Costanza Conti
Summary
I specialize in food system transformation, developing context-appropriate, uncertainty-responsive, and equitable transformative solutions. With over 10 years of experience, I excel in research, policy advisory and M&E across diverse global contexts. Currently the Policy and Research Lead at the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, I design sustainable and just food system pathways, building on prior roles with EAT-Lancet, CSIRO, CGIAR, and FAO.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
Policy and Research Lead
M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation
02.2024 - Current
- Spearhead the formulation of innovative policy frameworks that integrate dimensions of Climate Resilience, Sustainable Production, Health, Nutrition, and Livelihoods, focusing on sustainable and evidence-based outcomes
- Conduct in-depth analysis of diverse food system data to develop and publish actionable insights and strategies for food system transformation.
- Design and implement a new and more robust Monitoring&Evaluation (M&E) system across multiple departments.
- Collaborate and coordinate interdisciplinary research teams to develop strategic capabilities on research methodologies, data analysis tools, and best practices in M&E.
Postdoctoral Scientist
EAT-Lancet Commission 2.0
02.2023 - 02.2024
- Contribute to a global investigation on how to transform the food system to feed a future population of 10 billion people a healthy diet within planetary boundaries.
- Identify plausible transformation strategies sensitive to geographic, socio-economic, and cultural diversity.
- Through a series of systematic reviews, determine the type of interventions at different systems levels that are most likely to deliver long-term sustainability.
- Build a just transformation framework that integrates equity aspects into transformation pathway design.
Consultant, Agriculture and Global Change Group
CSIRO
Canberra
03.2020 - 01.2023
- Produce various research outputs on food system transformation and innovation.
- Analyze the factors hampering transformation at scale.
- Create a novel system-transformation assessment framework that can be applied in diverse contexts.
- Catalyze democratic multi-stakeholder dialogue for agri-food systems innovation in Vietnam
- Enrich the CGIAR Grain Legume and Dryland Cereals CRP 'Transforming agri-food systems' portfolio by working on several projects in LMICs.
Independent Consultant
Development Initiatives Poverty Research Ltd
Bristol
05.2021 - 10.2021
- Contributed to the development of the Global Nutrition Report, the world's first independent and comprehensive global accountability framework for nutrition.
Research Fellow
University of Teramo
Teramo
06.2019 - 07.2020
- Supported and strengthened policy-research interface to create a framework for promoting sustainable production practices in the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy programming.
Intern
Food & Agriculture Organization
Rome
08.2018 - 11.2018
- Enhance TAPipedia, an information-sharing system for knowledge exchange & capacity development for Agricultural Innovation Systems in the Tropics
- Contribute to the design of a Gender Analysis Framework in Agricultural Innovation Systems.
Education
Ph.D. - Food System Transformation
University of Reading
UKMaster of Science - Agriculture & Development
University of Reading
UKBachelor of Arts - International Relations
University of Geneva
SwitzerlandSkills
- Policy Translation
- Systems Analysis
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Knowledge Management and Transdisciplinary Integration
- Capacity Building
Languages
- Italian
- English
- French
- Spanish
- Hindi
References
- Dr. Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, Global Lead for Nutrition and Public Health, WorldFish
- Dr. Andrew Hall, Senior Principal Scientist, CSIRO
- Giacomo Zanello, Deputy Director of Graduate Institute for International Development, University of Reading
Timeline
Policy and Research Lead
M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation
02.2024 - Current
Postdoctoral Scientist
EAT-Lancet Commission 2.0
02.2023 - 02.2024
Independent Consultant
Development Initiatives Poverty Research Ltd
05.2021 - 10.2021
Consultant, Agriculture and Global Change Group
CSIRO
03.2020 - 01.2023
Research Fellow
University of Teramo
06.2019 - 07.2020
Intern
Food & Agriculture Organization
08.2018 - 11.2018
Ph.D. - Food System Transformation
University of Reading
Master of Science - Agriculture & Development
University of Reading
Bachelor of Arts - International Relations
University of Geneva
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