Chandler Wherry, M.A. Food Studies
Bioversity International, Italy
My 7-month internship with Bioversity International allowed me to explore the topics of agrobiodiversity, neglected and underutilized species (NUS), and market intelligence systems. My primary goal was to conduct a literature review and produce a final report on my findings. The position was with the team involved in the IFAD-EU-CCAFS project, Linking agrobiodiversity value chains, climate adaptation and nutrition: Empowering the poor to manage risk. The project aims to build the capacity and strengthen the value chains of key, identified NUS in the three project countries; Mali, Guatemala, and India. It also gave me the support and connections to form my thesis topic. The research performed during my internship, as well as the expert advice I received from my supervisors was vital to the study. Overall, I had the opportunity to experience the daily operations and atmosphere of an international research organization and work among experts at the top of my field.