Daniel Geissel

Daniel Geissel is a Research Fellow at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), specifically within the Institute for African Affairs, and a PhD candidate at Georg-August-University Göttingen since October 2019. His academic background includes an M.A. in Development Economics from Georg-August-University Göttingen and a B.Sc. in International Economics from Eberhard Karls University Tübingen.

His research focuses on large-scale land investments, rural development, and socioeconomic inequalities with regional expertise in Liberia (Sub-Saharan Africa) and Indonesia (Southeast Asia). Geissel examines the impacts of land acquisitions on welfare, mental health, and social conflict in developing countries, combining approaches from political science, economics, and environmental sciences.

His recent work analyzes carbon offset projects in Laos and the relationship between land deals and social conflict, contributing to policy recommendations regarding regulatory frameworks and community consultation. Geissel has participated in BMZ-funded research projects including 'Large-Scale Land Acquisitions, Rural Change, and Social Conflict' (2019-2021) and its continuation 'Land-Based Investments in Global Supply Chains and the Protection of Vulnerable Groups' (2022).

He has presented at international conferences including the LANDac Annual Conference 2023 and organized the 'Contested Land Transformations' workshop at IPB University in Bogor. Geissel has also contributed to media discussions on the mental health impacts of land displacement on indigenous peoples and taught 'Controversies in Development Economics' at the University of Göttingen in 2020.