Fall 2026 Harry ’51 and Joshua ’49 Tsujimoto Perspectives in Global Development and the Environment Seminar Series
About the speaker
Mohammad Abdul Malek is Professor of Economics at Miyazaki International University (Japan) and a visiting researcher at the University of Tokyo. An applied micro, development, and agricultural economist, he specializes in technology adoption, rural credit, risk management, and mechanization in smallholder rice farming systems, with most of his fieldwork in South Asia. He has led large-scale randomized experiments and longitudinal studies with partners such as BRAC (Bangladesh), Center
for Development Research (Germany) and Asian Development Bank (Philippines) on agricultural microfinance, climate-resilient technologies, sustainable rice mechanization, WATSAN, and population aging, has published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics (AJAE Outstanding Article Award 2022), World Bank Economic Review, Journal of Development Economics, Asian Development Review, Food Security, and Journal of Productivity Analysis. Malek co-leads the “Bangladesh Development Miracle” initiative and directs work on the Mahabub Hossain household panel (1987–2023) under ADB- and JSPS-funded platform projects, using these long-run data to study mobility and structural change in rice-based rural economies. His current agenda centers on mechanized SRI, “Mechanical Yard System” business models, smart-farming applications, and credit-technology interactions — topics directly relevant to agri-food system transformation, rice value chains, and food security. He holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Tottori University and currently serves as an Associate Editor for the Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics (AJARE). He is actively seeking short-term research collaborations and seminar opportunities with rice research institutes/research centers in the United States.
Abstract
This talk synthesizes randomized experiments and related co-authored studies on the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Bangladesh to show how training, social networks, mechanization, and business models shape technology adoption and farm performance — with direct implications for rice production systems globally. A large training-saturation experiment (Barrett et al., AJAE 2022, Outstanding Article Award) finds that SRI training substantially increases adoption, yields, and profits for both trained and untrained farmers, with gains concentrated at the extensive margin and high dis-adoption rates consistent with dynamic learning. Peer-to-peer diffusion trials (Fafchamps et al., World Bank Economic Review 2021) show that trained “teacher” farmers can cost-effectively spread SRI knowledge, while financial incentives and role-model matching have nuanced effects, raising awareness without always translating into adoption. Referral experiments (Fafchamps et al., JDE 2020) suggest that farmers can modestly improve trainee selection, but poorly designed incentives risk over-adoption by marginal households. New work on mechanized SRI (Ngari et al., 2026) and pilot “Mechanical Yard System” business models with private start-ups highlight both the promise and the institutional and coordination constraints to scaling machine-compatible SRI via people–private–public partnerships. The talk connects these findings to ongoing collaborative work using the Mahabub Hossain panel to understand how SRI, mechanization, and credit jointly shape long-run agri-food transformation, and discusses implications for agribusiness models, mechanization service markets, and value-chain development in rice-based farming systems — themes of shared interest with US rice research programs focused on productivity, sustainability, and global competitiveness.
About the seminar series
The Harry ’51 & Joshua ’49 Tsujimoto Perspectives in Global Development and the Environment Seminar Series showcases innovative approaches to development with experts from around the globe. Each year, the series attracts online registrants from over 45 countries and more than 350 organizations.
Seminars are held Wednesdays from 12:20-1:10 p.m. Eastern time during the semester in 175 Warren Hall. Students, faculty and the general public are welcome to attend in-person or via Zoom.
The series is co-sponsored by the Sections of Global Development and Natural Resources and the Environment and the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management as part of courses GDEV 4961, AEM 4961, NTRES 4961, GDEV 6960, AEM 6960, and NTRES 6960.
Date & Time
September 23, 2026
12:20 pm - 1:10 pm
Location
More information about this event.
Contact Information
Mariah Doyle-Stephenson
- md2237 [at] cornell.edu
Speaker
Mohammad Abdul Malek
Departments
Global Development Section
Natural Resources and the Environment Section
Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment
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