Behind the Rural Diet: How Food Environments Shape Public Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

by Danica Louise C. Sembrano

IRRI researchers link food availability and access as key factors influencing diet, nutrition, and health in rural food environments of low- and middle-income countries. This calls for interventions focused on reducing unhealthy food options and making nutritious foods more available and accessible.

Behind every meal is a food environment—homes, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods —spaces where various factors interplay and shape one’s dietary habits. In the rural areas of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where 43% of the global population lives, research on food environments remains overlooked, but understanding them can be key to developing effective strategies to improve public health and combat all forms of malnutrition.

Dr. Samira Choudhury, an agricultural economist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), spearheaded a comprehensive review synthesizing research studies that link LMICs’ rural food environments to diet, nutrition, and health outcomes. This review involved 19 studies across 11 countries, including China, Mexico, the Caribbean, Thailand​, Namibia​, South Africa, Myanmar​, Kenya​, India, Vietnam, and Uganda​. It provided IRRI researchers with valuable insights on how rural food environments can be improved to enhance public health nutrition.