Biography
John Hoddinott is the H.E. Babcock Professor of Food and Nutrition Economics and Policy, Cornell University. Before coming to Cornell in 2015, he was a Deputy Division Director at the International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC. His research focuses on the causes and consequences of poverty, hunger and undernutrition in developing countries. He has been heavily involved in primary data collection through living in a mud hut in western Kenya and a small town near Timbuktu Mali in addition to his work in Bangladesh, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, Mali, Namibia, Niger and Zimbabwe.
John has ongoing research work in three countries: Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Guatemala. The Bangladesh and Ethiopian studies focus on agriculture, social protection, food security and nutrition. These are a mix of prospective cohort and randomized control trials. The Guatemala study is a follow up to a randomized community nutrition intervention that was fielded in the early 1970s.
John is interested in the causes of poverty, food insecurity and undernutrition, and the design and evaluation of interventions that would reduce these. He has also undertaken work on poverty dynamics, intrahousehold resource allocation, schooling, labour markets aid allocation and on improving survey methods.
John's current research interests focus on the links between economics (especially social protection, agriculture and gender), food security and early life nutrition. He has ongoing collaborative projects in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Guatemala.
John teaches a joint undergraduate/graduate course on the economics of food and malnutrition. This course is designed to bridge economics and nutrition and mixes lectures, class discussions, writing assignments and engagement with data.
NS 4480/6480: Economics of food and malnutrition
AEM 4485/6485: Economics of food and malnutrition
AEM/ECON 7650: Development microeconomics graduate research seminar
NS 7030: Seminar in Nutritional Sciences
NS 7030: Seminar in Nutritional Sciences
NS 6200: Translational research and evidence-based policy and practice in nutrition (Guest Lecture)
Book Chapter
1. J. Hoddinott, forthcoming. “Comment on ‘Human capital and shocks’ and ‘Poverty and cognitive function’” in The economics of poverty traps and chronic poverty ed by C. Barrett, M. Carter and J.P. Chavas (Chicago: University of Chicago Press).
2. J. Hoddinott and A.S. Taffesse, 2019. “Social protection in Ethiopia” in The Oxford Handbook of the Ethiopian Economy ed by C. Cramer, F. Cheru, and A. Oqubay (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
3. K. Hirvonen, D. Headey, J. Golan and J. Hoddinott, 2019. “Changes in child undernutrition rates in Ethiopia 2000-2016” in The Oxford Handbook of the Ethiopian Economy ed by C. Cramer, F. Cheru, and A. Oqubay (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
4. J. Hoddinott, S. Gillespie and S. Yosef, 2016. “Public-private partnerships and undernutrition: Examples and future prospects” in Hidden hunger. Malnutrition and the first 1,000 days of life: Causes, consequences and solutions ed by H. Biesalski and R. Black (Basel: Karger).
5. R. Pearson, S. Afaw, A. Baschieri, B. Birru, G. Berhane, T. Chaiban, B. Davis, S. Devereux, J. Hoddinott, J. Hoel, J. Kagin, N. Ledlie, H. Lemma, D. Mahonde, R. Pigois, P. Pozarny, K. Roelen, B. Schwab, P. Salama, I. Sessay, J.E. Taylor, F.N. Tegebu, Y. Tsegay, and D. Webb, 2016. “The role of the Tigray Social Cash Transfer programme and its evaluation in the evolution of the Tigray social policy” in From evidence to action: The story of cash transfers and impact evaluation in sub-Saharan Africa ed by B. Davis, S. Handa, N. Hypher, N. Rossi, P. Winters and J. Yablonski (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
6. M. Samson, C. Heinrich, J. Hoddinott, G. Laryea-Adjei, T. Buthelezi, S. Jehoma, M. Mogosti, T. Stevens, I. van Nierkek and E. Nyokangi, 2016 “The impact of a promise realized: South Africa’s Child Support Grant” in From evidence to action: The story of cash transfers and impact evaluation in sub-Saharan Africa ed by B. Davis, S. Handa, N. Hypher, N. Rossi, P. Winters and J. Yablonski (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
7. K. Hirvonen, D. Headey, J. Golan and J. Hoddinott, forthcoming. “Changes in child undernutrition rates in Ethiopia 2000-2016” in The Oxford Handbook of the Ethiopian Economy ed by C. Cramer, F. Cheru, and A. Oqubay (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
8. J. Hoddinott and A.S. Taffesse, 2019. “Social protection in Ethiopia” in The Oxford Handbook of the Ethiopian Economy ed by C. Cramer, F. Cheru, and A. Oqubay (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
9. J. Hoddinott, 2018. “Comment on ‘Human capital and shocks’ and ‘Poverty and cognitive function’” in The economics of poverty traps and chronic poverty ed by C. Barrett, M. Carter and J.P. Chavas (Chicago: University of Chicago Press).
