Food Demand, Natural Resources, and Nature (PDF) 2014
Director
Center for Development Research (ZEF)
University of Bonn
Professor, Economics and Technological Change
Walter Flex Str. 3
D 53113 Bonn (Germany)
Ordinary Academicians
Date of birth 10 July 1950
Place Brakel, Germany (Europe)
Nomination 27 September 2012 (President of the PAS since 13 June 2017)
Field Food, Nutrition and Agricultural Research, Development and Poverty
Title Distinguished Professor, Economic and Technological Change, University of Bonn, Germany
Most important awards, prizes and academies
“One World Medal in Gold”, donated by the Federal German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development “for research and service to end hunger and improve food security”, 2019; Theodor Brinkmann-Preis of the Theodor Brinkmann Foundation for food and agricultural research and policy achievements [2017]; “Marsilius Medal” from University of Heidelberg, Germany, for interdisciplinary research, 2016; Justus von Liebig Prize for World Nutrition, by Fiat Panis Foundation, University of Hohenheim, November 2011; The Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Bertebos Prize, 2009; Honorary Doctoral Degree (Dr. hc) in Agricultural Economics from the University of Stuttgart-Hohenheim, Germany, 2005; Prize of Eiselen Foundation (Germany) for distinguished research for the improvement of food security and nutrition, 1988. Past President and Lifetime Fellow of the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE), 2009; Lifetime Fellow of the African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE), 2010; Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for contributions to agricultural development and food policy for developing countries, 2006; Elected Fellow of the German Economics Association’s (Verein für Socialpolitik) Development Economics Branch, 1996; Member of German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, 2018; Member, Academy of Science and Arts of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, 1999; German Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech), 2011; Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy, China Agricultural University, 2020; Honorary Distinguished Fellow of Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India, 2021.
Summary of scientific research
von Braun is Distinguished Professor for Economic and Technological Change at University of Bonn, Germany. von Braun is considered an internationally leading expert on the problems of hunger and malnutrition and solutions to these problems. How does hunger arise and how can it be combated sustainably? This is the central research question of Joachim von Braun. He investigates the connection between hunger and poverty. He is looking for strategies to feed the world without harming the environment. Issues of economic development, global trade and technological innovations play a role. Reduction of poverty and marginalization are central in his scientific publications that relate to agricultural production and sustainability problems of natural resources. In addition his research is on international development, and science and technology policy. von Braun did his doctoral degree at University of Göttingen, Germany. He had a junior professorship in Göttingen and was professor for nutrition and food economics in Kiel. He was Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) based in Washington, DC, USA from 2002 to 2009, the leading international research institute on food, nutrition and agricultural policy. From 2009 to 2021 von Braun was Director of the Center for Development Research (ZEF). ZEF is Germany’s leading multi-disciplinary research institute on aspects of development. von Braun served as co-chair of the International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy, and on various international, and European science advisory councils. In 2020 von Braun was appointed to chair the Scientific Advisory Group for the Food Systems Summit 2021 of the UN Secretary General. He has collaborative research experience in many countries, incl. Egypt, Gambia, Guatemala, Rwanda, Sudan, Ethiopia, India, China, Bangladesh, Russia.
