Helena is a PhD candidate in the department of Environment and Resource Studies (ERS) at the University of Waterloo. Her primary area of research is food security and food systems sustainability. Her dissertation examines how the Green Revolution and Food Sovereignty each contribute to sustainability in their respective approaches to food security in the context of Southern Africa. She uses the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Sustainability Assessment for Food and Agricultural Systems (SAFA) framework as a benchmark for evaluation.
Helena anticipates that her research will contribute to practical and policy efforts that aim to advance long-term agricultural viability and broad-based societal well-being in the region and beyond. She has an MA in Global Governance from the University of Waterloo. Her Master’s Major Research Paper examined agricultural reforms in Africa over the last six decades and their impact on small-holder farmers’ livelihoods and agrarian systems. Her academic interest is informed by her farming background and experience with grassroots advocacy work.
She can be contacted at hshilomb@uwaterloo.ca.