Research Interests
Agricultural Economics Economic Development Policy Environment and Resource Economics Health Economics Economic and public policy Agri-food, water and environment systems People, behaviour and choices Econometric methods and applications Economics Applied Economics Agricultural Economics & Policy Urban and Regional EconomicsDr Di Zeng
Senior Lecturer
School of Economics
College of Business and Law
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.
Di is an applied economist with research experience in economic analyses of the agri-food, water and environment systems. His previous work covers Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the United States. His research aims to disentangle the complicated mechanisms linking food, health and economic development from both theoretical and empirical perspectives.Before joining the Centre for Global Food and Resources, Di has worked extensively with CGIAR centres in Africa and Europe and governmental agencies in the United States. His work has been funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and several state government agencies in the United States. He has taught advanced impact evaluation methods to doctoral-level economists and social scientists from several CGIAR centres.
Di is an applied economist with research experience in agricultural development and food and health economics. His previous work covers Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the United States. His research aims to disentangle the complicated mechanisms linking food, health and economic development from both theoretical and empirical perspectives.
Before joining the Centre for Global Food and Resources, Di has worked extensively with CGIAR centres in Africa and Europe and governmental agencies in the United States. His work has been funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and several state government agencies in the United States. He has taught advanced impact evaluation methods to doctoral-level economists and social scientists from several CGIAR centres.
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 - ongoing | Senior Lecturer | University of Adelaide |
| 2016 - 2020 | Lecturer | University of Adelaide |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| Chinese (Mandarin) | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| English | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Tech | United States | PhD |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Shen, Y., Zeng, D., & Zuo, A. (2025). Unveiling the impact and mechanism of agricultural input allocation on the income mobility of rural households: Evidence from China. China Economic Review, 90, 102356-1-102356-15. Scopus1 WoS1 |
| 2025 | Davidson, A. A., Leake, J., Zeng, D., & O'Connor, P. (2025). Striving for food security in a fragile and conflict-affected situation: The unintended consequences of delivering intended outcomes in Afghanistan. Global Food Security, 47, 100890. |
| 2024 | Sayekti, A. L., Hasibuan, A. M., Stringer, R., & Zeng, D. (2024). Understanding the dynamics of hybrid seed adoption among smallholder chilli farmers in Indonesia. Outlook on Agriculture, 53(1), 49-59. |
| 2023 | Chen, X., Xia, M., Zeng, D., & Fan, X. (2023). Citrus Specialization or Crop Diversification: The Role of Smallholder’s Subjective Risk Aversion and Case Evidence from Guangxi, China. Horticulturae, 9(6), 18 pages. Scopus5 WoS6 |
| 2022 | Genova, C., Umberger, W., Peralta Sanchez, M. A., Newman, S., & Zeng, D. (2022). The Indirect Impact of Smallholder Vegetable Production on Children's Nutrition Outcomes in Rural Vietnam. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6, 1-21. Scopus2 WoS2 |
| 2022 | Xia, M., Zeng, D., Huang, Q., & Chen, X. (2022). Coupling Coordination and Spatiotemporal Dynamic Evolution between Agricultural Carbon Emissions and Agricultural Modernization in China 2010–2020. Agriculture (Switzerland), 12(11), 1-19. Scopus20 WoS17 |
| 2021 | Huang, Z., & Zeng, D. (2021). Factors Affecting Salt Reduction Measure Adoption among Chinese Residents.. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 445-1-445-15. Scopus6 WoS5 Europe PMC5 |
| 2021 | Qanti, S., Peralta, A., & Zeng, D. (2021). Social norms and perceptions drive women’s participation in agricultural decisions in West Java, Indonesia. Agriculture and Human Values, 39(2), 645-662. Scopus18 WoS16 |
| 2021 | Wang, B., Zeng, D., & Yang, B. (2021). Decomposing peer effects in pro-environmental behaviour: Evidence from a Chinese nationwide survey. Journal of Environmental Management, 295, 113100. Scopus34 WoS34 Europe PMC12 |
| 2020 | Sayekti, A. L., Zeng, D., & Stringer, R. (2020). Impact of hybrid seeds on demand for labour: the case of chilli production in Indonesia. Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, 10(5), 15 pages. Scopus5 WoS4 |
| 2020 | Chen, X., Zeng, D., Zhang, H., & Kang, C. (2020). Farm expansion under credit constraint: evidence from commercial rice farmers in Guangxi, China. INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT REVIEW, 23(2), 203-215. Scopus9 WoS9 |
