Elizabeth S Johnson is the Representative for the IICA delegation in Jamaica, a resourceful and skilled Senior Scientist and Manager with a passion to increase production of safer nutritious food using best practices. She holds a Ph.D in Crop Science and Biotechnology from NC State University and an MBA from Henley Business School in the United Kingdom. She is highly proficient in the development and use of new disease resistant crop cultivars with desirable agronomic traits and the utilization and conservation of plant genetic resources. She has published extensively in cocoa which includes work on the Genetic diversity in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) from Bolivia (2012) and Population structure of Trinitario cacao from Trinidad and Tobago (2009). Her current area of focus is food security through integrated pest and invasive species management. Her areas of interest include utilization and conservation of plant genetic resources, improvement of desirable agronomic traits and development of new and strategic use of disease resistant crop cultivars in climate change adaptation.

Skilled in international development through project development and management to capacity building and relationship management in the agriculture sector, Dr. Johnson thrives in multicultural environments in the Americas while effectively managing people and resources to achieve objectives within time and budget.  Dr. Johnson has worked with policy/decision makers, academia and farmers.