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With research staff from more than 70 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Danielle Resnick

Danielle Resnick is a Senior Research Fellow in the Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit and a Non-Resident Fellow in the Global Economy and Development Program at the Brookings Institution. Her research focuses on the political economy of agricultural policy and food systems, governance, and democratization, drawing on extensive fieldwork and policy engagement across Africa and South Asia.

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Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

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IFPRI currently has more than 480 employees working in over 70 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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Director General’s Office (DGO)

Johan Swinnen

Director General, IFPRI

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Bio

Johan Swinnen has served as the Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) since January 2020. He is Vice Chair of the Global Research Consortium on Economic Structural Transformation Steering Committee; Commissioner in the Food Systems Economics Commission; Governing Board Member of the World Agriculture Forum; Representative in the High-Level Executive Committee of the IPC; member of the Scientific Advisory Group for the EAT Stockholm Food Forum; and a member of the Champions 12.3 Leadership Group to Reduce Food Loss and Waste (SDG Target 12.3) and the Friends of the Alternative Proteins Steering Group.

Prior to joining IFPRI, Dr. Swinnen was a professor of economics and director of the LICOS Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance at KU Leuven (Belgium) and Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels.

Dr. Swinnen was a Lead Economist at the World Bank from 2003 to 2004 and economic adviser to the European Commission from 1998 to 2001. Over the course of his career, Dr. Swinnen has been a visiting professor at various universities, including at Stanford University’s Center on Food Security and the Environment, and a frequent adviser to institutions such as the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Dr. Swinnen earned his PhD from Cornell University (USA) and holds honorary doctorates from the University of Göttingen (Germany) and the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (Slovakia). He is a fellow of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association and the European Association of Agricultural Economists, and he served as President of the International Association of Agricultural Economists from 2012 to 2015.

Dr. Swinnen has published extensively on agricultural and food policies, international development, political economy, institutional reforms, trade, and global value chains, and his body of work has been widely cited. His recent book, The Political Economy of Agricultural and Food Policies (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018), received the Book Award from the European Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE). A co-authored paper on “Trade, Standards, and Poverty: Evidence from Senegal” received the 2023 Publication of Enduring Quality Award from the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA). His other books include Quality Standards, Value Chains and International Development (Cambridge University Press 2015); Political Power and Economic Policy: Theory and Empirical Applications (Cambridge University Press 2011); and From Marx and Mao to the Market: The Economics and Politics of Agricultural Transition (Oxford University Press 2006).

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Publications

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Cities and agricultural development

2025Steinhuebel-Rasheed, Linda; Christiaensen, Luc; Minten, Bart; Swinnen, Johan; Vandercasteelen, Joachim
Details

Cities and agricultural development

In recent decades, rapid urbanization in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has significantly affected agrifood systems and agricultural development. Innovations in transportation, storage, and value chains, as well as the expansion of nonfarm sectors, have transformed rural communities and reshaped agricultural production patterns. This review revisits the evolving link between cities and agriculture in LMICs, drawing on key theoretical frameworks and recent empirical findings. Three major pathways determining the interaction between urban centers and agricultural development emerge. First, transportation costs and access to urban markets continue to influence agricultural decision-making. Second, changing consumer preferences following urbanization and growing integration into global agrifood value chains drive lasting changes in local farming systems. Third, the expansion of urban nonfarm labor markets is shifting labor away from farms, with uncertain consequences for agricultural development. As a result, the empirical evidence is often context specific. JEL codes: J61, O18, Q12, Q15, R11, R14

Year published

2025

Authors

Steinhuebel-Rasheed, Linda; Christiaensen, Luc; Minten, Bart; Swinnen, Johan; Vandercasteelen, Joachim

Citation

Steinhuebel-Rasheed, Linda; Christiaensen, Luc; Minten, Bart; Swinnen, Johan; and Vandercasteelen, Joachim. 2025. Cities and agricultural development. Annual Review of Resource Economics 17: 15.1-15.21. Early publication first published online July 7, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-resource-101623-104546

Keywords

Agrifood Systems; Agricultural Development; Agricultural Value Chains; Livelihood Diversification; Urbanization; Transport

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-resource-101623-104546 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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Journal Article

Financing food systems in times of global disorder

2025Swinnen, Johan
Details

Financing food systems in times of global disorder

Global development financing is transforming alongside trade and political disruptions. We should focus on creating a more diverse and efficient food finance system, including repurposing public support and leveraging private investments, says Johan Swinnen. For full text of article see https://rdcu.be/eFev2

Year published

2025

Authors

Swinnen, Johan

Citation

Swinnen, Johan. 2025. Financing food systems in times of global disorder. Nature Food 6: 819-820. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01232-w

Keywords

Development; Economics; Finance; Food Systems; Investment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01232-w Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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Book

Global food policy report 2025: Food policy: Lessons and priorities for a changing world

2025Swinnen, Johan; Barrett, Christopher B.
Details

Global food policy report 2025: Food policy: Lessons and priorities for a changing world

Over the past 50 years, the world’s food systems have evolved tremendously amid major economic, environmental, and social changes. Throughout this period, policy research has played a critical role in providing evidence and analysis to inform decision-making that supports agricultural growth, better livelihoods, and improved food security, nutrition, and well-being for all. As a special edition marking the Institute’s 50th anniversary, the 2025 Global Food Policy Report examines the evolution and impact of food policy research and assesses how it can better equip policymakers to meet future challenges and opportunities. The report’s thematic and regional chapters, written by leading IFPRI researchers and colleagues, explore the broad range of issues and showcase research related to food systems, from tenure and agriculture extension to social protection, gender, and nutrition to conflict, political economy, and agricultural innovation, and more. As we approach 2050, policy research and analysis will be essential to help end poverty and malnutrition by building sustainable healthy food systems.

