Giacomo Zanello is Professor of Food Economics and Health at the University of Reading, where he also serves as Head of the Agri-Food Economics and Marketing Department. His research examines the interactions between food systems, nutrition, and health, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia.
Giacomo’s work spans food environments, dietary quality, agriculture, gender and nutrition linkages, and the economics of malnutrition, and has been funded by the European Commission, UKRI, FCDO, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others. He is currently Reading’s Principal Investigator of LESS-MALNUTRITION, an EU-Horizon project addressing child undernutrition in Africa.
Beyond academia, Giacomo has a strong commitment to translating research into policy action. He serves as Co-Chair of the Independent Expert Group of the Global Nutrition Report and has contributed to the 2025 Nutrition for Growth Paris Summit as a member of the International Advisory Group.
Personal website: www.giacomozanello.com