| 2020 | Umberger, W. J., Rupa, J. A., & Zeng, D. (2020). Understanding food westernisation and other contemporary drivers of adult, adolescent and child nutrition quality in urban Vietnam.. Public Health Nutrition, 23(14), 2571-2583. Scopus10 WoS9 Europe PMC7 |
| 2020 | Nguyen-Anh, D., Umberger, W. J., & Zeng, D. (2020). Understanding vietnamese urban consumers’ nutrition label use, health concerns, and consumption of food and beverages with added sugars. Nutrients, 12(11), 3335-1-3335-18. Scopus9 WoS7 Europe PMC5 |
| 2019 | Zeng, D., Thomsen, M., & Nayga, R. (2019). Neighborhood Convenience Stores and Childhood Obesity: A Panel Data Instrumental Variable Approach. Applied Economics, 51(3), 1-16. Scopus12 WoS12 |
| 2019 | Zeng, D., Thomsen, M. R., Nayga, R. M., & Bennett, J. L. (2019). Supermarket access and childhood bodyweight: Evidence from store openings and closings. Economics and Human Biology, 33, 78-88. Scopus7 WoS7 Europe PMC6 |
| 2019 | Rupa, J. A., Umberger, W. J., & Zeng, D. (2019). Does food market modernisation lead to improved dietary diversity and diet quality for urban Vietnamese households?. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 63(3), 499-520. Scopus23 WoS21 |
| 2018 | Zeng, D., Alwang, J., Norton, G., Jaleta, M., Shiferaw, B., & Yirga, C. (2018). Land ownership and technology adoption revisited: improved maize varieties in Ethiopia. Land Use Policy, 72, 270-279. Scopus57 WoS49 Europe PMC6 |
| 2018 | Chen, X., Zeng, D., Xu, Y., & Fan, X. (2018). Perceptions, risk attitude and organic fertilizer investment: evidence from rice and banana farmers in Guangxi, China. Sustainability, 10(10), 3715-1-3715-14. Scopus68 WoS56 |
| 2018 | HUANG, Z., XU, Y., ZENG, D., WANG, C., & WANG, J. (2018). One size fits all? Contract farming among broiler producers in China. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 17(2), 473-482. Scopus15 WoS10 |
| 2018 | Kassie, M., Marenya, P., Tessema, Y., Jaleta, M., Zeng, D., Erenstein, O., & Rahut, D. (2018). Measuring farm and market level economic impacts of improved maize production technologies in Ethiopia: evidence from panel data. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 69(1), 76-95. Scopus135 WoS123 |
| 2017 | Zeng, D., Alwang, J., Norton, G., Shiferaw, B., Jaleta, M., & Yirga, C. (2017). Agricultural technology adoption and child nutrition enhancement: improved maize varieties in rural Ethiopia. Agricultural Economics, 48(5), 573-586. Scopus42 WoS40 |
| 2016 | Zeng, D., Thomsen, M., Nayga, R., & Rouse, H. (2016). Middle school transition and body weight outcomes: evidence from Arkansas public schoolchildren. Economics and Human Biology, 21, 64-74. Scopus3 WoS2 Europe PMC1 |
| 2016 | Huang, Z., Zeng, D., & Wang, J. (2016). Factors affecting Chinese broiler farmers’ main preventive practices in response to highly pathogenic avian influenza. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 134, 153-159. Scopus14 WoS14 Europe PMC11 |
| 2015 | Zeng, D., You, W., Mills, B., Alwang, J., Royster, M., & Anson-Dwamena, R. (2015). A closer look at the rural-urban health disparities: insights from four major diseases in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Social Science & Medicine, 140, 62-68. Scopus32 WoS32 Europe PMC24 |
| 2015 | Zeng, D., Alwang, J., Norton, G., Shiferaw, B., Jaleta, M., & Yirga, C. (2015). Ex post impacts of improved maize varieties on poverty in rural Ethiopia. Agricultural Economics, 46(4), 515-526. Scopus89 WoS74 |
| 2015 | Huang, W., Zeng, D., & Zhou, S. (2015). Welfare impacts of modern peanut technologies in China. Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture, 221-238. |
| 2015 | Huang, W., Zeng, D., & Zhou, S. (2015). Welfare impacts of modern peanut varieties in China. Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture, 54(3), 221-238. Scopus3 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Qanti, S., Peralta Sanchez, M. A., & Zeng, D. (2023). Unfolding the spousal differences in response to intrahousehold decision-making participation questions: Evidence from West Java, Indonesia. In Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society 67th Annual Conference. Christchucrch, New Zealand. |
| 2023 | Qanti, S., Peralta Sanchez, M. A., & Zeng, D. (2023). Women Decision Making and Dairy Technology Adoption: Positive correlation between women's participation in dairy farming activities and decisions with the adoption of improved cattle nutrition practices in West Java, Indonesia. In Australasian Agriculture and Resource Economics Society 67th Annual Conference. |
| 2018 | Pagliuca, L. G., Dumbrell, N., Umberger, W., & Zeng, D. (2018). Drivers of changing meat expenditure and consumption patterns in urban Vietnam. In 62nd Annual Conference of the Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society. Adelaide, Australia. |
| 2018 | Khamthara, P., Zeng, D., & Stringer, R. (2018). Horticultural Development and Its Welfare Implications on Agricultural Household Education Investment in Indonesia. In Horticultural Development and Its Welfare Implications on Agricultural Household Education Investment in Indonesia. Vancouver, Canada. |
