Damiana is a development professional working in the research, policy design and implementation of poverty-reduction initiatives in the US and internationally. She has worked as an agricultural researcher for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and as a consultant for FINCAPeru, a microcredit organization based in Lima. Her specialties include value chain analysis, economic analysis and project management. Damiana’s research fellowship with Bioversity International took place over two years and looked at the role of quinoa in the diet and livelihoods of households in the Southern Bolivian Altiplano.

An Andean grain with strong resilience to the dry, cold climate and high altitude of the region, quinoa is an important source of micronutrients for local populations. In recent years however, the increase in domestic and international demand for quinoa has while on the one hand, increased income opportunities for local producers, has on the other hand led to diet changes that have caused adverse effects on the nutrition intake of local people. Working with the Foundation for the Promotion and Research of Andean Products (PROINPA), Damiana’s research aimed to assess the actual and potential nutritional contribution of quinoa, by conducting focus groups, interviews and surveys with local farmers and communities, as well as developing educational material on the nutritional value and diverse uses of the crop. The results she gathered during her first year of field work in Bolivia, were then analyzed during her second year of fellowship at Bioversity’s headquarters in Rome.

During this time, she developed policy recommendations that took into consideration the cultural, nutritional and economic needs of the Altiplano population. Her suggestions included: developing smallholder technology for quinoa processing, educational programs on nutrition from native crops, and incorporating local grains into school lunches and other feeding programs. Results from her case studies are due to be published by Bioversity International in the near future. Damiana is currently an Associate Director of Agriculture and Rural Economy at the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in Washington D.C.; where she provides technical and financial oversight on the implementation of agricultural development projects in developing countries.