Chris J Kettle

I am a transdisciplinary Scientist, with a strong track record of applying research for development in landscapes across Asia, Latin America and Africa. I have 22 years of experience working on landscapes restoration and tree-based solutions to sustainable agriculture. As an internationally renowned scientist with over 90 peer reviewed publications, I have been innovating and promoting biodiversity-based solution, especially the diversity of trees and other non-timber forest products as a critical and underutilized nature-based solution for multiple sustainable development goals. I especially focus on synergies across, climate change mitigation, resilient landscapes restoration and sustainable food systems.

Since August 2017, I have been leading a large cross-cutting interdisciplinary research team within the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT part of CGIAR. The focus has been conservation and sustainable use of socio–economically and ecologically important trees and their genetic diversity for multi-functional landscapes. This team resulted from the effective merging of two teams of scientists and senior scientists across the Alliance. In my current role I lead a multi-million dollar research program across Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa. From 2017-2021 I led the cluster of activities (CoA) Safeguarding Forest Genetic Resources of CGIAR’s Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry.

From 2022 I am leading the Restore Work-package within the Nature+ OneCGIAR Initiative. and working within the Agroecology Initiative My achievements at Alliance to date have been while working 80% for the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and continuing to hold a joint appointment (20%) as Group Leader in the Department of Environmental System Science, ETH Zurich, teaching final year graduate and postgraduate students Rainforest Ecology and resilient landscapes.
Prior to joining CGIAR, I was a full-time tenure Group Leader at the ETH Zurich, (2007 – 2022), and supervised over 14 PhD students mostly on topics that inform the conservation and sustainable management of tropical landscapes. Finally, I am one of the four founders of the Centre for Fruitful Lands India, a knowledge hub to increase fruit tree diversity across Multi-functional landscapes in India to improve childhood nutrition, whilst contributing to poverty alleviation, environmental health and climate mitigation.