Luc Christiaensen

National Bank of Belgium, University of California, Davis

Papers

Total Citations

258

H-Index

About

Luc Christiaensen is a prominent development economist whose research sits at the intersection of agricultural economics, labor markets, and structural transformation in developing countries. His work has made significant contributions to understanding how employment patterns in agriculture and food systems evolve as economies grow and modernize. Christiaensen is perhaps best known for his influential body of work on the future of work in agriculture and agri-food systems. His 2020 paper "Viewpoint: The future of work in agri-food," with an impressive 194 citations, has become a key reference in the field, reshaping how researchers and policymakers think about agricultural employment beyond the farm gate. He argues compellingly that as countries develop and food markets saturate, job creation increasingly shifts to the broader agri-food system rather than primary agriculture itself. His research also engages critically with the implications of automation in advanced economies for developing country labor markets. His 2019 study on U.S. automation and its effects on Mexican local labor markets demonstrates his commitment to understanding cross-border economic dynamics with rigorous empirical methods. Overall, Christiaensen's work offers essential insights for scholars and policymakers navigating the rapidly changing landscape of agricultural employment and rural development in an increasingly automated global economy.