Rachel Bezner Kerr
Professor, Department of Global Development
Director of Graduate Studies, Graduate Field of Development Studies, Department of Global Development
Director, Institute for African Development, Global Cornell
About
Rachel Bezner Kerr is a Professor of Global Development at Cornell University with a background in sociology, environmental science and international development. She does long-term research in Malawi and Tanzania, using participatory research methods to test the impacts of agroecological approaches on livelihoods, nutrition and sustainable land management for rural communities. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and books, in scientific journals such as Global Change Biology, Global Food Security, Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, Agriculture and Human Values, Social Science and Medicine, Public Health Nutrition, Global Environmental Change, Journal of Peasant Studies and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. She coauthored a report for the United Nations High Level Panel of Experts which examined the potential for agroecology to address food security and nutrition. She served as a Coordinating Lead Author for the chapter on climate change impacts and adaptation of food systems for the next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report from 2019-2022.
Engaged learning and community-based research is also a priority for Dr. Bezner Kerr. In 2020 she helped to form the local Covid-19 Food Task Force. She serves as the Director of the Graduate Field of Development Studies, Director of the Institute for African Development housed in the Einaudi Center for International Studies, and Director of the Community Food Systems minor at Cornell University, which provides engaged learning experiences for students with organizations working on sustainable agriculture and food justice issues. When she is not working, Rachel loves hanging out with her family, gardening and hiking.
Research Focus
Rachel has four major areas of research:
- historical, political and social roots of the food system in northern Malawi;
- sustainable agriculture, food security and social processes in rural Africa;
- social relations linked to health and nutritional outcomes and
- local knowledge and climate change adaptation.
Her general approach to food systems has been holistic, interdisciplinary and collaborative, drawing from both the natural and social sciences, including collaborations with those working in agricultural and nutritional science, public health and ecology. Most of her research is also applied, community-based and participatory, involving local organizations and community members addressing ways to develop a sustainable food system. In her work, she pays attention to different scales of a problem, as well as the historical roots that shape contemporary realities. She also studies discursive framings of food issues, using post-structural and feminist theory as well as political ecology to explore agricultural practices and policies in southern Africa. Concepts drawn from agroecology, public health and international nutrition have also been important in her research. Her long-term collaborative research project has shown evidence-based improvement in nutrition, food security and soil management from agro-ecological practices in Malawi and Tanzania.
Honors, Awards & Policy Work
- 2022: Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This award recognizes the central role in producing scientific knowledge that inform decision makers in society on combatting climate change and the loss of biodiversity.
- 2022: Outstanding Achievements in Science and Policy Award, Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- 2019-22: Coordinating Lead Author, Chapter 5, Food, fibre, and other ecosystem products, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report Working Group II contribution to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2021: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.
- 2018-19: High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security & Nutrition (HLPE), UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS), Project Team, “Agroecological approaches and other innovations for sustainable agriculture & food systems that enhance food security & nutrition.”
Recent Media Highlights
- New York Times: Meet the Climate Hackers of Malawi
- New York Times: Ideas, and Coffee, Robust Enough for the Climate Crisis
- New York Times: Climate Change Is Harming the Planet Faster Than We Can Adapt, U.N. Warns
- Financial Post: A hotter planet means a hungrier planet, climate report warns
- BuzzFeed: Climate Change Threatens Life As We Know It And The Only Way To Minimize The Damage Is To Act Now, Hundreds Of Scientists Warn
- Civil Eats: The Field Report: New UN Climate Report Paints a Stark Picture for Food Systems, but Solutions Exist
- CNBC: Food security crisis could worsen if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t reduced, says professor
- WAER NPR public radio: Cornell climate expert says progress made at CoP27, but not enough
- DevEx: Opinion: Saving the climate means going all-in on agroecology
- United Nations Foundation: Say It With Science: The Food and Climate Nexus
Education
- Doctorate, Development Sociology, Cornell University, 2006
- Master of Science, Land Resources Sciences, University of Guelph, 1998
- Bachelor of Science, Cooperative International Development, University of Toronto, 1996
Interests
Agroecology
Food And Agriculture
Gender
Awards & Honors
- Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This award recognizes the central role in producing scientific knowledge that inform decision makers in society on combatting climate change and the loss of biodiversity. (2022)
- Outstanding Achievements in Science and Policy Award, Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (2022)
- Coordinating Lead Author for Chapter 5 of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report Working Group II contribution to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2021: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability (2018-2021)
- High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security & Nutrition (HLPE) of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS), Project Team for the report on “Agroecological approaches and other innovations for sustainable agriculture & food systems that enhance food security & nutrition” (2018-2019)
- Early Achievement Award, Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (2016)
- Africa Specialty Group, American Association of Geographers, 2nd and 3rd ranked paper (2016)
- International Faculty Fellow, Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, Cornell University (2016-2019; 1 of 2 selected for 3 years)
- Honorary Research Fellow, Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University (2016-2020)
- Canadian Association of Geographers’ Julian M. Szeicz Award for Early Career Achievement (2012)
- Philip Taitz Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Paper, Cornell (2002)
- Collaborative International Development Studies Award: Best Thesis, University of Guelph (1999)
Recent Publications
- Kpienbaareh, D., I. Luginaah & R. Bezner Kerr. 2024. Considerations for enhancing participation and data accuracy in geospatial research in rural areas: experiences with PGIS in northern Malawi, African Geographical Review, DOI:10.1080/19376812.2024.2423288.
