Research

Research Priorities: Agricultural policy, origins of and measures against hunger, global food security, bioeconomy, sustainable resource use

Joachim von Braun is an agricultural economist. He focuses on agricultural policy, the economics of famine as well as the analysis of global sustenance. He researches way to sustainably feed the world population. With his work, he contributes to the improvement of global food security and thereby contributes to the fight against hunger and poverty.

How does hunger and under-nutrition develop and how can it be sustainably overcome? This is the central research question of Joachim von Braun. He studies the relation between hunger and poverty. At the same time, he is interested in strategies to feed the world without burdening the environment. In this context, questions of economic development, global trade, and technological innovations are of importance.

Joachim von Braun investigates concepts for systemic transformation toward a sustainable economy, especially bioeconomy. By transforming interconnected supply chains and applying ecofriendly innovations, and science, bioeconomy seeks to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. It aims to efficiently employ biological resources such as microorganisms and plants, as well as new biochemical processes to this end. The concept encompasses conservation, sustainable consumption and food production. Further aspects of his research are the transformation of subsistence agriculture, and the connection of poverty and soil degradation.

Joachim von Braun was the spokesperson of various world food summits. He advises charitable foundations and organisations as well as the United Nations and the federal German government. Since 2017, he is the president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

Career

• since 2019 Distinguished Professor Economic and Technological Change, Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
• 2009-2021 Director, ZEF, and Co-Chair, Section “Innovation and Technology for a Sustainable Future”, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
• 2002-2009 Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington D.C., USA
• 1997-2002 Director, ZEF, and Chair of Department and Professor of Economics and Technical Change, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
• 1993-1997 Professor of Food Economics, Food Policy, and World Food Issues, Director, Institute for Food Economics and Consumer Analysis, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
• 1990-1993 Director, Food Consumption and Nutrition Policy Division am International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington D.C., USA
• 1983 Habilitation in Agricultural Economics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
• 1978 Promotion in Agricultural Economics (Dr. sc. agr.), Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
• 1975 Dipl.-Ing. Agriculture, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
• 1970-1975 Studies in Agricultural Sciences, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

Functions

• 2019-2022 Co-Chair, Transdisciplinary Research Area “Innovation and Technology for a Sustainable Future”, Excellence Initiative, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
• 2019-2021 Chair, Scientific Group to advise the Secretary General on the UN Food System Summit 2021, United Nations
• since 2017 President, Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Vatican City, Vatican
• since 2017 Member, Board of Trustees, Robert Bosch Foundation, Stuttgart, Germany
• since 2017 Co-Chair, Malabo Montpellier Panels on African Food, Nutrition, Agriculture
• since 2015 Member, Board, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
• since 2014 Associate Editor, Science Advances
• 2013-2019 Vice-Chair, Board, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
• since 2012 Vice-President, Deutsche Welthungerhilfe, Germany
• 2014-2019 Chair, Federal Bioeconomy Council (“Bioökonomierat der Bundesregierung”), Federal Government of Germany, Germany
• 2011-2017 Member, Board for Program Evaluations, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Berlin, Germany
• 2010-2013 Member, Academic Advisory Board, Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change Research, European Union (EU)
• 2010-2013 Member, Advisory Group for Global Agricultural Development Initiative, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Chicago, USA
• since 2009 Member, Editorial Board, Food Security Journal
• since 2005 Member, Editorial Board, economics
• since 2005 Member, Board of Academic Advisors, Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy, Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), China
• 2000-2003 President, International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE)
• Advisory activities: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA, Federal Parliament of Germany, Federal Government of Germany, Commission of the European Union, World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP) and United Nations (UN)

Honours and Memberships

• 2019 One World Medal in Gold (“EINEWELT-Medaille in Gold”), Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Federal German Government, Germany
• since 2018 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
• 2017 Theodor Brinkmann Award, Theodor Brinkmann Foundation, Bonn, Germany
• 2016 Marsilius Medal, Marsilius College, Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
• since 2014 Associate Fellow, African Academy of Sciences
• since 2012 Member, Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Vatican City, Vatican
• 2011 Justus von Liebig Award for World Nutrition, Fiat Panis Foundation, Ulm, Germany
• since 2011 Member, acatech – National Academy of Science and Technology, Germany
• since 2010 Research Fellow, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn, Germany
• 2010 Lifetime Fellow, African Association of Agricultural Economists
• 2009 Bertebos Award Stockholm, Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, Sweden
• 2009 Liefetime Fellow, International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE)
• 2006 Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), USA
• 2005 Honorary Doctoral Degree for Agricultural Economics, Universität Stuttgart-Hohenheim, Stuttgart and Hohenheim, Germany
• 2004 Honorary Professorial Appointment, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing, , China
• since 1999 Member, Nordrhein-Westfälische Akademie der Wissenschaften und Künste, Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
• 1996 Elected Fellow, Development Economics Branch, Verein für Socialpolitik, Berlin, Germany
• 1988 Josef G. Knoll Research Award, Eiselen Foundation, Ulm, Germany
• 1978 Award for Doctoral Dissertation, German Labor Office (“Bundesanstalt für Arbeit”), Germany