معرفی
Ben Belton is a fixed-term Associate Professor in International Development at Michigan State University's Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE), part of the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. He holds a joint appointment as Research Associate at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in South Asia and is based full-time in Dhaka, Bangladesh. With a Ph.D. from the University of Stirling (UK), Belton specializes in aquaculture development and food security policy, focusing on value chains, rural transformation, and agrarian change across South and Southeast Asia.
His research emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to link aquaculture systems with food/nutrition security, poverty reduction, and environmental sustainability. Over 90 peer-reviewed articles highlight his work in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Key areas include aquaculture's role in global food systems, livelihood diversification in agrarian economies, and policy interventions for equitable development. Belton leads the Food Security Group and Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy, addressing structural challenges in agrifood systems through evidence-based solutions.
Recent publications analyze Myanmar's post-coup food security, Nigeria's fish value chain dynamics, and Bangladesh's shrimp farming innovations. His work bridges academic research with policy impact, advocating for inclusive agri-food systems that prioritize small-scale producers and nutrition-sensitive practices.
