Clemens Breisinger

Clemens Breisinger is Director of the CGIAR Policy Innovations Program.

He previously headed IFPRI’s Egypt office (2016-2021) and its Kenya office (2021-2025), a period during which he also directed the CGIAR global initiative on National Policies and Strategies. Since 2016, Clemens has led the implementation of more than 20 policy research, capacity sharing, and policy advisory projects across 15 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These projects have been instrumental in guiding policy choices, prioritizing investments, and building institutional capacity in collaboration with national governments and international partners.

His research spans a broad range of topics, including economic and food system transformation, poverty reduction, food and nutrition security, climate change, and the impact and response to crises. He has authored or co-authored more than 150 publications with colleagues and partners, including articles in prestigious journals such as the J. of Development Economics, Food Policy and World Development. Clemens earned his PhD in agricultural economics from the University of Hohenheim, Germany, in 2006.