Ivonne Lobos Alva

Ivonne Lobos Alva is Team Leader for Sustainable Transitions and Senior Expert at SEI Latin America, where she provides strategic leadership at the intersection of science, policy, and international sustainability governance. Her work focuses on advancing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with particular emphasis on turning global commitments into actionable, measurable change.

She has led high-impact research and policy processes on sustainable natural resource management, land and soil governance, food systems transformation, and the design and review of global sustainability frameworks. At SEI, she leads a multidisciplinary research team, oversees a large and diverse project portfolio, and has played a central role in shaping SEI’s engagement on the SDGs globally, including the development of flagship analytical tools such as SDG Synergies, Sapient, and JET-AFOLU.

With over a decade of experience spanning scientific research institutions and international development organizations, Ivonne is a recognized expert in sustainable development processes. Her core areas of expertise include the sustainable management of natural resources, the transformation of food systems, and the design, implementation, and review of global sustainability agreements. She has played a substantive role in shaping international policy dialogues, contributing to major multilateral processes such as the UN negotiations on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) work on land degradation neutrality, and the Global Soil Partnership hosted by the FAO.

Ivonne is particularly known for her ability to bridge technical expertise with inclusive governance. She has designed and facilitated more than 50 participatory, multi-stakeholder dialogues at national, regional, and global levels, supporting governments, UN agencies, and civil society to align diverse perspectives and co-create solutions for sustainable transitions.

She is an environmental engineer and holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Governance from the Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Germany.