Dr Lensa Etefa Jotte

PhD in Human Geography, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK, 2023. “In Vitro Meat – Food for Utopia, Contested in Ethiopia,” examining how cultured meat is understood and debated within Oromo communities in Ethiopia. 

MSc in Hydro Power Development Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway, 2017. Specialisation in water resource management for the integrated use of rivers and reservoirs in rural areas. 

BSc in Civil Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, 2015 (Member, National Collegiate Scholars). 

BSc in Physics, Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio, USA, 2013 (Garfield Scholar; Hal Award Recipient; Member, National ODK Circle).

Dr Lensa Etefa Jotte is a research fellow whose work examines the social, cultural, and political dimensions of emerging food technologies, with a particular focus on cultured meat and the ways in which novel food systems are understood across different societies. Her research explores how technological innovation interacts with questions of identity, food traditions, governance, and historical experience, contributing to broader discussions about the future of sustainable food systems.

Lensa completed her PhD in Geography at the University of Leicester in 2023. Her doctoral research, “In Vitro Meat: Food for Utopia, Contested in Ethiopia,” investigated how in-vitro/cultivated meat is perceived and debated within Oromo communities in southern Ethiopia, particularly in Borana and Negele. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork and discourse analysis, the research examined how conversations about cultured meat intersect with local food practices, cultural identity, and wider experiences of social and technological change. By situating cultured meat within these broader contexts, her work offers insights into how emerging food technologies may resonate across diverse cultural and geographical settings.

Before moving into social science research, Lensa trained as an engineer. She holds an MSc in Hydro Power Development Engineering from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), where she specialised in water resource management and the integrated use of rivers and reservoirs in rural areas. Her earlier training includes a BSc in Civil Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a BSc in Physics from Hiram College in the United States. This multidisciplinary background allows her to engage with both the technical and societal dimensions of food, water, and energy systems.

Alongside her academic work, Lensa has built a diverse professional career across research, consulting, and technological innovation. She has worked with organisations including the Energy Agency of Portugal (ADENE) and Cambridge & Counties Bank in the United Kingdom, where she contributed to the bank’s first climate risk and environmental impact assessment submitted to the Prudential Regulation Authority. Her work has focused on climate risk analysis, environmental data, and sustainability strategy.

Lensa is also the founder of SWaDE, a technology initiative developing satellite-based tools aimed at improving agricultural and water management systems, particularly for smallholder farmers. Through partnerships with research institutions and technology organisations, her work seeks to connect scientific innovation with practical solutions for resource management and agricultural resilience.

Across her research and professional activities, Lensa brings together engineering expertise and social science inquiry to better understand how technological innovation can engage with diverse cultural contexts and contribute to more sustainable and inclusive food futures.

Doctoral Supervision – Cultivated Meat In China

Current Research - CARMA (Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub), Work Package 6: Politics and Public Engagement of Cultured Meat

Dr Lensa Jotte’s current research forms part of Work Package 6 of the UKRI-funded Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub (CARMA), which explores the societal, political, and governance dimensions of cultured meat. Her work investigates how emerging food technologies are debated, interpreted, and negotiated across different social groups, including policymakers, farmers, and the wider public. Using interviews, focus groups, and discourse analysis, she examines how narratives surrounding cultured meat intersect with questions of sustainability, food systems transformation, and the future of agriculture.

Doctoral Research - Cultured Meat, Identity, and Food Futures in Ethiopia

Lensa’s PhD research at the University of Leicester (2023) explored how cultured meat is understood within Oromo communities in southern Ethiopia. Through qualitative fieldwork and discourse analysis conducted in Borana and Negele, she examined how discussions of in vitro meat intersect with identity, food practices, and broader debates about development and technological change. By situating cultured meat within local cultural and historical contexts, the research provides insights into how novel food technologies may resonate across diverse global settings.

Earlier Research focuses on Water, Energy, and Environmental Systems

Prior to her doctoral work, Lensa conducted research in environmental engineering and water resource management at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), focusing on hydropower development and sustainable water systems. Her earlier work also explored stormwater management, climate impacts on hydrology, and infrastructure resilience.