Institut d'études avancées de Nantes
France
fellow
Paola Abril CAMPOS
2025-2026
Country of origin (home institution)
Mexico
Discipline(s)
Earth, environmental and climate sciences
Theme(s)
Agriculture & Food; Environment, Sustainability & Biodiversity
Fellowship dates
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Biography
Dr. Abril Campos Rivera is a professor and researcher at the School of Public Administration and Public Transformation and at the Obesity Research Institute, where she leads the Center for Research and Impact on Evidence and Action for Health Equity. She holds a PhD in Public Health from Harvard University and specializes in the implementation of public policies aimed at improving global health. She has worked at the World Health Organization in Geneva, in the Office of the President of Mexico, and at the Carlos Slim Foundation, where she led initiatives focused on universal coverage and health system strengthening. She has lived and collaborated in countries such as Ghana, Kazakhstan, and India. She currently leads applied research projects designed to influence national food policy, with an emphasis on health equity.
Research Project
Reimagining Food Systems: International Lessons and Practices for Advancing Food as Commons
This collective project explores how food can be understood and managed as a commons — a shared resource collectively governed and existing beyond the constraints of private property or commodification.
Rooted in values of solidarity, cooperation, and collective governance, the multidisciplinary team proposes to study how communities in Mexico and in selected regions of Europe organize their food systems in ways that integrate ecological sustainability, health, and livelihoods, while fostering interdependence and reciprocity.
By examining the roles of education and gender in sustaining these practices, the project also investigates how responsibilities are equitably distributed within communities.
As part of this initiative, the project team will organize an international roundtable bringing together practitioners, organizations, and scholars to discuss the challenges and opportunities related to scaling up commons-based food practices. This dialogue aims to address issues of governance, inclusivity, and the long-term sustainability of food systems, while generating concrete avenues for applied research.
The ultimate goal is to launch an applied research project following the residency, focused on adapting and implementing proven models of food commons in diverse contexts. This forward-looking approach combines theoretical reflection with practical strategies, thereby contributing to global discussions on the commons as a foundation for more equitable and resilient systems.
Research Interests:
Environmental science; Political science; Sociology