Tangled Roots Podcast: Food Insecurities in Guatemala

I spoke with Joseph Flores at the Strauss Center for International Security and Law for a podcast about the “root causes” of migration from Latin America. In the interview, we discuss the significance of maize in the country, the reasons it is getting harder for people to access maize, and efforts by the U.S. to shape Central American economies.

Tackling the Root Causes: Food Insecurity and Forced Migration in Latin America (October 2024)

Hosted by the Refugee and Forced Displacement Initiative and the Latin America Program at the Wilson Center, this public event emphasized the linkage between hunger and migration; the role played by different actors in building hope; and sustainable solutions to tackle this issue. Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/g_B8WTfYwC8

Public writing

In addition to academic writing and public presentations, I have written blogs, white papers, and other short-form pieces intended for the general public. In an article for the Environmental Change and Security Program, I made an argument for considering the environmental drivers of migration. In this same outlet, I published another blog post about the staggering increasing in violence against environmental defenders in Guatemala during the Presidency of Otto Perez Molina. I have also summarized findings from my research in policy outlets, including a publication with the Wilson Center’s Latin America Program in which I make recommendations to structure agricultural policies and programs for smallholder farmers.

Accountable Solar Energy Transitions (ASSET)

In May of 2024, I participated in a workshop funded by the Research Council of Norway. This short film presents key highlights from the workshop, including my work on agrivoltaics, which brought together researchers from four continents to share insights from and deliberate over the governance of solar energy transitions.