Mayra Esseboom is a Researcher at the Centre for Agricultural Research in Suriname (CELOS). She earned her MSc in Agricultural Economics from Wageningen University in 1999. Over her career, she has collaborated with major international organizations such as GEF-UNDP, IICA, and FAO, focusing on agriculture, forestry, and development issues. For nearly twenty years, she has worked in CELOS’s Forest Management department, specializing in Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs). Her research centers on the commercialization and marketing of NTFPs, the conservation of traditional knowledge, and community development.

Esseboom has authored numerous articles, both popular and scientific, and provides expert advice to policymakers. Since 2023, she has been a member of the Science Panel for the Amazon. That same year, she was selected for the prestigious Fulbright Amazonia program, where she conducts research on the bioeconomy of Suriname’s açaí sector. Her research is in partnership with the University of Brasilia, the University of Florida, local NGOs, and community organizations from Maroon communities ( Afro-Surinamese communities originally populated and led by people who had freed themselves from slavery).