- Kansanga, M. M., Banda, D., Mkandawire, P., Kpienbaareh, D., Bezner Kerr, R., & Luginaah, I. 2024. Tacit evasion or a misplaced policy gaze: a political ecology of the deforestation and charcoal conundrum in Malawi. Geographical Review, 1–26. https://doi-org./10.1080/00167428.2024.2405213
- Madsen, S., R. Bezner Kerr, K. Kamilia, M. Fernanda Cevallos, M. L. Paracchini and A. Wezel. Can agroecology support sustainable development for Africa? A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development (forthcoming).
- Gurney-Smith, H., Hasegawa, T., and Bezner Kerr, R. 2024. Editorial overview: Navigating climate challenges for the future of food systems. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 69, 101450.
- Nelson, G. C., W. W. L. Cheung, R. Bezner Kerr, J. Franke, F. Meza, M. A. Oyinlola, P. Thornton, and F. Zabel. 2024. Adaptation to climate change and limits in food production systems: Physics, the chemistry of biology, and human behavior. Global Change Biology 30 (9). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.17489.
- Kpienbaareh, D., Bezner Kerr, R., Nyantakyi-Frimpong, H., Iverson, A., Luginaah, I., Lupafya, E., Dakishoni, L., & Shumba, L. 2024. Ecosystem service demand and supply dynamics under different farming systems: A participatory GIS assessment in Malawi. Applied Geography, 171, 103372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2024.103372
- Kpienbaareh, Daniel, Kamaldeen Mohammed, Isaac Luginaah, Jinfei Wang, Rachel Bezner Kerr, Esther Lupafya, Laifolo Dakishoni. 2024. Local actors, farmer decisions and landscape crop diversity in smallholder farming systems: A systems perspective. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 374: 109138. DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2024.109138
- Owoputi, I., J. Hoddinott, R. Kayanda, R. Bezner Kerr, and K. Dickin. 2024. Community Health Workers’ Targeting of Women For Health and Nutrition Home Visits in Rural Tanzania: A Mixed-Methods Study. Current Developments in Nutrition 8 (6):103780. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2475299124017141.
- Brock, S., L. Baker, A. Jekums, F. Ahmed, M. Fernandez, M. Montenegro de Wit, F. J. Rosado-May, V. E. Méndez, C. R. Anderson, F. DeClerck, M. D. Anderson, R. Bezner Kerr, B. Hoare, H. Wittman, A. Peeters, P. Gubbels, C. Stancu, S. Bellon, J. G. Lundgren, S. Renduchintala, V. Thallam, J. Maland Cady, and P. Rogé. 2024. Knowledge democratization approaches for food systems transformation. Nature Food 5 (5):342–345. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-024-00966-3
- Owoputi, I., R. Kayanda, R. Bezner Kerr, J. Dismas, P. Ganyara, J. Hoddinott, and K. Dickin. 2024. Gender differences in perceptions of “joint” decision-making about spending money among couples in rural Tanzania ed. M. K. Bashir. PLOS ONE 19 (6):e0302071. https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0302071.
- Rasmussen, Laura Vang, Ingo Grass, Zia Mehrabi, Olivia M. Smith, Rachel Bezner Kerr et al. 2024. Agricultural diversification strategies promote environmental and social synergies. Science 384,87-93. DOI:10.1126/science.adj1914.
