Rachel Bezner Kerr

Gender

• Nyantakyi-Frimpong, H., R. Bezner Kerr and Dinko Hannan. 2022. Farming the floodplain: gendered surplus people, food security, and maladaptation to climate change in northern Ghana. Climate and Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2022.2074953 

• R. Bezner Kerr, C. Hickey, E. Lupafya & Laifolo Dakishoni . 2019. Repairing rifts or reproducing inequalities? Agroecology, food sovereignty, and gender justice in Malawi, The Journal of Peasant Studies.

• Lentz, Erin, R. Bezner Kerr, Raj Patel, Laifolo Dakishoni and Esther Lupafya. 2018. The Invisible Hand that Rocks the Cradle: On the Limits of Time Use Surveys. Development and Change.

• Chung, Y., S.L.Young and R. Bezner Kerr. 2018. Rethinking the value of unpaid care work: lessons from participatory visual research in central Tanzania. Gender, Place and Culture.

• Patel, R., R. Bezner Kerr, L. Shumba and L. Dakishoni. 2015. Cook, eat, man, woman: Understanding the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition in Malawi, and its alternatives. Journal of Peasant Studies 42 (1): 21-44.

• R. Bezner Kerr. 2014. Lost and Found Crops: Agrobiodiversity, Indigenous Knowledge, and a Feminist Political Ecology of Sorghum and Finger Millet in Northern Malawi. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 104 (3): 577-593.

Nutrition

• Owoputi, Ibukun, Nola Booth, Isaac Luginaah, Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong, Lizzie Shumba, Laifolo Dakishoni, Esther Lupafya, Catherine Hickey, Rachel Bezner Kerr.  2022. Does Crop Diversity Influence Household Food Security and Women’s Individual Dietary Diversity? A Cross-Sectional Study of Malawian Farmers in a Participatory Agroecology and Nutrition Project. Food and Nutrition Bulletin. 43(4):395-411. doi:10.1177/03795721221126787
• Bezner Kerr, R., Sidney Madsen, Moritz Stüber, Jeffrey Liebert, Stephanie Enloe, Noélie Borghino, Phoebe Parros, Daniel Munyao Mutyambai, Marie Prudhon, Alexander Wezel. 2021. Can agroecology improve food security and nutrition? A review. Global Food Security 29, 100540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2021.100540

• Richmond, C., Steckley,M., Neufeld, H., Bezner Kerr, R., Wilson, K., Dokis, B., 2020. First Nations Food Environments: Exploring the role of place, income and social connection. Accepted in Current Developments in Nutrition, June 16, 2020.

• Santoso, M.V., Bezner Kerr, R., Hoddinott, J., Garigipati, P., Olmos, S., Young, S.L. 2019. What is the role of women’s empowerment in child nutrition outcomes? A systematic review. Advances in Nutrition, published online July 12, 2019.

• Matare, Cynthia, Hope C. Craig, Stephanie L. Martin, Rosemary A. Kayanda, Gina M. Chapleau, Rachel Bezner Kerr, Kirk A. Dearden, Luitfrid P. Nnally, Katherine L. Dickin. Barriers and Opportunities for Improved Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices in Tanzania: Household Trials with Mothers and Fathers. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, Online publication May 7, 2019.

• R. Bezner Kerr, M. Rahmanian, I. Owoputi, C. Batello. 2018. Agroecology and nutrition: transformative possibilities and challenges in Sustainable diets: linking nutrition and food systems (eds. B. Burlingame, S. Dernini).

• Powell, B., R. Bezner Kerr, S. L. Young and T. Johns. 2017. The determinants of dietary diversity and nutrition: ethnonutrition knowledge of local people in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. Journal of Ethnobotany and Ethnomedicine.

• Hwang, T., Ndolo, V. U., Katundu, M., Nyirenda, B., Bezner Kerr, R., Arntfield, S., & Beta, T. (2015). Provitamin A potential of landrace orange maize variety (Zea mays L.) grown in different geographical locations of central Malawi. Food Chemistry. 196:1315-1324.

