Dorcas Kalele: Agriculture & Climate Change Adaptation Specialist
Dr. Dorcas Kalele is a seasoned expert in agriculture, climate change adaptation and rural development with over 15 years of experience in designing and implementing projects and programs across Sub-Saharan Africa. She is currently serving as a Research Fellow and Head of the Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security Program at the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), and is a Scientific Steering Group Member of the WCRP Academy.
Her work focuses on agri-food system transformation through promoting adoption and transition to sustainable, climate-smart innovation and technologies for food and nutrition secure Africa. She is passionate about transdisciplinary research, capacity strengthening approaches, policy and practice initiatives that integrate gender equality and social inclusion for resilient and sustainable development. She has led and supported implementation of several projects, while fostering sustainable agri-food systems, driving policy reforms, and forging strategic partnerships funded by international organizations including the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), GIZ, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, SNV, TradeMark Africa and COLEAD. She has also worked extensively with national and local governments, NGOs and community-based organizations to strengthen capacity, promote inclusive gender-responsive policies, and develop agri-business models for smallholder farmers.
As part of her career development, Dr. Kalele has been a beneficiary of the premier African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) GRASP Policy Fellowship. The fellowship enhanced her leadership, management and negotiation skills, as well as her capacity to advocate for gender-responsive agriculture policies in Kenya.
📚 Academic Background
- PhD in Climate Change & Adaptation – University of Nairobi
→ Thesis: Climate-smart Agriculture Options for Enhanced Resilience and Food Security (Yatta, Machakos County) - MSc in Nematology – Ghent University, Belgium
- BSc in Horticulture – Moi University, Kenya
🌍 Research & Publications
- Oriaso, S.O., Maweu, J.M., Paterson, C., Narayanaswamy, L., Surm, J., & Kalele, D. (2025). Rural women, climate change and information ecosystems in Kenya. Bloomsbury Academic.
- Kilelu C. W., Musyoka D. M, & Kalele D. (2024). Unravelling smallholder food loss and value for sustainable cold chain investments: A case of horticultural value chains in Kiambu County, Kenya. Frontier Horticulture, 3(1474056), 01-15. (LINK)
- Kalele D.N., Ogara W.O., Oludhe C., Onono O.O. (2021). Climate change impacts and relevance of smallholder farmers’ response in arid and semi-arid lands in Kenya. Scientific African, 12. (LINK)
- Historical Climatic Trends and Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions – ASAL regions of Kenya
- Climate Change Impacts and Smallholder Responses – Vulnerability and adaptive capacity
- “Conservation Agriculture” as a climate adaptation strategy in Taita Hills
- County climate risk profiles for Bioversity International & CIAT
🌐 Leadership & Engagement
- Board Member and Communication Officer – Africa Science and Technology Advisory Group and Disaster Risk Reduction (DDR) of the African Union Commission
- Member – Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD)
- Member – African Group of Negotiations on Gender and Climate Change
- Board Member – Stresemann Innovation Group
🔗 Profiles
For more about Dorcas’s work, visit her profiles on ACTS and ORCID.