- Steffan-Dewenter, I., R. Bezner Kerr, and M. K. Peters. 2024. Insect diversity for agroecosystem resilience in a changing climate. One Earth 7 (4):541–544. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2590332224001325.
- Kansanga, M. M., R. Bezner Kerr, E. Lupafya, L. Dakishoni, and I. Luginaah. 2024. Can gender transformative agroecological interventions improve women’s autonomy? Agriculture and Human Values 41 (3):1161–1175. https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10460-024-10544-9.
- Bezner Kerr, R. and R. Wynberg.** 2024. Fields of Contestation and Contamination: Maize seeds, agroecology and the (de)coloniality of agriculture in Malawi and South Africa. Elementa, Science of the Anthropocene. 12(1):1-21. Doi: 10.1525/elementa.2023.00051 **equal contributors.
- LaDue, N., Madsen, S. R. Bezner Kerr, E. Lupafya, L. Dakishoni, L. Shumba. 2024. Seed Matters: Fostering Food Sovereignty through Participatory Agroecology in Malawi. In: African Perspectives on Agroecology. Why farmer-led seed and knowledge systems matter. Ed. R. Wynberg, Practical Action Publishing, Warwickshire, UK, p. 87-114.
For an exhaustive list of publications, please visit Rachel's Google Scholar profile.
External Funding
- 2024- 27: Agroecology Gender-transformative Living labs for Climate Resilience (AGILE4Climate). McKnight Foundation. Co-Principal Investigator. Principal Investigator: Laifolo Dakishoni (SFHC). Collaborating institutions: Mzuzu University (Malawi), Western University (Canada), Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Malawi), Ministry of Agriculture – Malawi, Illinois State University, St. Lawrence University (USA) and the University of Denver (USA).
- 2024-25: What interventions to support agroecological food systems could be implemented to combat multiple forms of malnutrition. Nutrition Research Facility, European Commission. Senior expert researcher. Principal investigator: Arlène Alpha (CIRAD, France).
- 2021-23L: Scaling out agroecological pest management & gender equity (SAGE) through farmer-centered approaches. McKnight Foundation, Collaborative Crop Research Program. Co-Investigator. Principal Investigator: Lizzie Shumba (SFHC).
- 2022-23: Strengthening Agroecology Regional Networks. Agropolis Foundation and Biovision Foundation. Partners: CIRAD (France) and SFHC (Malawi). Co-Principal Investigator Arléne Alpha.
- 2020-22: Documenting and evaluating the socio-economic viability of agroecological practices across Africa: Malawi case study. Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires Etrangères (MEAE), Government of France. Co-PI, with Co-PI Investigator Laifolo Dakishoni, SFHC.
- 2020-21: ransitions to agroecology in Malawi: social dimensions of change. Fulbright Africa Regional Research Award.
- 2019-22: Farmer-led Agroecological Research in Malawi using Scenarios for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (FARMS4Biodiversity). Biodiversa/Belmont Forum with co-funding from national public science programs including NSF (USA), NSERC (Canada), BMBF Förderkennzeichen (Germany) and Norwegian Research Council 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).
Internal Grants
- 2025: Regraining Ground: Regional Agroecological Grain Networks in Scotland and New York. Co-Principal Investigator with Alexandra Bellows, University of Edinburgh.
- 2024-25: Mentoring Pluralistic Leadership in Reparative Climate Justice. Global Cornell Grand Challenge. Principal Investigator.
- 2021-23: Participatory Forest Inventories and Climate Change Scenario Planning in Malawi. Atkinson Center Venture Grant.
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
- Just Food (GDEV/DSOC/PLSCI 1300)
- Agriculture, Food, Sustainability and Social Justice (GDEV/DSOC 3400/5400)
- Agroecology in theory and in practice (GDEV 3500/3501)
- Food, Ecology and Agrarian Change (GDEV 7500)
Outreach and Extension Focus
Rachel has three major goals for her extension and outreach work:
- 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);
- to disseminate her findings to government agencies and non-governmental organizations who might integrate the findings into policy outcomes;
- 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.
Contact Information
262 Warren Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
rbeznerkerr [at] cornell.edu
Rachel in the news
News
Healthy forests can help mitigate extreme weather and improve agricultural production.
- Agriculture
- Climate Change
- Food
News
A multidisciplinary team aims to build a more inclusive AI shaped by global cultures and knowledge – one of three projects that make up Cornell’s new Global Grand Challenge: The Future.
- Global Development
- Development