Political ecology & climate change

• Baker, Emily, Rachel Bezner Kerr, Delphine Deryng, Aidan Farrell, Helen Gurney Smith, Philip Thornton. Mixed farming systems: Potentials and barriers for climate change adaptation in food systems. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. Accepted January 31, 2023.
• Tirado, M.C., Vivero-Pol, J.L., Bezner Kerr, R., Krishna Krishnamurthy. Feasibility and Effectiveness Assessment of Multi-Sectoral Climate Change Adaptation for Food Security and Nutrition. 2022. Current Climate Change Reports 8: 35–52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40641-022-00181-x
• Kpienbaareh, D., Bezner Kerr, R., D. Amoak, T. Chunga, Laifolo Dakishoni, S. Enloe, T. Gondwe, A. Iverson, P. Kanyimbo, G. Küstner, E. Lupafya, I. Luginaah, T. Mehreteab, V. Mayer, I. Mhoni, M. Mkandawire, T. Mkandawire, P. Moyo, P. Munthali, U. S. Nagothu, H. Nyantakyi-Frimpong, K. Poveda, L. Shumba, I. Steffan-Dewenter, Y. Tembo, C. Vogel, J. Wang. 2022. Transdisciplinary agroecological research on biodiversity and ecosystem services for sustainable and climate resilient farming systems in Malawi. Advances in Ecological Research (Special Issue: Pluralism in Ecosystem Governance). Available online May 14, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.aecr.2022.04.001
• Bezner Kerr, Rachel, Naess, Lars Otto, Allen-O'Neil, Bridget, Totin, Edmond; Nyantakyi-Frimpong, Hanson, Risvoll, Camilla; Rivera-Ferre, Marta Guadalupe, López-i-Gelats, Feliu, Eriksen, Siri. 2022. Interplays between changing biophysical and social limits under climate change: implications for sustainable adaptation in food systems. Global Change Biology 28(11): 3580-3604. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16124
• Bezner Kerr, R., T. Hasegawa, R. Lasco, I. Bhatt, D. Deryng, A. Farrell, H. Gurney-Smith, H. Ju, S. Lluch-Cota, F. Meza, G. Nelson, H. Neufeldt, and P.Thornton, 2022: Food, Fibre, and Other Ecosystem Products. In: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, pp. x-y. https://doi.org/xxx.
• Pörtner, H.-O., D.C. Roberts, H. Adams, I. Adelekan, C. Adler, R. Adrian, P. Aldunce, E. Ali, R. Ara Begum, B. Bednar-Friedl, R. Bezner Kerr, R. Biesbroek, J. Birkmann, K. Bowen, M. A. Caretta, J. Carnicer, E. Castellanos, T.S. Cheong, W. Chow, G. Cissé, S. Clayton, A. Constable, S. Cooley, M.J. Costello, M. Craig, W. Cramer, R. Dawson, D. Dodman, J. Efitre, M. Garschagen, E.A. Gilmore, B.C. Glavovic, D. Gutzler, M. Haasnoot, S. Harper, T. Hasegawa, B. Hayward, J.A. Hicke, Y. Hirabayashi, C. Huang, K. Kalaba, W. Kiessling, A. Kitoh, R. Lasco, J. Lawrence, M.F. Lemos, R. Lempert, C. Lennard, D. Ley, T. Lissner, Q. Liu, E. Liwenga, S. Lluch-Cota, S. Löschke, S. Lucatello, Y. Luo, B. Mackey, K. Mintenbeck, A. Mirzabaev, V. Möller, M. Moncassim Vale, M.D. Morecroft, L. Mortsch, A. Mukherji, T. Mustonen, M. Mycoo, J. Nalau, M. New, A. Okem, J.P. Ometto, B. O’Neill, R. Pandey, C. Parmesan, M. Pelling, P.F. Pinho, J. Pinnegar, E.S. Poloczanska, A. Prakash, B. Preston, M.-F. Racault, D. Reckien, A. Revi, S.K. Rose, E.L.F. Schipper, D.N. Schmidt, D. Schoeman, R. Shaw, N.P. Simpson, C. Singh, W. Solecki, L. Stringer, E. Totin, C.H. Trisos, Y. Trisurat, M. van Aalst, D. Viner, M. Wairu, R. Warren, P. Wester, D. Wrathall, and Z. Zaiton Ibrahim, 2022: Technical Summary. [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, M. Tignor, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem (eds.)]. In: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, pp. x-y. https://doi.org/xxx

