Valerie C. Valerio

Valerie C. Valerio

PhD Candidate in Agricultural and Biological Engineering

University of Florida

UF African Networks Lab

Variable

Bio

Valerie C. Valerio is a PhD Candidate in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Florida. Her current research focuses on using data and simulation models to understand and improve agricultural (livestock) value chains in Sub-Saharah Africa. Her recent work includes an applied network analysis of West African livestock trade patterns.

Valerie is a collaborator of the UF African Networks Lab and the co-founder of Variable, a Dominican organization that translates open data into insights, and disseminates short reports and tutorials to the public in Spanish.

Outside of research, she is interested in learning and teaching data science/analysis and communicating science in English and Spanish. She enjoys making bread, exercising, and spending time with her loved ones and her dog. Find out about her work experience in her CV.

Interests

  • Agricultural development
  • Agricultural (livestock) value chain simulation models
  • Network analysis applications
  • Data analytics

Education

  • PhD Candidate in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, expected 2020

    University of Florida

  • BSc in Industrial Engineering, 2014

    Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo (INTEC)

Recent Posts

Joined Surgo Ventures as a Research Scientist

I am very happy to announce I have joined Surgo Ventures (Formerly Sourgo Foundation) as a Research Scientist, where I will be contributing to solve public health and social problems in the US and around the world!

The network structure of livestock trade in West Africa

This short (9 min) video presents the main findings from our study Network Analysis of livestock trade in West Africa. This paper is the result of a collaboration with the UF African Networks Lab.

The structure of livestock trade in West Africa

Cattle value chains support approximately 70 million people in West Africa and exports of cattle from ECOWAS are estimated to surpass USD 800 Million each year. This makes cattle alone the most important food product intraregionally.

Publications

Mapping Regional Patterns of Livestock Trade in West Africa

Using a database on livestock trade compiled by the CILSS, we analyzed livestock trade networks at the whole network, subset and node levels. We found a trade network where hub border, urban and export markets concentrate trade, and trade primarily with peripheral markets.

Filling knowledge gaps to strengthen livestock policies in low-income countries

Challenges on both information supply and demand sides create a gap between livestock research and policy-making.New evidence needs to couple with targeted messaging to enhance impact of livestock policies in low-income countries. More data/models are needed to measure livestock sector’s contribution to the economy, trade, food security and resilience. Our examples show how research can leverage various actors’ interests and improve livestock policy interventions.

Network analysis of regional livestock trade in West Africa

Using a database on livestock trade compiled by the CILSS, we analyzed livestock trade networks at the whole network, subset and node levels. We found a trade network where hub border, urban and export markets concentrate trade, and trade primarily with peripheral markets.

Contact

  • Washington, DC 20009
  • DM Me