Source: https://www.kit.nl/staff/verena-bitzer/
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 12:15:43+00:00

Document:
Verena Bitzer, PhD, is an interdisciplinary social scientist who helps create sustainable, rural livelihoods in developing economies. Her work focuses on making value chains, the delivery of agricultural services and (agri-)business models more inclusive and empowering for people working in these sectors.
Verena’s work has shown her that dealing with such complexity requires a context-specific, bottom-up approach. It also needs to builds on all stakeholders’ interests and needs, paying special attention to gender equity and youth inclusion. That is why creating and spreading knowledge with others is an essential part of Verena’s work.
With professional experience in scientific research, action research and applied knowledge, along with qualitative and quantitative evaluation Verena brings years of practical experience along with scientific rigor to her work. Having lived in South Africa and Malawi, and worked in various developing countries, Verena emphasises the advantages of a collaborative approach to creating opportunities for sustainable livelihoods and inclusive rural transformation.
In addition to her work at KIT, Verena is affiliated with Maastricht University (ICIS) in the Netherlands, where she enjoys interactive teaching, engaging with students and researching on Southern sustainability standards in agriculture.
She has lived and worked in South Africa, Malawi, Germany, the US and the Netherlands.
Schouten, G. and Bitzer, V. 2015. The emergence of Southern standards in agricultural value chains: A new trend in sustainability governance? Ecological Economics, 120, 175–184.
Bitzer, V. and Bijman, J., 2015. From innovation to co-innovation? An exploration of three African agrifood chains. British Food Journal, 117(8), 2182-2199.
Dentoni, D. and Bitzer, V., 2015. The Role(s) of Universities in Dealing with Global Wicked Problems through Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives. Journal of Cleaner Production, 106, 68-78.
Dentoni, D., Bitzer, V. and Pascucci, S., 2015. Cross-Sector Partnerships and the Co-Creation of Dynamic Capabilities for Stakeholder Orientation. Journal of Business Ethics, first online 26 June 2015.
Bitzer, V. and Glasbergen, P., 2015. Business-NGO partnerships in global value chains: Part of the problem or part of the solution of sustainable change? Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 12, 35-40.
Bitzer, V. and Bijman, J., 2014. Old Oranges in New Boxes? Strategic Partnerships between Emerging Farmers and Agribusinesses in South Africa. Journal of Southern African Studies, 40(1), 167-183.
Bitzer, V., Glasbergen, P. and Arts, B., 2013. Exploring the potential of intersectoral partnerships to improve the position of farmers in global agrifood chains: findings from the coffee sector in Peru. Agriculture and Human Values, 30(1), 5-20.
Bitzer, V., 2012. Partnering for change in chains. The capacity of partnerships to promote sustainable change in global agrifood chains. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 15, Special Issue B, 13-38.
Bitzer, V., Glasbergen, P. and Leroy, P., 2012. Partnerships of a feather flock together? An analysis of the emergence of networks of partnerships in the global cocoa sector. Global Networks, 12(3), 335-374.
Bijman, J. and Bitzer, V. (eds.), 2016. Quality and innovation in food chains. Lessons and insights from Africa. Wageningen Academic Publishers, the Netherlands.
Bitzer, V., Hamann, R., Hall, M. and Griffin-EL, E.W. (eds.), 2015. The Business of Social and Environmental Innovation: New Frontiers in Africa. Springer, the Netherlands, and University of Cape Town Press.

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