Washington (February 7, 2023). In an effort to commemorate and raise awareness about the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (celebrated on February 11), FONTAGRO will hold the Webinar “Women in Science: Latin American Perspectives” with the presence of prominent scientists from the region.
The activity will be held virtually through the Zoom platform on Friday, February 10 at 9 a.m. (US Eastern Time). Dr. Eugenia Saini, Executive Secretary of FONTAGRO, will be in charge of moderating the event, which will include the notable participation of scientists Martha Marina Bolaños and Mónica Betancourt from Colombia, Livia Negri from Argentina and Maika Barría, from Panama.
As of July 2019, the average global rate of female researchers was only 29.3%, according to UNESCO data. The purpose of the dialogue is to highlight the key role of women in science in Latin America and the Caribbean, to contribute to the development of the region.
The guests invited to the panel have an important scientific trajectory and are currently leading FONTAGRO projects.
Click here to register for the event.
Our moderator:
Eugenia Saini: Executive Secretary of FONTAGRO. Agricultural Engineer, Master Science in Agribusiness and Food, PhD in Agricultural Sciences, National Public Accountant, Fulbright scholar at Cornell University. With 25 years of experience in the agri-food sector, international cooperation, and focus on the management of organizations dedicated to investment and mobilization of resources for science, technology and innovation.
About the panelists:
Martha Marina Bolaños: PhD in Agricultural Sciences and Researcher with 25 years of experience in the areas of Integrated Soil Management, Soil Conservation and Efficient Management of Integrated Fertilization. She is currently Head of the Department of Sustainable Intensive Production, Directorate of Research and Development AGROSAVIA in Colombia.
Livia Negri: PhD in Science, Specialist in Technology and Innovation Management, Master in Food Science, Technology and Biochemistry. Since 2007 she has been a Researcher at the Institute of Food Technology (INTA) of Argentina. She is currently leading the project “AgTech for climate-smart dairy” within the framework of FONTAGRO (2020-2024).
Mónica Betancourt: Agricultural engineer, Ph. D. in Agricultural Sciences with experience in diagnosis and biological and molecular characterization of plant pathogens, emphasis on epidemiology, evolution of plant viruses and integrated management of crop diseases. She is currently a Ph. D. researcher at AGROSAVIA in Colombia.
Maika Barría: Bachelor in Nutrition and Dietetics, graduated from the School of Medicine, University of Panama. She is part of the team of researchers in projects such as Horticulture in protected environments and Intensive Rice Cultivation System (SRI) for family agriculture, in technical cooperation with the IDB / FONTAGRO. Panama’s representative to the Regional Biofortification Platform, Harvest Plus.
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About FONTAGRO
FONTAGRO was created 1998 with the purpose of promoting the increase of the competitiveness of the agri-food sector, ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources and the reduction of poverty in the region. The objective of FONTAGRO is to establish itself as a sustainable financing mechanism for the development of agricultural technology and innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean and Spain, and to establish a forum for the discussion of priority topics of technological innovation. The member countries are: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela. In the last 21 years 167 regional agricultural innovation platforms have been co-financed for an amount of US $ 124 million, which has reached 452 institutions and 33 countries worldwide.