Journal Article Non-Refereed
1. L. Richter, C. Desmond, J. Behrman, J. Hoddinott and 12 others, 2018. G20’s Initiative for Early Childhood Development, The Lancet 392: 2695-2696.
Journal Article Refereed
1. M. Hidrobo, J. Hoddinott, N. Kumar and M. Olivier, 2018, “Social protection, food security and assets”, World Development, 101: 88-103.
2. J. Hoddinott, A. Ahmed, N. Karachiwalla and S. Roy, 2018, “Nutrition behaviour change communication causes sustained effects on IYCN knowledge in two cluster-randomised trials in Bangladesh”, Maternal and Child Nutrition, 14(1).
3. J. Hoddinott, 2018, “The investment case for folic acid fortification in developing countries”, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1414(1): 72-81.
4. J. Hoddinott, A. Ahmed and S. Roy, 2018, “Randomized control trials demonstrate that nutrition sensitive social protection interventions increase the use of Sprinkles and other iron supplements in rural pre-school Bangladeshi children", Public Health Nutrition, 21(9): 1753-1761.
5. N. D. Ford, J. Behrman, J. Hoddinott, J. Maluccio, R. Martorell, M. Ramirez-Zea and A. D. Stein, 2018, “Exposure to improved nutrition from conception to age 2 y and adult cardiometabolic disease risk”, Lancet Global Health, 6(8): e875-e884.
6. J. Hoddinott, S. Sandström and J. Upton, 2018, “The impact of cash and food transfers: Evidence from a randomized intervention in Niger”, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 100(4): 1032-1049.
7. S. Gillespie, J. Hoddinott, N. Nisbett, S. Arifeen and M. van den Bold, “Evidence to Action: Highlights from Transform Nutrition Research (2012-17)”, 2018, Food and Nutrition Bulletin,39(3): 335-360 [Lead article].
8. D. Headey, K. Hirvonen and J. Hoddinott, “Animal sourced foods and child stunting”, 2018,American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 100(5): 1302-1319.
9. S. Roy, M. Hidrobo, J. Hoddinott and A. Ahmed, forthcoming. “Transfers, behavior change communication, and intimate partner violence: Post-program evidence from rural Bangladesh”, Review of Economics and Statistics.
10. J. Hoddinott, S. Gillespie and S. Yosef, “Public-Private Partnerships and the reduction of undernutrition in developing countries”, under revision for World Bank Research Observer, October 2016.
11. J. Behrman, J. Hoddinott, J. Maluccio and R. Martorell, “Brains versus Brawn: Labor Market Returns to Intellectual and Health Human Capital in Guatemala”, under revision for Journal of Human Capital, April 2017.
12. M.K. Wheeler, D. Lee, W. Vilchez and J. Hoddinott, “Agriculture-nutrition pathways in peri-urban villages: Linking farm production with household diet diversity in the Andean Highlands”, under revision for Food Policy, August 2017.
13. J. Hoddinott, S. Sandström and J. Upton, “The impact of cash and food transfers: Evidence from a randomized intervention in Niger”, conditionally accepted, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, September 2017.
