Dr. Monica Kansiime was under no illusions that she faced more challenges breaking into a leadership career in agriculture than her male counterparts. Determined to succeed, Monica has risen to the position of Deputy Director for CABI Africa. She is relishing this post as a key decision-maker – helping millions of smallholder farmers increase their livelihoods and contribute towards greater food security. She views the GRASP Fellowship as a timely opportunity to expand upon her experience in policy development and implementation. A key goal is to achieve a greater knowledge of policy analysis and integration and an understanding of the differences between each gender and socio-economic group. Monica’s selected policy focus for the GRASP Fellowship is food safety, as she feels this is a key challenge faced by food production and supply.