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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

David Spielman

David Spielman is the director of IFPRI’s Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit and has been with the institute since 2004. His research agenda covers a range of topics including agriculture and rural development policy; agricultural science, technology, and innovation; plant genetic resources and seed systems; agricultural extension and advisory services; and community-driven rural development.

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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

Book Chapter

Agricultural policy: A global view

2026Anderson, Kym; Rausser, Gordon C.; Swinnen, Johan
Details

Agricultural policy: A global view

Year published

2026

Authors

Anderson, Kym; Rausser, Gordon C.; Swinnen, Johan

Citation

Anderson, K.; Rausser, G.; and Swinnen, Johan. 2026. Agricultural policy: A global view. In Encyclopedia of Agriculture and Food Systems, Third Edition. Volume 4, pp. 160-176. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-15976-3.00005-2

Keywords

Policies; Agricultural Policies; Market Structure

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-15976-3.00005-2 Source record

Record type

Book Chapter

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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

Resource thumbnail

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

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

Agricultural Insurance: Innovations, Policies, and Pathways to Scale
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

April 16, 2026, 11:00 – 12:30 pm

Agricultural Insurance: Innovations, Policies, and Pathways to Scale

Also streaming on 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. Farm households face numerous risks that can discourage investments and trap them in poverty. Insurance should be a useful tool to reduce these […]

Sustaining Momentum for Nutrition Financing in the Global Development Agenda
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

April 15, 2026, 10:00 – 11:00 am

Sustaining Momentum for Nutrition Financing in the Global Development Agenda

Also streaming on 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. Recognizing France’s tremendous leadership of the 2025 Nutrition for Growth Summit (N4G), IFPRI and the Forman lecture selection Committee are delighted to announce […]

Conflict in the Middle East: Reverberations for Food Systems
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

April 14, 2026, 9:00 – 10:30 am

Conflict in the Middle East: Reverberations for Food Systems

Also streaming on 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. While the global food system has largely adjusted to the disruptions in agricultural commodities and fertilizers following the invasion of Ukraine, the new […]

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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)