Kelly Witkowski leads the the Agricultural Climate Action and Sustainability Program at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture. She holds a dual M.A. in Natural Resources and International Affairs (American University and the University for Peace in Costa Rica). Kelly’s efforts focus on supporting the Ministries of Agriculture and other actors in Latin America and the Caribbean to integrate climate change into sectoral development planning and action. Responding to country needs and priorities, she helps design and direct IICA’s work on the topic. She develops capacities, facilitates the development of adaptation strategies and provides technical backstopping to ensure the processes are successful. She also works to strengthen synergies between the Ministries of Environment and Agriculture, and to encourage a more active and informed participation of the agriculture sector in national and international climate change fora. Kelly leads initiatives focusing on enhancing the resilience of agriculture to climate change, the Caribbean Climate Smart Agriculture Forum, efforts to better link science and decision making and to validate the System of Rice Intensification as a climate smart agriculture solution in the region. Recent publications include Planificando para la adaptación al cambio climático en la agricultura: Análisis participativo del estado actual, retos y oportunidades en América Central y Sur, Climate smart agriculture in the Eastern Caribbean States: A Compendium of Stories from Farmers, El sector agropecuario en las contribuciones previstas y determinadas a nivel nacional de América Latina, and Intended Nationally Determined Contributions in the Caribbean: Where does agriculture fit?.
