About Food Security Evidence Brokerage
What do we mean by "brokerage"?
Brokers serve as intermediates between two parties. When facilitating dialogue and exchange between researchers and decision-makers in international development, brokers are the key to bridging the gap between research and action. Evidence brokers identify the information needs of their clients and seek or generate the evidence to fill these needs. They translate this evidence into clear messages that directly respond to those needs.
Why food security and nutrition?
Food security and nutrition touch every part of the lives of every person on the planet. Sometimes in obvious ways, through hunger and malnutrition, but sometimes through less apparent mechanisms. Early nutrition sets people on the road to success, increasing human capital and improving long-term employment outcomes, potentially interrupting cycles of intergenerational poverty. Food insecurity and civil unrest are inexorably linked, with increasing food prices and famine being major drivers of conflict. In addition, the food supply chain is a major greenhouse gas emitter, worsening the climate crisis, thereby jeopardising global food security.
Given its sweeping impacts, the global community invests billions of dollars every year to address the food security and nutrition crisis and achieve food system transformation. However, according to the Global Nutrition Report, official development assistance remains consistently below estimates of what is needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger. We need to figure out how to use our limited resources more efficiently.
The effective allocation of resources is challenging due to information constraints. Although promising approaches have been identified and are being implemented, we simply do not know the best way to address the crisis. In fact, there is no single “best way.” The approaches to alleviating food insecurity and malnutrition are incredibly variable and context-specific. Customized evidence solutions are needed to develop effective programs for each situation.
How did it start?
Food Security Evidence Brokerage was born out of a series of conversations with funders, implementers, and researchers. Funders and implementers consistently want to make the most effective decision, but that option is not always clear. There are over 2,300 impact evaluations and systematic reviews on the effects of food systems interventions on food security and nutrition in low- and middle-income countries. There is also a plethora of qualitative and descriptive data sources which speak to the likely "best" solution for a given context. Decision-makers rarely have the bandwidth to wade through this information. To address this gap, Food Security Evidence Brokerage provides customized evidence solutions to answer decision-relevant questions.
Before starting this brokerage service, I developed and led the Nutrition and Food Security research portfolio at the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation. I successfully brought the organization’s individual food security and nutrition research projects under one umbrella, developing an integrated body of work. My research projects were always highly collaborative, including extensive client engagement and, wherever possible, engagement with the broader academic and practitioner communities.
As part of this portfolio, I managed a series of evidence mapping projects, systematic reviews, and rapid evidence assessments. I designed and supported the design of impact evaluations. I led intercultural teams of early-, mid- ,and late-career researchers across the globe. Through my work, I am experienced with:
R and Nvivo
Longitudinal fixed effects analysis, latent class modeling, difference-in-difference tests, propensity score matching, and meta-analysis
Writing peer reviewed journal articles, full length reports, policy briefs and blogs
Food security, nutrition, WASH, maternal and child health, HIV, resilience, and climate change.
I have real-world experience of living and working in a low-income country, Burkina Faso. I spent two years working in rural villages and several months in Ouagadougou. In village, I worked out of a health clinic, facilitating small-scale sensitizations on infant health and nutrition. I also secured funding for the development of a mango plantation. When I moved to Ouagadougou, I provided technical assistance to volunteers conducting similar food security and nutrition programming. During my time in Burkina, the country experienced two coups, its first free elections, and a series of extremist attacks. I bring the experience of living and working in a fragile context to my current projects.
I have a PhD in Nutritional Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I studied the effect of maternal HIV on infant growth. I also have an AB from Harvard in Human Evolutionary Biology.
Professional experience
Food Security Evidence Brokerage: June 2023 - Present
Founder
Provides practical monitoring, evaluation, and learning technical assistance for research related to food security.
Focuses on developing the best possible evidence solutions within real-world contexts and constraints.
International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie): October 2019 – June 2023:
Leader of Nutrition Portfolio: November 2022 – June 2023
Senior Evaluation Specialist: July 2021 – June 2023
Evaluation Specialist: October 2019 - July 2021
Provided technical and management leadership for impact evaluations, synthesis, and evidence translation projects with 10+ global staff.
Managed contracts from GIZ, Norad, the Gates Foundation, and Nutrition International. Managed workstreams in projects funded by DIFD, MCC, and USAID's Bureau for Resilience and Food Security and Bureau for Democracy, Rights, and Governance. Supported the adoption of evidence-informed policies within these organizations.
Developed, managed, and oversaw 3ie’s portfolio on food security. Provided strategic development and thought leadership.
RTI International, Gillings Global Gateway, MEASURE Evaluation: January 2017 - January 2020
Research Assistant
Conducted primary analysis to evaluate the USAID PEPFAR’s Partnership for HIV Free Survival.
Supported data collection procedures for the Partnership for HIV Free Survival.
Developed data cleaning tools.
Evaluated the relationship between diet and growth in HIV-exposed and -uninfected infants.
Conducted a systematic review of the evidence base for interventions to improve health care in conditions of extreme adversity. This served as an input for the WHO Quality of Care in Fragile, Conflict-Affected, and Vulnerable Settings handbook.
Peace Corps, Burkina Faso: October 2013 - March 2016
Food Security Specialist: December 2015 – March 2016
Community Health Agent: October 2013 – December 2015
Provided technical assistance for nutrition training events.
Facilitated behaviour change discussions and lectures about nutrition and health topics.
Training and Resource Manager of the Food Security Task Force.
Reviewed USAID-funded small grants for Feed the Future funding.
Education
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: 2016─2020
Ph.D. in Nutritional Epidemiology, Delta Omega
Harvard College: 2009─2013
Artium Baccalaureans A.B. in Human Evolutionary Biology cum laude
Minor in Global Health and Health Policy
Technical skills and geographic experience
Thematic expertise in food systems transformation, maternal and child health, HIV, WASH, and displacement.
Advanced skills in R, proficient with STATA and NVivo.
Excellent writing skills, including full-length reports, peer-reviewed journal publications, policy briefs, and blogs.
Project Management for Development Professionals (PMD Pro) certified.
Geographic experience in sub-Saharan Africa and India.
Intermediate French.
