Projects

Impacts of food systems programs, policies, and investment

At Food Insight Group, I lead collaborative research about and evaluations of food systems programs, policies, and investments. FIG is a a social enterprise dedicated to redesigning the food system for people and the planet. We empower decision-makers with actionable research, powered by a team science approach and rooted in stories and context. Some of our current projects include the evaluation of the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program and the evaluation of the Chef Ann Foundation's Healthy School Food Pathway. You can read about our recent work here.  

Cost and environmental footprints of healthy diets

I was a researcher on the Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (IMMANA) and Food Prices for Nutrition (FPN) projects at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. My research examined trends in the cost and environmental footprints of of healthy diets globally; the role of food processing in the cost and accessibility of healthy diets; and the true cost of eating sustainable, healthy diets, including time burden, fuel costs, and environmental, social, and health externalities. You can find papers and presentations from the FPN team here. You can read my papers comparing the prices, environmental impacts, and nutrient profiles of retail food items in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Nature Food. 

Differential patterns in the cost of nutritious food items globally

I am collaborating with a team of economists at Michigan State University, Tufts University, and FAO to develop background papers for the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World reports. Our analyses focuses on differential patterns across countries and over time in the cost of food items with different nutritional profiles and processing levels.

Nutrition and environmental interlinkages

I am the lead author of a UN-Nutrition working paper entitled "Nutrition and the environment: Nurturing people, protecting the planet." In this paper, we explore interlinkages between the growing nutritional and environmental challenges that the world is facing, and the role of food systems at the nexus of these challenges. We propose policy and governance solutions that can provide co-benefits for nutrition and the environment, and encourage experts and practitioners focused on nutrition and the environment to work together to address tradeoffs and find solutions. 

Resource and guidance for agriculture and nutrition research

The Support Centre for Agriculture and Nutrition Research (SCANR) is a web tool that connects researchers with resources and tips to carry out interdisciplinary research related to agriculture, food systems, nutrition, and health. The website includes a detailed set of resources and guidance to help researchers conduct analyses of existing secondary data, as well as resources for other aspects of the research process and teaching. I developed SCANR as part of the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Health (ANH) Academy under the Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (IMMANA) project. 

Our team has led multiple workshops introducing SCANR to researchers and students interested in agriculture, food systems, nutrition, and health. You can find a recording of our learning lab at the ANH Academy Week 2022 conference here.