14. N. D. Ford, J. Behrman, J. Hoddinott, J. Maluccio, R. Martorell, M. Ramirez-Zea and A. D. Stein, “Exposure to improved nutrition from conception to age 2 y and adult cardiometabolic disease risk”, submitted to Lancet Global Health, October 2017.
15. J. Hoel, B. Schwab and J. Hoddinott, 2016. “Self-control fatigue, cognitive function, and the expression of time preference: Experimental results from Ethiopia”, Journal of Economic Psychology, 52: 136-146.
16. E. Puentes, F. Wang, J. Behrman, F. Cunha, J. Hoddinott, J. Maluccio, L. Adair, J. Borja, R. Martorell, and A. Stein, 2016. “Early life height and weight production functions with endogenous energy and protein inputs”, Economics and Human Biology, 22: 65-81.
17. D. Headey, J. Hoddinott and S. Park, 2016. “Drivers of nutritional change in four south Asian countries: A dynamic observational analysis”, Maternal and Child Nutrition, 12(Suppl. 1): 210-218.
18. J. Hoddinott, N. Karachiwalla, N. Ledlie and S. Roy, 2016. “Adolescent girls’ infant and young child nutrition knowledge sources differ among rural and urban samples in Bangladesh”, Maternal and Child Nutrition, 12(4): 885-897.
19. D. Headey and J. Hoddinott, 2016. “Agriculture, nutrition and the Green Revolution in Bangladesh”, Agricultural Systems, 149: 122-131.
20. C. Heinrich, J. Hoddinott, and M. Samson, forthcoming. “Reducing adolescent risky behaviors in a high-risk context: The effects of unconditional cash transfers in South Africa”, Economic Development and Cultural Change.
21. K. Hirvonen and J. Hoddinott, forthcoming “Agricultural production and children’s diets: Evidence from rural Ethiopia”, Agricultural Economics.
22. J. Hoddinott, S. Sandström and J. Upton, “The impact of cash and food transfers: Evidence from a randomized intervention in Niger”, under second revision for American Journal of Agricultural Economics, October 2014.
23. M. Hidrobo, J. Hoddinott, N. Kumar and M. Olivier, “Social protection, food security and assets”, submitted to World Development, September 2015.
24. K. Hirvonen and J. Hoddinott, “Agricultural production and children’s diets: Evidence from rural Ethiopia”, submitted to Agricultural Economics, October 2015.
25. C. Heinrich, J. Hoddinott, and M. Samson, 2014. “Reducing adolescent risky behaviors in a high-risk context: The effects of unconditional cash transfers in South Africa”, revised version submitted to Economic Development and Cultural Change, November 2015.
26. E. Puentes, F. Wang, J. Behrman, F. Flavio Cunha, J. Hoddinott, J. Maluccio, L. Adair, J. Borja, R. Martorell, and A. Stein, “Early life height and weight production functions with endogenous energy and protein inputs”, conditionally accepted by Economics and Human Biology, November 2015.
27. J. Hoddinott, S. Gillespie, and S. Yosef, “Public-Private Partnerships and the Reduction of Undernutrition in Developing Countries”, submitted to World Development, December 2015.
28. J. Hoddinott, N. Karachiwalla, N. Ledlie and S. Roy, “Adolescent girls’ infant and young child nutrition knowledge sources differ among rural and urban samples in Bangladesh”, submitted to Public Health Nutrition, December 2015.
29. D. Headey, J. Hoddinott, D. Ali, R. Tesfaye and M. Dereje, 2015. “The other Asian enigma: Explaining the rapid reduction of malnutrition in Bangladesh”, World Development, 66(2): 749-761.
30. A. de Brauw, D. Gilligan, J. Hoddinott and S. Roy, 2015. “Bolsa Família and household labor supply” Economic Development and Cultural Change, 63(3): 423-457 [Lead article].
