Hettie Schönfeldt is an advocate for nutrition research, promoting excellence through the creation, translation and dissemination of science-based information into policies and programmes, both nationally and internationally. She serves as a scientific advisor to AFROFOODS, a network on the African continent, forming part of IUNS/UNU/FAO INFOODS and represents the University of Pretoria at the United Nations Academic Impact Hub, previously for SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and currently for SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). She serves on the WHO expert panel developing food-based dietary guidelines for optimal intake of animal-source foods. She holds a Tier 1 South African Department of Science and Innovation / National Research Foundation Research Chairs Initiative in Nutrition and Food Security. Her group’s research focuses on linking nutrient quantity and quality of foods to sustainable food systems for attaining nutrition and food security for all.
Schönfeldt’s recent research has highlighted the importance of Indigenous foods in diversifying diets and addressing nutritional deficiencies, especially evidence-based policy interventions such as improved infant and school feeding practices to address child hunger.
Schönfeldt has been a member of 4 Australia-Africa Universities Network (AAUN) projects. She is also a team member of the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP), which provides a yearly Agricultural Outlook on African Food Systems. In 2013 she was invited by the United Nations Systems Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN) to perform a descriptive review of food and agricultural policies in South Africa encouraging the advancement of the discussion on nutrition- sensitive agriculture towards informing the ICN2.
She has been a member of the HLPE-FSN Steering Committee since 2023.
She is a national of South Africa.
