Zollet Simona
Name: ZOLLET SIMONA
Department: Graduate School of International Development & Cooperation
Course: Cultural Creation Course
Research Field: Sustainable Agriculture
Supervisor: Prof. MAHARJAN K.L
Career and Academic Background before TAOYAKA Program
I studied Environmental Science and Sustainability and graduated from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice in 2015. In 2013 I had the chance to spend a semester in Hiroshima University’s IDEC, where I started developing a strong interest in the issues of rural communities, sustainable agriculture and food security. After going back to Italy to complete my Master’s Degree, I became part of an association for the promotion of community development and cultural revitalization in my hometown, through which I helped organize several organic farming courses aimed at giving practical knowledge about this kind of agriculture. I also volunteered at a Fair Trade organization to better understand the challenges faced by rural people in developing countries and to gain more insights in the ways to fight rural poverty and foster sustainable development of marginal areas.
Research Plan in TAOYAKA Program
“A Framework For The Design And Assessment Of Sustainable Small-Scale Farming Systems Based On Agroecological Principles”
Smallholder farmers in developing countries play a key role in the battle for food sovereignty and biodiversity conservation in the current scenario of climate change, degradation of non-renewable resources, social unrest, and economic uncertainty. Agroecological approaches combining traditional knowledge and modern science have emerged as the most robust pathways towards the creation of biodiverse, productive, and resilient agroecosystems, and perhaps represent one of the only viable options to achieve food security in a sustainable way.
At the same time, agroecological approaches can be also used to revitalize rural communities living in marginal areas of developed countries such as the small islands and mountainous areas in Europe and Japan, by giving local people new economic opportunities such as growing organic produce, value-added agriculture (local and specialty products) and ecotourism.
Career Plan after TAOYAKA Program
I am flexible in my choices and I’m willing to experiment with different options. Doing research about innovative agricultural practices and community development is my priority, and after the completion of the plan, I wish to have gained enough theoretical and practical experience to be able to help in influence policy-making processes through research and fieldwork. I want to make a contribution to society by applying my skills, interests and passions to the service of a cause that I find meaningful and of primary importance for the future of our planet and the people who live on it.
Her interview with HU
Voices from Abroad: Zollet Simona, “Do Something Positive for This Planet”