Distinguished Development Economist and Agricultural Policy Expert
Associated with :
University of AdelaideAlexandra Peralta serves as Associate Professor in Agricultural and Food Economics at the University of Adelaide's Centre for Global Food and Resources, where she has worked since 2014. A Colombian native and development economist, she brings extensive expertise in impact evaluation, experimental methods, and agricultural economics. Her research focuses on connecting smallholder farmers to high-value markets, analyzing value chain relationships, and understanding technology adoption in agriculture. She leads projects across multiple countries including Vanuatu, Uganda, Indonesia, and Vietnam, while maintaining collaborations with major international organizations. Her work spans innovative research methodologies, from experimental economics to non-experimental impact evaluations of rural development initiatives. Prior to joining Adelaide, she worked as a Research Associate at Michigan State University and consulted for the Inter-American Development Bank, following earlier roles with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the International Agroforestry Center (ICRAF). Her teaching approach emphasizes interactive learning methods to help students grasp complex economic concepts in agricultural policy and globalization. Her recent research has garnered significant attention, particularly her work on women's empowerment in agriculture and technology adoption among smallholder farmers.