Mary Tiffen

Mary Tiffen (née Steele-Perkins; 16 July 1931 – 23 April 2020) was a British economic historian, scholar and development professional. She specialised in ancient irrigation systems and African drylands.

Tiffen studied history at Girton College, Cambridge, and gained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree from the London School of Economics. In 1960, she married Brian Tiffen, who worked for the British Council. She carried out fieldwork in Africa and the Middle East; including in Nigeria, Malawi, Kenya, Senegal, Niger, and Iraq. From 1983 to 1994, she worked at the Overseas Development Institute in London.^[1]

Selected works[]

• Tiffen, Mary (1976). The Enterprising Peasant: Economic Development in Gombe Emirate, North Eastern State, Nigeria, 1900-1968. London: H.M. Stationery Office.
• Tiffen, Mary; Mortimore, Michael (1990). Theory and practice in plantation agriculture: An economic review. London: Overseas Development Institute.
• Tiffen, Mary; Mortimore, Michael; Gichuki, Frances (1994). More People, Less Erosion: environmental recovery in Kenya. Chichester: Wiley.
• Tiffen, Mary; Mortimore, Michael (1994). "Malthus controverted: The role of capital and technology in growth and environment recovery in Kenya". World Development. 22 (7): 997–1010. doi:10.1016/0305-750X(94)90144-9.
• English, John; Tiffen, Mary; Mortimore, Michael (1994). Land Resource Management in Machakos District, Kenya, 1930-1990. World Bank.
• Tiffen, Mary (2003). "Transition in sub-Saharan Africa: agriculture, urbanization and income growth". World Development. 31 (8): 1343–1366. doi:10.1016/S0305-750X(03)00088-3.

References[]