Veronica Loewe Muñoz

Verónica did her BSc in Forest Engineering at University of Chile (1986) and her Master’s degree at Harvard University (1999). In Italy, she did a specialization on High value timber production at University of Bologna (1987-1991, where she was introduced to stone pine (Pinus pinea L.); she foresaw that stone pine could be a subject of basic and applied research in Chile, where it was introduced by immigrants over a century ago, and that its cropping may have a significant positive effect given its highly priced edible seed, known as pine nut or pinoli, the most expensive dried fruit in the world. 

From 2008 to 2024, she led or co-led R+D projects on stone pine funded by several national agencies. One of them (FONDEF-CONICYT D11I1134) was selected among the 25 best projects in this agency history, given the significant contribution to the advancement of stone pine domestication.

Verónica did her Doctorate in Biosciences and AgriFood Sciences at University of Córdoba, Spain (2012-2016), outstanding Cum Laude. She was later distinguished by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) as the Outstanding Doctoral Research Award (ODRA) 2019, in recognition of the scientific achievements in her research that studied stone pine growth and fruiting, variability, adaptation and management, making a valuable contribution to the advancement of its domestication, contributing to the establishment of over 5,000 hectares of new plantations for pine nut production in Chile. In 2023, she was selected among the 10 most outstanding women in science and technology in the country by the Ada Byron Award Chile (Andrés Bello University, Chile - Deusto University, Spain). 

She currently works as R+D+i as project leader at the Chilean Forest Institute (INFOR, www.infor.gob.cl); she is in charge of the program “Development and contributions for the use of high value forest and forest-fruit species for Chile” funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, and is the International Relations Officer. She is also principal investigator at the National Center of Excellence for the Wood Industry (CENAMAD, Catholic University). 

Her goal is to offer to the society new productive alternatives and sustainable productive models that can be successfully implemented at an economic, environmental and social point of view. She has produced a vast scientific production (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Veronica-Loewe-M).