Seattle, Washington, United States
Working towards a dream to revolutionize access to healthy diets, unleash a wave of sustainable interventions in agriculture, and radically alter the way we think about, monitor, and empower our food systems to serve all. Kristina Sokourenko is a Research Consultant, specializing in food systems approaches with a focus on culturally-sensitive dietary assessment methods and monitoring access to healthy diets. She currently partners with Global Diet Quality Project, the Food Prices for Nutrition team, and the Food Systems Dashboard. Previously, Kristina worked at Danone as a Culture & Engagement Manager, where she helped steer a portfolio of business transformation initiatives and employee consultations, supporting the engagement branch and change management strategy of the company. In the past, she has worked with the World Food Programme in Armenia, the World Health Organization in Paris, and the UN Medical Services Division in New York. Kristina is currently pursuing her PhD in Global Development at Cornell University. She holds a Masters in Global Health & Public Affairs from SciencesPo, and a Masters in Bioethics from NYU – where she also completed her undergraduate studies in Anthropology and Environmental Science.
Leading a multi-institutional research initiative on Lagos’s small-scale fisheries and urban food security, integrating NBS-aligned diet and price monitoring, spatial mapping, and value-chain analysis to generate policy-relevant evidence for Nigerian government agencies and development partners. Co-leading research for FAO’s Committee on Agriculture (COAG) on nutrition–climate–biodiversity “nexus” solutions, developing global evidence standards and screening methodologies to guide country-level policy and investment decisions. Co-led two FAO-commissioned scoping reviews on the environmental and nutritional impacts of alternative proteins: Oversee a team of research assistants screening scientific literature and data on sustainability metrics and health implications of alternative proteins. Coordinate cross-institutional collaboration between Cornell University and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). Co-led on True Cost Accounting (TCA) for public food procurement: Developing tools for food vendors and government agencies to integrate environmental, social, and health-related costs into procurement decisions, enabling New York state agencies to recognize and address the broader impacts of food purchases and align procurement practices with sustainable and equitable food system goals. Taught and co-designed curriculum for Food Systems and Sustainable Development (GDEV 2300): Guide students from diverse disciplines in examining sustainable food systems, environmental impacts, and policy interventions. Facilitate collaborative, student-led research on actionable solutions for future food systems that prioritize resilience, equity, and sustainability.
The Global Diet Quality Project is a multi-stakeholder effort funded in part by GAIN, Harvard University, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and USAID. I serve as the West Africa, Eastern Europe & Central Asia Lead, providing technical expertise to adapt diet quality monitoring tools in 100+ countries, and enable surveying efforts by Gallup World Poll & DHS.
The Food Prices for Nutrition (FPN) project supports measurement of food system performance, to help bring healthy diets within reach of low-income people, and is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and UKAid. I provide technical assistance to government officials and other stakeholders interested in calculating the cost and affordability of healthy diets, with focus on Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Malawi, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Tanzania.
The Food Systems Dashboard brings together extant data for around 300 indicators to give users a complete view of food systems, including their drivers, components, and outcomes. I work to help decision-makers identify and prioritize changes across agriculture, supply chains, nutrition, and the environment by leading country engagement workshops, global learning labs, and designing communications to make FSD accessible to broader audiences while connecting it to the Food Systems Countdown Initiative (FSCI). Previously, I co-authored a report with GAIN and AGRA on African food systems, highlighting available data tools and key interventions.