantial experience in the coordination and management of large research programs.

Publications

CV

Publications

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Journal Article

Storage management practices and mycotoxin contamination of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) in northwest Ethiopia

2025Sadik, J.A.; Righetti, L.; Fentahun, N.; Brouwer, Inge D.; Tessema, M.; Abera, M.; van der Fels-Klerx, H.J.
Details

Storage management practices and mycotoxin contamination of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) in northwest Ethiopia

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by certain fungal species that affect animal and human health. Data on the relationships between specific traditional storage management practices of sorghum and mycotoxin contamination are rarely available in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to investigate current sorghum storage management practices in major sorghum producer locations in Northwest Ethiopia and their relationships with mycotoxin contamination. Sorghum storage management practices of 120 farmers were surveyed, the occurrence of multiple mycotoxins in samples from their stored sorghum was determined, and potential relationships between the traditional storage management practices and mycotoxin contamination were analyzed. Samples were analyzed using UPLC-MS/MS for 33 different mycotoxins. About 88% of the samples were contaminated with at least one mycotoxin. The detected mycotoxins belong to one of the four mycotoxin categories, produced by Aspergillus spp, Fusarium spp, Penicillium spp, and Alternaria spp. From the total, 3%, 7%, and 3% of the samples were contaminated with aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, and zearalenone, respectively, above the EU regulatory limits. The measured concentrations that bypassed EU regulatory limits were 9.14, 18.34 and 29.13 (μg/kg) for total aflatoxins, 5.31, 12.50, 14.94, 15.77, 32.94, 56.81, 58.07 and 112.59 (μg/kg) for Ochratoxin A, and 123.48, 238.43 and 431.78 (μg/kg) for Zearalenone, respectively. Logistic regression showed relationships between the traditional storage management practices with mycotoxin contamination. The age and the experience of the Main Person Responsible for Storage management (MPRS), the placement of the storage structure, and the insecticide application showed negative relationships with multi-mycotoxin contamination. On the other hand, the educational status of the MPRS and the type of storage structure showed positive relationships with mycotoxin contamination. Therefore, it is recommended that farmers receive training in proper sorghum storage management to further reduce the mycotoxin contamination in the grain.

Year published

2025

Authors

Sadik, J.A.; Righetti, L.; Fentahun, N.; Brouwer, Inge D.; Tessema, M.; Abera, M.; van der Fels-Klerx, H.J.

Citation

Sadik, J.A.; Righetti, L.; Fentahun, N.; Brouwer, I.D.; Tessema, M.; Abera, M.; and van der Fels-Klerx, H.J. 2025. Storage management practices and mycotoxin contamination of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) in northwest Ethiopia. Journal of Stored Products Research 11: 102535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2024.102535

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Storage Conditions; Sorghum Bicolor; Mycotoxins; Contamination; Farmers

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2024.102535 Source record

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

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Journal Article

Impact of food system interventions to increase fruit and vegetable intake among urban adults in Nigeria and Vietnam

2025
Pastori, Giulia; Talsma, Elise F.; Feskens, Edith J. M.; Huong, Le Thi; Samuel, Folake O.; Shittu, Oluyemisi F.; Eyinla, Toluwalope E.; de Brauw, Alan; Ambler, Kate; Wertheim-Heck, Sigrid
…more Hernandez, Ricardo; Even, Brice; Meldrum, Gennifer; De Filippo, Amanda; Xuan, Le Thi Thanh; Phuong, Ngo Thi Ha; Mai, Truong Tuyet; Lundy, Mark; Brouwer, Inge D.
Details

Impact of food system interventions to increase fruit and vegetable intake among urban adults in Nigeria and Vietnam

Fruit and vegetable consumption is below the WHO recommendations, globally, in Southeast Asia, and in West Africa. Affordability, accessibility, and acceptability are the main drivers of consumption. Nutrition-sensitive food system interventions that address these drivers may be effective in increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. This study evaluates the effect of an integrated nutrition-sensitive program that aimed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in low-income urban adults in Hanoi, Vietnam (n = 582), and Ibadan, Nigeria (n = 626), through the simultaneous implementation of three interventions at the market and consumer levels. Fruit and vegetable intake data were collected after eight months of exposure to the program with repeated quantitative 24-hour recalls and exposure effect was estimated with inverse probability weighting with regression adjustment, adjusting for potential confounders. The impact size on total fruits and vegetables (144 g/d, 95%CI 93, 196), fruits (137 g/d, 95%CI 93, 183) and vegetables (6 g/d, 95%CI -12, 24) showed that intake was higher in the exposed Nigerian population than the control group. In Vietnam, intakes of fruits and vegetables in the exposed group did not statistically differ from the control group when controlling for differences between groups with propensity scores. Participants exposed to all three interventions reported slightly higher intakes compared to those who were exposed to fewer interventions, but these differences were not statistically significant. Integrated approaches of nutrition-sensitive food system interventions need to be implemented to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Co-creation of interventions provides the possibility to address the different drivers and barriers of healthy diets specific of the context.

Year published

2025

Authors

Pastori, Giulia; Talsma, Elise F.; Feskens, Edith J. M.; Huong, Le Thi; Samuel, Folake O.; Shittu, Oluyemisi F.; Eyinla, Toluwalope E.; de Brauw, Alan; Ambler, Kate; Wertheim-Heck, Sigrid; Hernandez, Ricardo; Even, Brice; Meldrum, Gennifer; De Filippo, Amanda; Xuan, Le Thi Thanh; Phuong, Ngo Thi Ha; Mai, Truong Tuyet; Lundy, Mark; Brouwer, Inge D.

