Michelle Adato, a development sociologist, is a Senior Research Fellow who leads IFPRI's Global and Regional Program on Large-Scale Human Capital Interventions, with an emphasis on safety net and social protection programs that improve health, nutrition and education. She has also worked on public works and other aspects of work and employment, poverty dynamics, governance and policy processes, community-driven development and local institutions. She has worked in South Africa for over 15 years, and for the last six years in Latin America and India, where she has conducted research on several maternal and child health programs. She specializes in qualitative research methods and social analysis, and has an edited book nearing publication on a six-country study of the impact of agricultural research on poverty. Michelle received a Ph.D. in Development Sociology from Cornell University, a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, and a B.A. from Colorado College.

• Large-Scale Human Capital Interventions
• Policy Processes in Food Security and Nutrition
• Pathways from Poverty

• India
• Mexico
• Nicaragua
• South Africa

• Exploring Poverty Traps and Social Exclusion in South Africa Using Qualitative And Quantitative Data
  2006. Adato, Michelle, Michael Carter and Julian May. Journal of Development Studies, Vol. 42, No. 2.
• Poor Farmers' Perceived Benefits from Different Types of Maize Germplasm: The Case of Creolization in Lowland Tropical Mexico
  2006. Bellon, Mauricio, Michelle Adato, Javier Becerril and Dubravka Mindek. World Development, Vol. 34, No.1.
• Targeting and Conditional Cash Transfer Programs: Social Benefits, Social Costs
  2005. Adato, Michelle. In Pobreza, Realidades y Desafíos, ed. J. Boltvenik and A. Damián. Mexico City: Siglo XXI Editores
• Power, Politics, and Performance: Community Participation in South African Public Works Programs
  2005. Adato, Michelle, John Hoddinott, and Lawrence Haddad. IFPRI Research Report 143.
• The Impact of Agroforestry-Based Soil Fertility Replenishment Practices on the Poor in Western Kenya
  2005. Place, Frank, Michelle Adato, Paul Hebinck, and Mary Omosa. IFPRI Research Report 142.
• Linking safety nets, social protection, and poverty reduction : Directions for Africa 2004
  Adato, Michelle; Ahmed, Akhter U.; Lund, Francie. 2020 Africa Conference Brief 12 .
  (PDF 195K)
• Science and poverty : an interdisciplinary assessment of the impact of agricultural research
  2004. Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela; Adato, Michelle; Haddad, Lawrence James; Hazell, P.B.R. IFPRI Food Policy Report.
  (PDF 503K)
• Assessing the Impact of Agricultural Research on Poverty and Livelihoods
  2002. Adato, M. and R. Meinzen-Dick. Journal of International Agriculture.
  See also: FCND Discussion Paper No. 128/EPDT DIscussion Paper 89: (PDF 132K)
• Targeting Poverty through Community-Based Public Works Programmes: Experience from South Africa
  2002. Adato, M. and L. Haddad. Journal of Development Studies, Vol. 38, No. 3.
• Maximizing benefit transfers to the poor: evidence from South African employment programmes
  2002. Haddad, L.; Adato, M. International Labour Review 141(3)