معرفی
Elisa Botella Rodríguez is a Professor in the Department of Economics and Economic History at the University of Salamanca, Spain, where she is affiliated with the School of Social Sciences and the Ibero-American Institute. Her research focuses on comparative analysis of agricultural development models in Cuba and Costa Rica, with particular expertise in economic history, land reform policies, and food security issues.
Dr. Botella Rodríguez earned dual PhD credentials: one from the University of Salamanca with her thesis on 'Patterns of Agrarian Development and Family Farming in Small Countries. A Comparative Study of Cuba and Costa Rica (1990-2008)' and another in Economics of Latin America from the Institute of Latin American Studies (ISA) at the University of London. Her doctoral work was supervised by Diego Sánchez-Ancochea, Santiago López García, and Ricardo Robledo Hernández.
Her research primarily examines Cuba's shift from export dependency to inward-looking development following the collapse of the Soviet Union (the 'Special Period') and Costa Rica's transition to export-led growth and non-traditional agricultural exports. She analyzes how these different development models have impacted small farmers, land structures, and food production patterns across Latin America. Her work reveals consistent attention to sustainable small farming practices and food sovereignty approaches.
Dr. Botella Rodríguez's publication record shows sustained scholarly output through 2021, with her most recent work examining the evolution of land reform across Latin America from predatory to intermediate states. Her research demonstrates increasing focus on multidimensional food security frameworks and the relationship between food sovereignty and nutritional security in Cuban context.
She is an active member of the Unit for the Study of the History of Industry and Science and Technology Systems (HISCYT) research group at the University of Salamanca, where she contributes to historical analysis of agricultural systems and technological development. Previously, she was affiliated with the BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY research group, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of her work.
