Robert Carcamo Mallen has obtained his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Humboldt University (HU-Berlin), works as an associate researcher in the Agri-Food Chain Management group at HU-Berlin and serves as the coordinator for Europe in the Latin American Network for Rural Innovation (Red LaTIR), in collaboration with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Additionally, he is a member of the PAPIIT-UNAM project: Social Innovations and COVID-19. With a focus on studies related to globalization, rural innovation, multiple crises, livelihoods, food security, and migration, he has conducted research in Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela, and Ivory Coast. On a professional level, he has collaborated with international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), specializing in food security, food systems, and rural studies.

Publications

(2023). El impulso de un medio rural innovador: perspectivas y experiencias internacionales.

(2022). Mercado global-efectos locales: Un análisis coyuntural sobre el COVID- 19, Conflictos bélicos y Cambio Climático 2020-2022. En Revista Sociedades Rurales y Medio Ambiente, Vol. 22. Núm. 43. Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco. https://sociedadesruralesojs.xoc.uam.mx/index.php/srpma/article/view/464

(2021). Understanding institutional change mechanisms for land use: Lessons from Ecuador's history. Land Use Policy,108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105530  

(2021). Indigenous family labor in agroforestry systems in the context of global transformations: the case of the inga and Camëntsá communities in Putumayo, Colombia. Forests, 12(11), 1503.

(2020). Globalization and Food Security: A case study on livelihoods and food security in Sitalá, Chiapas. Verlag Dr. Koster, Berlin Germany.

(2020). Agency and structure: a grounded theory approach to explain land-use change in the Mindo and western foothills of Pichincha, Ecuador. Journal of Land Use Science, 15(4), 547-569. doi:10.1080/1747423X.2020.1811791 

(2019).  La opción de la producción orgánica ante la crisis del café: el caso de los pequeños productores de Chilón, Chiapas, México. En Revista Sociedades Rurales y Medio Ambiente, Vol. 19. Núm. 37. Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco

Research project as CALAS fellow (transatlántic tandem with Adolfo Alvarez)

Title: Multiple Crises and Resilience Building in Central America: Strategies for Food and Nutritional Security

Summary: In recent years, a convergence of factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, economic crisis, and increased migration has triggered a new crisis of food and nutritional insecurity (INSAN). Central America has experienced the highest increase in food insecurity, reaching 2.5% between 2019 and 2020, reaching its highest figure in the last 20 years: 10.6%, or 19 million people. The COVID-19 pandemic has stood out for its extensive impact, causing disruptions in supply chains, job losses, and increasing prices of food, fertilizers, and fuels. Additionally, hurricanes Eta and Iota, along with droughts, have contributed to the vulnerability of the region. The research proposal starts with a historical analysis, evaluating the viability and effectiveness of public policies in the face of food, climate, and socio-economic crises. It is argued that factors such as climate change, the COVID-19 crisis, and a crisis in public spending are added to the socio-economic development process, resulting in food insecurity and higher levels of migration. The research questions focus on understanding the associations of crisis factors, evaluating implemented policies, and determining the feasibility of a comprehensive and coordinated resilience strategy. Consequently, the aim is to answer the question: How have various crisis factors associated with creating the current multiple crises affecting INSAN, migration, and the stability of the food market in Central America? What policies and strategies have official entities, international organizations, and NGOs designed and implemented to address the INSAN crisis? What factors are necessary to create a better public policy strategy and promote resilience for food security? To address these questions, our research combines structural and situational dynamics, considering international, national, and local contexts.