• Nightingale, A. J., Eriksen, S., Taylor, M., Forsyth, T., Pelling, M., Newsham, Boyd, E., Brown, K., Harvey, B., Jones, L., Bezner Kerr, R., Mehta, L., Otto Naess, L., Ockwell, D., Scoones, I., Tanner T. and Whitfield, S. (2019). Beyond Technical Fixes: Climate solutions and the great derangement. Climate and Development, 1–10.

• R. Bezner Kerr, J. Kangmennaang, L. Dakishoni, H. Nyantakyi-Frimpong, E. Lupafya, L. Shumba, R. Msachi, G. Odei Boateng, S. S. Snapp, A. Chitaya, E. Maona, T. Gondwe, P. Nkhonjera, I. Luginaah. 2019. Participatory agroecological research on climate change adaptation improves smallholder farmer household food security and dietary diversity in Malawi. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 279: 109-121.

• Bezner Kerr, R., H. Nyantakyi-Frimpong, L. Dakishoni, E. Lupafya, L. Shumba, I. Luginaah, S. S. Snapp. 2018. Knowledge politics in participatory climate change adaptation research on agroecology in Malawi. Renewal Agriculture and Food Systems.

• Nyantakyi-Frimpong, H. and R. Bezner Kerr. 2015. The relative importance of climate change in the context of multiple stressors in semi-arid Ghana. Global Environmental Change 32: 40-56.

• Bezner Kerr, R., & Nyantakyi-Frimpong, H. (2014). A political ecology of high-input agriculture in northern Ghana. African Geographical Review.

• Bezner Kerr, R. (2012). Lessons from the old Green Revolution for the new: Social, environmental and nutritional issues for agricultural change in Africa. Progress in Development Studies. 12:213-229.

