Mr. Luis Guillermo Becerra-Valbuena | Agricultural Economics | Best Researcher Award

Mr. Luis Guillermo Becerra-Valbuena | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | France

Luis Guillermo Becerra-Valbuena is an accomplished economist specializing in climate change, migration, health, agriculture, and public policy evaluation, with expertise in remote sensing, big data, and survey data analysis. He earned his PhD in Economics from the Paris School of Economics, along with multiple master’s degrees in economics, public policy, and agricultural and resource economics from prestigious institutions, including the University of California, Davis, and the National University of Colombia. His professional experience spans roles as a spatial economist and livestock economist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a postdoctoral researcher in the Habitable project, and teaching assistant positions at the University Paris  Panthéon-Sorbonne. He has contributed to impactful research projects with organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank, UNESCO, and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Democratic Republic of Congo. His scholarly contributions include refereeing for leading journals and advancing empirical development economics.

Publication Profile

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Educational Background

Luis Guillermo Becerra-Valbuena possesses an extensive and multidisciplinary academic foundation in economics and public policy, with a strong international perspective. He earned his Doctorate in Economics from the Paris School of Economics at Université Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne, where he conducted research under the guidance of Katrin Millock. He holds a Master of Science in Public Policy and Development from the Paris School of Economics and École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, and another Master of Science in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California at Davis. Additionally, he obtained a Master of Science in Economics from the National University of Colombia in Bogotá, where he had previously completed his Bachelor of Arts in Economics. This diverse and advanced academic training has equipped him with strong analytical, quantitative, and research skills, enabling him to address complex issues in climate change, agriculture, migration, and development policy on a global scale

Professional Experience

Luis Guillermo Becerra-Valbuena has built a distinguished career in economics and development, working with leading international organizations, academic institutions, and research projects. He currently serves as a Spatial Economist with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in the SERA team of the ESP Division and has also contributed as a Livestock Economist with the FAO’s Policy Lab. His experience includes a postdoctoral position in the H2020 Habitable project at UMR LEDA, Université Paris Dauphine, and academic roles as a teaching assistant at the University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. He has worked as a consultant and research assistant on projects addressing flood risks, land property rights, agricultural productivity, and education inequality with institutions such as UNESCO, the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank. His earlier roles include advisory and research positions with the Ministry of Finance of Colombia and the National University of Colombia, reflecting his deep expertise in policy analysis, economics, and development research

Teaching and Professional Activities

Luis Guillermo Becerra-Valbuena has extensive experience in teaching and academic engagement across multiple institutions and countries. At Université Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne, he has taught courses such as Methods in Empirical Development Economics with a focus on GIS data, Descriptive Statistics, International Monetary Macroeconomics, and Applied Econometrics. His teaching portfolio also includes International Finance at Université Paris-Est Créteil, Advanced Microeconomics and Colombian Economy at the National University of Colombia in Bogotá, and Fundamentals in Economics as an assistant professor at the same institution. He has also served as a reader for Investments at the University of California, Davis, in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. Beyond teaching, he has contributed to the academic community as a referee for prestigious journals, including Conservation Biology, Climate Change, Climate and Development, and the Journal of Development Studies, showcasing his expertise and commitment to advancing research and knowledge dissemination in his fields of specialization.

Research Focus

Luis Guillermo Becerra-Valbuena’s research is positioned at the intersection of environmental economics, development studies, and public policy, with a strong emphasis on climate change and its socio-economic impacts. His work explores how environmental factors such as droughts, climatic shocks, and air quality influence livelihoods, health outcomes, and migration patterns, particularly in vulnerable rural communities. He investigates land rights formalization and its role in reducing deforestation, the spatial dynamics of well-being in sub-Saharan Africa, and gender-specific migration responses to environmental stress. His studies combine microeconomic theory, spatial analysis, and empirical methods, drawing on tools such as remote sensing, big data, and survey datasets. He also examines the distributional consequences of climate change, focusing on disadvantaged groups including women, youth, and the rural poor. By integrating policy evaluation with robust statistical and experimental approaches, his research informs strategies for climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, and equitable socio-economic development in diverse global contexts.

Publication Top Notes

Formalizing land rights can reduce forest loss: Experimental evidence from Benin

Year: 2020 | Citations: 57

Aproximaciones microeconómicas en la Teoría de los Lugares Centrales de Christaller

Year: 2013 | Citations: 52

Gendered migration responses to drought in Malawi,

Year: 2021 | Citations: 23

The unjust climate: Measuring the impacts of climate change on rural poor, women and youth

Year: 2024 | Citations: 10

Wellbeing dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa: a spatial perspective across territorial typologies

Year: 2025 | Citations: 2

Climatic shocks, air quality, and health at birth in Bogotá

Year: 2021 | Citations: 2

Conclusion

Mr. Luis Guillermo Becerra-Valbuena is highly suitable for the Research for Best Researcher Award. His work addresses urgent global issues through rigorous economic analysis and innovative data-driven approaches, aligning strongly with the award’s criteria. With continued strategic focus on expanding first-author publications, enhancing public engagement, and building a distinct research niche, he is well-positioned not only to be an award recipient but also to emerge as a globally recognized thought leader in climate and development economics.