Innocensia John

Dr. Innocensia John works at the University of Dar es Salaam in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Business. She holds a BA in economics and statistics and an MA in Economics with courses in environmental and natural resource economics and econometrics from the University of Dar es Salaam. Her Ph.D. studies in economics were focused on the value chains of geographically indicated high-value crops in Tanzania at the University of Dar es Salaam and Copenhagen University, Denmark. She also holds a post-doctoral degree from Michigan State University, where her research focused on the sustainable intensification of maize cultivation using transformative key production systems of maize mixed in East and Southern Africa. Innocensia is also an associate researcher with EfD.

‍

Dr. Innocensia John has over eight years of experience as an economic researcher and consultant. She has built networks and collaborated with agroecologists focusing on agro-economic systems in Malawi and Tanzania and value chain analysis in Tanzania, Zambia, and South Africa. Her experience to date includes value chain analysis of geographic indication and indigenous crops while establishing linkages between household food production and food security. Her work focuses particularly on small-holder farmers in the African food system and their environment. Using a food system approach, her recent work focuses on indigenous crops (such as pigeon pea, cowpea, sweet potatoes, money oranges, jack fruits, green vegetables), cassava, and maize. Her work looks at establishing the economic potential and the nutritional value of traditional or neglected indigenous crops in the regions of Tanzania. She also works in the fields of fisheries and forestry in particular on issues of economic valuation of marine parks and the contribution of small-scale fisheries (employment, economics, health, and governance).

‍