Current Projects

Migration, remittances and inequality:

I am currently working on a project analyzing the dynamics between migration, remittances and inequality in rural Mexico. Empirical litereture on the effects of migration on inequality delivered conflicting results. This project analyzes these dynamic linkages using novel panel data with an extensive coverage of migration histories from farm households in rural Mexico. This is a collaborative project with J. Edward Taylor and will extend their previous research on the same topic based on cross-sectional data.

A novel "value capture" strategy for fine coffee: Trademarks:

The Trademarking and Licensing Initiative of the Ethiopian Government is a brand management strategy that aims to improve the recognition of Ethiopian fine coffees and increase farmers' incomes from Sidamo, Harar and Yirgacheffe coffees. This research analyzes the effects of the Trademarking and Licensing Initiative on the export prices of Sidamo, Harar and Yirgacheffe coffees as compared to coffees from other origins. During the early stages of the Initiative, Ethiopian government was involved in a court case with Starbucks at the USPTO regarding the trademarking of "Sidamo." Ethiopian government engaged in a public relations campaign to raise awareness for the Initiative and urge Starbucks to sign the licensing agreement, which was widely publicised in the international media especially after Oxfam organized a public campaign. This paper evaluates the effect of these interventions on the export prices of trademarked Ethiopian coffees. Here is a poster and a paper on the work-in-progress.

Changing farmer incentives for on-farm conservation of traditional maize in rural Mexico:

Mexico is the center of origin and diversity of maize. Understanding how farmers' incentives are changing with changes in the global food markets is key to efficient policy design for conservation of agricultural biodiversity both on- and off-farm. This project will analyze how the production, diversity and incentives for the on-farm conservation of traditional maize changed between 2002 and 2007 using novel household panel data from rural Mexico. This period covers the major part of the worldwide increases in grain prices and therefore will also shed light into how small-scale farmers were affected by the food crisis in rural Mexico. Another paper will look into how migration out of rural Mexican communities changes the cropping patterns in general and affects on-farm conservation of traditional maize varieties. This project will extend my PhD research both conceptually and empirically.

You can find the full version of my dissertation titled "Farmers' Subjective Valuation of Subsistence

Crops: The Case of Traditional Maize in Mexico" is here: Thesis_main.pdf