We are researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), and this work is part of a broader project supported by the IMMANA (Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions) initiative. The project built on a foundation of work led by Dr Elaine Ferguson at LSHTM to model and optimise diets based on local foods and dietary patterns using linear programming, resulting in the Optifood tool. Building on that foundation, Agrifood was created to support the next step: selecting foods that can help close nutrient gaps while also reflecting local priorities and constraints from programme stakeholders in agriculture, nutrition, social protection, food systems and value chains.

Elaine Ferguson is a Professor of Nutrition at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), with over 25 years of experience in nutrition research. Her work focuses on improving diets and nutrition outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, with a particular interest in the development and application of methods to identify nutrient gaps and inform food-based interventions. She has led major research initiatives across sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, and is a key contributor to interdisciplinary efforts linking agriculture and nutrition. Elaine also teaches and supervises postgraduate students in global nutrition and public health.

Frances Knight is a Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and a Nutritionist with the World Food Programme (WFP). Her work focuses on developing and applying evidence to inform decision-making for nutrition advocacy and policy. Frances has expertise in applied research, tool development, and policy support in several countries. She has contributed to the development of innovative decision-making tools, including Agrifood, and works closely with governments and UN agencies to strengthen evidence-based programming. Frances has a background in public health nutrition and brings a practical, cross-sectoral perspective to research and implementation at the evidence-policy interface.

Development team

Agrifood was developed through a collaboration of experts across disciplines and institutions.

James Milner (LSHTM) and Zaid Chalabi (University College London) are mathematical modelling specialists contributing expertise in decision analysis.

Frank Tchuwa and Daimon Kambewa (Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources) bring deep knowledge of agricultural extension systems in Malawi.

Srinivasulu Rajendran and Jan Low (International Potato Center) and Temesgen Fitamo Bocher (Save the Children International) are agricultural economists focused on nutrition-sensitive agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa.

Edna Possolo and Nadia Osman (WFP Mozambique) are nutritionists with extensive experience designing food system interventions.

Umi Fahmida (SEAMEO RECFON and Universitas Indonesia) is a public health nutritionist with expertise in nutrition modelling and implementation research in Southeast Asia.

The Agrifood software and website were developed by Lorenzo Gordon, Mark Clements, Laurence Knutsen, Keren Ximines, and Tom Arnautovic at MALDABA Ltd.  

Acknowledgements
We would also like to thank Professor Jack Dowie (LSHTM) for generously sharing his knowledge and experience in multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) software development and application, which informed the design of the tool. We extend our thanks to Maria Andrade, Benjamin Rakotoarisoa, and Wellington Jogo from the International Potato Center (CIP), Katia Ngale from ICAP Mozambique, and all programme and research colleagues who contributed to consultations on food selection criteria. We are especially grateful to Carolyn Phiri, Daniso Mkweu, Bridget Mkama, and Mayamiko Nathaniel Kakwera from LUANAR for their role in piloting the tool in Malawi.

Funding
This work was supported by the Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (IMMANA)programme, led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in partnership with Tufts University and the University of Sheffield. IMMANA is co-funded with UK Aid from the UK government and by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (INV-002962 / OPP1211308). Additional support was provided by the McKnight Foundation Collaborative Crop Research Program (CCRP) under grant 19-429.