David Spielman

David Spielman is a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute. He joined IFPRI in 2004 and is currently based in Kigali, Rwanda, where he leads the Rwanda Strategy Support Program. David’s research agenda covers a range of topics including agriculture and rural development policy; agricultural science, technology, and innovation; plant genetic resources and seed systems; agricultural extension and advisory services; and community-driven rural development. From 2010 to 2020, David was based in Washington, DC, where he led IFPRI’s research theme on science, technology, and innovation policy. From 2004 to 2010, he was based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he contributed to IFPRI’s work on strengthening agricultural innovation systems. Earlier in his career, he worked on agriculture and rural development issues for the World Bank (Washington, DC), the Aga Khan Development Network (Pakistan), and several other organizations. David received a PhD in Economics from American University in 2003, an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics in 1993, and a BA in International Relations from Tufts University in 1992.