Agroecology & food

• Vogel, Cassandra; Poveda, Katja; Iverson, Aaron; Chunga, Timothy; Mkandawire, Tapiwa; Boetzl, Fabian; Küstner, Georg; Keller, Alexander; Bezner Kerr, Rachel; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf. 2023. The effects of crop type, landscape composition and agroecological practices on biodiversity and ecosystem services in tropical smallholder farms. Journal of Applied Ecology. Accepted February 21, 2023.
• Bezner Kerr, R, Julio C. Postigo, Pete Smith, Annette Cowie, Pramod K. Singh, Marta Ferre-Rivera, Maria Cristina Tirado, Donovan Campbell, Henry Neufeldt. 2023. Agroecology as a Transformative Approach to Tackle Climatic, Food, and Ecosystemic crises. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Accepted February 2023.
• Bezner Kerr, R. 2023. Maladaptation in food systems and ways to avoid it. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. Accepted January 27, 2023.
• Wynberg, R., M. Pimbert, N. Moeller, G. McAllister, R. Bezner Kerr, J. Singh, M. Belay & M. Ngcoya. 2023. Nature-Based Solutions and Agroecology: Business as Usual or an Opportunity for Transformative Change?, Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 65:1, 15-22, DOI: 10.1080/00139157.2023.2146944
• Kpienbaareh, Daniel, Jinfei Wang, Isaac Luginaah, Rachel Bezner Kerr, Esther Lupafya & Laifolo Dakishoni. 2023. A geospatial approach to assessing the impact of agroecological knowledge and practice on crop health in a smallholder agricultural context, The Professional Geographer, DOI: 10.1080/00330124.2022.2146908
• Bezner Kerr, R., T.L. Pendergrast, Bobby J. Smith II, Jeffrey Liebert. (eds). 2022. Rethinking Food System Transformation. Springer. 263 p. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-19115-2.
• Daniel Kpienbaareh, Kamaldeen Mohammed, Isaac Luginaah, Jinfei Wang, Rachel Bezner Kerr, Esther Lupafya and Laifolo Dakishoni. 2022. Estimating Groundnut Yield in Smallholder Agriculture Systems Using PlanetScope Data. Land. 11(10), 1752. Published online Oct. 9 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101752.
• Vansant, Emilie, Rachel Bezner Kerr, Helle Sørensen, Ola Westengen, Laifolo Dakishoni, Esther Lupfaya. 2022. Exchange and Experimentation: Community Seed Banks Strengthen Farmers’ Seed Systems in Northern Malawi. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability. Published online Oct. 6 2022. https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2022.2122254
• Bezner Kerr, R., J. Liebert, M. M. Kansanga and D. Kpienbaareh. Human and Social Values in Agroecology: A Review. 2022. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 10: 1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2021.00090
• Liebert, Jeffrey, Rebecca Benner, Rachel Bezner Kerr, Thomas Björkman, Kathryn De Master, Sasha Gennet, Miguel I. Gómez, Abigail K. Hart, Claire Kremen, Alison Power, Matthew R. Ryan. Farm size affects the use of agroecological practices on organic farms in the United States. 2022. Nature Plants 8: 897-905. DOI: 0.1038/s41477-022-01191
• Kpienbaareh, D., I. Luginaah, R. Bezner Kerr, J. Wang, K. Poveda, I. Steffan-Dewenter, E. Lupafya and L. Dakishoni. 2022. Assessing Local Perceptions of Deforestation, Forest Restoration, and the Role of Agroecology for Agroecosystem Restoration in northern Malawi. Land Degradation and Development 33(7): 1088-1100. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.4238
• Kansanga, M. M., R. Bezner Kerr, E. Lupafya, L. Dakishoni, I. Luginaah. 2021.  Does participatory farmer-to-farmer training improve the adoption of sustainable land management practices?  Land Use Policy. 108, 105477, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105477

• Madsen , S., R. Bezner Kerr, L. Shumba & L. Dakishoni on behalf of the SFHC team (2020). Agroecological practices of legume residue management and crop diversification for improved smallholder food security, dietary diversity and sustainable land use in Malawi, Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, DOI: 10.1080/21683565.2020.1811828

• Kansanga, M.M., I. Luginaah, R. Bezner Kerr, E. Lupafya & L. Dakishoni (2020) Beyond ecological synergies: examining the impact of participatory agroecology on social capital in smallholder farming communities, International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 27:1, 1-14.

• Pendergrast, T.L., Smith, B.J., Liebert, J.A. and R. Bezner Kerr. Introduction to the symposium: rethinking food system transformation—food sovereignty, agroecology, food justice, community action and scholarship. Agriculture and Human Values (2019).

• Iragaba, P., E. Nuwamanya, E. Wembabazi, Y. Baguma, D. Dufour, E.D. Earle, R. Bezner Kerr, H.A. Tufan, M.A. Gore, R.S. Kawuki. 2019. Estimates for heritability and consumer-validation of a penetrometer method for phenotyping softness of cooked cassava roots. African Crop Science Journal 27 (2): 147-163.

• S. Snapp, R. Bezner Kerr, V. Ota, D. Kane, L. Shumba & L.Dakishoni. 2019. Unpacking a crop diversity hotspot: farmer practice and preferences in Northern Malawi, International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 17:2, 172-188.

• Bezner Kerr, R., Young, S., Young, C., Santoso, M., Magalasi, M., Entz, M., Lupafya, E., Dakishoni, L., Morrone, V., Wolfe, D. W., & Snapp, S. (2019). Farming for change: developing a participatory curriculum on agroecology, nutrition, climate change and social equity in Malawi and Tanzania. Agriculture and Human Values. 18.

