Profile
Renata Serra (PhD Economics, Cambridge University, UK) is Instructional Professor in the Center for African Studies at the University of Florida and core Faculty for the UF Master in Sustainable Development Program. She is an active member of the UF Sahel Research Group and of the Global Food System Institute at UF/IFAS, for which she coordinates the Sub-Saharan Africa working group. Renata is also affiliated with the Department of Economics and the Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies. An economist by training, she has 25 years experience of research, teaching and consultancy on issues of African development, with a focus on the African Sahel region (Mali, Senegal, Niger, Chad and Mauritania) as well as East Africa (Ethiopia, Rwanda and Uganda). She was part of the Management Entity of the USAID Feed the Future Innovation lab for Livestock Systems at UF/IFAS, until its termination in February 2025.
Areas of Interest/Research
Political economy of agriculture; livestock sector development; (measures of) resilience to climate change; (measures of) women’s empowerment; gender and intersectionality in agricultural and livestock value chains; social capital and collective action; microfinance; youth.
Contact Information
Email: rserra@ufl.edu
Phone: (352) 846-0473
421 Grinter Hall
PO Box 115560
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-5560