| 2017 | Dumbrell, N., Umberger, W., Zeng, D., Nguyen, A., & Pagliuca, L. (2017). Consumer preferences and consumption patterns for fruit & vegetables in urban Vietnam. In North-West Vietnam Research Symposium: Mountains of Opportunity. Hanoi, Vietnam: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. |
| 2014 | Zeng, D., Alwang, J., Norton, G., Shiferaw, B., Jaleta, M., & Yirga, C. (2014). Agricultural Technology Adoption and Child Nutrition: Improved Maize Varieties in Rural Ethiopia. In Proceedings of Agricultural & Applied Economics Association’s 2014 AAEA Annual Meeting. Minneapolis, USA. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Khamthara, P., Zeng, D., Stringer, R., & Hasibuan, A. (2019). The impacts of risk preference on off-farm income and child education investment: evidence from Indonesian horticultural farmers. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society Conference 2019. Melbourne, Australia. |
| 2018 | Khamthara, P., Zeng, D., Stringer, R., & Yi, D. (2018). Horticultural Development and Its Welfare Implications on Agricultural Household Education Investment in Indonesia. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society Conference 2018. Adelaide, Australia. |
| 2018 | Genova, C., Umberger., Newman., Peralta., & Zeng. (2018). The impact of smallholder vegetable production on child nutrition in rural Vietnam. Poster session presented at the meeting of 2018 Annual Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society (AARES) Conference. Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide, SA. |
| 2018 | Nguyen, A. D., Umberger, W., & Zeng, D. (2018). Concerns and valuation of food quality and food safety in urban Vietnam. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society 62nd Annual Conference. |
| 2017 | Nguyen, A. D., Umberger, W. J., Zeng, D., & Dumbrell, N. P. (2017). Concerns and valuation of food quality and food safety in urban Vietnam. Poster session presented at the meeting of North-West Vietnam Research Symposium: Mountains of Opportunity. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. |
| 2017 | Dumbrell, N., Umberger, W., Zeng, D., Nguyen, A., & Pagliuca, L. (2017). The role of market research in agricultural development for northwest Vietnam: The case of fruit and vegetables. Poster session presented at the meeting of North-West Vietnam Research Symposium: Mountains of Opportunity. Hanoi, Vietnam: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. |
| 2017 | Rupa, J., Ahmed, S., Umberger, W., Zeng, D., & Sim, N. (2017). Analysing the association between rural farm household health and economic shocks and food security in Bangladesh: a consolidated approach of measuring food security. Poster session presented at the meeting of PowerPoint presentation at 61st Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society's Annual Conference. Brisbane, Qld.. |
| 2016 | Rupa, J., Ahmed, S., Umberger, W., & Zeng, D. (2016). Analysing the association between rural farm household health and economic shocks and food security in Bangladesh: a consolidated approach of measuring food security. Poster session presented at the meeting of XXIII Agri-food Research Network (AFRN) conference. Adelaide, SA. |
| 2016 | Zeng, D., Thomsen, M., & Nayga, R. (2016). Food Desert and Weight Outcome: Disentangling Confounding Mechanisms. Poster session presented at the meeting of Allied Social Sciences Association (ASSA) 2016 Annual Meeting. |
| 2015 | Zeng, D., Thomsen, M., Nayga, R., & Rouse, H. (2015). Supermarket Access and Childhood Obesity: Natural Experiments of Store Openings and Closings. Poster session presented at the meeting of 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting. |
| 2013 | Zeng, D., Alwang, J., Norton, G., Shiferaw, B., Jaleta, M., & Yirga, C. (2013). Ex-Post Impacts of Improved Maize Varieties on Poverty in Rural Ethiopia. Poster session presented at the meeting of Agricultural and Applied Economics Association 2013 Annual Meeting. |
| 2012 | Zeng, D., You, W., Mills, B., Alwang, J., Royster, M., Studer, K., . . . Zeng, D. (2012). How Much DoWe Know about Rural-Urban Health Disparities: Lessons from Four Major Diseases in Virginia. Poster session presented at the meeting of Agricultural and Applied Economics Association 2012 Annual Meeting. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Rupa, J. A., Ahmed, S., Umberger, W., Zeng, D., & Sim, N. (2016). Analysing the association between rural farm household health and economic shocks and food security in Bangladesh: a consolidated approach of measuring food security. |
Zeng, D., Zuo, A., Roberts, R., Umberger, W., Johns, C. (2020-2023). Strengthening small-scale agricultural exports to China: Evaluation of two innovative marketing channels. DAWE (AUD: 291,500)
Zeng, D. (2016). Executive Dean's Award for excellence in research. Faculty of the Professions, University of Adelaide (AUD: 2,000).