• Kangmennaang, J., R.  Bezner Kerr, E. Lupafya, L. Dakishoni, M. Katundu, I. Luginaah. 2017. Impact of a participatory agroecological development project on household wealth and food security in Malawi. Food Security 9: 561-576.

• Wittman, H. M.J. Chappell, D. Abson; R. Bezner Kerr, J. Blesh, J. Hanspach, I. Perfecto, J. Fischer. 2017. A social-ecological perspective on harmonizing food security and biodiversity conservation. Regional Environmental Change 17(5): 1291-1301.

• Nyantakyi-Frimpong, H., F. N Mambulu, R. Bezner Kerr, I.  Luginaah and E.  Lupafya. 2016. Agroecology and sustainable food systems: Participatory research to improve food security among HIV-affected households in northern Malawi. Social Science and Medicine 164: 89-99.

• Nyantakyi-Frimpong, H., & Bezner Kerr, R. (2016). Land grabbing, social differentiation, intensified migration and food security in northern Ghana. The Journal of Peasant Studies.

Policy briefs and reports

• Policy and Institutional framework for mainstreaming Agrobiodiversity and Ecosystems Services in Malawi. 2022. Norwegian Institute for Bioeconomy (NIBIO). (contributing author)
• Paracchini, M., Wezel, A., Madsen, S., Stewart, B., Karuga, J., Attard, P., Rème, L., Bezner Kerr, R., Maes, O. and Zingari, P.C., Agroecological practices supporting food production and reducing food insecurity in developing countries - Volume 2, EUR 31315 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2022, ISBN 978-92-76-59111-5, doi:10.2760/059189, JRC130395. Available online: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC130395
• Mirzabaev, Alisher, Lennart Olsson, Rachel Bezner Kerr, Prajal Pradhan, Marta Guadalupe Rivera Ferre, and Hermann. 2021. Climate Change and Food Systems: A Food System Summit Brief prepared by Science Partners of the Scientific Group for the Food Systems Summit. 18 pages.
• Farmer pamphlets:
  • Farm-Friendly Insects And Animals: How You Can Support Them On Your Farm. 2023. SFHC, Ekwendeni, Malawi.
  • What Can You Do About Fall Army Worm? Some Natural Solutions. 2023. SFHC, Ekwendeni, Malawi.
  • Why Are Insects Important? (And Not Always A Pest?) 2023. SFHC, Ekwendeni, Malawi.
  • How to use Botanicals. 2023. SFHC, Ekwendeni, Malawi.
  • What affects Bee and Pest Abundance on Pigeon Pea in Malawi? 2023. SFHC, Ekwendeni, Malawi.

For an exhaustive list of publications, please visit Rachel's Google Scholar profile.

External Funding

• Scaling out agroecological pest management & gender equity (SAGE) through farmer-centered approaches. 2021-23. McKnight Foundation, Collaborative Crop Research Program. Co-Investigator. Principal Investigator: Lizzie Shumba (SFHC). Total grant $US 150,000 over 2 years.

• Strengthening Agroecology Regional Networks. 2021-22. Agropolis Foundation and Biovision Foundation. Partners: CIRAD (France) and SFHC (Malawi). Co-Principal Investigator Arléne Alpha. Total grant: 25,000 Euros.

• Documenting and evaluating the socio-economic viability of agroecological practices across Africa: Malawi case study. 2020-22. Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires Etrangères (MEAE), Government of France. Co-PI, with Co-PI Investigator Laifolo Dakishoni, SFHC. Total grant: $US 150,000.

