Marc Edelman

Marc Edelman is a Professor of Anthropology at Hunter College (CUNY) with a half-time appointment at the CUNY Graduate Center. He specializes in critical agrarian studies, social movements, and Latin American studies, focusing on transnational peasant movements, food sovereignty, and rural political economies. His research bridges academic scholarship with grassroots advocacy, including contributions to the UN Declaration on Peasants' Rights (UNDROP).

Education: PhD in Anthropology from Columbia University.

Research Interests: Edelman examines rural social movements, agrarian transformations, and the impacts of global capitalism on small-scale farmers. He investigates how rural communities resist neoliberal policies through transnational networks, emphasizing the epistemological contributions of peasant intellectuals. His work spans Central America, Uzbekistan, and Europe, analyzing land tenure, class relations, and market control mechanisms.

Professional Activities: Former President of the American Ethnological Society, advisor for CUNY’s MA Anthropology program, and affiliated with Hunter College’s Human Rights and Public Policy Programs. He has taught at Yale, Princeton, and institutions in Ecuador, Colombia, and Uzbekistan.

Public Engagement: Writes for non-academic audiences on human rights, development, and rural politics. His research appears in Journal of Peasant Studies, Third World Quarterly, and American Anthropologist.

Collaborations: Co-edits volumes on critical agrarian studies and global land grabbing, mentoring early-career scholars globally. His work integrates historical analysis with contemporary struggles, emphasizing interdisciplinary and justice-oriented methodologies.