ECON 3525 Economic Policy Analysis, 2024- (BEc capstone course, instructor and coordinator)
ECON 3523 Advanced Economic Analysis III, 2023- (BEc Advanced capstone course, instructor and coordinator)
AGRIBUS 7055 Global Food and Agricultural Markets, 2016- (Instructor and Coordinator)
AGRIBUS 7061 Research Principles and Methods, 2017, 2021 (Co-instructor and coordinator)
AGRIBUS 7054 Global Food and Agricultural Policy, 2017 (Co-instructor and coordinator)
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Program | Degree Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Principal Supervisor | Transforming to sustainable food consumption: an empirical study in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms Thi Xuan Dieu Phan |
| 2024 | Principal Supervisor | Enhancing Efficiency and Resilience in Bangladesh’s Rice Sector: Assessing Inefficiencies, Climate Impacts and Market Integration | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mr Limon Deb |
| 2024 | Principal Supervisor | Enhancing Efficiency and Resilience in Bangladeshs Rice Sector: Assessing Inefficiencies, Climate Impacts and Market Integration | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mr Limon Deb |
| 2024 | Principal Supervisor | Transforming to sustainable food consumption: an empirical study in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms Thi Xuan Dieu Phan |
| 2023 | Principal Supervisor | Climate change and agricultural water saving technologies: investigating the adoption decision and effects in north China | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Miss Siqi Huang |
| 2023 | Principal Supervisor | Climate change and agricultural water saving technologies: investigating the adoption decision and effects in north China | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Miss Siqi Huang |
| 2022 | Co-Supervisor | Wheat, Weapons and Worship: Improving the Delivery of Agricultural Development in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Part Time | Angus Davidson |
| 2022 | Co-Supervisor | Wheat, Weapons and Worship: Improving the Delivery of Agricultural Development in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Angus Davidson |
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Program | Degree Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 - 2023 | Co-Supervisor | Women’s Participation in Intrahousehold Decision-making: A Case in Rural Smallholder Farm Households in West Java Indonesia | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mrs Sara Ratna Qanti |
| 2020 - 2024 | Principal Supervisor | Understanding Consumers’ Organic Food Purchasing Behaviour in Laos and Australia | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mrs Chitpasong Kousonsavath |
| 2019 - 2023 | Principal Supervisor | Investigating online market consumer behaviour through spatial, big data and machine learning approaches: cases in Daigou, e-commerce platform and NFT crypto market | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Dr Wenzhu David Tang |
| 2017 - 2021 | Co-Supervisor | Exploring Relationships between Changing Food Environments, Food Consumption Behaviour, Attitudes and Nutrition Outcomes for Urban Vietnam | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mr Anh Duc Nguyen |
| 2017 - 2020 | Co-Supervisor | Horticultural Farming and Development Outcomes: Examining Human and Social Capital Investment Among Horticultural Households in Rural Indonesia | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mrs Phassara Khamthara |
| 2017 - 2019 | Co-Supervisor | Analysing the Drivers of Dietary Diversity, Diet Quality and Household Food Security in Developing Asia: Evidence from Urban Vietnam and Rural Bangladesh | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms Jesmin Ara Rupa |
| 2016 - 2020 | Co-Supervisor | Understanding the Roles of Gender in Rural Development: The Case of Labour-Intensive Chilli Production in Indonesia | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mrs Apri Laila Sayekti |
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