• Transitions to agroecology in Malawi: social dimensions of change. 2020-21. Fulbright Africa Regional Research Award: $US 38,200

• Farmer-led Agroecological Research in Malawi using Scenarios for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (FARMS4Biodiversity). 2019-21. Funded by the Belmont Forum and national public science programs including NSF, NSERC, German and Norwegian funding agencies.  Principal Investigator (PI). Co-Principal Investigators: Dr. I. Luginaah (Western University, Canada), Dr. I. Steffan-Dewenter (Würzberg University, Germany), Dr. S. Nagothu (NIBIO, Norway), and Mrs. E. Lupafya (SFHC, Malawi). Total grant:  US$ 1,195,200.
• Can enhancing diversity help scale up agriculture’s benefits to people and the environment? Funded by the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC). 2019-2021. Co-investigator. Principal Investigators Dr. Zia Mehrabi and Claire Kremen (University of British Colombia).
• Farmer-led Agroecological Research in Malawi (FARM) for Biodiversity. Funded by Future Earth Program for Early Stage Grants Advancing Sustainability Science. 2017-2018. Principal Investigator (PI). Co-PI: Dr. Isaac Luginaah (Western University), Dr. Aaron Iverson (Cornell University) and Mrs. Esther Lupafya (Soils, Food and Healthy Communities Organization). Total grant $93,105 for 1 year.
• United States Department of Agriculture Higher Education Curriculum (USDA-HEC) entitled Designing Integrative Land Management. 2017-2019. Co-investigator; Dr. Wendy Wolford PI (Cornell University). Total grant $150,000 over 3 years.
• Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation grant entitled Building Sustainable and Equitable Food Systems using Participatory Communication and Agroecology in Malawi. 2016-2019. Co-Principal Investigator with Co-PI Laifolo Dakishoni of the Soils, Food and Healthy Communities Organization (Malawi). Total grant $390,000 over 4 years.
• McKnight Foundation’s Collaborative Crop Research Program research grant entitled Singida Nutrition and Agroecology Project. 2015-2018. Co-Principal Investigator (PI) with Co-PIs Dr. Sera Young (Cornell) and Elias Mtinda (Action Aid Tanzania). Total grant: $600,000 over 3 years.
• Global Affairs Canada, Government of Canada: Partnership for Development Grant entitled Malawi Farmer to Farmer Agroecology. 2012-2017. Project Director with Co-PIs Trust Beta (University of Manitoba), Esther Lupafya (Ekwendeni Hospital, Malawi), Mangani Katundu (Chancellor College, University of Malawi) and Rodgers Msachi (Ekwendeni Farmer Research Team) as part of a management team. CIDA contribution $2,537,924. Total budget $3,439,300 over 5 years.
• CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Cereals. Updating knowledge on demands for grain and stalk quality in sorghum varieties in Burkina Faso and Mali. 2014-2015. PIs: Drs. Serge Bracconnier, Sandrine Dury, Gilles Trouche and Kristen Vom Brocke. Grant held by CIRAD (France), Dr. Bezner Kerr is collaborating researcher. Total budget $40,000 for 1 year.
• McKnight Foundation’s Collaborative Crop Research Program’s Inception Grant To Study Social Factors and Food Practices Affecting Cowpea Use in Central Tanzania. 2012-2013. PI. Total grant $US 50,000 over 1 year.
• McKnight Foundation’s Collaborative Crop Research Program’s Studentship Grant entitled Legume Diversification Research in Southern Africa: Deepening Nutritional Impact. 2011-2014. Principal Investigator (PI). Total grant: $US167,000 over 3 years.
• International Development Research Council entitled Building Food Security and Social Resilience to Climate Change: Participatory Farmer Research on Agroecological Adaptation to Environmental Change and HIV/AIDS in Malawi. 2010-2013. Co-PI, with E. Lupafya (Ekwendeni Hospital). Collaborating institutions Ekwendeni Hospital, Bunda College of Agriculture, University of Malawi. Total grant: $600,000; UWO portion: $125,160 over 4 years.
• Social Sciences and Humanities Council Standard Research Grant entitled Food security in northern Malawi: social resilience and smallholder farmer adaptation to environmental change. 2009-2012. PI. Total grant $125,125 over 3 years.
• International Development Research Centre Research Grant entitled  Soils, Food and Healthy Communities Project Phase II. 2004-2007. Co-researcher in project, PIs Dr. Peter Berti (PATH Canada) and Marko Chirwa (Ekwendeni Hospital, Malawi). Collaborating institutions PATH Canada and Ekwendeni Hospital. Total grant $464,900 over 3 years. Dr. Bezner Kerr helped to obtain this grant and the Phase I while a doctoral student.
• International Development Research Centre Research Grant entitled Soils, Food and Healthy Communities Project Phase I. 2001-2004. Co-researcher in project, PIs Dr. Peter Berti (PATH Canada) and Marko Chirwa (Ekwendeni Hospital, Malawi). Collaborating institutions PATH Canada and Ekwendeni Hospital. Total grant $350,000 over 3 years.

