Trying to understand how different agrarian systems (e.g. different land ownership patterns, tenure systems and modes of cultivation) shape countries’ development and individuals’ wellbeing is a key objective of my research. In my PhD thesis, I for example showed that the notorious neglect of public education in Brazil and other Latin American states can be traced back to an agrarian history characterized by plantation-style agriculture.

I have also started to investigate the relationship between climate change and food security. Relying on historical county-level data, we for example have analyzed the long-term effects of weather variation on food riots in England. We found evidence for adaptation processes. In addition, our research highlights that the impact of climate variability on social conflict was highly heterogenous across time.

Currently, I am particularly interested in the social consequences of agrarian transformation in sub-Saharan Africa. Among other topics, we investigated how large-scale land acquisitions affect local levels of social trust. We show that large-scale agricultural investments disrupt social fabrics by reducing interpersonal trust.  Also, we are studying how particular institutional conditions (e.g. land rights, traditional political institutions) and certain agricultural practices (e.g. agroforestry) may strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers facing increasing climate vulnerability. For more information, please consult the section work in progress.