Ramni Jamnadass

Ramni is a Kenyan driven to change the lives of youth, women, and men through transformations attainable from agroforestry practices, tree genetic resources, and her life experiences as a woman and minority in a male-dominated field. Ramni started her career teaching biochemistry and genomics at both Kenyatta University and the University of Nairobi in Kenya. She currently leads CIFOR-ICRAF’s global research theme on Biodiversity and Tree Genetic Resources (formerly known as Tree Productivity and Diversity) which also hosts the Agroforestry Tree Genebank and the African Orphan Crops Consortium to support nutritional security in Africa. In the CGIAR program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry, Ramni led the flagship on Tree Genetic Resources to bridge production gaps and promote resilience by providing solutions for effective tree conservation and safeguarding, breeding and seed delivery systems, to transform livelihoods and landscapes. Biodiversity and Tree Genetic Resources has an experienced cross-sectoral and transdisciplinary team that works to bridge production gaps and promote resilience by providing solutions for effective tree conservation and safeguarding, breeding and seed delivery systems, to transform livelihoods and landscapes. When not working, you’ll find Ramni with her husband Rajan in the wilderness climbing mountains or gazing at wildlife wherever they can find it.