Silvia, an interdisciplinary researcher in agri-food systems, is a professor in the School of Environment Design and Rural Development in the University of Guelph. She has more than fifteen years of proven experience in the fields of gender planning, participatory plant breeding and farmer led research in agri-food systems.  As a result of her extensive research engagement in Africa, South East Asia, and Latin America, Silvia built a strong and innovative track record in international rural and agricultural research for development. Until July 2019, Silvia was a Senior Researcher with the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Netherlands. She worked with regional multi-stakeholder platforms for the strengthening of agri-food and seed systems in Mozambique; applied agricultural research with CGIAR Centres and CGIAR Research Programs such as CCAFS, RTB and AWARD – the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development. She also collaborated with African public and regional organizations on the Integrated Seed Sector Development (ISSD) Platform- Africa; in climate-smart agriculture and gender planning with Dutch and international organizations. As a Post-Doctoral Fellow with WorldFish, CGIAR, Silvia was part of the Global Scientific Team with the Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems in five countries of Asia, Oceania and Africa. She also led the Gender Capacity Development and Organizational Culture Change Initiative in WorldFish. As an agronomist, she worked with the International Potato Center (CGIAR) in farming systems and farmer-led research in Peru.

Silvia’s undergraduate studies in Agronomy were concluded in the Universidad Nacional del Centro del Peru. She completed Her MSc and PhD studies with the University of Guelph Canada. She also had a Post-Doctoral Fellowship with the WorldFish Centre, CGIAR in Malaysia.

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