7th Class, 2013-2015
Policy Placement: World Cocoa Foundation, Washington, DC
Building on her field experience, Elizabeth continued to work with WCF to integrate gender perspectives into WCF’s new CocoaAction strategy, an innovative platform that brings cocoa industry members together to improve cocoa sustainability. Elizabeth organized workshops on best practices for community development in cocoa communities in West Africa, where she presented research findings from her field year. She supported research initiatives for WCF and its partners by developing a learning agenda for WCF’s Cocoa Livelihoods Program, drafting a research paper with key recommendations on gender and food security in West Africa, and facilitating the implementation of farmer economics studies with external consultants. Elizabeth also led several new business development initiatives.
Field Placement: World Cocoa Foundation, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Based in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, Elizabeth Kiewisch worked with the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and its partner cocoa companies to increase resiliency and promote sustainability in cocoa growing communities. As WCF’s Gender and Food Security Research Specialist, Elizabeth facilitated the integration of gender and food crop production into cocoa value chain projects. She conducted qualitative field research on gender dynamics in agricultural households and on women’s groups in cocoa cooperatives. She further implemented an assessment of agricultural extension initiatives, which served as the basis for a gender assessment tool. As the gender focal point for WCF, Elizabeth introduced the gender assessment tool to partner company members, working closely with them to leverage the tool for increased gender capacity.
Pre-Fellowship Education/Experience:
Elizabeth holds a Master of Science in International Development and Management from Lund University (Sweden), with a particular focus on rural development and food security. During her graduate studies, she conducted field research on gender and small-scale agricultural production in Malawi. She also worked with the World Food Program – Malawi, where she performed field monitoring and conducted an internal evaluation of WFP’s program unit. Prior to obtaining her master’s, Elizabeth worked in agricultural development with an NGO in southern Belize promoting sustainable and diversified cultivation practices in rural areas. She has also worked in environmental advocacy in Washington, D.C. Elizabeth grew up in France on the outskirts of Geneva.