Tanguy is a Professor of Economics at the University of Bordeaux, affiliated with the Bordeaux School of Economics (BxSE), and o-chair of the IPORA research platform.

His research is in development economics, focusing on the transformation of agrifood systems and rural poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, including among others agricultural technology adoption, value chain organization and the functioning of food markets, and the relationship between aspirations and poverty. Before joining Bordeaux, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). He has worked and lived extensively in Africa over the past 25 years, with fieldwork in over 12 countries.

He is a senior chair holder of the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), a J-PAL affiliate professor, an EUDN fellow, and a founding member of AFEDEV.