PETER WOBST
AV. MARIE-HENRIETTE 7 • 1330 RIXENSART • BELGIUM (PRIV.)
EUROPEAN COMMISSION • DG ENTR B2 • BREY 07/021 • BE-1049 BRUSSELS
PHONE: +32 (0)2 633-1913 (H) • +32 (0)2 299-3734 (W) • +32 (0)473 616296 (M)
E-MAIL: PETER.WOBST@EC.EUROPA.EU
CURRICULUM VITAE
Nationality:
Birth:
Marital Status:
German
April 12, 1967
Married (one child)
Education:
Ph.D. (Economics), University of Hohenheim, 2000
M.A. (Economics), University of Bonn, 1994
B.A. (Political Sciences), University of Bonn, 1991
Current Positions:
Policy Officer, Competitiveness and Economic Reforms Unit, Directorate B,
DG Enterprise and Industry, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium.
SUMMARY
Peter Wobst joined the European Commission in September 2005 working with the Sustainability in
Agriculture Unit of IPTS (DG JRC) in Seville. His responsibilities comprised the coordination of research
projects related to agricultural, food industry, and rural development with a focus on international trade issues
as well as the conceptual development of a project proposal on the economic impact of biotechnology
applications, namely biofuels and biopolymers. In July 2006, he transferred to the Competitiveness and
Economic Reforms Unit at DG Enterprise and Industry in Brussels to work on the assessment of Lisbon
Strategy type structural reforms and other policy issues such as R&D and innovation, renewable energies,
international energy supply, EU emission trading scheme, and climate change. He is also responsible for the
coordination of studies on the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, the promotion of biofuels, and the EU energy
package. Furthermore, he is a member of DG ENTR's task force on “Greening Industry Policies”.
Previously, Peter has worked for the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington, DC,
USA. He joined IFPRI in January 1997 to work on a Tanzania case study of the project: “Macroeconomic
Reforms and Regional Integration in Southern Africa”. He has traveled and worked extensively in East and
Southern Africa since 1991, including Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. His
research focused on macroeconomics and international trade, agricultural sector development, linkages
between agriculture and non-agriculture, infrastructure improvements targeting higher market integration, and
the impact of rural development on income distribution and poverty. He has worked comprehensively with
dynamic simulation approaches for policy impact assessment. He was involved in capacity strengthening
efforts in the region, including collaborative research, training, and teaching. Despite his focus on sub-Saharan
Africa, he has also worked on Bangladesh, Russia, and Romania. From 2002 to 2005, Peter was out-posted as
a Research Fellow at the Center for Development Research in Bonn, Germany, where he led a research
program on “Policy Analysis for Sustainable Agricultural Development.”
Curriculum Vitae (October 2005)
Peter Wobst
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Employment
Jun 2006–current: Policy Officer, Competitiveness and Economic Reforms Unit, Directorate B, DG
Enterprise and Industry, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium.
Sep 2005–Jun 2006: Scientific Officer, Sustainability in Agriculture, Food and Health Unit at the Institute for
Prospective Technological Studies, DG Joint Research Center, European Commission, Seville, Spain.
Jun 2003–Aug 2005: Research Fellow, Development Strategy and Governance Division at the International
Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
Nov 2001–Aug 2005: Research Fellow, Department of Economic and Technological Change at the Center for
Development Research, University of Bonn, Germany.
Jun 2000–May 2003: Postdoctoral Fellow, Trade and Macroeconomics Division at the International Food
Policy Research Institute in Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
Jan 1997–May 2000: Research Analyst, Trade and Macroeconomics Division at the International Food Policy
Research Institute in Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
Nov 1994–Jan 1997: Scientific Assistant (Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter), Department of Agricultural
Economics and Social Sciences in the Tropics, University of Hohenheim, Germany.
Current responsibilities at DG ENTR/B2 (Brussels)
2006/07: Assessment of Lisbon Strategy type structural reforms and other policy issues (e.g. R&D and
innovation, renewable energies / Kyoto protocol, international energy supply, EU emission trading scheme,
reduction of administrative burden, etc.) using quantitative analytical approaches. Coordination of studies on
“Competitiveness Effects of Trading Emissions and Fostering Technologies to Meet the EU Kyoto Targets”
and “The EU energy package: An integrated assessment of international competitiveness, global environmental
effectiveness and security of supply”. Member of DG ENTR's task force on “Greening Industry Policies”.
