Jill Guerra

Jill

  • MA in Resource Management and Environmental Studies, University of British Columbia
  • BA in International Development (Economics stream) and Latin American Studies, University of Guelph

Bio

Jill completed her Master’s degree at the Institute of Resources, Environment and Sustainability in 2016. Following her Master’s degree, Jill worked in Canada’s organic sector conducting research and policy analysis with the Canada Organic Trade Association and the Canadian Organic Growers. Currently Jill is internationally focused as a Senior Food Systems Advisor working on global development policy and programming at Global Affairs Canada. She also contributes to policy advocacy at the local level as a member of the Ottawa Food Policy Council.

Master’s Thesis

Pathways to agroecology: mediated markets and credit access in Santa Catarina, Brazil

Jill’s thesis examined to what extent Brazil’s National School Feeding Program (Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar – PNAE) was able to create incentives for family farmers’ to transition to agroecology and organic agriculture. Her research employed mixed methods analyzing Brazilian agricultural census data and conducting in-depth, qualitative interviews with farmers participating in the PNAE. Her research found that the PNAE provides an economic incentive for small-scale farmers to begin an agroecological transition by creating a price-differentiated market that is otherwise absent in the regional context. However, without external network linkages – such as participation in farmers’ associations, cooperatives, and non-governmental agricultural extension programs that support agroecological practices – the influence of PNAE is limited in stimulating a broader scaling up of agroecological production. For this research Jill received the Freda Pagani Award for Outstanding Master’s Thesis.

Selected Publications

Roberts, W and Guerra, J. (2019). Submission to House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food regarding Perception of and Public Trust in the Canadian Agricultural Sector.

Guerra, J., Blesh, J., Schmitt Filho, A. L., and H. Wittman. (2017). Pathways to agroecological management through mediated markets in Santa Catarina Brazil. Elementa Sci Anth.5: 67.

Guerra, J.(2017). Canadian Organic Market Report: Trends and Opportunities. Canada Organic Trade Association Report.

Guerra J. & L. Martin. (2017) State of Organics: Federal-Provincial-Territorial Performance Report. Canada Organic Trade Association Report.

Guerra, J., Amir, N., Harper, S. & S. Kiamanesh. (2016) Inequality Explained: Will the Trans-Pacific Partnership Affect Canada’s Food Sovereignty? Open Canada.

Franko, A., Kaplan-Hallam, M., Guerra, J.& P. Maji. (2015) Mount Polley: A Call for Improved Coordination and Transparency in Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement for Mines in BC. Institute of Resources, Environment and SustainabilityWorking Paper Series.

Gillies, J.A., Nickling, W.G. and Guerra, J. (2013) A Feasibility Study for the Development of a Dust Prediction System, Final Report to the BC Hydro (from Nickling Environmental Ltd), Peace River Water use Plan, 60p.