Internal Funding

• Atkinson Center Venture Grant: Participatory Forest Inventories and Climate Change Scenario Planning in Malawi. 2021-2023. $174,218 with co-funding of $25,000 from the Einhorn Center.
• Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future grant entitled Seed Mixtures for Climate Resilience in Ethiopia. 2019-2021. PI Alison Power, collaborating researcher
• Polson Institute Small Research Grant, $5000
• Engaged Cornell Faculty Research Grant: Farmer-led Research in Malawi Deepening Knowledge of Impact. 2017-2019
• Engaged Cornell Opportunities: Grant for Farm to Plate conference
• Engaged Cornell Curriculum Development grant: Community Food Systems. 2016-2017. Co-PI, with Dr. Scott Peters and Dr. Phil McMichael as Co-PIs
• Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future/The Nature Conservancy grant: Adoption of Agroecological Farming Practices in Specialty Crops: Incentives, Barriers, and Outcomes. 2016-2018. Co-PI. Lead PIs: Dr. Matt Ryan and Sasha Gennet. Co-PIs: R. Benner, (TNC) and Dr. A. Power
• Academic Venture Fund, Atkinson Center for Sustainable Futures: Participatory Curriculum Development on Agroecology, Climate Change, Child Nutrition and Social Equity in Malawi and Tanzania. 2014. Co-PI with Drs. Sera Young, Laurie Drinkwater and David Wolfe

Teaching Focus

Rachel's overall goal is to foster critical thinking and a passion for learning that goes beyond the classroom and sparks a lifetime of concern and interest in the world. Her teaching philosophy fosters critical thinking, encourages active student participation, has high expectations of students, and teaches material in creative and interesting ways. She believes that students bring valuable perspectives to the material, and the work of teaching must reflect the positive tension between established ideas, and new ways of critiquing received wisdom. She thinks that University-level teaching is both a privilege and a significant responsibility, involving mentoring and supporting students as they develop skills for future employment, learning and life in the broader global community.

Courses Taught

• PLSCI/DSOC 1300: Just Food: Exploring the Modern Food System
• DSOC 3400: Agriculture, Food, Sustainability and Social Justice
• DSOC 7500: Food, Ecology and Agrarian Change
• DSOC 8720: Development Sociology

Outreach and Extension Focus

Rachel has three major goals for her extension and outreach work:

1. to share, learn from and enhance information for those groups most immediately affected by her research findings (e.g. rural farming families in northern Malawi);
2. to disseminate her findings to government agencies and non-governmental organizations who might integrate the findings into policy outcomes;
3. to share her research with the broader public, in order to increase knowledge and understanding of food and agricultural issues and to foster change in our food system in North America.

In order to meet these three goals, Rachel participates in the publication of relevant materials (e.g. pamphlets, handouts), takes part in as many opportunities for public speaking events as possible, develops documents that are relevant and timely for policy-makers, and meets with relevant organizations and government officials where possible. She also travels to Malawi at least once a year and helps to organize and facilitate workshops with smallholder farmers and civil society groups regarding ongoing research findings, relevant international development topics and at times capacity-building, for example, in research methods. Instead of spreading information in one direction, she shares, learns from, and adapts information based on the specific experience of those affected by the information. Rachel also maintains a public website for her long-term partner in Malawi, a farmer-led non-profit organization, and participates in any media opportunities related to her work when possible.