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I'm Isabela, an independent consultant, PhD candidate, and writer focused on sustainable food systems.
I work with NGOs, social enterprises, and governments on policies and programs to transform our food system to become more sustainable, equitable, and inclusive. I specialize in taking an intersectional, rights-based approach to food policy analysis, using participatory methods to meaningfully engage diverse stakeholders, and using the principles of systems thinking to examine the complex relationships between food and other policy areas. An urbanist at heart, I'm particularly fascinated by the potential for cities to foster more socially just and environmentally sustainable food systems.
Equal parts policy wonk and storyteller, I'm the co-founder of Feminist Food Journal, an online magazine that explores food and culture through a feminist lens. I also write for other publications on topics related to sustainability on a freelance basis. As a former global development policy analyst and strategy consultant, I bring sharp problem-solving skills and robust knowledge on the global climate, agriculture, and gender equality policy architecture to my analysis of food and sustainability issues.
I am the recipient of a 2022 Doctoral Fellowship from the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and began my PhD focused on culturally inclusive food policy at ICTA-UAB in Barcelona in October 2022. I hold a postgraduate certificate in food systems studies from Toronto Metropolitan University, a Master's degree in International Affairs from the Hertie School of Governance, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Journalism and Sociology from the University of Victoria (summa cum laude). I'm also a certified permaculture designer with hands-on experience in regenerative agriculture.
Originally from Vancouver, Canada, I have worked or studied in nine different countries and travelled to nearly 60. I speak English, French, and Spanish.
Download my latest CV here:
Services:
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Action-oriented research (qualitative and quantitative) and report writing
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Policy analysis and evaluation
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Research design and methodology development
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Magazine writing and podcasting
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Copy for social media, press releases, blog posts, and other communications assets
Focus areas:
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Sustainable and inclusive food policy and programming
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The nexus of food systems and climate, labour, social, and planning policy
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Critical feminist theory and praxis
Interested in working together? Contact me:
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