I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Göttingen, member of the Research Training Group 2654 Sustainable Food Systems and the Chair of Development Economics and Global Health.

My work focuses on food security and poverty, primarily in low- and middle-income countries. Drawing on large cross-country and geospatial data, I study dietary patterns around the globe, focusing on the affordability of nutritious foods and the role of self-sufficiency and market dependencies at both micro and macro levels. I also investigate the long-term persistence of these patterns. Additionally, I examine the conceptual foundations of poverty and investigate whether labor market programs can effectively alleviate it.

In my research, I use descriptive, experimental, quasi-experimental, and machine learning approaches.

Research areas

Development Economics, Poverty, Food Security, Health

Publications

• Stehl J, Vonderschmidt A, Vollmer S, Alexander P, Jaacks LM (2025). Gap between national food production and food-based dietary guidance highlights lack of national self-sufficiency. Nature Food 6, 571–576 (2025).
• Stehl J, Depenbusch L, Vollmer S (2025). Global poverty and the cost of a healthy diet. Food Policy, 132: 102849.
• Squarcina M, Hänsch J, Montoya Cepeda FM, Pallauf M, Paz B, Stehl J, Wehner J, Wollni M (2026). Developing a multidimensional resilience index for farm households: A food system approach. World Development, 202: 107342.
  
  

Discussion Papers

• Stehl J, Sibhatu K, Jaacks LM, Vollmer S (2025). Food Sourcing and Diets: Evidence from 45 Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Preprint available at Research Square.
• Zenker J, Stehl J, Chakravarty S, Lundberg M (2025). Wrong Fit, Missed Gains? Evidence from Skill Training Choices in Liberia.