Jen Peterson, U.S.
“A resilient and food secure world is one where families have enough food to eat every day. They don’t go to bed hungry, and they don’t worry about where their next meal will come from.”
Women in Development: This series focuses on the inspirational Tetra Tech women that take strides to make the world a more inclusive place.
Jen is a senior agriculture and economic growth associate at Tetra Tech; she designs, manages, and evaluates complex food-security and poverty-reduction programs in Africa and the United States.
With more than 25 years of experience, Jen started her career in international development as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), then Zaire, providing technical assistance to increase agricultural production in 22 villages in the Kwango-Kwilu, sub-region of Bandundu.
“I love to help people, to meet people, and to explore new cultures. I also love nature, animals, and landscapes. It inspires me to work in the field of agriculture, which is all about using our natural resources wisely to feed the world’s growing population,” says Jen.
During her time as a Peace Corps volunteer in the DRC, Jen met her husband, made lasting friendships, and learned life-long lessons from farmers in Bandundu that have stayed with her since. They taught her more about farming and rural African farming systems than she could ever learn in any classroom.
“I am deeply indebted to them for their hospitality, generosity and support,” states Jen.
Today, Tetra Tech has brought Jen back to the DRC through her work on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Feed the Future Democratic Republic of the Congo Strengthening Value Chains (SVC) Activity — a project that holds a special place in her heart.
She is very excited by the opportunity to give back to the region of South Kivu and help people recover from decades of war and conflict. The SVC Activity aims to increase household incomes and access to nutrient-rich crops by linking smallholder farmers to inclusive value chains and supportive market services. It complements USAID’s coordinated investments in agriculture, education, governance, and health to strengthen the foundation for durable peace.
For Jen, a resilient and food-secure world would be one in which food security is assured over time — despite shocks, stresses, and changes in the ecosystem, economy or environment. It’s a world where all family members in a household eat enough nutritious food each day to meet their biological and socio-cultural needs and norms, and no one goes to bed hungry. Jen enjoys playing a part in achieving a resilient and food-secure world through her work at Tetra Tech.
