Simon Kimenju

Simon Kimenju is the Executive Director at Kula Vyema Centre of Food Economics, a not-for-profit research and development institute with a mission of generating evidence-based solutions for a better food system and healthier diets for healthier lives, which he founded in 2017. He has a PhD in agricultural economics from the University of Goettingen in Germany, and more than 15 years of socioeconomics research experience in all components of food systems. He has led or co-led many research studies and consultancies on various topics within food systems. His main research interests are food environments, healthy diets, prevention of diet-related noncommunicable diseases, and sustainable production & consumption. He has strong analytical and communication skills and is well published in international peer-review journals.

He worked previously as the Executive Director of Agri-Food Economics Africa, and as a Research Fellow with Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development  in Kenya, the University of Goettingen, and at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) in Kenya. 

He served as a member of the High-Level Panel of Experts for Food Security and Nutrition that authored the report “Nutrition and Food Systems” in 2017.