James Stapleton

James Stapleton is a senior advisor for advocacy and special initiatives at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. He has more than 20 years of experience in advocacy, strategic communications, partnership building and policy engagement across international development, research and humanitarian organizations. 

James works at the intersection of science, policy and partnerships, connecting evidence with national and global decision-making on food systems, climate and resilience. He works with governments, international organizations, research institutions and other partners across major global policy processes, including the G20, UN climate conferences and the Committee on World Food Security. 

A central focus of his work is building and strengthening high-impact coalitions that bring together governments, science and partners to advance food systems transformation. This includes the Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation and advancing TERRA, a COP30 initiative focused on scaling agroecology and agroforestry. He leads CGIAR’s engagement with the UNFCCC and represents CGIAR on the Board of the FAO-led FAST Partnership. Through Nexus Action and the EAT Collaborative, he also works to strengthen connections between science, policy and action, including engagement with frontline actors to inform the next EAT-Lancet Commission. 

Before joining the Alliance, James held senior advocacy and communications roles across CGIAR, including at the International Potato Center and the International Livestock Research Institute. Earlier in his career, he led international communications for Jesuit Refugee Service. His work has taken him across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.