Our Publications

Our research team provides trusted, independent analysis that practitioners and policymakers can rely on.

Our research publications provide at best independent, evidence-based analysis and recommendations to help academic institutions, practitioners, policymakers and national leaders tackle global challenges.

Refereed Journal Articles

Kiplagat, J., Owuor, P. M., Gokiert, R., & Onyango, E. (2025). An Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis (IBPA) of Post-Pandemic Recovery Policies: Experiences of Women Informal Food Vendors in Kisumu City, Kenya. Sustainability, 18(1), 334.

Owuor, P. M., Odhiambo, S. A., Orero, W. O., & Onyango, E. O. (2025). Exploring Sustainable Livelihoods Through Pierre Bourdieu’s Theory of Capital: A Strategy to Reduce Vulnerability Among Young Adults with HIV in Kisumu, Kenya. World, 6(4), 163.

Otoadese, D., Kamara, I., & Onyango, E. (2025). Growing roots: the role of collective community gardening in cultural food insecurity and social integration of African immigrants in Alberta, Canada. BMC Public Health, 25(1), 1-16.

Otoadese, D., Kamara, I., & Onyango, E. (2025). Barriers and Facilitators to Engagement in Collective Gardening Among Black African Immigrants in Alberta, Canada. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(5), 789.

Owuor, P. M., Obondo, D., Nyagol, H., Orero, W. O., Owuor, J. A., Odhiambo, S. A., ... & Onyango, E. O. (2025). Exploring the consequences of housing insecurity on HIV treatment outcomes: Qualitative insights from Kisumu, Kenya. Global Public Health, 20(1), 2489717.

Onyango, E. O., Crush, J., & Owuor, S. Food Insecurity and Dietary Deprivation: Rural-Urban Migrant Households. New Directions in South-South Migration, 209.

Owuor, P. M., Odhiambo, S. A., Orero, W. O., Owuor, J. A., & Onyango, E. O. (2025). Overcoming structural violence through community-based safe-spaces: Qualitative insights from young women on oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Kisumu, Kenya. PLOS Global Public Health, 5(2), e0004220. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004220

Owuor, P. M., Obondo, D., Nyagol, H., Orero, W. O., Owuor, J. A., Odhiambo, S. A., Boateng, G., and Onyango, E. O. (2025). Exploring the consequences of housing insecurity on HIV treatment outcomes: Qualitative insights from Kisumu, Kenya. Global Public Health, 20(1), 2489717.

Onyango, E., Mori, K., Jirel, B., & Otoadese, D. (2025). The food (in) security and mental health nexus in high-risk immigrant populations in middle-and high-income countries: A scoping review. Social Science & Medicine, 118185.

Onyango, E., Mori, K., Fernandez, S., Seyyedin, B., Chinedu-Asogwa, N., & Kapfunde, D. (2025). Cultural relevance of food security initiatives and the associated impacts on the cultural identity of immigrants in Canada: A scoping review of food insecurity literature. Wellbeing, Space and Society, 100269.

Onyango, E., Otoadese, D., Mori, K., Chinedu-Asogwa, N., Kiplagat, J., & Jirel, B. (2025). Exploring neighborhood transformations and community gardens to meet the cultural food needs of immigrants and refugees: A scoping review. Health & Place, 92, 103433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2025.103433

Ahmed, Z., Crush, J., Owuor, S., & Onyango, E. O. (2024). Disparities and determinants of Somali refugee food security in Nairobi, Kenya. Global Food Security, 43, 100808. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2024.100808

Onyango, E., Olukotun, M., Olanrewaju, F., Kapfunde, D. C., Chinedu-Asogwa, N., & Salami, B. (2024). Transnationalism and Hegemonic Masculinity: Experiences of Gender-Based Violence among African Women Immigrants in Canada.

Mori, K., & Onyango, E. O. (2023). Intersections of race, COVID-19 pandemic, and food security in Black identifying Canadian households: A scoping review. Canadian Food Studies/La Revue canadienne des études sur l'alimentation, 10(3), 3-34.

Onyango, E. O. & Elliott S. J. (2023). Are we afraid of being alone? Victims or perpetrators, agency, and politics of intimate partner violence in the social construction of health and wellbeing. Sexual Reproductive and Health Matter Journal.

