Mariantonietta Iannella holds a Bachelor's Degree in International Economics and a Master's degree in European Economy and Business Law from the University of Rome Tor Vergata. She has been focusing in the agricultural sector supporting Lentamente Cooperative in the rural areas of southern Italy to create sustainable farming models at environmental, social and economic level including sustainable occupation of disadvantaged people. Furthermore, she has been working for 6 years in the procurement section at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the only UN agency exclusively dedicated to transforming agriculture, rural economies and food systems investing in small-scale producers living in rural areas.