Rachel Bezner Kerr

Rachel Bezner Kerr is a Professor of Global Development at Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, where she also serves as Director of the Graduate Field of Development Studies and Director of the Institute for African Development. With a background in sociology, environmental science and international development, she conducts long-term research in Malawi and Tanzania using participatory methods to evaluate agroecological approaches for improving nutrition, food security, and sustainable land management.

• Doctorate in Development Sociology, Cornell University (2006)
• Master of Science in Land Resources Sciences, University of Guelph (1998)
• Bachelor of Science in Cooperative International Development, University of Toronto (1996)

Bezner Kerr's research focuses on the historical, political and social roots of food systems in Malawi; sustainable agriculture and food security in rural Africa; social relations linked to health outcomes; and local knowledge for climate change adaptation. Her interdisciplinary approach draws from natural and social sciences, collaborating with agricultural scientists, public health experts, and ecologists. Her work emphasizes community-based, participatory research that addresses sustainable food systems development while examining historical contexts and contemporary policy framings through post-structural, feminist, and political ecology lenses.

Her recent publications demonstrate strong trends in agroecology's role in sustainable development, gender-transformative interventions, climate change adaptation, and political ecology of food systems in Africa. The research spans diverse methodologies including participatory GIS, mixed-methods studies, and large-scale literature reviews, with consistent focus on Malawi and Tanzania as primary research sites.

• Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity awarded to IPCC (2022)
• Outstanding Achievements in Science and Policy Award, Cornell (2022)
• Coordinating Lead Author for IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (2018-2022)
• High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security & Nutrition for UN Committee (2018-2019)
• Early Achievement Award, Cornell CALS (2016)

Bezner Kerr leads numerous research projects including AGILE4Climate (McKnight Foundation), SAGE (Scaling out agroecological pest management), and FARMS4Biodiversity (Biodiversa/Belmont Forum). She teaches courses including Just Food (GDEV/DSOC/PLSCI 1300), Agriculture, Food, Sustainability and Social Justice (GDEV/DSOC 3400/5400), and Agroecology in theory and in practice (GDEV 3500/3501). Her outreach work focuses on sharing research findings with affected communities, policy makers, and the public, with annual trips to Malawi to facilitate workshops with farmers and civil society groups. She directs the Community Food Systems minor at Cornell and helped form the local Covid-19 Food Task Force in 2020.