Academic Qualifications:
- MPH. Public Health (Nutrition), University of Queensland, Australia.
- B. Agric Sc. University of Zambia
Lukonde is currently working as a Lecturer/researcher at the University of Zambia in the School of Agricultural Sciences teaching public health and nutrition courses to undergraduate students. She has more than eight years of experience in academic and research activities centered around public health nutrition, agriculture and food securityPrior to her appointment as Lecturer, Lukonde started out her career in public health nutrition working as a research assistant involved in several surveys for organizations such as International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC). She has also participated as a co-trainer in community health worker trainings on growth monitoring, Infant and young child Feeding (IYCF). Her academic career started in 2015 in the Department of Food Science and Nutriton where she has since been involved in teaching, research, consultancy and public service.
Research interests lie in understanding how food systems operate and how the performance of food systems is linked to nutrition outcomes, specifically on how food systems and sustainable agriculture in general, can sustainably contribute to improving food and nutrition security of vulnerable groups and populations.
On-going Research
- Co-researcher, Impact Evaluation of Large Scale Agricultural Investments by Amatheon Agri on the Minimum Dietary Diversity of Women in Mumbwa and Chibombo districts, Zambia. Funding partner: German Development Institute (DIE) 2018 – to date.
- Co-researcher, Impact of the Farmer Input Support Policy on Agricultural Production Diversity and Dietary Diversity in Zambia. Funding partner: African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), 2017 – to date.
- HealthyFoodAfrica (HFA) project (2020 – 2024). A European Union (EU) funded project aimed at 'Improving nutrition in Africa by strengthening diversity, sustainability, resilience and connectivity of food systems.' UNZA is leading on thematic work package 4 on ‘Developing Post-harvest technologies to improve food safety, and minimize food loss and waste’. Collaborating partners include: Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Council for Scientific & Industrial Research, Ghana (CSIR), African Population & Health Research Centre Kenya (APHRC), Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), University of Helsinki, Finland (UH), Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia (BDU), University of Makerere, Uganda (MAK), University of Zambia (UNZA), University of Pisa, Italy (UNIPI), University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin (UAC), Aeres University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands, Hivos, Finn Church Aid (FCA), Centre for Initiatives on Food Security and Environment (GIFSE), Mentes Visiveis Lda (MV) and House of Böna Ltd.
- USAID funded project Comparing Data Collection Methods to Estimate Minimum Dietary Diversity for Children 6 to 23 Months of Age in Zambia and Cambodia. (2022)
Selected Publications
- Kuntashula, E. and Mwelwa-Zgambo, L., 2022. Impact of the farmer input support policy on agricultural production diversity and dietary diversity in Zambia. Food Policy, p.102329.
- Nyau, V., Mwelwa-Zgambo, L., Chirwa-Moonga, T., Nthani, D., Prakash, S., Rodrigues, J. and Farrant, J., 2021. Some Nutritional and Physical Properties of Different Zambian Market Classes of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea). Journal of Food Research, 9(1), pp.1-34.
