Ruth Hill joined IFPRI in January 2007. Ruth received a PhD in economics from the University of Oxford in 2005. Her thesis examined the impact of uncertainty on the welfare and production decisions coffee farmers in Uganda. As part of her doctoral research she also looked at the marketing behavior of farmers and coffee traders in the domestic coffee market in Uganda. Since receiving her PhD she has worked for the Centre for the Study of African Economies at the University of Oxford, and for the Rural Development and Research Departments at the World Bank. During this time she worked on the development of crop markets and rural institutions in Benin, Malawi, India and Laos. For details on current research and publications visit her personal webpage: ruth.vargashill.googlepages.com