David Francis studied Agricultural Education and Social Sciences at the Ohio State University and became interested in international projects. He has worked in Liberia and Togo, West Africa, and in Jamaica, Panamá, Colombia and Haiti. He holds a PhD in Development Sociology from Cornell University and has been a professor in the Brazilian Federal System since 1976. In 2010, David received the title of 'Pesquisador Sênior' (Senior Researcher) from the Brazilian Conselho Nacional Desenvolvimento Cientíico e Tecnológico, CNPq.
'I wholeheartedly recommend Family Agriculture to all who are looking for a more complete understanding of world agricultural production, and how both producers and consumers have been and will be affected by the way in which we produce our food. I am sure that it will generate broad interest and promote thought on our common future.' Clive Edwards, Former Director of the Sustainable Agriculture Program, Ohio State University, USA.