Matin Qaim

Matin Qaim (born 20 December 1969, Mainz, Germany) is Schlegel Professor of Agricultural Economics and Director at the Center for Development Research (ZEF) of the University of Bonn, Germany. His research focuses on issues of food security, food system transformation, and sustainable development.

Early life and education Matin Qaim earned his MSc from the University of Kiel in 1996 and his doctoral degree in agricultural economics from the University of Bonn in 2000.

Qaim argues that higher-yield genetically modified crops can be used to reduce land usage and greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. He also supports the use of modified crops such as Golden Rice, which has a higher beta-carotene level than conventional rice, as a source of Vitamin A to address micronutrient malnutrition. Qaim is a member of the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board.

Qaim recommends a balanced approach to sustainable consumption of meat and other animal-sourced foods. Pointing out that existing meat prices do not reflect their high environmental cost, Qaim calls for significant reductions in meat consumption in wealthy countries, where per capita consumption levels are high. In poorer countries, where per capita consumption levels are much lower, improving access to animal-sourced foods can help improve healthy nutrition, especially among children. Qaim also analyzes possible synergies and tradeoffs between the health and environmental dimensions of dietary change.

In a related strain of research, Qaim analyzes links between the diversity of food systems and various planetary health outcomes. For instance, unlike often assumed, he argues that increasing the diversity of smallholder farms in Africa does not necessarily improve diets and nutrition. While farm diversity is linked to nutrition in remote subsistence settings, improving smallholder access to markets and enhancing the functioning of markets for nutritious foods are generally more effective strategies to increase dietary quality and promote socioeconomic development. Qaim is Director and Spokesperson of the Collaborative Research Center (CRC 1780) "Food System Diversification for Sustainable Nutrition (FoodDiverse)" at the University of Bonn, which is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and implemented jointly with the University of Ghana.

Awards and honors (selection) 2025, Tilo Freiherr von Wilmowsky Award 2019, Fellow, Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) 2018, Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina 2011, Member, Göttingen Academy of Sciences

Selected publications Books

Papers

Hülsen, V., M.G. Khonje, M. Qaim (2024). "Market Food Environments and Child Nutrition". Food Policy 128, 102704, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2024.102704.