Jodie Thorpe is an IDS research fellow with over 15 years’ experience in research and advisory work. Her work explores the relationships between market actors, and between the market and the state, to understand what drives business investment that is more or less inclusive, and how these relationships impact development outcomes. She is interested in the governance processes and institutional structures that mediate state-business interactions, both formal arrangements and informal networks.
Prior to joining IDS, Jodie was a Private Sector Adviser at Oxfam GB, undertaking research, policy analysis, and advocacy on business and poverty issues, particularly related to agricultural investment and markets, small-scale farmers, climate change and natural resource use. She was also a Director at SustainAbility, a global think-tank and strategy consultancy on business risks and opportunities for sustainable development. Jodie led SustainAbility’s Emerging Economies programme and advised companies and organisations including Anglo American, Aracruz Celulose, Banco Real, Ford, Hindustan Unilever, the International Finance Corporation, Natura, Tata Power and WWF.
Jodie holds a BSc in Zoology from the University of British Columbia and an MSc in Comparative Politics (Latin America) from the London School of Economics.
Jodie is the co-convenor of the MA Globalisation, Business and Development at IDS.
Student surgeries: 15:30-16:30 on Wednesdays during term time; please e-mail in advance for an appointment.
PhD supervision
Along with John Gaventa and Marjoke Oosterom, Jodie is supervising JoonYeol Lee on his PhD titled ‘How Myanmar farmers have been implementing their agency under the diverse power structures during the last thirty years.’
