James Garrett has been based in Maputo, Mozambique, since 2009 . There he leads and manages the Mozambican Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System. The program is a multi-institutional collaboration between IFPRI, IWMI, ICRISAT, and the Ministry of Agriculture, aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Ministry to produce statistical information and analysis for decisionmaking. It strives to promote evidence-based dialogue and debate among stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

James previously worked in the Poverty, Health, and Nutrition division where he led research programs on policy processes in food and nutrition security and on urban food and nutrition security. He maintains research interests in livelihood, and food and nutrition programs and policies; processes of institutional change and commitment-building; program organizational assessments; and the evaluation of the impact of policy research on policy change.

James joined IFPRI in 1994. A citizen of the United States, he received his Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Cornell University, with a minor in political economy. He also earned a Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and an A.B. in politics from Princeton University.