Main publications
Books: von Braun, J., Archer, M.S., Reichberg, G.M., Sánchez Sorondo, M. (ed.). 2021. Robotics, AI, and Humanity – Science, Ethics, and Policy. Springer International. New York; Kalkuhl, M., J. von Braun, M. Torero. 2016. Food Price Volatility and Its Implications for Food Security and Policy. Springer Publ.; Nkonya, E., A. Mirzabaev, J. von Braun (ed.) 2016. Economics of land degradation and sustainable land management. Springer Publ.; von Braun, J., F. Gatzweiler (Eds.). 2014. Marginality – Addressing the Nexus of Poverty, Exclusion and Ecology. Springer; Lal, Rattan, Klaus Lorenz, Reinhard F. Hüttl, Bernd Uwe Schneider, Joachim von Braun Ed. 2012. Recarbonization of the Biosphere. Ecosystems and the Global Carbon Cycle. Dordrecht Heidelberg New York London: Springer; von Braun, J., R. Vargas-Hill, R. Pandya-Lorch, eds. 2009. The Poorest and Hungry: Assessments, Analyses, and Actions. IFPRI Book. Washington DC., USA; von Braun, J., and E. Diaz-Bonilla, ed. 2008. Globalization of Food and Agriculture and the Poor. New Delhi: Oxford University Press; Torero, M., and J. von Braun, ed. 2006. Information and communication technology for development and poverty reduction: The potential of telecommunications. Baltimore, Maryland, USA: The Johns Hopkins University Press; von Braun, J., T. Teklu, and P. Webb. 1998. Famine in Africa: Causes, Responses, and Prevention. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press; von Braun, J., and E. Kennedy ed. 1994. Agricultural Commercialization, Economic Development, and Nutrition. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Journal articles: von Braun, Joachim, Kaosar Afsana, Louise Fresco, Mohamed Hassan and Maximo Torero (2021) Food system concepts and definitions for science and political action. Nature Food. Sept 2021. von Braun, Joachim, Kaosar Afsana, Louise Fresco and Mohamed Hassan. 2021. Food systems: seven priorities to end hunger and protect the planet. Nature 597, 28-30 (2021). von Braun, Joachim, Stefano Zamagni, Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo. 2020. The moment to see the poor in: Science, 17 Apr 2020: Vol. 368, Issue 6488, pp. 214; Robin Fears, Volker ter Meulen and Joachim von Braun (Dec 2019). Global food and nutrition security needs more and new science. Editorial SCIENCE POLICY. In: Science Advances 13 Dec 2019: Vol. 5, no. 12, eaba2946; Veerabhadran Ramanathan, Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, Partha Dasgupta, Joachim von Braun, and David G. Victor. 2018. Climate Extremes and Global Health. Foreign Affairs. August 1, 2018; Muhammed A. Usman, Nicolas Gerber, Joachim von Braun (2019). The Impact of Drinking Water Quality and Sanitation on Child Health: Evidence from Rural Ethiopia, The Journal of Development Studies; von Braun, J. (2018) Bioeconomy – The global trend and its implications for sustainability and food security, Global Food Security, Volume 19, December 2018, pp. 81-83; Fears, Robin, Volker ter Meulen, Joachim von Braun. 2018. Scientific opportunities for food and nutrition security. (Comment) The Lancet. Volume 2, No. 1, e2-e3, January 2018; Wesseler, Justus and Joachim von Braun. 2017. Measuring the Bioeconomy: Economics and Policies. Annual Review of Resource Economics. Vol. 9:275-298 (October 2017). https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-resource-100516-053701; Haile, M.G., T. Wossen, K. Tesfaye, J. von Braun. 2017. Impact of Climate Change, Weather Extremes, and Price Risk on Global Food Supply. Economics of Disasters and Climate Change. May 2017 pp. 1-17; El-Chichakli, B., J. von Braun, C. Lang, D. Barben. 2016. Five cornerstones of a global bioeconomy. Nature, Volume: 535, Pages: 221-223 (14 July 2016); von Braun, J., R. Birner 2016. Designing Global Governance for Agricultural Development and Food and Nutrition Security. Review of Development Economics (2016); Haile, M., M. Kalkuhl, J. von Braun. 2015. Worldwide Acreage and Yield Response to International Price Change and Volatility: A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis for Wheat, Rice, Corn, and Soybeans. American Journal of Agricultural Economics. April, 2015; Tadesse, G., B. Algieri, M. Kalkuhl, J. von Braun. 2014. Drivers and triggers of international food price spikes and volatility. Food Policy. Vol. 47. August 2014. 117-128; Wheeler, T., and J. von Braun. 2013. Climate Change Impacts on Global Food Security. Science. 2 August 2013, Vol. 341, No. 6145, pp. 508-513; Asfaw, A., and J. von Braun. 2004. Is consumption insured against illness? Evidence on vulnerability of households to health shocks in rural Ethiopia. Economic Development and Cultural Change 53 (No. 1, October): 115-130; von Braun, J. 1995. Agricultural Commercialization: Impacts on Income and Nutrition and Implications for Policy. Food Policy Vol. 20 (No. 3 (June)): 187-202; von Braun, J. 1994. Genes and Biodiversity: New Scarcities and Rights Challenge Agricultural Economics Research. Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture Vol. 33 (No. 4 (October-December)): 345-348; von Braun, J. 1988. Effects of Technological Change in Agriculture on Food Consumption and Nutrition: Rice in a West African Setting. World Development Vol. 16(No. 9): 1083-1098.
Professional Address
Agricolture, Food and Nutrition – Responding to the Crises (PDF) 2010
Food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition: necessary policy and technology changes (PDF) 2010