Raychel Santo is a Food and Climate Research Associate II in WRI’s Food, Land & Water Program. She supports the Sustainable Diets team in delivering impartial research and policy recommendations related to the emerging alternative protein sector and other sustainable food and agricultural topics. She also co-leads research efforts to track progress in the food and agricultural sector toward achieving food security, limiting global warming to 1.5°C, and halting ecosystem and biodiversity loss as part of the Systems Change Lab efforts.

Prior to joining WRI, Raychel worked at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF), where she held various roles for over 12 years. Her work at the CLF was focused on the intersection of research, policy, and partnership development to advance more sustainable diets and food production, just and resilient food systems, and climate mitigation practices. She also contributed to projects related to local and regional food policy, urban agriculture, and institutional food procurement. Some of her research has been covered by the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Popular Science, The Conversation, The Guardian, Toronto Star, and Vox.

Raychel received her BA in Public Health Studies and Global Environmental Change & Sustainability from Johns Hopkins University. She completed her MSc in Food, Space & Society at Cardiff University School of Geography & Planning with the support of the US-UK Fulbright Commission.

Raychel is passionate about advancing sustainability and climate mitigation beyond the food system as well, including through public transit advocacy and home electrification. Raychel lives in Baltimore, MD with her family.