TSUKADA Kazunari
| TSUKADA Kazunari |
| [Belonging・Position] | Microeconomic Analysis Studies Group, Development Studies Center ・Deputy Director |
| [Research Field] | Development economics, Agricultural economics |
| [email] |
Kazunari_Tsukada 
|
Previous research
I have conducted research on agriculture and rural areas in Southeast Asia. After joining the Institute, I evaluated rural microfinance in Indonesia and analyzed the role of policy intervention under incomplete markets. Also, motivated by soaring grain prices in the latter half of the 2000s, I conducted a series of investigations into Vietnam’s agricultural policies and rice farming and also analyzed economic development and food security in developing countries, mechanization in agriculture, quality issues of modern input goods, and the sustainability of rice farming. During my stay in Bangkok from 2012 to 2014, I analyzed irrigation programs and the shift to large-scale agriculture in rural Thailand, where water resources and labor have become scarce.
Current research projects
Expanding my focus from agriculture and rural areas, I am conducting research on the structural changes of entire economies. In particular, I am examining the diversification that arises during economic structural transformation, a situation in which the kinds of employment opportunities and economic activities diversify substantially due to technological and market transformations. The goal of my research is to clarify the mechanisms of such economic diversification and to analyze its relationship with various gaps among groups of people. Using data on Vietnam and Thailand, I am conducting both theoretical and empirical analyses to determine whether a wider range of future options resulting from economic diversification reduces economic gaps by promoting social mobility.