Dr. Beatrice Muriithi is a Research Scientist in the icipe’s Social Sciences and Impact Assessment Unit. She has been with icipe for over 9 years, having started her tenure as a Postdoctoral Fellow before graduating to a scientist. Prior to joining icipe, Muriithi was a Junior Researcher and PhD fellow at the Centre of Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Germany, where she acquired her PhD in Development Economics.

Muriithi contributes to various socio-economic-related activities in several projects and programs in the Animal, Plant, and Environmental Health Themes of icipe. Her research focus on providing gaps and evidence on inclusive technology adoption and social, economic, and environmental impacts among agricultural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), using a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research methods and approaches. Beyond measuring the livelihood’s contribution technologies, Muriithi’s research has endeavoured to uncover the role of heterogeneities at household and community levels that may enhance or hinder technology adoption. She has achieved this by capturing gender-desegregated information to explain gender gaps in technology uptake, as well as applying women empowerment in agriculture tools to capture progress of projects towards women empowerment. Her contribution to gender and inclusive research for instance has been recognized through awards such as the “Science by Women: Programme for Women, Science, Technology, and Innovation in Africa”, the “Structural Transformation of African Agricultural and Rural Spaces (STAARS)” and the “Gender Responsive Agriculture Systems Policy (GRASP) (2022-2023) fellowship”.

Dr. Muriithi has also contributed significantly to the adoption and impact of integrated pest management (IPM) discourse in Eastern and Southern Africa. Her socioeconomic research contribution in this field demonstrates the economic gains of various value chain actors in terms of income, reduced pre- and post-harvest losses and chemical expenditures as well as health and environmental benefits. She has also analysed the returns associated with use of biological control practices among the resource-constrained horticultural farmers in SSA. Beatrice also works on livestock health, beekeeping, and pollination services and their integration with IPM practices.  Her work in animal health is fundamental to icipe as it highlights the economic importance of major livestock production constraints such as tsetse and trypanosomiasis.

Muriithi plays a crucial role resource mobilization with colleagues at icipe and external partners, and in mentoring young researchers and postgraduate students. She has a strong publication record of over 40 articles, with a H-index 16 (Google Scholar). She has also contributed to various book chapters, policy briefs and presented her work in various national and international platforms. She is an Editorial Board Member of the African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics (AFJARE).