Welcome to the Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension, and Rural Development at the University of Pretoria.  As a department, we are passionate about the various applied fields of agribusiness, agricultural extension, rural development, environmental and natural resources economics, macroeconomics and policy, and other areas of agricultural economics. The Department deals with research, training, and outreach issues at the heart of the agricultural and rural development agenda, with a special focus on the knowledge-strategy-policy interface. To achieve this, we partner with private and public sector organizations locally, continentally, and globally to align our work with industry needs and policy questions. As such, our staff and graduates play a central role in a wide range of professional engagements (research, evidence-based policy dialogue, and consultancy) in the agricultural and food sector in South Africa and the African continent. Through our transdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder, multi-sectoral research, participatory teaching, and public/private sector engagement, we continue to address key business and societal challenges, including poverty, food/nutrition insecurity, unemployment, economic inequality, energy security, and sustainability.

Our department is strategically located to work with partners and stakeholders in South Africa, the broader Southern Africa region, and beyond. We invite all private sector companies, universities, continental and global organizations, government entities, and non-governmental organizations to work with us on research, training, and questions of common interest. We are open to collaborative relationships as a partner in addressing the multi-dimensional and complex challenges of sustainable development.

Our programs, regularly under review, are focused on understanding the complex nexus of interactions among agriculture, food, water, energy, ecosystems, and health. We pride ourselves in our willingness and capacity to participate in or lead partnerships in all our research, teaching, and community development. We have a team of leading agricultural economists, extension professionals, environmental and natural resources economists, and rural development experts with extensive experience in their respective space. Our graduates have the necessary skill sets to think critically and contribute to the complex nexus of sustainable development challenges. We ensure our graduates can provide thought leadership, essential evidence, and knowledge-based advice for policy and business decisions across various private, public, and parastatal organizations.

We invite you to join our Department as a student or partner to contribute to the growing sustainable development agenda in South Africa, Africa, and beyond and to build knowledge and capacity to realize a sustainable food system for the future.