KiflemariamBelachew

Kiflemariam Yehuala Belachew

Finland

Research Coordinator, Department of Geosciences and Geography and Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki

My work on climate-resilient crops (e.g., drought-tolerant faba bean phenotyping, “Physiologia Plantarum”, 2024) and yield gap analysis (“Agronomy”, 2022) quantifies agroecological solutions to reduce biodiversity loss and emissions. As Work Package Coordinator for the EU Horizon project “InnoFoodAfrica”, I designed farmer training programs to scale sustainable practices—directly linking knowledge transfer to on-ground environmental outcomes.

My research analyzes regional disparities in agricultural sustainability, emphasizing farmer livelihoods (e.g., faba bean yield studies, 2023). As coordinator of the “ESSA” project, I navigate tensions between environmental targets and economic viability in vulnerable agro-pastoral systems—a challenge mirroring EU regional disparities. Currently, I am coordinating a consortium for funding application HORIZON-CL6- 2025-02-FARM2FORK-05-two-stage required consensus-building across 17 EU/AU institutions.

jvm_quotes

For complex challenges an interdisciplinary synthesis can be more important and more relevant than technical and disciplinary expertise. Global problems require an international synthesis.

Joost Van Meerbeeck

Co-Chair LIAS/LIAS Foundation