Derese Teshome Mekonnen

Senior researcher in agriculture and consultant with 16 years of experience in Ethiopian agricultural research and extension systems. Holds a master's degree in Development Studies and a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Sciences, currently pursuing a PhD in Agriculture and Rural Policy. Expertise includes research on participatory extension approaches, on-farm demonstrations, innovation platform facilitation, gender and livelihood analysis, cluster-based commercialization, stakeholder and value chain analysis, resilience and risk analysis, impact evaluations, science communication, and documentation. Proficient in a broad range of quantitative and qualitative social science research practices applicable to any development field. Current focus areas include agricultural policy analysis, knowledge and innovation system management, market and livelihood system analysis, climate change and irrigated agriculture, food systems and rural transformation, commercialization, and agribusiness.

• Ethiopian Society of Rural development and Agricultural Extension
• Ethiopian Agricultural economics society
• Ethiopian Crop science society

• Inspirational Leadership Training, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, August 8-11, 2019, Bishoftu, Ethiopia.
• Analytical Frameworks in Agricultural Development, EIAR and Haramaya university, July 22-26, 2019, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• Purchasing and Inventory Module : Self Service User, FDRE Ministry of Finance and Economic cooperation, June 10-11, 2019, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• Strategic Thinking and Planning for Agricultural commercialization and Transformation in Ethiopia, Feed the Future /USAID, July 14-16, 2017, Adama Ethiopia.
• Transformational leadership and Change, International Leadership Institute, May 23rd -25th, 2017, Addis Ababa.
• Government Policies and Strategies of Leadership Training: Certified Agents of Change, USAID/CIAFS, June 29- July 19, 2015.
• Scaling up for food security in Africa Agents of Change: Leadership Training, USAID, CIAFS, MoA, August 12th -17th, 2012 Adama, Ethiopia.
• Quality management system implementation and design: ISO 9001:2008, Ethiopian Standard Agency, January 4th-11th, 2012 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• Professional Training on Public Relations, Government Communication Affairs Office, June 6-18, 2011, Adama Ethiopia.
• Training of Trainers on Corruption prevention Strategies, Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commissions, April 18-21, 2011, Addis Ababa , Ethiopia.

• National technical resource person for agricultural and rural development policy revision, Ministry of Agriculture, 2020.
• Technical resource person for agricultural extension in Agricultural Transformation of Oromia(ATO), 2019-2020.
• Extension capacity Building advisory Taskforce member MoA, 2018-2020.
• National import substitution project development National Technical resource person since 2018.
• Horticulture R&D Roadmap: Vegetable, Spices and Herbs Program and Policy drafting researcher under Policy Study and Research center, 2014-2016.
• Task force leader for merging and establishment of Agricultural Investment and Horticulture authority, 2016.
• Team leader for Teppi National Spices Research Center strategy development , 2011, EIAR.