Young Expert at Tropenbos International - Kenya

YEP period 2017 - 2019, batch 13

YEP Role

Selma is a research officer in the Value Chains, Finance and Investment research team of the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) (through Dutch organisation Tropenbos International). Within the CGIAR programme Forests Trees and Agroforestry (FTA) she performs economic research on the effectiveness of different inclusive business models to improve smallholder livelihoods and combat deforestation and land degradation. Her projects include:

• The piloting of a jurisdictional approach towards zero-deforestation commodities in two countries in Africa (tbd).
• An analysis of the different types of oil palm smallholders in Indonesia and their ability to comply to the Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) standards and good agricultural practices. 
• A collaboration with SNV studying the effects of a rehabilitation programme for cocoa smallholders in Ghana (SCAFS) and possible disincentives for deforestation for oil palm smallholders in Indonesia. 
• A case study on a jurisdictional approach in Ghana that feeds into an international comparison of governance arrangements in existing jurisdictional approaches towards zero-deforestation. 

Click here for more information about her project.

 

Skills

• Experience with both quantitative and qualitative policy research including impact evaluation
• A curious mind and strong analytical skills
• Currently further developing academic research skills including research design, data analysis, scientific writing and conference presentations
• Knowledge of different commodity value chains in Africa and Asia (Indonesia) and smallholder inclusion
• Project management skills, working together with (external) colleagues in different countries
• Flexible and field proof

Background

Nationality: Dutch
Education: Msc. Development Economics (WUR) & Msc. Health Economics (EUR)

 

Experience before YEP

Before joining CIFOR Selma worked as a consultant for APE Public Economics on the evaluation of several development programmes of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. See LinkedIn for more information.