She is a development sociologist with a background in environmental science, anthropology and international development. For the past 17 years, she has worked with the Soils, Food and Healthy Communities organization in Malawi. She is the project director of the Malawi Farmer to Farmer Agroecology project, which works with 6000 farmers in northern and central Malawi, and a co-Principal Investigator in the Singida Nutrition and Agroecology Project in Tanzania, working with 500 farming households alongside Action Aid Tanzania and Nelson Mandela African Institute for Science and Technology (NMAIST). She is also the director of the Community Food Systems minor in Cornell University, which provides engaged learning experiences for students with organizations working on sustainable agriculture and food justice issues. When she is not working, Rachel loves hanging out with her 3 children, gardening, hiking and participating in local community organizing activities for social justice.