Sarah Austin, Constructive Voices Volunteer Programme
Sarah Austin, Constructive Voices Volunteer programme
Sarah Austin is a dedicated sustainable development practitioner from Ireland, currently living in France. Passionate about biodiversity, climate change and food systems, Sarah is pursuing a career in sustainable development.
Sarah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Science, specialised in Zoology. Having explored the concept of ‘sustainability’ and with a particular interest in sustainable agriculture, she undertook a Master’s in Development Practice to further explore this field of work.
Photo courtesy of Deposit Photos
Biodiversity on Irish Dairy Farms
Her research project, “Biodiversity on Irish Dairy Farms: A Case Study on the Pollination Ecology of Multispecies Swards,” explored the role of pastures sown with multiple plant groups in enhancing biodiversity on Irish dairy farms and identified the barriers farmers face in conserving biodiversity through interviews.
ECO-UNESCO
Sarah’s professional experience includes her role in Environmental and Sustainable Development Education at ECO-UNESCO in Dublin, Ireland. Sarah led the development of the organisation’s e-learning platform, “ECO-Academy”, producing e-learning courses on sustainable development, from Climate Justice to Fast Fashion.
Additionally, she coordinated the Environmental Workshops programme, delivering workshops on sustainable development topics to schools across Ireland, promoting Global Citizenship and action for the planet.
Sarah furthered her career by interning at the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome, Italy, within the Change Management team of the ICT Division.
In her time at IFAD, she engaged with and learnt from professionals in rural and agricultural development. Sarah had the opportunity to volunteer at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) at the 2023 and 2024 Flagship Events of the World Food Forum.
Sarah is volunteering with Constructive Voices to strengthen her skills in research, content creation and communication, to explore new sustainability topics of interest, and to offer her expertise to help the team inspire change.
