Biography

A Chilean citizen, Dr. Muchnik is an economist from The University of Chile, and M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from University of Minnesota, USA. Presently, she is an advisor to the Minister of Agriculture of Chile The previous position was Executive Director of FIA, Fundación para la Innovación Agraria (Foundation for Agricultural Innovation) of the Ministry of Agriculture of Chile (2010- 2011) and representative of the Ministry of Agriculture in Innova-Corfo and FONDEF of CONICYT. During her professional career, Dr. Muchnik has held the position of Head of the Agribusiness Program of Fundación Chile (Chile Foundation), Chief of the Agricultural Development Unit at ECLAC, Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Graduate program of Agricultural Economics in the School of Agriculture and Forestry of the P. Universidad Catholic de Chile. Earlier she was the Chpef Economist in the Tropical Pastures Program of CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture, of the CGIAR) in Cali, Colombia, where she was previously a Research Fellow and Post-Doctoral Fellow. Dr. Muchnik has been a member of the Beachhead Program of New Zealand Trade and Enterprises (NZTE), member of the Forecasting Panel of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), member of the Technical Advisory Board of the CGIAR, member of the Board of CATIE, in Costa Rica, and a consultant of The World Bank, FAO, IDB, WHO, several Ministries of Chile, and the author of many articles, chapters of books and articles in the general topics of economic development, agricultural policies, agricultural innovations, food security, evaluation of food delivery programs, studies on female participation in the labor force and infant nutrition, among other topics. She has also been member of the Board of private companies such as IANSAGRO, Compañía Chilena de Esterilización, and the Director of two periodical publications, for over 10 years each, Panorama Economico de la Agricultura and Revista Agroeconómico in Chile.