Food Security Policy Innovation Lab

Ferdi Meyer

Ferdinand Meyer holds the position as director of the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) and associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development at the University of Pretoria.

Ferdi completed the PhD degree in 2006 following a study abroad programme at the University of Missouri, United States. He specialises in agricultural market, trade and policy analysis, strategic foresighting and scenario planning. As director of BFAP he continuously engages with a wide group of stakeholders in the public and private sector.    

Professional highlights include:

  • Founding member of the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) in 2004. BFAP is a non-profit company with the purpose to inform decision-making by all stakeholders in the agro-food, fibre and beverage complex by providing independent research-based policy - and market analyses.  
  • Member of the Board: Protein Research Foundation (PRF)
  • Member of the Board: Agrico Machinery Pty Ltd
  • Member of the Board: Regional Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes (ReNAPRI)
  • President of the Agricultural Association of South Africa (AEASA), 2018
  • Served on the National Crop Estimates Committee
  • Rated researcher at the National Research Foundation (NRF)
  • Received the Exceptional Young achievers award – University of Pretoria
  • South Africa’s Agriculturalist of the Year 2014 – Agricultural Writers SA
  • 18 Masters and 9 Doctoral students have graduated under his supervision.
  • 9 awards by the Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa
  • 64 research reports, working papers and peer reviewed articles
  • More than 120 national and international appearances at conferences as invited speaker.

 

Ferdi remains involved in primary agriculture and lives on a farm in the North-West Province in South Africa with his wife and three boys. He manages the finance, investments and marketing of the farming business. He is an active member of the community, chairing various organizations, including the governing board of the school and participating in various fundraising and charitable activities.