Mariana de Araujo Ferraz, LL.B, MSc, PhD

As Regional Director of the Food Policy Program for Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia, Mariana provides strategic guidance to drive locally led policy change in the countries where the program operates. Working closely with a dedicated team and local partners, she supports civil society organizations in advocating for proven and innovative food policies to reduce diet-related chronic disease in these regions. Mariana is a Brazilian lawyer with over 17 years of professional and academic experience. She holds a Master’s degree in Human Rights and a PhD in Constitutional Law from the University of São Paulo (USP), where she researched obesity prevention regulations. She previously worked with Brazilian consumer defense organizations in advocacy, research, and project management. Mariana is the author of the book Human Right to Food and Sustainability in the Food System, published in Brazil in 2017. A passionate advocate for healthier and more equitable food systems, she believes in the power of collective voices to transform realities and advance lasting change.