Jose Maldonado

MPS Class of 2024, Global Development

  • He/him
  • Grand challenge: Sustainable agri-food value chains in Colombia
  • Where he calls home: Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
  • Connect: jmm783 [at] cornell.edu | LinkedIn

Jose Maldonado dreams of contributing to the sustainable development of agriculture in Latin America, starting with his home country, Colombia. Coming from an agricultural family background, Jose works in what he is passionate about. He has six years of professional experience in sustainable supply, rural development, and agricultural technology within companies in the agribusiness sector and his own ventures. Jose is currently an MPS student in Global Development at Cornell University. 

Throughout his academic and professional journey, he has dedicated his focus to comprehending the complexity and challenges that agri-food value chains face in Colombia and around the world. He firmly believes in the potential of agriculture to transform society, foster peace, and make a positive impact on the sustainable development of the most vulnerable communities. 

Approaching the private sector from various angles, he has seized the opportunity to collaborate with production chains of diverse natures. These range from inclusive networks encompassing thousands of smallholder cocoa and plantain producers that collaborate with large corporations to extensive cocoa plantations operating under agroforestry models. Presently, he is engaged in systems involving cashew nut cultivation under regenerative agricultural practices. These rich experiences have granted him a profound understanding of the private sector's potential and responsibility to transform our production and consumption dynamics.

Learn more about the MPS in Global Development.