Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Outputs (174)

From Power to Women’s Empowerment: The Missing Links (2024)
Book Chapter
Polar, V., & Poole, N. From Power to Women’s Empowerment: The Missing Links. In J. Njuki, H. Tufan, V. Polar, H. Campos, & M. Morgan-Bell (Eds.), Gender, Power and Politics in Agriculture: Revisiting Theory and Practice (115-136). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-60986-2_7

This chapter explores the instrumentalization of women’s empowerment in agricultural research for development, with particular attention on critically examining how the concept of empowerment has become understood as an externalized process that can... Read More about From Power to Women’s Empowerment: The Missing Links.

Flour blending can mitigate food insecurity and economic stress (2024)
Journal Article
Poole, N., Donovan, J., Kariuki, S., Rutsaert, P., Ibba, M. I., & Bentley, A. (2024). Flour blending can mitigate food insecurity and economic stress. Global Food Security, 41, Article 100758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2024.100758

Cereal flour blending can reduce food insecurity risks, as well as contribute to economic and nutrition goals. Yet, the potential for blending has not been realized, and new products have not become scalable commercial propositions. Numerous experime... Read More about Flour blending can mitigate food insecurity and economic stress.

Sowing the wheat seeds of Afghanistan's future (2022)
Journal Article
Poole, N., Sharma, R., Nemat, O. A., Trenchard, R., Scanlon, A., Davy, C., Ataei, N., Donovan, J., & Bentley, A. R. (2022). Sowing the wheat seeds of Afghanistan's future. Plants, People, Planet, 4(5), 423-431. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10277

Societal Impact Statement: The production and availability of food underpins societal stability. In Afghanistan, wheat is the major arable agricultural crop and source of dietary energy. The withdrawal of NATO allies and partner countries from Afghan... Read More about Sowing the wheat seeds of Afghanistan's future.

Role of staple cereals in human nutrition: Separating the wheat from the chaff in the infodemics age (2021)
Journal Article
Erenstein, O., Poole, N., & Donovan, J. (2022). Role of staple cereals in human nutrition: Separating the wheat from the chaff in the infodemics age. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 119, 508-513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2021.11.033

Background: Staple cereals always have been important dietary components, yet recent debates on their role in human diets are riddled with myths and misinformation. Scope and approach: This article examines the informational controversies, particular... Read More about Role of staple cereals in human nutrition: Separating the wheat from the chaff in the infodemics age.

Continuing cereals research for sustainable health and well-being (2021)
Journal Article
Poole, N., Donovan, J., & Erenstein, O. (2022). Continuing cereals research for sustainable health and well-being. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 20(5), 693-704. https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2021.1975437

Cereals research over the past fifty years has led to huge improvements in production, productivity and food security. The current emphasis in agri-nutrition on micronutrients has cast doubt on the need to continue to invest in cereals. However, besi... Read More about Continuing cereals research for sustainable health and well-being.

Viewpoint: Agri-nutrition research: Revisiting the contribution of maize and wheat to human nutrition and health (2020)
Journal Article
Poole, N., Donovan, J., & Erenstein, O. (2021). Viewpoint: Agri-nutrition research: Revisiting the contribution of maize and wheat to human nutrition and health. Food Policy, 100, Article 101976. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.101976

Research linking agriculture and nutrition has evolved since the mid-20th century. The current focus is on child-stunting, dietary diversity and ‘nutrient-rich’ foods in recognition of the growing burdens of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases... Read More about Viewpoint: Agri-nutrition research: Revisiting the contribution of maize and wheat to human nutrition and health.

Being realistic about the contribution of private businesses to public nutrition objectives (2020)
Journal Article
Poole, N., Agnew, J., Ansari, N., Bhavani, R. V., Maestre Morales, M., Mehmood, R., & Rohit Parasar, R. (2020). Being realistic about the contribution of private businesses to public nutrition objectives. Food chain (2011. Online), 9(2), 91-102. https://doi.org/10.3362/2046-1887.19-00013

This article concerns the role of the state and the private sector in addressing Sustainable Development Goal 2, which is to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. We critique the ‘food environme... Read More about Being realistic about the contribution of private businesses to public nutrition objectives.

Food production and consumption in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan: the challenges of sustainability and seasonality for dietary diversity (2019)
Journal Article
Poole, N., Amiri, H., Amiri, S. M., Farhank, I., & Zanello, G. (2019). Food production and consumption in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan: the challenges of sustainability and seasonality for dietary diversity. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 17(6), 413-430. https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2019.1680229

In Asia, high levels of malnutrition threaten the health and livelihoods of millions of households. This paper concentrates on linkages between agriculture and nutrition in Afghanistan where food and nutrition insecurity are increasing and agricultur... Read More about Food production and consumption in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan: the challenges of sustainability and seasonality for dietary diversity.

