The overall objective of this research project was to determine if methylmercury discharged from rice systems poses a health risk to humans and wildlife fish consumers and, if so, how we can cost effectively minimize the risk.
From late July to early November 2018, I had the privilege of traveling to Bo, Sierra Leone to assess the feasibility of ethanol cookstoves as a clean-cooking alternative in households.
This summer, I went abroad to Pacto, Ecuador, an agrarian town in the cloud forest of Ecuador, to conduct a farmer training and a cost of production survey with coffee farmers.
Thanks to funding through the RIFA and JASTRO programs, I traveled to Brazil to research what barriers might exist that prevent a higher prevalence of agroforestry systems, with a specific emphasis on access to financial services.
Unlike some other research projects that received funding for this Jastro period, my project focused more on applied work and information gathering to support the development of an innovative high school in an indigenous region of Northern Guatemala.
Unique of typical irrigation projects, I worked most closely with a non-governmental organization called the Teso Women’s Development Initiative (TEWDI Uganda) – a major partner in the HIP collaboration – that serves as an effective community-based advocate for gender equity on a variety of issues beyond just irrigation.
The Jastro award allowed me to purchase a camera and audio recording equipment, as well as allowed for some travel while I was on my fellowship in Guatemala to do some basic archival research.
With funding from the UC Davis Jastro Award, I travelled to Western New Mexico to research the ways that gardens are being implemented by First Nations-serving organizations (predominately Navajo and Zuni).
