Mariaelena Huambachano is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil Society and Community Studies and director of Biodiversity Protection and Indigeneity at UW- Madison. Her research focuses on the intersection of food sovereignty, agrobiodiversity, sustainability, and climate justice. She works using the Khipu Model, an Indigenous research-based and community-based participatory framework that she developed to give voice to and recognize the unique knowledge of Indigenous peoples globally. She is also an active member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and a lead author in the global report on the values assessment of nature of the Intergovernmental Panel of Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (IPBES).
She is currently working on a book project entitled “Global Indigeneity, Food Sovereignty: We Want Food with a Story,” and also leading an international community-based project entitled “Our Right to Food Sovereignty” with community partners in Aotearoa New Zealand, Peru, and the United States.