Onyango, E. O., Owusu, B., and Crush, J. (2023). COVID-19 and Urban Food Security in Ghana during the Third Wave. Land, 12(2), 504. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020504

Onyango, E. O., Crush, J. S., & Owuor, S. (2023). Food Insecurity and Dietary Deprivation: Migrant Households in Nairobi, Kenya. Nutrients, 15(5), 1215. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15051215

Onyango, E. O., & Elliott, S. J. (2022). Traversing the geographies of displacement, livelihoods, and embodied health and wellbeing of senior women in Kenya. Wellbeing, Space, and Society Journal, 3, 100110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wss.2022.100110

Onyango, E. O., Crush, J., & Owuor, S. (2021). Preparing for COVID-19: Household food insecurity and vulnerability to shocks in Nairobi, Kenya. Plos one, 16(11), e0259139. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259139

Onyango, E. O., Crush, J., & Owuor, S. (2021). Migration, Rural–Urban Connectivity, and Food Remittances in Kenya. Environments, 8(9), 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments8090092

Onyango, E. O., & Elliott, S. J. (2020). Bleeding Bodies, Untrustworthy Bodies: A Social Constructionist Approach to Health and Wellbeing of Young People in Kenya. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(20), 7555. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207555

Onyango E. O. & Kangmennaang, J., 2020. Wellbeing in Place. In: Kobayashi, A. (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, 2nd edition. vol. 14, Elsevier, pp. 265–272. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102295-5.10443-3 ISBN: 9780081022955.

Kangmennaang, J., Onyango, E. O., Luginaah, I., & Elliott, S. J. (2018). The next Sub-Saharan African epidemic? A case study of the determinants of cervical cancer knowledge and screening in Kenya. Social Science & Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.12.013

Kujinga, P., Galetti, V., Onyango, E. O., Jakab, V., Buerkli, S., Andang’o, P., Brouwer, I.D., Zimmerman, M.B. and Moretti, D. (2018). Effectiveness of zinc-fortified water on zinc intake, status, and morbidity in Kenyan pre-school children: a randomized controlled trial. Public health nutrition, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980018001441.

Kujunga, P., Borgonjen-van den Berg, K.J., Superchi, C., Ten Hove, H.J., Onyango, E.O., Andang'o, P., Galetti, V., Zimmerman, M.B., Morettie, D., Brouwer, I.D. (2017). Combining food-based dietary recommendations using Optifood with zinc fortified water potentially improves nutrient adequacy among 4- to 6-year-old children in Kisumu West district, Kenya. Maternal & child nutrition, 14(2), e12515. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12515

Book Chapters (Refereed)

Onyango, E. O., Crush, J., & Owuor, S. (2025). Food Insecurity and Dietary Deprivation: Rural–Urban Migrant Households in Kenya. In New Directions in South-South Migration (pp. 209-243). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.

Ramachandran, S., Crush, J., Tawodzera, G., & Onyango, E. O. (2024). Pandemic precarity, crisis-living, and food insecurity: female Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa. In Research Handbook on Migration, Gender, and COVID-19 (pp. 180-195). Edward Elgar Publishing.

Ahmed, Z., Crush, J., Owuor, S. and Onyango, E. (2024). Refugee Migration and Urban Food Security: Somali Migrants in Nairobi, Kenya. MiFood Paper No. 21, Waterloo. 1-13, chromeextension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://mifood.org/wpcontent/uploads/2024/05/MiFOOD21.pdf

Ramachandra, S., Crush, J., Tawodzera, G. and Onyango, E. (2022). Pandemic food precarity, crisis-living and translocality: Zimbabwean migrant households in South Africa during COVID-19. South African Migration Programme (SAMP), International Migration Research Centre, Balsillie School of International Affairs, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. https://samponline.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SAMP85.pdf

Onyango E. O. (2021). Managing livelihood in displacement: The politics of landownership, food security, and embodied health and wellbeing by senior women in Kenya. In Gender Climate Change and Livelihoods. Publisher: CABI https://www.cabi.org/what-we-do/publishing/.

Research & Technical Reports

Odhiambo, S. A., Owuor, P. M., Obondo, D., Onyango, J. A., Kiplagat, J., and Onyango, E. (2025). Informal Female Food Vendors, COVID-19, and Post-Pandemic Recovery in Kisumu, Kenya. Migration & Food Security (MiFOOD) Discussion Paper No. 38. Series Edited by Ramachandran, S. and Crush, J. Waterloo, Ontario, CA.

