Juan P. Alvez comes from a two-generation pasture-based family farm in   Rivera, Uruguay. He obtained his BS in Agronomy in Brazil, his MS in   Plant and Soil Science with Bill Murphy and his Ph.D. in Natural Resources at the University of Vermont. He has experienced   interdisciplinary research in grazing management, agroecology,   ecosystems goods and services, land use change, conservation policy,   green markets, and ecological economics.  His work addresses   environmental, social and productive aspects of grazing farms, with   emphasis on dairy management, ecosystems conservation and sustainable   livelihoods in Vermont and New England. In his study, grasslands play a   key role because they are complex ecosystems that sustain a vast array   of functions and processes delivering benefits for supporting healthy   environments and communities.