Azeta Cungu

Azeta Cungu is Rural Finance Officer with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), based in Rome.

She started her career in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food in Albania working on policy support and the preparation of public investments programmes for the agrifood sector. She was postdoctorate researcher and then Senior Economist with the Department of Economics of the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium). Since joining the FAO in 2003 her work has focused on agricultural policy analysis and formulation, food systems development and inclusive rural finance.

She holds a university degree (4 years) in Finance and Banking from the University of Tirana, Albania, an M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics from Wye College, University of London, an M.Sc. in Advanced Economics and a Ph.D. in Development Economics from the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium). Her Ph.D. thesis focused on empirical analysis of enterprise finance and investment in the agribusiness sector in transition economies.