Elaine Springgay

Elaine Springgay is FAO’s Agroforestry Officer based in Rome, Italy. She has over 12 years of experience in international development on integrated natural resources management, community-based forest management and climate-smart agriculture. Before joining FAO in 2015, Elaine worked with NGOs or government agencies in Canada, Ghana, the Philippines and Uganda, primarily focused on community-based natural resource management, livelihoods and capacity development initiatives. She has a BSc (Hon) in Environmental Geography and History from the University of Toronto, Canada and a master’s in Forestry from the Australian National University. She is also the Founder and Chair of the [ForYP]Global Network for Forestry Young Professionals, ForYP, a new network launched in May 2022 that creates a space for the forestry’s younger experts and future leaders to connect, share experiences and advocate for more significant career development opportunities. Elaine loves to travel in her spare time–she has been to over 50 countries and lived in 12! She is also a foodie and loves to hike and kayak.