Tom Reardon is Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University, USA, where he has researched and taught since January 1992. From 1986 through 1991, he was Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), in Washington DC. From 1984 to 1986 he was Rockefeller Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow attached to IFPRI and also working with ICRISAT in West Africa. Tom finished his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics at University of California at Berkeley in 1984.

Tom is widely recognized as the leading global expert in links between the “supermarket revolution” and development of agrifood value chains and farms in developing regions, as well as links between agrifood industry transformation and food security. He has also worked extensively on rural nonfarm employment and food security. His work as of May 2010 has 7000 citations in Google Scholar and 1100 in ISI. He is on the World Economic Forum (Davos) Global Alliance Council for Food Security, and has been a food security advisor to the Chicago Council for Global Affairs and an invitee to Davos. He is listed in “Who’s Who in Economics,” and received a Distinguish Faculty Award from MSU.

Tom’s research work is mainly in India, China, Indonesia, and Nicaragua, including studies of the rise of supermarkets, the transformation of value chains in horticulture, shrimp, dairy, and rice, and the emergence of rural business hubs and other linkages between farmers and the modern food industry.

Professional Interests

• Links between globalization and the transformation of the agrifood industry (rise of supermarkets, large-scale agroindustry/processing, wholesaling, and food service/fast-food sector) and agricultural and supply chain/value-chain development in developing countries;
• Focus on South Asia and Southeast Asia
• Implications of agrifood industry transformation for small agro-industrial enterprises and small farmers and farm and rural nonfarm labor.
• Development program and policy approaches to “competitiveness with inclusiveness” and “customized competitiveness” for farms and agroindustry firms
• The rise of private food safety and quality standards;
• Main focus on horticultural and fish/seafood/aquaculture, and secondary focus on dairy;
• South-South Trade and International joint ventures in the produce industry;

Selected Publications

Haggblade, Steven J., Hazell, Peter, Reardon, Thomas A. 2010. The Rural Nonfarm Economy: Prospects for Growth and Poverty Reduction. World Development 38 (10): 1429-1441.

Minten, B., Reardon, Thomas A., Sutradhar, R. 2010. Food Prices and Modern Retail: The Case of Delhi. World Development 38 (12): 1775-1787.

Reardon, T., A. Gulati, and B. Minten. 2010. The Transformation of Food Retail in India and its Impact Downstream and Upstream in the Food System, Report joint between MSU and IFPRI New Delhi Office.

Reardon, T., C.B. Barrett, J.A. Berdegué, J. Swinnen. 2009. “Agrifood Industry Transformation and Farmers in Developing Countries,” World Development. 37(11), November.

Davis, B., P. Winters, T. Reardon, and K. Stamoulis. 2009. “Rural Nonfarm Employment and Farming: Household-level Linkages,” Agricultural Economics 40(2): 119-123.
                    
Wang, H., X. Dong, S. Rozelle, J. Huang, and T. Reardon. 2009. “Producing and Procuring Horticultural Crops with Chinese Characteristics: The Case of Northern China”, World Development. 37(11), November.

Minten, B. and T. Reardon. 2008. “Food Prices, Quality, and Quality’s Pricing in Supermarkets vs Traditional Markets in Developing Countries,” Review of Agricultural Economics. 30(3), Fall: 480-490.

Reardon, T. and C.P. Timmer. 2007. “Transformation of Markets for Agricultural Output in Developing Countries Since 1950:  How Has Thinking Changed?” chapter 55 in R.E. Evenson, and P. Pingali (eds). Handbook of Agricultural Economics, 3: Agricultural Development:  Farmers, Farm Production and Farm Markets. Amsterdam: Elsevier Press: 2808-2855.

Hernández, R., T. Reardon, and J.A. Berdegué. 2007. “Supermarkets, Wholesalers, and Tomato Growers in Guatemala,” Agricultural Economics, 36(3), May: 281-290.

Natawidjaja, R., T. Reardon., and S. Shetty, with T.I. Noor, T. Perdana, E. Rasmikayati, S.  Bachri, and R. Hernandez. 2007.  Horticultural Producers and Supermarket Development in Indonesia.  UNPAD/MSU/World Bank.  World Bank Report no. 38543, published by the World Bank/Indonesia, July.

Henson, S. and T. Reardon. 2005. “Private agri-food standards: Implications for food policy and the agri-food system,” Food Policy, Vol 30 Issue 3, June: 241-253.

Berdegué, J.A. F. Balsevich, L. Flores, T. Reardon. 2005. “Central American supermarkets' private standards of quality and safety in procurement of fresh fruits and vegetables,”  Food Policy, Vol 30 Issue 3, June: 254-269.

Hu, D., T. Reardon, S. Rozelle, P. Timmer, H. Wang. 2004. “The Emergence of Supermarkets with Chinese Characteristics: Challenges and Opportunities for China’s Agricultural Development,” Development Policy Review, vol. 22, no. 4, Sept.: 557-86.

 Reardon, T., C.P. Timmer, C.B. Barrett, J. Berdegue. 2003. “The Rise of Supermarkets in Africa, Asia, and Latin America,” American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 85 (5), December: 1140-1146.

Reardon, T. and J.A. Berdegué. 2002. The Rapid Rise of Supermarkets in Latin America: Challenges and Opportunities for Development,” Development Policy Review, 20 (4), September: 317-34.

Funded Research Projects