Associate ProfessorJeffrey Neilson

Project Opportunities

Title: Food Security, Nutrition and Agrarian Change in Indonesia

Summary of opportunity:

For a middle income country, Indonesia experiences surprisingly high levels of stunting and malnutrition.  The relationship between income levels and food security is evidently not an entirely linear one, and this poses a serious development dilemma for Indonesia. 

The supervisory team for this project also includes Professor Bill Pritchard.

Opportunity synopsis:

This project would examine the nutritional paradox Indonesia experiences through a study of malnutrition and its relationship to self-provisioning, livelihood strategy and other social factors.

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Project Opportunities

Title: Agrarian Change in Vietnam's Central Highlands

Summary of opportunity:

In recent decades, the Central Highlands of Vietnam have emerged as a major commodity source region for global buyers of agricultural products like coffee and black pepper. This has resulted in rapid social and ecological transformation in the highlands as Vietnam becomes both an agricultural and manufacturing powerhouse. Furthermore, major coffee and black pepper buyers are implementing sustainability programs that are profoundly influencing landscape dynamics. There are opportunities to examine this transformation from an economic, social, ecological or cultural perspective (the highlands are inhabited by a number of ethnic minorities), or through a global value chain lens.

Opportunity synopsis:

This project would examine agrarian change in the Central Highlands of Vietnam as a result of increasing integration within agricultural commodity markets. 

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Project Opportunities

Title: Legal recognition of customary law communities in Indonesia: Implications for land access and livelihoods

Summary of opportunity:

Since democratization in Indonesia since 1999, there has been growing legal recognition of customary law (adat) communities and customary claims over land. This recognition has potentially serious implications for land access by communities, particularly in relation to their ability to sustain livelihoods across rural Indonesia. Yet, this connection between legal recognition of customary rights and community livelihoods remains poorly understood. An opportunity exists to address this research gap through a study of customary tenure and livelihoods in selected Indonesian case sites.

Opportunity synopsis:

This project would examine how processes of agrarian change intersect with customary land recognition, livelihood resilience and development in Indonesia.