Professor Dr. Siera Vercillo

Biography

Siera Vercillo is an Assistant Professor investigating governance and sustainable agri-food system transformations at Wageningen University. She is a scholar-activist engaged in participatory action research within feminist geography, political ecology, and critical development studies, focusing primarily on northern Ghana. Siera's research enhances existing literature on agrarian nutrition transitions, smallholder livelihoods, and food systems, particularly addressing household food security and food sovereignty. She is notably interested in experimental and applied qualitative research methodologies that facilitate transformative change. In her work, Siera collaborates with community-driven movements, civil society, donors, and NGOs to advocate for agroecology and food sovereignty, while upholding the rights of peasant farmers. Her publications exist in respected outlets such as Aljazeera, the Journal of Rural Studies, Ambio, and the European Journal of Development Research. Siera has received prestigious national and international research grants and serves as a Principal Investigator on several projects aimed at improving local food systems in Ghana. She has developed and taught courses at both bachelor’s and graduate levels, currently focusing on topics related to Policy, Governance, and Transformative Sustainability Practices.

Research Interests

Experience

Courses