Paula Andrea Rueda Peña is an Agronomist Engineer (MSc) with more than twenty five years of experience leading sustainable agriculture, gender inclusive value chain development, and rural innovation across Latin America. She specializes in cocoa and coffee sector transformation, climate resilient production systems, regenerative agriculture and capacity building programs that strengthen the technical, economic, and leadership skills of smallholder farmers—particularly women.
Paula holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from Jorge Tadeo Lozano Univeristy in Colombia, and a Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy from EARTH University in Costa Rica, combining strong scientific training with extensive field experience in several countries of Lartinamerca. Her career spans roles in international development, private sector sustainability, and producer centered technical assistance, where she has designed and implemented programs that improve productivity, knowledge transfer, enhance climate resilience, and expand sustainable market access for rural communities.
Recognized for her ability to bridge technical expertise with social impact, Paula works at the intersection of agronomy, environment, gender equity, and rural development. She is passionate about empowering women farmers, strengthening producer organizations, and promoting inclusive, sustainable, and climate smart agricultural systems.
She has been working for the last 6.5 years in ofi, developing sustainability programs with cocoa international customers, and currently is leading the Regional Partnerships development in LATAM, for cocoa and coffee, strengthening impact of ofi´s overarching sustainability strategy – Choices for Change.