“It’s my calling to teach”

When people are asked to reflect on professional milestones, one question usually focuses on what an alternative career path could have been. BFH-HAFL lecturer Ingrid Fromm responded without hesitation.

“I would pick agriculture again, hands down,” she said. “It’s a wonderful and rewarding career. You have so many multifaceted elements – agroeconomics, technology, food science and so on. Agriculture is a fundamental part of life and has helped me appreciate nature and food in a different way – this connection with food on the table.”

Agriculture is in her DNA

Ingrid’s passion for agriculture began in her hometown of San Pedro, Honduras, where she grew up surrounded by banana and coffee plantations. Her father worked for an agricultural research foundation and also owned a small coffee farm, introducing her to the realities of agricultural work from an early age. “Being able to witness that life, firsthand, made it feel like a natural path for me,” she said.

One of the most rewarding aspects of her work has been the ability to inspire and guide students. “Being able to pass on knowledge is very rewarding, and so is learning from them,” she said. “I really think it’s my calling to teach—to be able to discuss issues with students. I’ve been able to marry together all the things I’ve studied and constantly apply them in the classroom, such as access to markets, income generation, entrepreneurship and rural finances.”

In addition to teaching, Ingrid’s work at HAFL also involves engaging with international partners on various projects. While the travel and demands can be challenging, she is motivated by the opportunity to contribute to global agricultural development and inspired by the diversity of the sector: from the socio-economic challenges faced by smallholder farmers to the broader issues of sustainability and food security. 

“Being able to talk to smallholder farmers around the world is very important to me,” Ingrid said. “It makes us not lose touch. I work on socio-economic issues, and sometimes I work with industry leaders who have a different perception or vision of what’s happening on “the other side”. Being able to go back and touch base with those farmers helps me have a good overall vision of many of the issues, and these issues I teach about at HAFL too.”

Starting out in Honduras

Pursuing a career in agriculture has not been easy. Even in the 1990s, the field was considered “unsuitable” for women. When Ingrid started her Bachelor of Agricultural Science in 1995 at Zamorano University in Honduras, she faced significant opposition. “Everyone advised me against it,” she said. “I ignored those who said, ‘You need to pick another career, you’re too small and frail, you can’t do all that work.’”

Her plans were temporarily derailed when Hurricane Mitch devastated Central America in 1998, ruining the banana crops and putting job opportunities on hold. She lost all her BSc trials on tomato late blight and had to start that research all over again, graduating a year later than originally planned. “I couldn’t believe it – I had no data left!” she said. “When we talk in class about the risks of doing trials or the risk of the “unforeseen”, I know all about it.”

After graduating, she took an internship at Cornell University in the United States, working on a project related to potato late blight. Then, after working in Honduras for two years in a non-agricultural job, she decided to pursue postgraduate studies in Germany: a decision that truly changed her life.

Master’s and PhD in Germany

In Leipzig, she gained an MBA in Small Enterprise Promotion and Training, supported by a DAAD scholarship, then extended her two-year stay to pursue a PhD in Development Economics, concentrating on value chain research in coffee and palm oil production. She took all possible classes related to development, policy and economics in Africa.
 
“Coming from Latin America, I didn’t know I would work so much in Africa,” she said. “This is where I had a gap in knowledge, so I took every subject I could on African studies, which was the right thing to do.” The decision proved crucial as she later found herself working extensively on projects in Ghana and Nigeria. “Understanding the source of many issues in Africa, such as state formation, was very helpful,” she said.

During her studies, Ingrid met her husband, and together they navigated the challenges of balancing their careers and personal lives. Her husband’s job opportunity in Switzerland led them to Biel in 2006. Ingrid completed her PhD while caring for their newborn son. “In the final year of my PhD I did a lot of back-and-forth travel between Leipzig and Biel,” she said.

Making a mark at HAFL

The move to Switzerland opened new doors in International Agriculture at HAFL: firstly, as a research assistant and then, after just one year, as a scientific collaborator. Over the past 15 years, Ingrid has found her niche in coffee and cocoa value chains, and merged her passion for agricultural research with her love of teaching. She’s excited to continue this into the future.  

“Working at HAFL has provided the opportunity to pursue a meaningful career in what I’ve trained in,” she said. “The chance to walk hand in hand with students on the path of academic and professional development is very rewarding, and so is working in a great team. In the end, we are all out here to be of service to something greater than us – to society and humanity.”

Text by Angela Wade. 
 

Find out more about Ingrid Fromm and the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at BFH-HAFL.

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