Rachel Chase

Rachel Chase joined the Alliance’s Montpellier office in 2013. For over 10 years, she was part of the Banana Genetic Resources Program, where she focused on capacity building, documentation, and communication for MusaNet (a global network for Musa genetic resources). She also worked in the Genebanks Initiative, managing the genetic integrity verification of the Alliance’s in vitro banana collection in Belgium. 

In 2025, Rachel joined the Digital Inclusion Team as a scientist with the 1000Farms project, which supports plant breeders in identifying the most suitable crop varieties for local conditions through participatory on-farm testing. Her work centers on the interactions among genotype, environment, and farm management, with particular attention to ecophysiological traits that enhance resilience to climate change. She focuses on data analysis, communication, and capacity building with digital tools to accelerate and scale on-farm testing. 

Before the Alliance, Rachel worked as an ecological consultant in the USA, UK, and South Africa and in Mali with the US Peace Corps. She has a BSc in Ecology from the University of Texas, an MSc in Plant Molecular Systematics from the University of Cape Town, and a PhD in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Greenwich and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. She is an American and French citizen.