Rural Transformations

Many rural areas in the Global South are facing tremendous challenges today, including persistent poverty, demographic pressure, climatic change, and an eroding resource base. Competition over land and resources affects the lives of rural populations in a multitude of ways.

Rural Transformations


  • Research Project | 01/04/2023 - 31/03/2029

    Merian Center for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM): Imagining Futures - Dealing with Disparity, Phase II

    The Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM) based in Tunis is the first and only Institute for Advanced Studies in North Africa. MECAM’s ambition is to become an intellectual hub that contributes to the emergence of cutting-edge, internationally relevant and visible research in the humanities and social sciences on, from and in the Maghreb and in particular with scholars from the Maghreb. The GIGA coordinates MECAM's publications as well as outreach and transfer activities.
    BMBF, 2023-2029

    Research Project | 01/01/2022 - 31/12/2022

    Land-Based Investments in Global Supply Chains and the Protection of Vulnerable Groups

    The second phase of the research project “Large-Scale Land Acquisitions, Rural Change, and Social Conflict” focuses on the socio-economic impact of large-scale land acquisitions (LSLA) on local populations, particularly in terms of communal land rights and indigenous groups. Furthermore, it investigates the relationship between LSLA and global (agricultural) supply chains. The project aims to synthesise existing research and generate new evidence at the intersection of rural development and sustainable production and consumption.
    BMZ, 2022

    Research Project | 01/09/2020 - 31/08/2026

    Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA)

    MIASA, based at the University of Legon, Ghana, is one of five Maria Sibylla Merian Centres for Advanced Studies, funded by the German Ministry for Education and Research. Its overall aim is to work towards a reduction of global asymmetries in knowledge production and bridging the cultural divide between anglophone and francophone Africa. MIASA's thematical focus is on sustainable governance. The GIGA contributes to the Interdisciplinary Fellow Group on ‘Sustainable Rural Transformation’ and its outreach activities.
    BMBF, 2020-2026


    International Journal of Environmental Studies | 01/2024

    Europe’s Brazil?: How Ukraine Could Transform Europe’s Role in Global Food Supply

    Ukraine is an untapped asset. It presents opportunities both nationally and for Europe as an engine of foreign policy in a century troubled by climate change and resources scarcity. Its 32 million ha of arable could easily become 40 million ha which would add 25% of new cropland to the European Union – from 160 million to 200 million ha – making Europe the world’s largest agricultural producer.

    Environmental Research Letters | 2024

    Smallholder RSPO Certification, Economic Benefits and Agrochemical Use

    Sustainability standards in palm oil production aim to increase economic benefits for smallholders while mitigating environmental harm, but do they achieve these objectives? We study the effects of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) standard on smallholders in Jambi, Indonesia.

    Dr. Nunung Nuryartono

    Dr. Aiyen Tjoa

    Dr. Marife D. Corre

    Review of Development Economics | 06/2023

    Material and Nonmaterial Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from a Low-Income Country

    How have COVID-19-related restrictions affected consumption levels and life satisfaction in low-income countries? The authors of this article conducted phone surveys with 577 households in Liberia to compare consumption patterns across three points in time.

    Global Environmental Change | 2023

    The Carbon Cost of Agricultural Production in the Global Land Rush

    This study makes use of a global dataset on LSLTs for agricultural production to estimate potential carbon emissions based on different scenarios of land cover change and fertilizer use, as well as potential value of agricultural production on transacted land.

    Chuan Liao

    Prof. Dr. Daniel G. Brown

    Prof. Dr. Arun Agrawal

    Land Use Policy | 08/2022

    Smallholders in Agro-Industrial Production: Lessons for Rural Development from a Comparative Analysis of Ghana’s and Indonesia’s Oil Palm Sectors

    Dr. Daniel Chrisendo

    Dr. Abdul Malik Iddrisu

    Dr. Alhassan Abdul-Wakeel Karakara

    Dr. Nunung Nuryartono

    Prof. Dr. Evans Osabuohien

    Cooperation Event | 13/11/2023 - 14/11/2023

    Skills for Sustainability in Global Supply Chains

    The Research Network on Sustainable Global Supply Chains partners with the Forum on Globalization and Industrialization (FGI), and the Learning and Knowledge Development Facility (LKDF) to convene a Forum organized under the theme “Skills for Sustainability in Global Supply Chains”.The event will take place on 13 and 14 November 2023 at the Vienna International Centre (VIC), in a hybrid format.

    Committee on World Food Security (CFS 51) - Side Event | 27/10/2023

    Just Transition or Green Grabbing?

    Large-scale commercial agriculture continues to replace agricultural practices of indigenous peoples (IPs), pastoralists, and smallholder farmers worldwide. To avoid “green grabbing” but achieve a “just transition” the side event will raise awareness for the scale of the problem, present evidence about the contribution of these communities in tackling climate change, highlight lessons learned from the “global land rush” and discuss the role of strengthening international frameworks and land tenure rights.

    Cooperation Event | 02/11/2022 - 03/11/2022

    Leibniz Environment and Development Symposium 2022

    Leibniz Environment and Development Symposium 2022, Hotel Baseler Hof, Esplanade 11, 20354 Hamburg, Hamburg Organisers: Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy, German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research Prof. Dr. Jann Lay (Organiser), Dr. Anette Ruml (Organiser)

    Several German research institutes ATB, GIGA, IGZ, PIK, ZALF and ZMT – all members of the Leibniz association – have initiated the Leibniz Environment and Development Symposium (LEADS). The aim of LEADS is to foster interdisciplinary exchange and stimulate collaboration on global societal challenges.

    President (ad interim)

    Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach is President (ad interim) of the GIGA.

    Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

    Regional Institutes

    Africa|Asia|Latin America|Middle East

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