31. A. Margolies and J. Hoddinott, 2015. “Costing alternative transfer modalities”, Journal of Development Effectiveness, 7(1): 1-17 [Lead article].
32. A. de Brauw, D. Gilligan, J. Hoddinott and S. Roy, 2015. “The impact of Bolsa Família on education” World Development, 70(6): 303-316.
33. J. Hoddinott, D. Headey, and M. Dereje, 2015. “Cows, missing milk markets and nutrition in rural Ethiopia,” Journal of Development Studies, 51(8): 958-975.
34. D. Headey, J. Hoddinott and S. Park, forthcoming. “Drivers of nutritional change in four south Asian countries: A dynamic observational analysis”, Maternal and Child Nutrition, forthcoming.
35. J. Hoel, B. Schwab and J. Hoddinott, “Self-control fatigue, cognitive function, and the expression of time preference: Experimental results from Ethiopia”, Journal of Economic Psychology, forthcoming.
36. D. Headey and J. Hoddinott, “Understanding the rapid reduction of undernutrition in Nepal, 2001–2011”, PLoS One, forthcoming.
37. J. Hoddinott, S. Gillespie and S. Yosef, “Public-Private Partnerships and the reduction of undernutrition in developing countries”, under revision for World Bank Research Observer, October 2016.
38. S. Roy, M. Hidrobo, J. Hoddinott and A. Ahmed, 2019, “Transfers, behavior change communication, and intimate partner violence: Post-program evidence from rural Bangladesh”, Review of Economics and Statistics 101(5): 865-877. https://doi.org/10.1162/rest_a_00791
39. M. Santoso, R. Kerr, J. Hoddinott, P. Garigipati, S. Olmos and S. Young, 2019, “What is the role of women’s empowerment in child nutrition outcomes? A systematic review”, Advances in Nutrition, 10(6): 1138-1151. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmz056
40. D. Headey, K. Hirvonen, J. Hoddinott and D. Stifel, 2019, "Rural food markets and child nutrition”, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 101(5): 1311-1327. [Lead article].https://doi.org/10.1093/ajae/aaz032.
41. M. Bourassa, S. Osendarp, S. Adu-Afarwuah, S. Ahmed, J. Hoddinott and 24 others, 2019, “Review of the evidence regarding the use of antenatal multiple micronutrient supplementation in low- and middle-income countries”, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1444 (1): 6-21.https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14121
42. J. Hoddinott and E. Knippenberg, “Shocks, social protection and resilience: Evidence from Ethiopia”, second revised version submitted to World Development, October 2019.
43. J. Hoddinott and E. Knippenberg, “Shocks, social protection and resilience: Evidence from Ethiopia”, under revision for World Development, June 2018.
44. E. Knippenberg, D. Jolliffe and J. Hoddinott, "Land Fragmentation and Food Insecurity in Ethiopia", under revision for American Journal of Agricultural Economics, July 2018.
45. M. Santoso, R. Kerr, J. Hoddinott, P. Garigipati, S. Olmos and S. Young, “What is the role of women’s empowerment in child nutrition outcomes? A systematic review”, submitted to Advances in Nutrition, September 2018.
46. J. Hoddinott and T. Mekasha, “Social protection, household size and its determinants: Evidence from Ethiopia”, submitted to Journal of Population Economics, October 2018.
47. K. Hirvonen and J. Hoddinott, “Payment modality preferences: Evidence from Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme”, submitted to World Bank Economic Review, October 2018.
48. L. Larson, T. Thomas, A. Kurpad, R. Martorell, J. Hoddinott, S. Swaminathan and L Neufeld, “Anemia in women and children in Uttar Pradesh, India: a path analysis of the associations between nutritional, environmental, infectious, genetic, and underlying social determinants”, submitted to Maternal and Child Nutrition, December 2018.
49. D. Headey, K. Hirvonen, J. Hoddinott and D. Stifel, "Rural food markets and child nutrition”, submitted to American Journal of Agricultural Economics, December 2018.
