My research explores how government policies—especially public food procurement—can be powerful tools to shift food systems toward sustainability, equity, and resilience. A central focus of my work has been Brazil’s National School Lunch Program, widely recognized for its innovative approach to linking school meals with broader development goals. This program doesn’t just feed children; it also supports smallholder farmers, encourages environmentally sustainable farming practices, and helps strengthen local food economies.

Through this case, we’ve shown how well-designed public procurement policies can drive land use change—helping farmers move away from monocultures toward more diverse, agroecologically managed farms. We’ve also examined how these policies, when combined with grassroots mobilization, can contribute to greater gender equity. For example, we found that more biodiverse farms often emerged in places where women were empowered and actively involved in farming decisions

Building on this work, I’ve collaborated with international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. I participated in FAO technical workshops in Rome on how to leverage local markets and public procurement to improve nutrition and sustainability outcomes, and also contributed to FAO’s seminal book on public food procurement for food systems transformation. These spaces have allowed me to contribute research insights to global policy discussions shaping the future of food.

Most recently, I joined a consortium of researchers led by Luxembourg University on a project called Strategic Policymaking for Integrated and Coherent Environmental and Social Sustainability in Food Systems. In this collaboration, I lead a case study in Quebec, examining how local procurement strategies can support more just and sustainable food systems in Canada.

My goal is to bridge research and policy to help reimagine food systems that nourish both people and the planet.

If you want to read more….

Rasmussen, L. V., Grass, I., Mehrabi, Z., Smith, O. M., Bezner-Kerr, R., Blesh, J., Garibaldi, L. A., Isaac, M. E., Kennedy, C. M., Wittman, H., Batáry, P., Buchori, D., Cerda, R., Chará, J., Crowder, D. W., Darras, K., DeMaster, K., Garcia, K., Gómez, M., …Valencia,V… Kremen, C. (2024). Joint environmental and social benefits from diversified agriculture. Science, 384(6691), 87–93.
https://doi.org/10.1126/SCIENCE.ADJ1914

Valencia, V., Blesh, J., & Wittman, H. (2021). Ch. 11, Public procurement for farming system diversification. In L. F. J. Swensson, F. Tartanac, D. Hunter, & S. Schneider (Eds.), Public food procurement for sustainable food systems and healthy diets (Vol. 1, pp. 248–261). FAO; Bioversity International; https://doi.org/10.4060/cb7960en

Valencia, V., Wittman, H., & Blesh, J. (2019). Structuring Markets for Resilient Farming Systems. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 39(2), 25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-019-0572-4

Valencia, V., Wittman, H., Jones, A. D., & Blesh, J. (2021). Public Policies for Agricultural Diversification: Implications for Gender Equity. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 5, 473.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2021.718449