Ayala Wineman

Ayala Wineman is a fixed-term Assistant Professor at Michigan State University's Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE), part of the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. She also serves as a Research Scientist at the Global Child Nutrition Foundation. Her work focuses on rural development, food security, agricultural land markets, and school feeding programs in sub-Saharan Africa and globally.

Dr. Wineman holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics from Michigan State University. Her research explores food systems transformation, nutrition policy, and the intersection of school feeding programs with agricultural development. Key projects include co-leading the Research Supporting African MSMEs to Provide Safe and Nutritious Food (RSM2SNF) initiative and contributing to programs like the Kenya Tegemeo Agricultural Policy Research and Analysis Project (TAPRA II).

Her work spans diverse regions including Nigeria, Malawi, Tanzania, and Kenya, addressing challenges such as food safety, market dynamics, and policy environments for large-scale food fortification. Recent projects include rapid reconnaissance studies of Nigeria's fish and vegetable value chains and assessments of stakeholder perceptions in Tanzania.

Dr. Wineman has contributed to the Global Diet Quality Score framework and the Global Survey of School Meal Programs, emphasizing actionable metrics for food systems management. She has also engaged in policy-oriented initiatives like the Tough Questions in International Development webinar series.

Notable collaborations include the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research and the MwAPATA Institute. Her research highlights linkages between agricultural transformation, land markets, and nutritional outcomes, with a focus on equitable development strategies.