Responsibilities at DG JRC/IPTS/SAFH (Seville)
2005/06: Coordination of research projects related to agricultural, food industry, and rural development with a
focus on international trade issues (e.g. Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreements). Conceptual
development of a project on the “Potential economic impact of large-scale adoption of selected modern
biotechnology applications” (biofuels and biopolymers).
Completed research projects
2004-2005: Responsible for the economy-wide analysis component on growth and poverty reduction of the
USAID-funded IFPRI project on “Strategic Criteria for Rural Investments in Productivity” in Uganda.
2004: Leading the Zambia country case study under the DFID/World Bank-funded research program on
“Operationalising Pro-poor Growth.”
2004: Responsible for the economy-wide analysis component of the joint IFPRI/Imperial College project on
“Disaggregated Impacts of Agricultural Policy Reform on Poor Rural Households: Linking Household, Rural
Economy and Economy-wide Analysis” for the OECD “Global Forum on Agriculture.”
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Curriculum Vitae (October 2005)
Peter Wobst
2003/04: Leading the Kenya country case study on “Growth Options and Poverty Reduction in Kenya: An
Economywide Analysis for 2001-2015” as part of IFPRI’s analytic support to USAID’s Action Plan for Kenya.
2002-2005: Leading the research program on “Policy Analysis for Sustainable Agricultural Development” at
the Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, Germany.
2001/02: Leading the IFPRI component of a joint project with Purdue University, West-Lafayette, on
“HIV/AIDS and the Labor Market in Tanzania” funded by the US Department of Labor.
2001-03: Leading a joint IFPRI project with the National Bureau of Statistics in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on
“Social Accounting Matrices (SAMs) for Policy Analysis in Tanzania.”
2001-03: Participating in the Malawi component of a joint IFPRI project with Imperial College at Wye on
“Institutions and Economic Policies for Pro Poor Growth”.
2000-03: Leading the Tanzania country study of the second phase of the IFPRI project on “Macroeconomic
Reforms and Regional Integration in Southern Africa.”
1999/00: Conducting a research project on “Capacity Strengthening and Collaborative Research in Southern
Africa” including two three-week courses in “Quantitative Multi-Sector Policy Analysis” at Bunda College of
Agriculture, University of Malawi.
1997-99: Prepared the Tanzania country study under a multi-country IFPRI project on “Macro-economic
Reforms and Regional Integration in Southern Africa.”
Other work experiences
Extensive work experience in developing countries, mainly East and Southern Africa, acquired over a 15-year
period, including numerous workshops, conferences, and project meetings; data collection, field research
(surveys); training and teaching of quantitative analysis tools; as well as collaborative research projects with
universities, research institutes and government institutions. The list of countries includes Tanzania (2 years in
total), Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Kyrgyzstan.
Furthermore, extensive experiences in teaching at universities, tutoring of Ph.D. student and participation in
international conferences.
EDUCATION
2000: Ph.D. in Economics (distinction), Department of Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences in the
Tropics, University of Hohenheim, Germany. Concentrations: (a) Structural adjustment and stabilization
programs; (b) Agriculture and development economics. Research Thesis: “Structural Adjustment and Income
Distribution in Tanzania: A Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Analysis Using a 1992 Social
Accounting Matrix (SAM)”
1994: Master’s Degree (equivalent) in National Economics, Economics Department, The Faculty of Law and
Economics, University of Bonn, Germany. Concentrations: (a) Development economics and (b) Statistics.
Thesis: “International capital mobility evaluated on the basis of saving-investment correlations”
1991: Bachelor’s Degree (equivalent) in Political Science, Sociology, and Philosophy, University of Bonn,
Germany.
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Curriculum Vitae (October 2005)
Peter Wobst
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Languages: German (native); English (excellent); Kiswahili (intermediate); French (intermediate); Spanish
(intermediate).
Computer Literacy: MS DOS and WINDOWS-based operating systems; MS Office applications; database,
graphics, and communication packages.
Programming skills: General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS), STATA, SPSS.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Journal articles
Thurlow, J. and P. Wobst. 2006. “Not All Growth is Equally Good for the Poor: The Case of Zambia.”