Onyango, E. O. and Olukotun, M. (2024). Alternative masculinity and gender-based violence and Gender-Based Violence among African Immigrants: Perspectives of immigrants and Service Providers from Immigrant Service Organizations in Canada. WAGE, Canada

Onyango, E. (September, 2023). Cultural food security for immigrant populations in Canada. In Janell Uden. Community Matters: Food and Food Security. Edmonton Social Planning Council. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/September-2023-Community-Matters.pdf

Onyango, E., Crush, J. and Owuor, S. (2021). Urban Food Security and Household shocks in Nairobi, Kenya. HCP Discussion Paper No. 47, Waterloo

Onyango, E.O (2020). Life skills for program girls: The Nigeria WAY learning agenda series. Mennonite Economic Development Associate (MEDA), Waterloo, ON.

Onyango, E.O (2020). A rapid assessment of the impacts COVID-19 on women-led savings and loaning groups and gendered implications on household and business decision making. MEDA, Waterloo, ON.

Media Communication and Podcasts

Bridges: Migration, Community and Impact. Toronto Metropolitan University, Concodia University, University of Alberta, and University of British Columbia. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.torontomu.ca/content/dam/bridging-divides/documents/magazine/Bridges_Magazine_Issue1.pdf

People Strategy, The QUAD, University of Alberta- https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/2024/10/the-faces-of-people-strategy.html

This episode: Episode 152 – Food Sustains Thriving Communities, features other local Edmonton Food Stakeholders including Elizabeth Onyango from the University of Alberta, Celia Luo from Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative, and Renee Vaugeois from the John Humphrey Centre.

Folio publication by Gillian Rutherford (February 27, 2023). https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2023/02/researcher-seeks-community-driven-solutions-to-food-insecurity.html

Canadian Press – CBC News (April 10, 2023). To meet demand from newcomers, Alberta Food Banks are bringing new diversity to grocery hampers. https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2023/02/researcher-seeks-community-driven-solutions-to-food-insecurity.html

CONFERENCE PRESENTATION

Onyango Elizabeth, Owuor, Patrick, Godfred Boateng’. (Nov 19-23, 2025). Measuring cultural food insecurity for culturally responsive food security interventions: What do we know and what matters? American Anthropological Association Conference (https://americananthro.org/annual-meeting/). New Orleans, LA, USA.

Onyango Elizabeth, Owuor, Patrick, Godfred Boateng’. (Nov 19-23, 2025). Criminalization of food and geographies of engagement in community-led initiatives for food secure ethno-cultural communities in Canada. American Anthropological Association Conference (https://americananthro.org/annual-meeting/). New Orleans, LA, USA.

Joyce Kiplagat, Owuor Patrick, Rebecca Gokiert, and Onyango Elizabeth, (Oct, 2025). Gendered lessons from post-COVID-19 recovery in Kenya’s informal food sector: A case study of Kisumu City, Kenya. Canadian Association of Global Health Conference (https://cagh-acsm.org/ccgh/). Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Onyango Elizabeth, Owuor, Patrick, Janet Onyango, Odhiambo, Silvia. (Oct, 2025). Female informal food vendors and their role in urban household food security in times of emergency: Qualitative insights from Kisumu, Kenya. Canadian Association of Global Health Conference (https://cagh-acsm.org/ccgh/). Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Onyango Elizabeth, Owuor, Patrick, Godfred Boateng’. (Oct, 2025). Measuring cultural food insecurity for culturally responsive food security interventions: What do we know and what matters? Canadian Association of Global Health Conference (https://cagh-acsm.org/ccgh/). Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Onyango Elizabeth, (August 3-9, 2025). MiFOOD Network Research and Writing Workshop. Presented my research work on “Food Vendors as Caregivers and Supporters of Urban Household Livelihoods in Times of Emergency: The COVID-19 Pandemic Experiences of Women Vendors in Kisumu, Kenya”.

Onyango Elizabeth, (August 3-9, 2025). MiFOOD Network Research and Writing Workshop. Facilitated Photovoice Training workshops for the research team to build the teams’ qualitative research expertise and skills.

Onyango Elizabeth, (June 17-18, 2025). Invited Panelist – Prairies Gathering by Community Food Centres Canada, Calgary, Canada. https://www.eventleaf.com/e/PrairiesGathering

Onyango Elizabeth, (July 31st -August 1st, 2025). Invited Pannelist Speaker – 4th Annual Canadian Black Scientists Network – Be-STEM Conference held at University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada. https://blackscientists.ca/be-stemm-2025-conference/

Onyango Elizabeth, (2025). Keynote Speaker – Annual General Meeting, Sinkunia Community Development Organization, Edmonton, Alberta. March 22, 2025.

