Xiomara F. Quinones-Ruiz is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Sustainable Economic Development within the Department for Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). Her academic position combines research and teaching focused on the sociology of agriculture and development research, with particular emphasis on global food value chains, especially coffee. Her research interests span Food Systems and Value Chain Analysis, Collective Action, Sustainability and Social-Ecological Systems, with methodological expertise in both qualitative and quantitative approaches. She employs relational approaches and transdisciplinary methods to examine rural business promotion and institutional dynamics in agricultural systems. Her work frequently focuses on geographical indications, quality conventions, and governance structures in international agricultural markets. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on coffee value chains, particularly examining Colombian coffee producers' relationships with European markets. Her research explores how quality is constructed and negotiated across transnational networks, with particular attention to gender dynamics, collective action, and institutional adaptation. She has developed frameworks for understanding relational proximity in alternative food networks and has examined how geographical indications evolve through amendment processes. Among her scientific recognitions is the prestigious FWF-Hertha Firnberg Stipendium, reflecting the significance of her research contributions. She serves as a reviewer for numerous high-impact journals including World Development, Nature Communications, and Journal of Rural Studies. Professor Quinones-Ruiz actively supervises graduate students, with eight theses listed under her guidance covering topics from youth inclusion in coffee production to relational proximity in alternative food networks. She leads and participates in significant research projects, including the current 'UNDERSTANDING THE GLOBAL VALUE CHAIN FOR COFFEE FROM AN INTERSECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE' project funded by the Austrian Academy of Sciences, examining coffee value chains between Colombia, Austria, and Germany. Her international scholarly engagement is extensive, with presentations in Austria, Colombia, Germany, Italy, and numerous other countries, demonstrating her global research network and impact in the field of agricultural sociology and development research.