Journal of African Economies 15(4)603-625.
Balint, B. and P. Wobst. 2006. “Institutional Factors and Market Participation of Individual Farmers: The Case
of Romania.” Post-Communist Economies 18(1):101-121
Seebens, H. and P. Wobst. 2005. “The Impact of Increased School Enrollment on Economic Growth in
Tanzania.” African Development Review 17(2):274-301.
Mduma, J.K. and P. Wobst. 2005. “Determinants of Rural Labor Market Participation in Tanzania.” African
Studies Quarterly 8(2):32-47. Available at http://www.africa.ufl.edu.
Wehrheim, P. and P. Wobst. 2005. “The Economic Role of Russia's Subsistence Agriculture in the Transition
Process.” Agricultural Economics 33:91-105.
Wobst, P. and C. Arndt. 2004. “HIV/AIDS and Labor Force Upgrading in Tanzania.” World Development
32(11):1831-1847
Oskam, A.J., M.H.C. Komen, P. Wobst, and A. Yalew. 2004. “Trade Policies and Development of Lessfavored Areas: Evidence from the Literature.” Food Policy 29(4):445-466.
Dorward, A., S. Fan, J. Kydd, H. Lofgren, J. Morrison, C. Poulton, N. Rao, L. Smith, H. Tchale, S. Thorat, I.
Urey, and P. Wobst. 2004. “Institutions and Policies for Pro-poor Agricultural Growth.” Development
Policy Review 22(6):611-622.
Wobst, P. 2003. “The Impact of Domestic and Global Trade Liberalization on Five Southern African
Countries.” Journal of Development Studies 40(2):70-92.
Bautista, R. M., S. Robinson, F. Tarp, and P. Wobst. 2001. “Policy Bias and Agriculture: Partial and General
Equilibrium Measures.” Review of Development Economics 5(1):89-104.
Non-scientific journals
Grote, U. and P. Wobst. 2005. “Was bedeuten liberalisierte Agrarmärkte für Nahrungsmittel importierende
Entwicklungsländer?“ Entwicklung und Ländlicher Raum 39(2):25-28.
Wobst, P. 2005. Growth Options and Poverty Reduction in Kenya: An Economy-wide Analysis for 2001-2015.
Nord-Sued aktuell XIX(3/4):322-332.
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Curriculum Vitae (October 2005)
Peter Wobst
Dorward, A. et al. 2004. “Rethinking Agricultural Policies for Pro-poor Growth.” ODI Natural Resource
Perspectives Number 94, August 2004. London: The Overseas Development Institute.
von Braun, J., P. Wobst, and U. Grote. 2002. “New Development Aspects of Agricultural World Trade.”
Bridges 6(5):7-8. Geneva: International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development.
Reports, chapters in books, monographs
Thurlow, J. and P. Wobst. 2007. “The Role of Agriculture in Pro-poor Growth: Lessons from Zambia. ” In M.
Grimm et al. (Eds.): Determinants of Pro-poor Growth: Analytical Issues and Findings from Country
Cases. Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke.
M'barek, R., P. Wobst, and H.-J. Lutzeyer [Eds.]. 2006. Euro-Med Association Agreements: Agricultural
Trade—Regional Impacts in the EU. Workshop proceedings PB/2006/IPTS/3548. Institute of
Prospective Technological Studies. European Commission, Seville.
Grote U. and P. Wobst. 2005. “Development Aid and the Financing of Food Security Projects and Programs—
Situation and Perspective.” In U. Kracht and M. Schulz (Eds.): Food and Nutrition Security in the
Process of Globalization and Urbanization. Series on Society, Economy and Politics in Developing
Countries, 84(618-34), 2005. Litt-Publisher, Münster.
Thurlow, J and P. Wobst. 2004. The Road to Pro-poor Growth: The Zambian Experience. Country case study
under DFID’s joint program on “Operationalising Pro-Poor Growth” in collaboration with the World
Bank, AFD of France, and GTZ/KfW of Germany.
Arndt, C. and P. Wobst. 2003. “HIV/AIDS and the Labor Markets in Tanzania.” In Bureau of International
Labor Affairs Research Symposium Papers Vol.2: HIV/AIDS and the Workplace in Developing
Countries. US Department of Labor: Washington, D.C., pp. 1-48.