Citation

Pastori, Giulia; Talsma, Elise F.; Feskens, Edith J. M.; Huong, Le Thi; Samuel, Folake O.; Shittu, Oluyemisi F.; et al. 2025. Impact of food system interventions to increase fruit and vegetable intake among urban adults in Nigeria and Vietnam. Food Security 17(3): 641–655. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-025-01529-5

Country/Region

Nigeria; Vietnam

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Asia; South-eastern Asia; Adults; Diet; Food Systems; Fruits; Vegetables

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-025-01529-5 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Dietary diversity, eating habits, dietary patterns, food choice, and associated factors among adolescent girls: A convergent parallel mixed-method study in the Mion District of Ghana

2025Al-Hassan, Raihana; Ayimbire, Mavis A.; Atosona, Ambrose; Garti, Humphrey; Wemakor, Anthony; Brouwer, Inge D.; Azupogo, Fusta
Details

Dietary diversity, eating habits, dietary patterns, food choice, and associated factors among adolescent girls: A convergent parallel mixed-method study in the Mion District of Ghana

Understanding adolescents’ diet and eating behaviours is crucial for informing public health strategies and policies, allowing interventions to be tailored effectively to enhance dietary patterns and improve overall health and quality of life. This study examined dietary patterns, dietary diversity, eating habits, food choice and the factors influencing these among adolescent girls in the Mion District, Ghana. A convergent parallel mixed-method design employing in-depth interviews (n = 30), two focus group discussions (n = 10) and survey data from 882 mother-daughter pairs was used. Key findings indicate that approximately 90% of girls achieved the minimum dietary diversity for women of reproductive age (MDD-W), with most consuming three meals daily. Staples were eaten daily, while fruits and unhealthy foods were less frequently eaten. Moderate/severe food insecurity was negatively associated with the MDD-W, whereas larger household size was positively correlated with the MDD-W. Older girls were less likely to eat breakfast, while household crop farm diversity increased the odds of eating supper on weekends. Moderate/severe food insecurity was inversely associated with intake of animal-sourced foods (ASFs), fruit, and unhealthy foods but positively correlated with vegetable consumption in the past month. Maternal non-literacy was linked to a lower intake of unhealthy foods, while specific ethnic backgrounds negatively influenced ASF intake. Wealthier households demonstrated higher consumption of staples. Qualitatively, health considerations, availability, taste, and cravings were major influencers of food choices. Food aversions were often tied to intolerance, fatigue from consuming the same foods repeatedly, and preferences related to taste and texture. These findings underscore the need for targeted nutritional interventions considering socio-economic and household factors to improve adolescent girls’ dietary habits and overall health.

Year published

2025

Authors

Al-Hassan, Raihana; Ayimbire, Mavis A.; Atosona, Ambrose; Garti, Humphrey; Wemakor, Anthony; Brouwer, Inge D.; Azupogo, Fusta

Citation

Al-Hassan, Raihana; Ayimbire, Mavis A.; Atosona, Ambrose; Garti, Humphrey; Wemakor, Anthony; Brouwer, Inge D.; and Azupogo, Fusta. 2025. Dietary diversity, eating habits, dietary patterns, food choice, and associated factors among adolescent girls: A convergent parallel mixed-method study in the Mion District of Ghana. Journal of Nutritional Science 14: e28. https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2025.17

Country/Region

Ghana

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Adolescents; Dietary Diversity; Feeding Preferences; Females; Youth

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2025.17 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Blogs

Global Food Policy Report 2024: Leveraging plant-source foods for sustainable healthy diets
IFPRI Blog
 | 
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.

World Food Day 2024: The critical role of healthy diets for realizing the right to food
IFPRI Blog
 | 
October 15, 2024

World Food Day 2024: The critical role of healthy diets for realizing the right to food

By Marie Ruel and Inge Brouwer

IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy Report on a key paradigm shift.

Events

23rd International Congress of Nutrition (ICN)
IFPRI at External Event

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August 24 to 29, 2025

23rd International Congress of Nutrition (ICN)

IFPRI is participating in the 23rd International Congress of Nutrition (ICN), hosted by the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) on August 24-29 in Paris, France.  The theme of this year’s congress is “Sustainable Food for Global Health,” bringing together experts to discuss evidence and innovations in nutrition, sustainability, food science, and public health. IFPRI […]

IFPRI @ CGIAR Science Week
IFPRI at External Event

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April 7 to 12, 2025

IFPRI @ CGIAR Science Week

When humanity has faced its greatest challenges, science and innovation have provided solutions. Today, major and connected global challenges threaten the sustainability of food, land, and water systems, with the most vulnerable people and communities at greatest risk. Recognizing the urgency of these challenges, CGIAR and the Kenyan Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) are […]

IFPRI @ Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit 2025
IFPRI at External Event

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March 27 to 28, 2025

IFPRI @ Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit 2025

IFPRI is pleased to participate in the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit 2025. The 2025 conference will be held in Paris, France and will focus on driving global action against malnutrition by bringing together stakeholders from various sectors to generate political and financial commitments to improve nutrition worldwide, with a particular focus on placing nutrition […]

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