Giacomo Zanello

I am a Professor in Food Economics and Health and Head of the Agri-Food Economics and Marketing Department at the University of Reading (UK). From 2019 to 2024 I acted as Deputy Director of the University of Reading’s Graduate Institute for International Development, Agriculture and Economics.

My own work has been concentrated on efforts to understand how agriculture, food, nutrition, and health interact in low- and middle-income countries. I am currently interested in assessing the energy requirements of farmers and capturing the effects of agricultural practices on health and nutrition. More recently I have been expanding my research portfolio into analysis of food systems and the food environment.

I currently serve as Co-Chair of the Independent Expert Group for the Global Nutrition Report.

Previously I was at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine supporting the work of the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition in its commitment to tackling global challenges in food and nutrition security. From 2012 to 2015 I was a research officer at Oxford University’s Department of International Development. As part of the Technology and Management for Development Centre, I did research on the diffusion of innovations in low-income countries.