Di Zeng

Dr Di Zeng

Senior Lecturer

School of Economics and Public Policy

Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


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.

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.

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). 

AGRIBUS 7055 Global Food and Agricultural Markets, ongoing (Instructor and Coordinator)

AGRIBUS 7054 Global Food and Agricultural Policy, 2017 (Co-instructor and coordinator)

AGRIBUS 7061 Research Principles and Methods, 2017 (Co-instructor and coordinator)

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2023 Principal Supervisor Understanding agri-food products purchase behaviour in cross-border live streaming commerce Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Gengtao Liu
    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 Mr Angus Alexander Davidson
    2020 Principal Supervisor Understanding drivers of consumer food purchasing behaviour in Laos Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Chitpasong Kousonsavath
    2019 Principal Supervisor Investigating online market consumer behaviour applying spatial, big data and machine learning approaches: cases in Daigou, e-commerce platform, and NFT crypto market Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Wenzhu Tang
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    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
    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
  • Position: Senior Lecturer
  • Phone: 83136226
  • Email: di.zeng@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Nexus 10, floor 6
  • Org Unit: Centre for Global Food and Resources

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