Giacomo Branca

After the completion of my academic education, I have worked for the Department of Agricultural Economics of Tuscia University as a post-doctoral fellow for three years. I then joined the Department of Economics and Business (DEIM) in the same University as Assistant Professor first (2012) and Associate Professor later (2015), teaching ‘Environment and Development Economics’ and ‘Environmental and Resource Economics’ at undergraduate and graduate level, and advising for Master and PhD theses as well. I also teach ‘Food Policy’ within the Master in Development Studies at the Institute for Studies on International Policy (ISPI), in Milan (Italy). I have conducted research and published papers on agricultural sector analysis with emphasis on the interface between biophysics and economic modelling, natural resources management and development economics, and its implications for rural development and agriculture policies. I currently investigate on the economic incentives to adoption of sustainable agriculture options, with a focus on climate-smart agriculture, benefit-cost analysis applied to technology innovation and climate change adaptation. I am responsible of the local research unit within the following EU funded research programs: Innovations in technology, institutional and extension approaches towards sustainable agriculture and enhanced food and nutritional security in Africa (InnovAfrica, Horizon 2020); and Smart irrigation from soil moisture forecast using satellite and hydro-meteorological modelling (SIM, ERA-NET Waterworks). In the past I have also managed: FAO grants (on Bioenergy and Food Security, and Climate-smart agriculture themes); and research activities within the 6th Research Framework and the Leonardo da Vinci Programs. In parallel with my academic career I have also been involved in consultancies for various international bodies, including FAO, IFAD, IDB, World Bank, and I have over 15 years of work experience in developing economies. I have participated to the design of rural development projects in the following countries: Angola, Croatia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Hungary, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Uruguay, Vietnam, Yemen and Zambia. I have contributed to the development and application of several FAO tools: the ‘Ex-Ante Carbon Balance tool (Ex-Act)’, aimed at estimating the Carbon impact of agricultural development projects; and the e-learning course on ‘Climate change and food security’. I have also conducted studies for the Italian Institute of Agricultural Economics (INEA) and the Italian Agri-food Markets Institute (ISMEA) as well as for some of the most important Italian farmers’ associations such as Coldiretti, Confagricoltura and Unaprol.