Qaim served as Professor of International Agricultural Trade and Food Security at the University of Hohenheim from 2004-2007.
He was Professor of International Food Economics and Rural Development at the University of Goettingen from 2007-2021.
He joined the Center for Development Research (ZEF) at the University of Bonn, Germany in 2021.[8]
Research
Qaim specializes in food security and sustainable development.[2] He is known for his meticulous analysis of the economics of agricultural biotechnology, connections of farmers to global value chains, and linkages between agriculture and nutrition.[9]
Qaim argues that higher-yield genetically modified crops can be used to reduce land usage and greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.[10][11] He also supports the use of modified crops such as Golden Rice, which has a higher beta-carotene level than conventional rice, as a source of Vitamin A to combat disease.[3][12] Qaim is a member of the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board.[13]
Qaim recommends a balanced approach to sustainable meat consumption. Pointing out that existing meat prices do not reflect their high environmental cost, Qaim calls for significant reductions in consumption in wealthy countries which have the highest consumption of meat per capita. He personally chooses to rarely eat meat.[14][15]
For smallholder farms in poor countries, animals are a smaller and more sustainable part of the food cycle.[15] Increasing the variety of livestock raised and access to markets are both important steps for addressing malnutrition. Increasing the variety of crops grown is not effective if the extra food can't be sold or fed to animals as an alternative to throwing it away.[16][17] "Keeping goats or a cow, perhaps, in addition to chickens and other animals, can therefore improve nutritional status."[16]
Qaim, Matin (2000). Potential impacts of crop biotechnology in developing countries. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang. ISBN0820448303.
Qaim, Matin; Krattiger, Anatole F.; von Braun, Joachim, eds. (2000). Agricultural biotechnology in developing countries : towards optimizing the benefits for the poor. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers. ISBN0792372301.