Wehrheim, P. and P. Wobst. 2003. “Modeling Subsistence Agriculture in Russia: Effects of Total Productivity
Changes and Reduction of Marketing Margins.” In S. Abele and K. Frohberg (Eds.) Subsistence
Agriculture in Central and Eastern Europe: How to break tie Vicious Circle? Halle (Germany):
IAMO.
Wobst, P. 2001. Structural Adjustment and Intersectoral Shifts in Tanzania: A Computable General
Equilibrium Analysis. Research Report 117. Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy Research
Institute.
Discussion papers
Tchale, H., J. Sauer, and P. Wobst. 2005. Impact of Alternative Soil Fertility Management Options on Maize
Productivity in Malawi´s Smallholder Farming System. ZEF-Discussion Papers on Development
Policy No.98. Center for Development Research. Bonn: University of Bonn.
Mduma, J.K. and P. Wobst. 2005. Village Level Labor Market Development in Tanzania: Evidence from
Spatial Econometrics. ZEF-Discussion Papers on Development Policy No.96. Center for Development
Research. Bonn: University of Bonn.
Thurlow, J. and P. Wobst. 2004. The Road to Pro-poor Growth in Zambia: Past Lessons and Future
Challenges. DSGD Discussion Paper Series No.16. Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy
Research Institute.
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Curriculum Vitae (October 2005)
Peter Wobst
Thurlow, J. and P. Wobst. 2003. Poverty-focused Social Accounting Matrices for Tanzania. TMD Discussion
Paper Series No.102. Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy Research Institute.
von Braun, J., P. Wobst, and U. Grote. 2002. Development Box and Special and Differential Treatment for
Food Security of Developing Countries: Potentials, Limitations, and Implementation Issues. ZEFDiscussion Papers on Development Policy No.47. Center for Development Research. Bonn:
University of Bonn.
Wobst, P. 2002. Comparison of Domestic and Global Trade Liberalization Across Five Southern African
Countries. TMD Discussion Paper Series No.92. Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy
Research Institute.
Fontana, M., P. Wobst, and P. Dorosh. 2001. Macro Policies and the Food Sector in Bangladesh: A General
Equilibrium Analysis. TMD Discussion Paper Series No.73. Washington, D.C.: International Food
Policy Research Institute.
Project and conference papers
Tchale, H., P. Wobst, and J. Sauer. 2005. Relative Technical Efficiency in Maize-Based Farming Systems in
Malawi: Evidence from a stochastic production frontier analysis. PASAD project paper. Center for
Development Research, University of Bonn. (Submitted to Journal of Economic Development and
Cultural Change.)
Sauer, J., H. Tchale, and P. Wobst. 2005. Smallholder Maize Productivity under Alternative Soil Fertility
management Options in Malawi. PASAD project paper. Center for Development Research, University
of Bonn. (Submitted to Journal of Sustainable Agriculture.)
Nyange, D. and P. Wobst. 2005. Effects of Strategic Grain Reserve, Trade and Regional Production on Maize
Price Volatility in Tanzania: An ARCH Model Analysis. PASAD project paper. Center for
Development Research, University of Bonn. (Submitted to Journal of Agricultural Economics and
Development.)
Balint, B. and P. Wobst. 2005. Transaction costs and subsistence farming: Evidence from Romania. PASAD
project paper. Center for Development Research, University of Bonn. (Submitted to European Review
of Agricultural Economics.)
Dorward, A., C. Poulton, H. Tchale, and P. Wobst. 2004. Disaggregated Impacts of Agricultural Policy
Reform on Poor Rural Households: Linking Household, Rural Economy and Economy-wide Analysis.
Paper prepared for the OECD “Global Forum on Agriculture: Designing and Implementing Prop-Poor
Agricultural Policies” workshop on December 2-3, 2004 at the OECD in Paris.
Dorward, A., P. Wobst, H. Lofgren, H. Tchale, and J. Morrison. 2003. Modelling Pro-poor Agricultural
Growth Strategies in Malawi: Lessons for Policy and Analysis. Joint Imperial College/IFPRI project
on “Institutions and Economic Policies for Pro-Poor Agricultural Growth.” (Submitted to Journal of
African Economies.)
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