Dr. Huambachano is a native Peruvian Indigenous scholar with strong cultural and professional connections to Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as North America. Currently, she serves as an Associate Professor in Environmental Humanities and Indigenous Studies at Syracuse University. Her research, teaching, and policy work span local to global contexts and are grounded in an interdisciplinary approach that combines Environmental Studies, Indigenous Studies, Food Systems, Sustainable Development and Public Policy. She has experience as a policy science consultant and has been selected as a scientist and policy adviser for UNESCO and the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE FSN) and UNDP. In these roles, she focused on advancing the revitalization of Indigenous science, Indigenous food sovereignty and enhance the well-being of soil health and ecosystem services to drive positive global change. As a result, she has contributed to a suite of global reports, including the UNESCO IPBES Values Assessment of Nature policy report and two recent policy reports from the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition. Currently, she is a member of the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI) drafting the Global Land Outlook 2, and the UNESCO Indigenous and Local Knowledge Expert task force for the mandate 2024 to 2028.

Recently, UNESCO IPBES nominated her to be the Chapter Lead Author for its core Chapter 2 on “Different knowledge systems and the role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities” of the Second Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for the mandate 20025-2028. Dr Huambachano’s book, “Recovering Our Ancestral Foodways: Indigenous Traditions as Recipe For Living Well,” which is the winner of two book awards, reflects her expertise and offers invaluable insights into Indigenous food sovereignty, Indigenous philosophies of well-being, environmental justice, sustainable food systems, and policymaking.