Dr. Johan Swinnen is Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington D.C.  Prior to that, he held positions as Professor of Economics and Director of LICOS-Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance at KU Leuven, Lead Economist at the World Bank, and Economic Advisor at the European Commission. He was elected Fellow of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) and the European Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE) and is a former President of the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE). He holds a PhD from Cornell University and Honorary Doctorates from Gottingen University and Nitra University.  

Dr. Swinnen has published widely on agricultural and food policies, political economy, institutional reforms, agricultural transition, and international development. His books include “The Political Economy of Agricultural and Food Policies”, “Political Power and Economic Policy”, “Quality Standards, Value Chains and International Development”, and “From Marx and Mao to the Market”.