Stefanie Lemke

PD Dr. Stefanie Lemke is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience since 2015. Previously she worked at the Department Gender and Nutrition, Institute for Social Sciences in Agriculture, University of Hohenheim (2008-2015), where she was Acting Chair from 2013-2015; the Centre for Development and Environmental Research, Justus-Liebig University Giessen (2003-2008). She was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research, North West University, South Africa from 1997-2000 and 2004-2007. Stefanie further worked for various German civil service organisations, among others on livelihood strategies of smallholder farmers; healthy nutrition and lifestyle of individuals and communities; nutrition and consumer protection in the new German States after the fall of the Berlin wall.

Stefanie engages with academic and civil society partners in Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia, the United States, and Europe. She was a board member of the Task Force on Traditional, Indigenous and Cultural Foods, International Union of Nutrition Sciences (IUNS)(2014-2017); the expert group “Introducing the Right to Adequate Food in University Curricula” (hosted by Heinrich Boell Foundation) (2013-2016), and is a member of the Gender Nutrition Rights research group (a collaboration of Syracuse University, University of Hohenheim, FIAN International and Geneva Infant Feeding Association).

Food and nutrition security with focus on underlying structural causes of poverty and hunger; right to adequate food; women's rights; gender; sustainable livelihoods; sustainable diets and local food systems; governance of natural resources; qualitative, participatory, transdisciplinary, rights-based and gendered approaches

My research interests stem from academic work in nutrition and social sciences and my work experience as nutrition consultant. Under- and malnutrition pose huge challenges, with an increasing global prevalence of overweight. Working towards achieving more equitable and sustainable food systems requires a critical examination of the structural conditions that shape individuals’ and communities’ food and nutrition security, livelihoods, well-being, gender and other intra-household dynamics. By applying inter- and transdisciplinary research and an actor-oriented approach I aim to promote democratic food governance and influence public policy, with emphasis on local actors overcoming barriers in participation and so gaining greater voice.