Professor of agrofood economics, management and marketing
Current
Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences
Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
Professional activities
Academic positions
Associate Professor of agrofood economics, management and marketing
June 2010 – June 2016
Faculty of Science and Technology
Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
Associate Professor of supply and value chain management
February 2008 – May 2010
Agribusiness, Logistics & Supply Chain Management
Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health
Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
Assistant Professor (C1)
October 2002 – January 2008
Department of Agricultural and Food Market Research
Institute for Food and Resource Economics
University of Bonn, Germany
Senior Research Associate
February – September 2002
Institute of Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO)
Halle (Saale), Germany
Leadership and management roles
Vice-dean for Study Programmes
March 2023 – ongoing
Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences
Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
Study Programme Director
October 2024 – ongoing
Master's degree (MSc) in Smart Sustainable Agriculture Systems in Mountain Areas
Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
October 2014 – September 2024
Bachelor's degree (BSc) in Agricultural, Food and Mountain-environmental Sciences
Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
Co-speaker of the South Tyrolean Food Policy Council
“Südtiroler Ernährungsrat”
January 2019 – ongoing
President of the rural producer group “Förderverein Eggentaler Qualitätsprodukte”
Association of about 15 South Tyrolean farmers
November 2016 – May 2018
Participation in international donor-funded research projects
Promoting Agroecology through co-creating value chain innovations and improved multi-level Policies in a beyond-growth Europe (AgroPolis)
Programme/Call: AGROECOLOGY Partnership
Partners/Consortium: Nordland Research Institute (Norway, project coordinator), Stockholm Environment Institute (Sweden), Institut für Klimaschutz, Energie und Mobilität e. V. (Germany), Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy), FUNPASOS Fundación por la Sostenibilidad Participativa (Spain), Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Department of Agricultural Ecology and Natural Resources (Slovenia)
Duration: April 2026 to March 2029
Project budget: €1.64 million
Function: local principal investigator
Eggentaler Regio-Kiste employment network project
Title: Schaffung eines innovativen Beschäftigungsnetzwerkes für ländliche Arbeitsmarktrandgruppen und Stärkung der gemeinschaftlichen bäuerlichen Direktvermarktungsfähigkeit am Beispiel der Eggentaler Regio-Kiste.
Programme: European Social Fund (ESF), Ziel 2 “Regionale Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und Beschäftigung”, Achse II – Beschäftigungsfähigkeit, Zugang zum Erwerbsleben, aktives Altern, e. Umsetzung aktiver und präventiver Arbeitspolitiken, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Eingliederung von MigrantenInnen ins Erwerbsleben, des aktiven Alterns und der Unternehmensgründungen.
Partners: Gemeinden Deutschnofen, Welschnofen, Karneid, Ortsgruppen der Südtiroler Bauernjugend Organisation und der Südtiroler Bäuerinnen Organisation.
Project code: Fasz.Nr. 2/11/2012
Duration: January to December 2013
Project budget: €85,000
Function: Project coordinator
FOODCOMM, EU-FP6 STREP, Task 18
Improving the economic relationships along the food chains
Start: March 2005
Donor: EU Commission
Contract No: SSPE-CT-2005-006458 FOODCOMM
Project budget: €1.9m (EU financial contribution: €945,000)
Function: Co-ordinating consortium member and lead scientist
Instructor activities (selection, for complete list, see CV)
Invited course instructor
Two-day seminar on “Landwirtschaftliche Märkte und deren Auswirkungen auf meinen Betrieb” (Agricultural markets and their impact on my business). Südtiroler Bauernbund (SBB) continuing-education seminar, SBB headquarters, Bolzano, 21–22 March 2013
Invited expert
Five-day workshop on “Market and Marketing Research in Agribusiness”, 15–19 September 2008, Agricultural University of Ashgabat. Invited by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Consulting and advisory work (selection, for complete list, see CV)
International expert
Impact assessment of cooperatives development projects in East Shewa and West Arsi Zones of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Contract awarded by the Ethiopian Catholic Church Social and Development Commission Branch Office of Meki (ECC-SDCBOM) and Caritas Austria. August 2018 (5 days)
Invited international expert
Economic development of O’Higgins region (Cachapoal river basin) in the Chilean Andes. Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago. October 2017 (5 days)
External Reviewer
Sparkling Science research programme of the Austrian Ministry of Science, Research and Economy (BMWFW). December 2017
External PhD examiner
Sarah Motonyi, University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics. November 2017 (1 day)
Invited referee
Evaluation of several PRIN proposals and VQR products for the Italian Ministry of Education, Rome. 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2016
Invited academic expert
Evaluation of research proposals within the public-good agriculture research programme (Stimulus) of the Irish Ministry of Agriculture, Marine and Food, Dublin. March 2011 (1 day)
Adviser to the agriculture study
Final report on "Trade Sustainability Impact Assessment of the Negotiations of a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and China". Commissioned by EU Commission, DG Trade; sub-contracted by Development Solutions Ltd. April 2008 (2 days)
Team leader of the agricultural-product case-study team
Sub-contracted by Development Solutions Ltd, together with S. Schornberg and J. Schiefer. May–June 2006 (12 days). EU Commission, DG Trade, study on the future opportunities and challenges of EU-China trade and investment relations. Tender No 2005/S 248-244397
Member of German case-study team
Sub-contracted by Agra CEAS Consulting, together with M. Hartmann, J. Simons and S. Schornberg. March–July 2005 (40 days). EU Commission, DG Agri, evaluation of the Common Market Organisations (CMOs) for pigmeat, poultrymeat and eggs. Tender No AGRI-2003-Evaluation-G4-7
European Consultant
January–February 2004 (7 days). Uganda National Banana Research Programme (UNBRP), operated by the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Kampala, Uganda
International Consultant
July–August 2002 (17 days). Swiss Project for Horticultural Promotion – Kosovo (SPHP-K), Intercooperation, Pristina, Kosovo
Private-sector positions
Project Leader
November 2001 – January 2002
PlanetHome AG (HVB Group), Munich, Germany
Senior Researcher
May–October 2001
The Boston Consulting Group, Consumer and Retail Practice – food and agribusiness focus, Munich, Germany
Assistant to the Managing Director
October 1997 – January 1999
Garibaldi, medium-sized importer, wholesaler and retailer of Italian food products, Munich, Germany
Others (before and during studies)
Research assistant (part-time)
October 1995 – May 1997
Institute of Agricultural Policy and Market Research, University of Giessen, Germany
Shop assistant (part-time)
February 1993 – October 1994
Garibaldi Nymphenburg, an Italian delicatessen, Munich, Germany
Bistro chef (part-time)
August 1992 – October 1994
Neubauer’s Lokal, 20-seat Paris bistro-style restaurant near Munich, Germany
Intern (full-time, production, procurement and administration)
May–September 1992
Mövenpick Group, an international food-service and hotel chain, Munich, Germany
Communication-center operator (full-time, military service)
July 1990 – April 1992
NATO headquarters, 4th Allied Tactical Airforce, near Ramstein, Germany
Production helper (part-time)
February 1987 – April 1990
Batscheider (Lieken Urkorn), a national industrial baker, Munich, Germany