Fallon Jiménez was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, where she did an MS and BS in Animal Production Sciences at the National University of Colombia. Currently, she is a second-year student in the Master of Sustainable Development Practice (MDP). Since the beginning of her program, she has joined diverse academic and nonacademic activities of the Center of African Studies and the MDP, expanding her knowledge about social, economic, cultural, and environmental African issues. Those experiences sparked her love and passion for learning more about Africa, allowing her to discover interesting connections with Colombia and Latin America.
Last Summer, she completed her field practicum in Rwanda as part of a project with Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems, exploring the opinions and perceptions of people trained in the Dairy Farm Assessment and Advisory Tool (RDFAAT). Researchers from the UF and the Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems developed the tool based on the Rwanda context. The RDFAAT is an innovative instrument for evaluating and monitoring dairy systems and identifying limitations and opportunities for enhancement. Each component of RDFAAT evaluates specific areas related to milk production at the farm level. Based on the information generated by RDFAAT, the professional advisor (e.g., veterinarians and extensionist agents) can offer recommendations for improving each management area across the milk production system to producers.
During her research, she had the opportunity to interview people involved in different areas of the dairy system, including the academic sector. She found that participants using the tool have implemented it equally and differently to the original protocol being the local context determinant in this implementation process. Additionally, technicians and veterinarians closer to the farmers tend to use the RDFAAT more than other groups in the value chain.
Fallon hopes to participate in rural development projects and international extension programs where she can combine her background in animal sciences with the new skills in social sciences, public health, environment, and development acquired through her experience at the University of Florida.