Fredy T. M. Kilima is Associate Professor and Head of Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from Oklahoma State University and is well experienced in applied and action research as well as consultancy services. He has a strong background in quantitative economics (micro-economics, mathematics and econometrics) with a long term teaching experience in this specialty. He has researched extensively in agricultural marketing, price transmission, food and safety standards, commodity value chains and livelihoods.
His most recent research has been on:
1) consumer behaviour and decision making through a regional project involving researcher from Kansas State in the United States of America, Lilongwe University of Agriculture Natural Resources in Malawi, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in Tanzania and University of Zambia;
2) adoption of nano technologies to enhance fruit freshness through an international project implemented in India, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Kenya and Tanzania;
3) Migration, access to credit and urbanization through a project involving researchers from Copenhagen University and SUA;
4) Urban dairying and poverty reduction and, innovative communication and marketing in Tanzania.
In the recent past Prof. Kilima has been contracted as lead or collaborating consultant by several clients including :
1) BirldLife International to undertake comparative costs benefit analysis comparing soda ash mining with promotion of ecotourism and sustainable use of natural resources in the lake Natron basin,
2) Tanzania; Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to devise a methodology for computing farm gate prices as ratios of Free On Board (FOB) prices for coffee and cashew nuts; Seed Policy Action Node (SPAN) Project at SUA to prepare a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) manual; eoVision and Frieland to undertake impact assessment for a dam construction project in Tanzania.
At SUA Prof. Kilima has participated in the Programme for Agricultural and Natural Resources Transformation for Improved Livelihood (PANTIL) as a Research Impact Assessment Expert. At present Prof. Kilima is a component leader of programme titled Enhancing Pro-poor Innovations in Natural Resources and Agricultural Value-chains (EPINAV) and is responsible for monitoring and evaluation of 21 research projects. In terms of publication Prof. Kilima has published on agricultural credit, biodiversity conservation, market reforms, livelihoods, value chain, production efficiency, gender, food choices, market choices, project monitoring and evaluation as well as price integration and volatility