Onyango Elizabeth, (2025). Keynote Speaker – 1st Annual Gala Dinner for the Campus Food Bank, University of Alberta. Speech on: “Together in THIS: Cultural food insecurity in our communities and why these matters”

Onyango Elizabeth (2025), Session Chair at Society for Applied Anthropology 85th Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon, USA. Session Title: Migration & Resillience. https://appliedanthro.org/online-program/

Onyango Elizabeth & Keziah Ann Catacutan (March 26, 2025). Comfort food or confort in food: Revealing Ethnic Food Access Concerns and its Implications on Engagement of Immigrant food security initatives. Society for Applied Anthropology Conference (SfAA) 85th Annual Conference in Portland Oregon, USA. https://appliedanthro.org/online-program/

Odhiambo, S. A., Onyango, E., Owuor, P. M, Kiplagat, J., and Obondo, D. (March 28, 2025). The consequences of COVID-19 on urban informal female food vendors: Experiences from post-pandemic recovery strategies among women in Kisumu City, Kenya. Society for Applied Anthropology Conference (SfAA) 85th Annual Conference in Portland Oregon, USA. https://appliedanthro.org/online-program/

Onyango Elizabeth & Onyango, J. A. (March 28, 2025). The role of female vendors in the informal food economy of secondary cities in the developing countries: Qualitative insights from Kisumu City, Kenya. Society for Applied Anthropology Conference (SfAA) 85th Annual Conference in Portland Oregon, USA. https://appliedanthro.org/online-program/

Onyango Elizabeth (February 28, 2025). Panel Discussion in commemoration of Black History Month. Diversity and Inclusion Action Group, School of Public Health, University of Alberta. https://www.ualberta.ca/en/public-health/about/diversity-and-inclusion.html

Onyango Elizabeth (2025). Gender differences in remittances and urban household food insecurity in Nairobi, Kenya. R2 Project Inception Workshop held in Cape Town, South Africa. https://hungrycities.net/r2-project-inception-workshop-held-in-cape-town-explores-remittances-food-security-and-climate-resilience/

Destiny Otoadese and Elizabeth Onyango. (2024). Growing roots: The role of collective gardening in cultural food security and social integration of immigrants. American Anthropological Association 2024 Annual Meeting, United States of America. https://americananthro.org/event/2024-aaa-annual-meeting-praxis/

Patrick Mbullo Owuor, Hellen Nyagol, Doreen Obondo, Wickliffe Orero, Godfred Boateng, Judith Owuor, Destiny Otoadese, and Elizabeth Onyango. (2024). Structural interventions to HIV programming: Why food and housing insecurity should be core in addressing the HIV challenge in poor resource settings. American Anthropological Association 2024 Annual Meeting, United States of America. https://americananthro.org/event/2024-aaa-annual-meeting-praxis/

Onyango Elizabeth, Keji Mori, Celiah Luo, and Yvonne Chiu. (2024). Cultural Food Security in Diverse Ethnocultural Communities: A Persona Story of a Refugee Immigrant in Canada. Canadian Conference on Global Health, Canada. https://cagh-acsm.org/en/events/2024-canadian-conference-global-health-0

Elizabeth Onyango, Mary Olukotun, Faith Olanrewaju, Nkechinyere Chinedu-Asogwa, Bukola Salami. (2024). Transnationalism and hegemonic masculinity: Experiences of gender-based violence among African women immigrants in Canada. Canadian Conference on Global Health, Canada. (Poster Presentation) https://cagh-acsm.org/en/events/2024-canadian-conference-global-health-0

Elizabeth Onyango, Mary Olukotun; Faith Olanrewaju, Nkechinyere Chinedu-Asogwa, Bukola Salami. (2024). Transnationalism and hegemonic masculinity: Experiences of gender-based violence among African women immigrants in Canada. Canadian Ethnic Studies Association 2024 Biennial Conference, Canada. https://cesa-scee.ca/2024-conference/

Elizabeth Onyango, Keji Mori, and Habeebah Adeladan. (2024). Engagement of African immigrants in municipal and community initiatives to address food insecurity in Alberta, Canada. Canadian Ethnic Studies Association 2024 Biennial Conference, Canada. https://cesa-scee.ca/2024-conference/

