Erwin Bulte

Erwin Bulte is a Professor of Development Economics at Wageningen University and holds a part-time professorship in Institutions and Development at Utrecht University (1 day/week). He is also a fellow at the Department of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge and The Oxford Center for the Analysis of Resource Rich Economies (OxCarre). His research focuses on agricultural development, poverty alleviation, environmental economics, and the intersection of health and economic policies in low-income countries. Notably, he advises the World Bank on impact evaluations for agricultural value chain programs in Kenya and Ethiopia.

His work emphasizes experimental approaches to understand technology adoption, market dynamics, and institutional governance. Recent projects include analyzing rebound effects of energy efficiency in Rwanda, evaluating insurance adoption mechanisms in Kenya, and studying malaria prevention strategies in Ethiopia. Bulte leads the Development Economics Group (DEC) at Wageningen, which designs interventions addressing sustainable development challenges. His research often combines field experiments with policy analysis to bridge theoretical insights and real-world applications.

Key contributions include frameworks for certifying agricultural products (e.g., Ethiopian wheat markets), understanding gender norms through graduation programs, and exploring governance structures in resource management. Collaborations span institutions like CGIAR and the World Bank, focusing on scaling innovations in agricultural value chains and fostering inclusive growth in Sub-Saharan Africa.