Lara is Lead Researcher with international legal expertise focusing on sustainable investment in land, agriculture, and food systems. With a keen eye on current trends, she has identified new research areas for the Center to explore, such as climate adaptation, nature finance and food systems transformation. She designs and manages complex research projects across different geographies, mainly in developing countries. She also manages research teams, drawing out their strengths and encouraging constructive collaboration as well as autonomy and independence. Her excellent reading of the stakeholder ecosystem helps to determine effective strategies for the design and implementation of projects. She combines a big-picture strategic approach, high emotional intelligence, and a desire to both support and learn from colleagues. 

Before joining CCSI, Lara worked at the environmental law charity ClientEarth, where she led the work on agriculture and food systems and managed a team responsible for the delivery of a broad portfolio of projects on clean air, water, and soil. She has extensive experience in designing advocacy strategies at the European Union level and in bringing legal challenges aimed at better implementation and enforcement of environmental laws.

She holds an LLM from the University of Torino (Italy) and a PhD in EU Food Law from the University of Ferrara (Italy). She carried out research as a visiting scholar at Wageningen University (The Netherlands), the University of Nantes (France), and the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law (Switzerland). She has researched in a variety of legal and multidisciplinary domains, from EU food and environmental law to governance studies and indigenous law and methodology.