Year published

2025

Authors

Swinnen, Johan; Barrett, Christopher B.

Citation

Swinnen, Johan; and Barrett, Christopher B. (Eds.). 2025. Global food policy report 2025: Food policy: Lessons and priorities for a changing world. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174108

Keywords

Food Policies; Research; Food Systems

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Book

Blogs

Agrifood value chain finance can expand opportunities for smallholders
Issue Post
 | 
July 14, 2025

Agrifood value chain finance can expand opportunities for smallholders

By Alan de Brauw and Johan Swinnen

Building relationships between farmers, buyers, and lenders.

Financing healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems: Laying out options for action
Issue Post
 | 
June 30, 2025

Financing healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems: Laying out options for action

By Eugenio Diaz-Bonilla, Geeta Sethi, and Johan Swinnen

A new blog series.

Famine in Gaza
Issue Post
 | 
March 18, 2024

Famine in Gaza

By Rob Vos, Ismahane Elouafi, and Johan Swinnen

A new analysis shows a deteriorating situation.

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Events

Rooted in Biodiversity: Transforming Landscapes through Nature-Positive Agriculture
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

March 18, 2026, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Rooted in Biodiversity: Transforming Landscapes through Nature-Positive Agriculture

Please type your questions into the chat box with name, affiliation, and country. The event video, presenter slides, and podcast will be available in the days following the event. Agriculture is both a major driver of biodiversity loss and a crucial part of the solution. This seminar will present research and evidence underpinning the World […]

IFPRI @ Global Conference on Women in Agri-Food Systems (GCWAS-2026)
IFPRI at External Event

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March 12 to 14, 2026

IFPRI @ Global Conference on Women in Agri-Food Systems (GCWAS-2026)

IFPRI is pleased to be a co-organizer of the Global Conference on Women in Agrifood Systems (GCWAS 2026) that will be held in New Delhi, India from March 12-14, 2026. The Global Conference on Women in Agrifood Systems (GCWAS 2026) will bring together diverse stakeholders, including women leaders, scientists, entrepreneurs, farmers, and students, to share […]

IFPRI @ Future of Food Summit
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

February 10, 2026, 9:00 – 6:15 pm

IFPRI @ Future of Food Summit

IFPRI’s Director General, Johan Swinnen, is pleased to participate in the 2026 Future of Food Summit, which will be held in London on February 10, 2026. In 2026 Economist Impact’s inaugural Future of Food Summit will focus on the economics of food-system transformation. It will connect food-industry leaders and agricultural stakeholders with agri-tech innovators, financial […]

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News

February 18, 2026 | Statement

Commitment to a Sustainable Evidence Infrastructure for Impact Evaluations

International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), Center for Effective Global Action, Center for Open Science, IDinsight, International Food Policy Research Institute and Policy Innovation Research Center are joining forces to launch the Sustainable Evidence Infrastructure Commitment to strengthen how evidence is produced, reported, shared and synthesized.  

February 04, 2026 | Press Release

IFPRI and CIMMYT accelerate joint research for food security and greater global impact 

Joint research priorities focus on scaling innovations in agronomy, mechanization, crop breeding, and nutrition, alongside improved methods in impact evaluation, market, and policy analysis.

September 23, 2025 | Press Release

SAARC Agriculture Centre and IFPRI sign MoU to strengthen food and agriculture cooperation in South Asia

The MoU was signed today by Secretary General of SAARC and Director General of IFPRI at the margins of the UN General Assembly this week in New York.

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Research

Awards

  • 2021 AAEA Quality of Communication Award for his book with A4NH Director John McDermott, COVID-19 and global food security.
  • 2018-2021 IAAE Honorary Life Members Award
  • 2019 Book Award from the European Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE) for his book “The Political Economy of Agricultural and Food Policies (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018).”
  • Honorary Doctorate, University of Göttingen, 2017
  • Outstanding Article in Applied Economic Policy and Perspectives 2015 (Best AEPP paper in 2015 awarded by AAEA)
  • President, International Association of Agricultural Economists, 2012–2015
  • Quality of Policy Communication Award of the European Association of Agricultural Economics, 2014 (with Kym Anderson and Gordon Rausser for paper “Political Economy of Public Policies: Insights from Distortions to Agricultural and Food Markets”, in Journal of Economic Literature)
  • Methusalem Research Award 2015–2023 (for the KU Leuven’s most distinguished researchers)
  • President-elect, International Association of Agricultural Economists, 2009–2012
  • Honorary Doctorate, University of Nitra, 2012
  • Fellow of the American Association of Agricultural and Applied Economists, 2012
  • President, Beeronomics Society, 2011
  • Fellow of the European Association of Agricultural Economists, 2009
  • Methusalem Research Award 2008–2015 (for the KU Leuven’s most distinguished researchers)
  • Francqui Chair, University of Gent, 2009, KU Leuven Centre of Excellence Award 2005
  • Quality of Research Discovery Award of the American Agricultural Economics Association, 2004 (with Scott Rozelle for outstanding paper “Success and Failure of Reforms: Insights from the Transition of Agriculture” in Journal of Economic Literature)
  • International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium PhD Dissertation Award 1993 (for PhD thesis “Essays on the Political Economy of Agricultural Policies”)
  • G.F. Warren Award (for outstanding publication “A Positive Theory of Agricultural Protection”), Department of Agricultural Economics, Cornell University 1992
  • Michele Sicca Fellowship of the Cornell Western Societies Program 1990
  • Joyce Graduate Fellowship of the (US) National Agricultural Biotechnology Council 1989
  • Belgian American Educational Foundation Honorary Fellowship 1988
  • Dissertation Award of the Alumni Association of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, KU Leuven, 1985 (for MSc Dissertation)