Aicha Mechri is an agricultural engineer with an additional degree in socio-ecological economics, born and raised in Tunisia. Her expertise covers ecological economics, agricultural and food systems, value chains for food as well as sustainability assessment – both in theory and also in practical application.

She has worked for the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) at its Regional Office for North Africa and the Middle East and at its headquarters in Rome. Throughout her career, Aicha has collaborated on projects across Africa, the Middle East, South America and the Pacific.

Her research currently focuses on value chains in the agri-food sector, sustainability, systems thinking and collective action. She investigates how collective action can drive the transformation of food systems and how communities interact with one another and work together to achieve common goals. For Aicha, research and practice go hand in hand. The aim is to develop strong communities of practice that combine knowledge and action to achieve sustainable impact.

Thematic Expertise:

• Ecological economy,
• Agricultural and food systems,
• Food value chains,
• Sustainability assessment,
• Systemic thinking,
• Collective Action.