Biography
Amaya Mirentxu Carrasco Torrontegui holds an M.A., M.S. and Amaya is a Ph.D. student in the Food Systems Program with a Specialization in Agroecology at the University of Vermont. For her dissertation, she is working on two case studies (Ecuador and Bolivia) to understand collective action in the context of agroecological transition. Amaya is also a research assistant for a project led by the University of Vermont to enhance Agroecology in the Andes and Africa. She also is the Operations Director of the Caliata Initiative, which aims to reimagine the rural sector in the Andes. Amaya also has worked for several years with NGOs, grassroots, governments, and academia at the intersection of agroecology, climate change, and food justice. She has collaborated on five different research projects and co-authored several articles.
She worked for national and local governments in Ecuador, including leading the National Plan for Climate Change in the Ministry of Environment and evaluating the social programs run by the Municipality of Quito. Finally, for her work with NGOs in the U.S and research in Ecuador, she received the Woman Food Agriculture Network’s 2021 Recognition Award as an Extraordinary Community Builder in Farm and Food Justice. Amaya is with the Food Systems Program, Agroecology and Livelihoods Collaborative, & Gund Institute for the Environment, University of Vermont; The Caliata Initiative.
Email: amaya.carrasco@uvm.edu