Esther Ronner

Esther Ronner is a Researcher and Project Manager at Wageningen University & Research, affiliated with the Programme team ESG. Her academic work centers on sustainable agrifood systems in East Africa, particularly Uganda, with active roles in projects like CommonGround Uganda (2022-2026) and prior involvement in N2Africa/STEP-UP (2018-2021). As a Co-promotor for PhD candidates, she bridges research and practical agricultural development.

Her research spans sustainable agrifood systems, bioeconomy development, and climate-resilient farming, with deep specialization in banana production (food and fibre), organic waste valorization, and farming system dynamics in Uganda. She integrates environmental science, socio-economic analysis, and participatory methods to address challenges in smallholder agriculture and value chain sustainability.

Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal a cohesive trajectory: advancing Uganda's banana fibre bioeconomy, optimizing waste-to-resource systems (e.g., digital twins for organic waste), and diagnosing yield constraints in East African Highland banana. Cross-cutting themes include circular economy principles, emission factor refinement for compost, and multi-stakeholder pathway exploration for value chain transformation.

No scientific awards were documented in the source material.

Ronner supervises three PhD candidates: G. Otim (integrated farm planning for climate resilience), D. Kamusingize (banana fibre sustainability), and C. Ayesiga (ICTs for market access). Her grant leadership includes CommonGround Uganda—a €2M+ initiative exploring transformative banana value chain pathways—and prior funding from N2Africa/STEP-UP for soil fertility and productivity research.

She co-leads the CommonGround Uganda project team, facilitating participatory workshops with Ugandan farmers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to co-design sustainable farming systems. Her work emphasizes context-specific solutions for banana-based livelihoods, linking field-level agronomy with industrial bioeconomy development.