In terms of educational background, I am a Development Economist and Statistician, with a strong interest in applied research.

In terms of work experience, throughout the last 18 years I have been involved with emergency, rehabilitation and development situations and programmes, with strong focus on food security, food aid and nutrition.

Major positions covered:

World Food Programme, Project Manager and Vulnerability Assessment Specialist (1994 - 1996)

European Commission DG ECHO, Food Aid and Food Security Adviser for Africa (1997 - 2005)

Food and Agriculture Organization, Senior Regional Food Security Adviser (2006)

Major consultancies carried out:

AGRER (on behalf of EC), Mid-Term Review of EC Food Security Programme in Ethiopia (2005)

OXFAM, Study on Market Functioning in Turkana, Kenya (2005)

FEWSNET / FOOD ECONOMY GROUP, Analysis of Household Vulnerability Survey in Mozambique (2006)

SC-UK, Feasibility Study of Cash Interventions in Swaziland (2007)

AGRER (on behalf of ECHO), Assessment to Advise DG ECHO’s Food Security and Food Aid Programme in South Sudan (2008)

Cardno-Agrisystems (on behalf of ECHO), Scoping Study on Viability and Appropriateness of Livelihood Information System in Darfur (2009)

Mercy Corps, Final evaluation of two cash-transfer projects implemented in Haiti in response to the 2010 earthquake (2011)

OXFAM / CaLP, Support for the preparation of a guidance review on the use of market analysis in humanitarian Cash Transfer Programs (2011)

SC-UK, Study on market structure and functioning in Wajir, Kenya (2011)

FAO, Study on the revision and application of the Integrated Phase Classification tool in the Kenyan context (2012)

FAO, Study on the revision of the Consumer Price Index in Somalia and on the functioning of cereal market in Somalia (2013)

FAO, Final evaluation of the Agriculture and Food Information System in South Sudan (2015)

I am interested in the quantitative analysis of livelihood and sustainable development issues, as well as in the policy and practice of humanitarian intervention. In particular, I am interested in the methodological improvement of assessment techniques, with particular reference to food security, food aid and related sectors.

I am currently focusing on three research topics:

• Market analysis to assess the feasibility and opportunity of cash distributions in alternative to food aid interventions;
• The evolution of market integration in conditions of emergency;
• The effectiveness and cost-efficiency of food aid interventions.