Payal Phore is a Junior Program Associate with the Food, Land and Water team at WRI India. She supports the implementation of the Land Accelerator India program through coordination, stakeholder engagement, event management, documentation, research, communications, and basic monitoring and evaluation. Her work contributes to strengthening restoration enterprises, improving livelihoods, and scaling landscape restoration efforts across India.

Before joining WRI India, Payal had close to four years of experience working on sustainable agriculture, climate resilient initiatives, and agri innovation. She worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on the GEF 6 Green Ag Project, supporting the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in project coordination and implementation. Earlier, she was associated with the ZTM and BPD Unit at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, where she worked closely with agri startups and incubation programs.

Payal holds a master’s degree in Biochemistry and a bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences.

Outside of work, Payal is actively involved in volunteering and community engagement. She enjoys teaching, art, crafts, and working on DIY projects.