Fred Zaal, an impact assessment and evaluation expert, is a geographer with over 30 years of experience in rural and agricultural development research and advisory work in Africa. His expertise includes impact assessments of investments in agribusinesses and agriculture-focused financial institutions as well as rural marketing systems and their impact on rural livelihoods, businesses and local economies. He has been active in the development and implementation of innovative evaluation methodologies, both qualitative as well as quantitative methods and tools.

Zaal has worked for a wide range of donors, most recently for UN organizations (CFC, evaluating large investments in farming in Zambia and Zimbabwe), Bilateral donors (Dutch Good Growth Fund investment in African investment funds, DANIDA credit insurance programme Tanzania) and NGOs (Solidaridad Coffee/ food security project Ethiopia and Kenya). Zaal received his Ph.D. in international development studies at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.