50. J. Hoddinott, S. Sandström and J. Upton, “The impact of cash and food transfers: Evidence from a randomized intervention in Niger”, under second revision for American Journal of Agricultural Economics, October 2014.
51. M. Hidrobo, J. Hoddinott, N. Kumar and M. Olivier, “Social protection, food security and assets”, revised version submitted to World Development, September 2016.
52. D. Headey, J. Hoddinott and S. Park, “Accounting for nutritional changes in six success stories:A regression-decomposition approach”, under revision for Global Food Security, September 2016.
53. J. Hoddinott, S. Gillespie and S. Yosef, “Public-Private Partnerships and the reduction of undernutrition in developing countries”, under revision for World Bank Research Observer, October 2016.
54. K. Hirvonen, J. Hoddinott, B. Minten and D. Stifel, “Children’s diets, nutrition knowledge, and access to markets", revised version submitted to World Development, November 2016.
55. J. Hoddinott, A. Ahmed, N. Karachiwalla and S. Roy, “Nutrition behaviour change communication causes sustained effects on IYCN knowledge in two cluster-randomised trials in Bangladesh”, submitted to Maternal and Child Nutrition, January 2017.
56. J. Hoddinott, I. Ahmed, A. Ahmed and S. Roy, “Behavior change communication activities and their impact on infant and young child nutrition knowledge and practice of neighboring non-participants in rural Bangladesh”, submitted to PLoS One, January 2017.
57. K. Hirvonen, J. Hoddinott, B. Minten and D. Stifel, 2017. “Children’s diets, nutrition knowledge, and access to markets", World Development, 95: 303-315.
58. D. Headey, J. Hoddinott and S. Park, 2017. “Accounting for nutritional changes in six success stories: A regression-decomposition approach”, Global Food Security, 13: 12-20.
59. C. Heinrich, J. Hoddinott, and M. Samson, 2017. “Reducing adolescent risky behaviors in a high-risk context: The effects of unconditional cash transfers in South Africa”, Economic Development and Cultural Change, 65(4): 619-652.
60. K. Hirvonen and J. Hoddinott, 2017. “Agricultural production and children’s diets: Evidence from rural Ethiopia”, Agricultural Economics, 49(4): 469-480.
61. J. Hoddinott, I. Ahmed, A. Ahmed and S. Roy, 2017. “Behavior change communication activities and their impact on infant and young child nutrition knowledge and practice of neighboring non-participants in rural Bangladesh”, PLoS One.
62. M. Hidrobo, J. Hoddinott, N. Kumar and M. Olivier, 2018, “Social protection, food security and assets”, World Development, 101: 88-103.
63. J. Hoddinott, A. Ahmed, N. Karachiwalla and S. Roy, 2018, “Nutrition behaviour change communication causes sustained effects on IYCN knowledge in two cluster-randomised trials in Bangladesh”, Maternal and Child Nutrition, 14(1).
64. J. Hoddinott, forthcoming, “The investment case for folic acid fortification in developing countries”, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
65. J. Hoddinott, A. Ahmed and S. Roy, forthcoming, “Randomized control trials demonstrate that nutrition sensitive social protection interventions increase the use of Sprinkles and other iron supplements in rural pre-school Bangladeshi children", Public Health Nutrition.
66. G. Wable Grandner, K. Rasmussen, K. Dickin, P. Menon, R. Kanbur and J. Hoddinott, “Assessing statistical similarity in dietary intakes of women of reproductive age in Bangladesh" submitted to Maternal and Child Nutrition, December 2019.
67. R. Sabates-Wheeler, J. Lind and J. Hoddinott, “Surviving but still not thriving: learning from the first 10 years of the PSNP on how [not] to support the graduation of poor households" submitted to Development Policy Review, December 2019.
68. M. Filipski, G. Rosenbach, E. Tiburcio, P. Dorosh, and J. Hoddinott, “Refugees Who Mean Business: Economic Activities in and around the Rohingya Settlements in Bangladesh”, submitted to Journal of Refugee Studies, December 2019.