Buy or make? Agricultural production diversity, markets and dietary diversity in Afghanistan (2019)
Journal Article
Zanello, G., Shankar, B., & Poole, N. (2019). Buy or make? Agricultural production diversity, markets and dietary diversity in Afghanistan. Food Policy, 87, Article 101731. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2019.101731

Increasing on-farm production diversity and improving markets are recognized as ways to improve the dietary diversity of smallholders. Using instrumental variable methods to account for endogeneity, we study the interplay of production diversity, mar... Read More about Buy or make? Agricultural production diversity, markets and dietary diversity in Afghanistan.

Leveraging agriculture for nutrition in South Asia: What do we know, and what have we learned? (2018)
Journal Article
Gillespie, S., Poole, N., van den Bold, M., Bhavani, R. V., Dangour, A. D., & Shetty, P. (2019). Leveraging agriculture for nutrition in South Asia: What do we know, and what have we learned?. Food Policy, 82, 3-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2018.10.012

Despite significant improvements over recent decades, rates of undernutrition remain high in South Asia, with adverse impacts on morbidity and mortality. Overweight/obesity, among children and adults, is now an additional and major public health conc... Read More about Leveraging agriculture for nutrition in South Asia: What do we know, and what have we learned?.

Are agriculture and nutrition policies and practice coherent? Stakeholder evidence from Afghanistan (2018)
Journal Article
Poole, N., Echavez, C., & Rowland, D. (2018). Are agriculture and nutrition policies and practice coherent? Stakeholder evidence from Afghanistan. Food Security, 10(6), 1577-1601. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-018-0851-y

Despite recent improvements in the national average, stunting levels in Afghanistan exceed 70% in some Provinces. Agriculture serves as the main source of livelihood for over half of the population and has the potential to be a strong driver of a red... Read More about Are agriculture and nutrition policies and practice coherent? Stakeholder evidence from Afghanistan.

Principles of innovation to build nutrition-sensitive food systems in South Asia (2018)
Journal Article
Glover, D., & Poole, N. (2019). Principles of innovation to build nutrition-sensitive food systems in South Asia. Food Policy, 82, 63-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2018.10.010

Innovations within global food systems have contributed to the predicament known as the triple burden of malnutrition – the co-existence of hunger and micronutrient deficiency with the diseases of overnutrition, such as obesity, diabetes and hyperten... Read More about Principles of innovation to build nutrition-sensitive food systems in South Asia.

Agricultural inputs and nutrition in South Asia (2018)
Journal Article
Shankar, B., Poole, N., & Bird, F. A. (2019). Agricultural inputs and nutrition in South Asia. Food Policy, 82, 28-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2018.10.011

There are a number of potential pathways leading from agricultural input decisions to nutrition outcomes of farm households. These have special resonance in less developed areas of South Asia given widespread undernutrition problems, market failures... Read More about Agricultural inputs and nutrition in South Asia.

Ambition meets reality: Lessons from the taro boom in Nicaragua (2018)
Journal Article
Donovan, J., Poole, N., Poe, K., & Herrera-Arauz, I. (2018). Ambition meets reality: Lessons from the taro boom in Nicaragua. Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, 8(1), 77-98. https://doi.org/10.1108/JADEE-02-2017-0023

Between 2006 and 2011, Nicaragua shipped an average of US$ 9.4 million per year of smallholder-produced fresh taro (Colocasia esculenta) to the United States; however, by 2016, the US market for Nicaraguan taro had effectively collapsed. We analyse t... Read More about Ambition meets reality: Lessons from the taro boom in Nicaragua.

Value chains for nutrition in South Asia: Who delivers nutritious foods, how and to whom? (2018)
Journal Article
Maestre Morales, M., & Poole, N. (2018). Value chains for nutrition in South Asia: Who delivers nutritious foods, how and to whom?. IDS Bulletin, 49(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.19088/1968-2018.100

There is currently much talk of the private sector role in nutrition, and whether the state can ‘shape’ the market to deliver better nutritional outcomes. This issue of the IDS Bulletin presents research findings in this area, developed by the conso... Read More about Value chains for nutrition in South Asia: Who delivers nutritious foods, how and to whom?.

Building dairy value chains in Badakhshan, Afghanistan (2018)
Journal Article
Poole, N. (2018). Building dairy value chains in Badakhshan, Afghanistan. IDS Bulletin, 49(1), 107-127. https://doi.org/10.19088/1968-2018.107

Considerable recent research has tried to link agricultural production and the distribution of nutrient-rich foods to consumption, and hence improved health, of nutritionally vulnerable population groups. However, we are still unsure how agri-food va... Read More about Building dairy value chains in Badakhshan, Afghanistan.

Stuck in a rut: emerging cocoa cooperatives in Peru and the factors that influence their performance (2017)
Journal Article
Donovan, J., Blare, T., & Poole, N. Stuck in a rut: emerging cocoa cooperatives in Peru and the factors that influence their performance. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 15(2), 169-184. https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2017.1286831

Agri-cooperatives play an important role in helping resource-poor farmers reach high-value markets. In addition to linking smallholders to markets, cooperatives provide their members with various services, such as extension, credit, input subsidies,... Read More about Stuck in a rut: emerging cocoa cooperatives in Peru and the factors that influence their performance.