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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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Nutrition, Diets, and Health

Nadia Koyratty

Research Fellow

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Bio

Dr. Nadia Koyratty is a Research Fellow in IFPRI’s Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit. Her research examines how food systems, food and water insecurity, climate-related and other shocks, and nutrition interventions shape nutrition, diets, and health in low- and middle-income countries and disaster-affected settings. She brings expertise in epidemiologic study design, mixed methods, scale development and validation, evidence synthesis, and intervention evaluation. Her work connects rigorous measurement and analysis with applied food systems and global health questions, including fruit and vegetable intake, food environments, disaster food security, maternal and child nutrition, and policy-relevant research.

Dr. Koyratty holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, USA; a European Erasmus Mundus MSc in Sustainable Management of Food Quality, with training in human nutrition, organic agriculture, and food systems across France, Italy, Canada, and Switzerland; and a BSc (Hons) in Food Science and Technology from the University of Mauritius.

Languages Spoken: Mauritian Creole, English, French, Italian, Urdu, Arabic, Hindi

Publications

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Publications

Resource thumbnail

Brief

Agricultural inputs and harvest among vegetable producers in rural Sri Lanka: Insights from a baseline survey of the Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets (FRESH) end-to-end evaluation

2026Koyratty, Nadia; Aheeyar, Mohamed; Hewajulige, Ilmi G. N.; Tan, Daniel K. Y.; Quabili, Wahid; Zagré, Rock Romaric; Olney, Deanna K.; Cunningham, Kenda; Kumar, Neha
Details

Agricultural inputs and harvest among vegetable producers in rural Sri Lanka: Insights from a baseline survey of the Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets (FRESH) end-to-end evaluation

Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector plays a vital role in the food security and nutrition of its people. In recent years, overlapping crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, severe economic collapse, climate-related shocks, such as cyclone Ditwah and subsequent flooding, and global political unrest have disrupted food systems and exacerbated food insecurity for Sri Lankans. These challenges have constrained access to nutrient-rich foods, while increasing reliance on cheaper, less nutritious alternatives. At the same time, Sri Lanka has been undergoing a nutrition transition characterized by increased consumption of ultra-processed foods and a double burden of malnutrition including micronutrient deficiencies and rising rates of overweight and obesity.

Year published

2026

Authors

Koyratty, Nadia; Aheeyar, Mohamed; Hewajulige, Ilmi G. N.; Tan, Daniel K. Y.; Quabili, Wahid; Zagré, Rock Romaric; Olney, Deanna K.; Cunningham, Kenda; Kumar, Neha

Citation

Koyratty, Nadia; Aheeyar, Mohamed; Hewajulige, Ilmi G. N.; Tan, Daniel K. Y.; Quabili, Wahid; et al. 2026. Agricultural inputs and harvest among vegetable producers in rural Sri Lanka: Insights from a baseline survey of the Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets (FRESH) end-to-end evaluation. Sri Lanka Research Brief 2. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183740

Country/Region

Sri Lanka

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Farm Inputs; Harvesting; Vegetables; Rural Areas; Harvesting Losses

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Brief

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

Brief

Improving fruit and vegetable intake and production in Sri Lanka: An evaluation of the FRESH end-to-end approach

2026Koyratty, Nadia; Marshall, Quinn; Kumar, Neha; Silva, Renuka; Hemachandra, Dilini; Hess, Sonja Y.; Aheeyar, Mohamed; Olney, Deanna K.
Details

Improving fruit and vegetable intake and production in Sri Lanka: An evaluation of the FRESH end-to-end approach

Inadequate diets are a major contributor to malnutrition and the leading risk factor for morbidity and mortality worldwide. Low fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake contributes significantly to these burdens. F&Vs are essential sources of micronutrients, and their production has a lower environmental footprint compared to other nutrient-dense foods, making them critical for both health and sustainability. Despite these well-documented benefits, global F&V intake remains below the recommended 400 grams (about 5 servings) per person per day. This is particularly true in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where less than 20% of adults meet this target. This is likely due to a complex interplay of factors including availability, affordability, accessibility, and other context-specific barriers. Narrowing F&V intake gaps requires a nuanced understanding of the interconnected factors influencing their consumption. The approach must be comprehensive and encompass addressing factors across the food system. Generating high-quality, context-specific evidence on these factors is essential to designing effective strategies that enhance F&V desirability, affordability, accessibility, and availability, ultimately supporting healthier, more sustainable diets.

Year published

2026

Authors

Koyratty, Nadia; Marshall, Quinn; Kumar, Neha; Silva, Renuka; Hemachandra, Dilini; Hess, Sonja Y.; Aheeyar, Mohamed; Olney, Deanna K.

Citation

Koyratty, Nadia; Marshall, Quinn; Kumar, Neha; Silva, Renuka; Hemachandra, Dilini; et al. 2026. Improving fruit and vegetable intake and production in Sri Lanka: An evaluation of the FRESH end-to-end approach. FRESH Sri Lanka Research Brief 1. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/181539

Country/Region

Sri Lanka

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Fruits; Vegetables; Food Intake; Food Production; Project Evaluation

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Brief

Events

IFPRI @ NUTRITION 2026 – American Society for Nutrition Annual Meeting
IFPRI at External Event

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July 25 to 28, 2026

IFPRI @ NUTRITION 2026 – American Society for Nutrition Annual Meeting

Poor diets are a leading driver of chronic disease and premature death worldwide, contributing to obesity, diabetes, and other conditions that strain health systems and economies. Rigorous nutrition science is critical to understanding these challenges and informing the policies and interventions needed to achieve healthier diets. NUTRITION 2026, the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting, […]

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

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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 […]

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

 | 

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 […]

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