Salva

I was born and raised on the coast of Puerto Rico, where my early connection to the ocean helped me understand how deeply interconnected our ecosystems are - from ridge to reef. This realization led me from graduating law school with a focus on environmental and agricultural issues to pursuing a master's degree in Agroecology and Rural Sustainability.

For the past decade, I've devoted my personal and professional life to strengthening Puerto Rico's smallholder economy and sustainable food systems. I've worked at the Department of Agriculture, Puerto Rico's Model Forest, and after Hurricane María, I led recovery efforts for Mercy Corps. Today, I lead the Agroecology Program at Para la Naturaleza, supporting farmers across the island. Convinced that real change comes from putting theory into practice - and in agriculture, that means working with our hands in the soil - I co-founded a regenerative farm in Yabucoa, which we aspire to develop as a living model of regenerative production in the Caribbean.