Dikoda is a specialised network of researchers and technical experts united by a singular mission: applying nutrition evidence to create real-world impact through research and implementation. Our work bridges the critical gap between knowledge and action. We don’t just deliver reports; we train teams, build systems, and empower communities to maintain positive change long-term.
As a nimble organisation led by experienced researchers, we move quickly to address emerging nutrition challenges with innovative methodologies and practical solutions. Our approach combines academic rigour with implementation expertise, enabling us to bridge the gap between research findings and measurable improvements in community nutrition through practical on-the-ground support, policy design, and capacity-building.
Dr. Sophie Goudet, Managing Director
Dr. Goudet brings over two decades of international nutrition expertise to her leadership of Dikoda. As a researcher and technical advisor specialising in global nutrition challenges, she maintains an academic connection as a visiting fellow in Global Urban Nutrition at Loughborough University (UK).
Her comprehensive understanding of nutrition interventions in low and middle-income countries stems from extensive field experience across Asia and Africa, complemented by 12 years in senior management roles. Dr. Goudet’s academic credentials include a PhD (UK), MBA (USA), and MSc (France), as well as numerous published research papers that have advanced the field of applied nutrition science.
Our Global Team of Experts
Dikoda assembles exceptional researchers and technical specialists who combine academic excellence with practical field experience. Our team brings diverse perspectives to complex nutrition challenges, ensuring scientifically sound and contextually appropriate solutions.
Core Technical Capabilities
- Program Implementation Support: Providing hands-on technical assistance to convert research findings into effective interventions, from developing operational guidelines to training program staff.
- Policy Development, Analysis & Implementation: Crafting evidence-based nutrition policies that address systemic challenges while remaining implementable in resource-constrained settings.
- Urban Nutrition Expertise: Pioneering research and interventions that address the unique nutrition challenges of rapidly urbanising populations, with a special focus on maternal and child nutrition in urban contexts.
- WASH Integration Expertise: Designing and implementing integrated water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions are fundamental to nutrition improvement programs.
- Social Determinants Approach: Our approach systematically addresses the underlying causes of malnutrition through multi-sectoral programs that target social determinants, including gender norms, economic disparities, educational access, power dynamics, and cultural food practices. By understanding these complex interrelationships, we design interventions that create meaningful, sustainable change rather than temporary fixes.
- Research Design & Implementation: Designing methodologically rigorous studies that yield actionable insights, from community-level interventions to national nutrition surveys.
- Food Systems Approach: Analyzing entire food systems to identify high-impact intervention points that improve nutrition outcomes across production, distribution, and consumption.
- Multi-Stakeholder Coordination: Facilitating complex partnerships across sectors and borders to create aligned action on nutrition challenges.
- Capacity Building & Technical Training: Transferring knowledge, skills, and practical implementation expertise to local researchers and practitioners, ensuring sustainable impact beyond project timelines through hands-on mentoring and support.
Commitment to Gender Equity
Women comprise the majority of our research team. We actively prioritise opportunities for women junior researchers from low and middle-income countries, recognising that diverse research teams produce more comprehensive solutions to nutrition challenges.
Current Geographic Reach
Our teams currently collaborate with partners in Bangladesh, Fiji, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Myanmar, the Philippines, PNG, and Vanuatu—with ongoing expansion to address nutrition challenges wherever they emerge.
Equitable Research Partnerships at Dikoda
Dikoda champions equitable partnerships that recognise and value local knowledge as essential to creating effective nutrition solutions. This commitment led us to adopt the Trust Code, a Global Code of Conduct for Equitable Research Partnerships, which guides how we collaborate across borders and cultures. We ensure research questions reflect local priorities, methodologies respect cultural contexts, and findings benefit the communities where data is collected. Building genuine two-way partnerships with researchers in low and middle-income countries produces more relevant, ethical, and impactful nutrition research.
At Dikoda, we believe in equitable research partnerships and we strongly oppose double standards in research. We have therefore adopted the Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings.
Our Team
Amal A. Abed
Nutrition, WASH, health education, and MEAL program and research expert
Dr Sophie Goudet
Managing director
Join Our Team of Experts!
We regularly seek talented professionals who are passionate about the impact of nutrition. Our opportunities include roles for nutritionists, public health specialists, food security researchers, urban planners, data analysts, and spatial mapping experts.
Who We Serve
We partner with international development organisations to tackle complex nutrition challenges across Asia and the Pacific. Our clients include UN agencies, government ministries, NGOs, and private-sector partners who need reliable evidence to drive effective programs.
Organisations choose Dikoda when they face:
- Unreliable or insufficient nutrition data
- Methodological weaknesses in research design
- Difficulty demonstrating measurable impact on nutrition outcomes
Our ideal partners value rigorous evidence but also need practical, timely solutions. We cut through the complexity, delivering actionable insights and specialised expertise. We’re your partner in overcoming challenges and achieving lasting impact.
Global Reach, Local Understanding
Dikoda Ltd is headquartered in London (UK) and has an expanding presence across Asia, Africa, and the Pacific with a regional office located in Fiji. While providing global expertise, we invest in building local research teams that understand regional contexts and cultural nuances essential for effective nutrition interventions.
Our Strategic Expansion Priorities:
- Building our Africa regional presence with local nutrition researchers
- Establishing specialised country teams that combine international standards with contextual knowledge
- Developing innovative research tools and approaches tailored to regional public health challenges
Our model ensures that clients benefit from world-class methodological expertise and deep local insights that make nutrition solutions effective.
Global Impact: Our Research in Action
- Operating in 23 countries in Asia, Africa and Pacific
