Joachim von Braun is the Director of ZEF, at the University of Bonn. Joachim is an applied and agricultural economist, with a Doctoral degree from University of Goettingen, Germany. He joined ZEF in December 2009. He was also a Director at ZEF during its foundation phase 1997-2002. Before returning to ZEF, von Braun was Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) based in Washington, DC, U.S.A. 2002 to 2009. IFPRI provides research based solutions for ending hunger and malnutrition, and while being the primary global institute in the field of agricultural economics and food policy research it is also among the top 1% of institutes engaging in development economics.

Under von Braun’s leadership IFPRI more than doubled to more than 300 staff members with teams based in Africa, Asia and Latin America. von Braun also has been Professor for Food Economics and Policy at Kiel University, Germany. His published research addresses international development economics topics, incl. science and technology; policy issues of trade and aid; poverty and famine; health, and nutrition, and a range of agricultural economics res earch issu es. von Braun serves on boards of publishers of journals, as well as international advisory bodies of research and policy organizations.

2000-03 he was President of the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE), is member of Academies in Germany and China, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences; among awards received by von Braun are a honorary Doctoral degree from University of Hohenheim, and the Bertebos Prize of the Swedish Academy of Agricultural Sciences.