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David Spielman

Lauren and Lee Fixel Distinguished Professor

MSc, PhD

Additional info:

David Spielman is the Lauren and Lee Fixel Distinguished Professor at the Bursky School of Public Health. Spielman’s research and teaching agenda at WashU focuses on the economic policy dimensions of agrifood systems transformation — on the ways in which policies influence how food is produced, exchanged, and consumed, and how thoughtful, well-designed policies can result in positive nutrition, health, and environmental outcomes.

Prior to joining WashU in 2026, Spielman was director of the Innovation Policy & Scaling Unit at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington, DC, where he led a research team focused on science, technology, and innovation policies in the agrifood systems of low- and middle-income countries. His research agenda covered a range of topics including plant genetic resource policy and seed systems; agricultural extension and advisory services; agricultural science policy and innovation systems; strategies for scaling agricultural innovations to the last mile; and community-driven rural development.

From 2020 to 2022, Spielman was based in Kigali where he established IFPRI’s Rwanda Strategy Support Program in partnership with the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources. Prior to that, he spent a decade at IFPRI’s headquarters in Washington, DC, with research engagements across Asia and Africa. From 2004 to 2010, he was based in Addis Ababa where he contributed to IFPRI’s work on strengthening national agricultural innovation systems.  Earlier in his career, Spielman held positions at the World Bank, the Aga Khan Development Network in Pakistan, and other organizations working on agriculture and rural development. He holds a PhD in economics from American University (2003), an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics (1993), and a BA in International Relations from Tufts University (1992). His work has appeared in journals including the Journal of Development Economics, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Food Policy, and World Development, among many others.

Areas of focus:

  • Food systems
  • Agricultural policy
  • Science, technology and innovation
  • Seed systems and genetic resources
  • Rural development

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