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Monitoring the cost and affordability of healthy diets for policy action

Publications

Global monitoring

  • Herforth, A.W., Bai, Y., Venkat, A. & Masters, W. The Healthy Diet Basket is a valid global standard that highlights lack of access to healthy and sustainable diets. Nature Food 6, 622–631 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01177-0  

  • Bai, Y., Herforth, A., Cafiero, C., Conti, V., Rissanen, M.O., Masters, W.A. & Rosero Moncayo, J. 2024. Methods for monitoring the affordability of a healthy diet. FAO Statistics Working Paper Series, No. 24-44. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd3703en 

  • Bai, Y., Conti, V., Herforth, A., Ebel, A., Cafiero, C., Rissanen, M.O., Rosero Moncayo, J. & Masters, W.A. 2024. Methods for monitoring the cost of a healthy diet based on price data from the International Comparison Program. FAO Statistics Division Working Paper. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd3037en 

  • Herforth, A., Venkat, A., Bai, Y., Costlow, L., Holleman, C. & Masters, W.A. 2022. Methods and options to monitor the cost and affordability of a healthy diet globally. Background paper for The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022. FAO Agricultural Development Economics Working Paper 22-03. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc1169en  

  • Herforth, A., Bai, Y., Venkat, A., Mahrt, K., Ebel, A. & Masters, W.A. 2020. Cost and affordability of healthy diets across and within countries. Background paper for The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020. FAO Agricultural Development Economics Technical Study No. 9. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb2431en 

National monitoring

  • Herforth, A.W., Gilbert, R., Sokourenko, K., Fatima, T., Adeyemi, O., Alemayehu, D., Arhin, E., Bachewe, F., Bai, Y., Chiosa, I., Genye, T., Haile, H., Jahangeer, R., Kinabo, J., Mishili, F., Nnabugwu, C.D., Nortey, J., Ofosu-Baadu, B., Onabolu, A., Sarpong, D., Tessema, M., Van, D.T.T., Venkat, A. & Masters, W.A. 2024. Monitoring the cost and affordability of a healthy diet within countries: Building systems in Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Viet Nam. Current Developments in Nutrition, 8(10): 104441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.104441

Policy actions

  • Sanchez, M.V., Cicowiez, Battaglia, L. & Pernechele, V. Repurposing Agricultural Budgets With Multiple Objectives and Fiscal Constraints: A Multicriteria Decision-Making Policy Tool Applied to Sub-Saharan African Countries. Journal of Agricultural Economics. https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-9552.70053

  • Brochure: Spending smarter on food and agriculture – Making public spending more effective with FAO's Policy Optimization Tool (PolOpT). https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cd7131en

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) reports on CoAHD

  • Herforth, A., Venkat, A., Bai, Y., Costlow, L., Holleman, C. & Masters, W.A. 2022. Methods and options to monitor the cost and affordability of a healthy diet globally. Background paper for The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022. FAO Agricultural Development Economics Working Paper 22-03. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc1169en
  • Herforth, A., Bai, Y., Venkat, A., Mahrt, K., Ebel, A. & Masters, W.A. 2020. Cost and affordability of healthy diets across and within countries. Background paper for The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020. FAO Agricultural Development Economics Technical Study No. 9. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb2431en