Instructor Biography

Ricardo Alvarez

Regional Director- Southest Florida
Florida Department of Agriculture and
Instructor's Course List

About The Instructor

Ricardo Alvarez is an agricultural professional with more than 10 years’ experience in sustainable agricultural development. He began his career as an agricultural project manager in the U.S. Peace Corps implementing sustainable projects, resolving issues of deforestation, soil erosion and women’s participation in the local economy, in addition to creating added value for schools by designing income-generating projects and teaching school children about gardening and the environment.
After serving five years in the Peace Corps, he continued working in the French sub-region of West Africa, accepting a role with AIPD (Action et Initiatives aux Programmes de Développement) as an agriculture project manager. There he worked for two years expanding efforts in the Central Region of Togo to advance sustainability with rural farmers and market gardeners.
After spending seven years abroad, Ricardo returned to the states to take on several projects in the Pacific Northwest and in Hawaii. His efforts there included farm management, reforestation in The Klamath-Siskiyou ecoregion, and helping low-income families to develop and maintain self-sufficient food gardens using bio-intensive methods.
Returning in 2012 to his hometown of Kendall in Miami-Dade County, Florida, Ricardo worked in healthcare as a program analyst and outreach specialist focused on data analytics and process improvement. Working with minority agricultural producers and ranchers to link them to USDA financial and technical tools that help improve their agribusiness. Currently, Ricardo sets new sights by supporting Commissioner Niki Fried’s policies in South Florida including hemp implementation, food insecurity, local agriculture, and climate change.