Vyara Stefanova

Bulgarian specialist with more than 20 years’ professional experience in environment and rural development. She has broad professional experience in design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Rural Development Programs and particularly measures related to the sustainable use of nature resources. In the period 2000–2010 she was Head of the agri-environment, organic farming and LFA department in the Bulgarian Ministry of agriculture and was responsible for the overall policy implementation in the field of agriculture and nature conservation. In the period 2010-2016 Vyara Stefanova worked for the European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism focusing on conservation of the High Nature Value Farmland in Europe. In the recent years she advocates for the development and implementation of different nature-friendly measures, practices and activities in Western Balkan countries. Since 2014 she is a Chair of the Society for Territorial and Environmental Prosperity (STEP) and focuses on policy advocacy, research, evaluation, measures formulation and stakeholders’ involvement for conservation of high nature value farming systems in Bulgaria (in particular Bulgarian part of Western Stara Planina).