69. J. Hoddinott and T. Mekasha, “Social protection, household size and its determinants: Evidence from Ethiopia”, revised version submitted to Journal of Development Studies, November 2019.
70. A. Ahmed, J. Hoddinott, N. Abedin, and N. Z. Hossain, “Economic and health impacts of genetically modified eggplant: Results from a randomized controlled trial of Bt brinjal in Bangladesh”, under revision for American Journal of Agricultural Economics, September 2019.
71. C. O'Hara, J. Hoddinott, P. Webb and B.L. Rogers, "Dietary pattern analysis provides more informative associations with child anthropometry than dietary diversity scores in two districts of western Nepal”, under revision for Current Developments in Nutrition, September 2019.
72. J. Hoddinott, P. Dorosh, M. Filipski, G. Rosenbach and E. Tiburcio, “Food transfers, electronic food vouchers and child nutritional status among Rohingya children living in Bangladesh”, under revision for PLoS One, September 2019.
73. C. O'Hara, P. Webb, J. Hoddinott and B.L. Rogers, "Defining dietary patterns using exploratory factor analysis clarifies the relationship between dietary diversity and diet quality in rural Nepal", under revision for PLoS One, August 2019.
74. K. Hirvonen and J. Hoddinott, forthcoming, “Beneficiary views on cash and in-kind payments: Evidence from Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme”, World Bank Economic Review.
75. E. Knippenberg, D. Jolliffe and J. Hoddinott, forthcoming, "Land Fragmentation and Food Insecurity in Ethiopia", American Journal of Agricultural Economics.
76. Behrman, J, J. Hoddinott and J. Maluccio, forthcoming. Nutrition, adult cognitive skills and productivity: Results and influence of the Oriente Longitudinal Study, Food and Nutrition Bulletin. Spanish translation published as: Behrman, J, J. Hoddinott and J. Maluccio, 2019. Nutricion y habilidades cognitivas y productividad del adulto: Resultados y contribucion del Estudio Longitudinal de Oriente del INCAP. In Estudio Longitudinal de Oriente del INCAP: 50 anos contribuyendo a la nutricion publica. Ramirez M. y M. Mazariegos (eds). Guatemala: INCAP.
77. A. Quisumbing, A. Ahmed, D. Gilligan, J. Hoddinott, N. Kumar, J. Leroy, P. Menon, D. Olney, S. Roy and M. Ruel, forthcoming, “Randomized controlled trials of multi-sectoral programs: Lessons from development research”, World Development.
78. F. Gomes, S. Adu-Afarwuah, C. Ajello, G. Bergeron, R. Black, J. Hoddinott and 21 others, forthcoming. “Setting research priorities on multiple micronutrient supplementation in pregnancy”, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
79. S. Gillespie, J. Hoddinott, N. Nisbett, S. Arifeen and M. van den Bold, “Evidence to Action: Highlights from Transform Nutrition Research (2012-17)”, submitted to Food and Nutrition Bulletin, December 2017.
80. S. Roy, M. Hidrobo, J. Hoddinott and A. Ahmed, “Transfers, behavior change communication, and intimate partner violence: Post-program evidence from rural Bangladesh”, revised version submitted to Review of Economics and Statistics, December 2017.
81. D. Headey, K. Hirvonen and J. Hoddinott, “Animal sourced foods and child stunting”, submitted to American Journal of Agricultural Economics, December 2017.
John's professional activities focus primarily on ongoing research collaborations in Bangladesh and Ethiopia. On addition, he is a Managing Editor of the Journal of African Economies, an Associate Editor of Economics and Human Biology and serves on the editorial boards of Agricultural and Resource Economics Review and Journal of Development Studies. Since 2016, he has been part of the NEUDC Program Committee.
1989, D. Phil., (Economics), University of Oxford
1986, M.A., (Economics), York University
1984, B.A., (Honours, Economics), University of Toronto