Since 2011, Ronnie Vernooy has served as Senior Scientist for genetic resources and seed policies at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. His primary research areas include genetic resource policies, resilient seed systems, participatory breeding, and community seed banks, topics on which he has published extensively.

Ronnie has worked on these issues in diverse countries and regions, integrating broader aspects of the sociology of rural development, as well as social and gender analysis. He holds a PhD in the sociology of rural development and brings a multidisciplinary perspective to his work.

From 2005 to 2010, Ronnie was an adjunct professor for community-based natural resource management at the College of Humanities and Development, China Agricultural University.