Otoadese, D & Onyango, E. (November 16, 2024). Collective Community Gardening for Food Security and Integration of African Immigrants in Edmonton, Alberta. Canadian Ethnic Studies Association 2024 Biennial Conference, Canada. https://cesa-scee.ca/2024-conference/

Onyango, E, (2024). Keynote Speaker – Inception & Inauguration Workshop of Mama K Ethnic Food Processing Centre. Title of my talk: Together in THIS: Addressing Cultural Food Insecurity through Local Initiatives. October 12, 2024 at Terwilliger Recreation Centre, Edmonton, Alberta

Onyango, E & Kiplagat, J. (2024) A Gendered Analysis of the role of Women-led Informal Food Businesses in urban household food security and well-being of urban dwellers Kisumu City, Kenya. MiFOOD Network Virtual Conferences. 2024-03-20.

Onyango, E. A Qualitative study of housing insecurity and HIV treatment outcomes among people living with HIV in Kisumu, Kenya. Society for Applied Anthropology 84th Annual Meeting, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. 2024-03-28.

Onyango, E (2024). Keynote Speaker - Pathways to Inclusion Conference in Calgary, Alberta. 2024-04-25.Cultural food security and integration of immigrants: The experiences from immigrant serving CBOs.

Onyango, E. Session chair (PANEL 5 - Including the Black Community Lived Experiences into Academic Pedagogies) – Pan-African Symposium: Decolonizing the University Curriculum. University of Alberta. 2024-02-28.

Onyango, E. (January 18, 2024). Engaged Scholarship in Food Security Research: A CBPR Approach. Guest Speaker in SPH 602, U of Alberta. I facilitated the class on January 18, 2024 for the first half of the class (1.5hrs). My presentation focused on engaged Scholarships in Food Security Research and the CBPR Approach in engaged public health practice."

Onyango, E. O. (20th November 2023). Hunger happens here: The current food security situation in Edmonton. Speaking to Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW), Edmonton

Onyango, E. O. (18th September, 2023). Guest speaker - Demography & Global Health. (Global Health Class, University of Alberta.

Onyango, E. O. (21st February 2023). COVID-19 pandemic and food insecurity among African- Canadian Identified households in Waterloo, Ontario. Presentation to the Faculty staff meeting, School of Public Health in celebration of the Black History Month.

Onyango, E. O. (16th February 2023). Community Engagement in Health/Wellbeing and Food Security Research. Guest Speaker in a PhD. Class, Engaged Scholarships, School of Public Health, University of Alberta.

Onyango, E. O. (9th February 2023). Amplifying Equity Through Food Security Research in Canada: A Community-Based Approach. Speaker at Glenora Rotary Club Fellowship Meeting.

Onyango, E. O. (28th January 2023). Marginalization and household food insecurity in Canada: Are there opportunities for optimism? Speaker at Optimists Club Fellowship Meeting at St. Albert, Alberta.

Onyango, E. O., Oba, F., and Crush, J. Afrocentrism and an eco-social approach in exploration of food insecurity experiences of racialized populations in Ontario, Canada. Canadian Conference for Global Health Research Conference (21st – 23rd November, 2022), Toronto, Canada. (Abstract accepted for paper presentation).

Onyango, E. O. (15th November, 2022). Delicate bodies at risk of soiling themselves : Menstrual hygiene management in LMICs. United Nations University – Institute for Water and Environmental Health, Water Without Boarders Programme.

Onyango, E. O. (15th September, 2022). Food (in)security of migrant households in Canada : Opportunities and challenges for community initiatives post-pandemic. Presentation to the Community University Partnership, Steering Committee Meeting, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.

Onyango, E. O., & Elliott S. J. (2019). Are we afraid of being alone? The politics of gender-based violence – health and wellbeing of middle-aged Kenyans. Canadian Association of Geographers Conference, (27th – 31st May), University of Winnipeg, MN, Canada.

Onyango, E. O. (2019). Principles for global health research: Promoting equity informed choices through research in Kenya. “Hawks Think Global”: Global Health Awareness conference (23rd March). Invited Co-leader, Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research (CCGHR) Workshop at Global Health Awareness Laurier Initiative (GHALI) Conference, Wilfrid Laurier University, ON, Canada.

OUR PROJECTS

Our project are designed to be solution oriented leading to evidence-based decision making and policy change.

Our Publications

Our research team provides trusted, independent analysis that practitioners and policymakers can rely on.

OUR PROJECTS

Opportunity

to work with

ACRES Research Lab