Joely Virzi

Program Coordinator and Research Assistant, Global Food and Water Security Program
Joely Virzi

Joely Virzi is a program coordinator and research assistant with the Global Food and Water Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). In this role, she oversees the program’s communications portfolio and supports the program’s research agenda. Prior to this role, Joely worked as a young global professional with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center and interned with the CSIS External Relations team. Joely graduated summa cum laude from Middlebury College in February 2025 with a BA in international politics and economics.

Programs & Projects

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The Next Food Revolution: AI to Fight World Hunger

As pressures on global food systems grow, AI could transform how the world anticipates crises, develops improved crops, and produces food. CSIS experts explore how AI can help build a more food-secure world, and what is needed to fulfill its promise and mitigate its risks.

Digital Feature by Zane Swanson, Emma Curtis, Joely Virzi, and Caitlin Welsh — September 17, 2026

Using AI to Fight World Hunger: Averting Crises

What if we could see future hunger sooner? AI-assisted food security early warning systems help experts analyze more data more quickly to anticipate threats sooner, and they equip decisionmakers with the insights to help mitigate harm and save lives.

Digital Feature by Zane Swanson, Emma Curtis, Joely Virzi, and Caitlin Welsh — September 17, 2026

Using AI to Fight World Hunger: Crop Optimization

What if we could design crops to overcome environmental and biological threats, while producing more food? AI is helping researchers speed up timelines for crop research, and uncovering new possibilities to strengthen crops against future threats.

Digital Feature by Zane Swanson, Emma Curtis, Joely Virzi, and Caitlin Welsh — September 17, 2026

Using AI to Fight World Hunger: Guided Agriculture

What if farmers could access tailored guidance on demand, and use tools that read and respond to on-farm needs more accurately? AI is helping to deliver vital information to farmers who need it most, and powering equipment that helps close input and labor gaps.

Digital Feature by Zane Swanson, Emma Curtis, Joely Virzi, and Caitlin Welsh — September 17, 2026

Audio Briefs

What a Fragile U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Means for Energy and Beyond

An audio version of "⁠What a Fragile U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Means for Energy and Beyond⁠," a new commentary by CSIS’s Raad Alkadiri, Clayton Seigle, Jon B. Alterman, Mona Yacoubian, Joely Virzi, and Caitlin Welsh. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by CSIS Scholars — July 1, 2026

Audio Briefs

The Sudan War in 10 Charts

Sudan's civil war has entered its fourth year as the world's largest, most underfunded, and most overlooked humanitarian crisis.

Commentary by CSIS Scholars — April 17, 2026

Audio Briefs

Chokepoint: How the War with Iran Threatens Global Food Security

An audio version of “⁠Chokepoint: How the War with Iran Threatens Global Food Security⁠,” a new Critical Questions by CSIS’s Emma Curtis, Joely Virzi, and Caitlin Welsh. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Emma Curtis, Joely Virzi, and Caitlin Welsh — March 11, 2026

Audio Briefs

Chokepoint: How the War with Iran Threatens Global Food Security

The war with Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint in global oil, natural gas, and fertilizer trade. CSIS experts examine the immediate impacts on farmers and markets—and the long-term risks to food security if shipping does not resume.

Critical Questions by Emma Curtis, Joely Virzi, and Caitlin Welsh — March 11, 2026

A Complex Legacy: U.S. Global Food Security Assistance, 2008–Present

Among U.S. global development programs paused or terminated in 2025 are those that aimed to improve global agriculture and nutrition. Through an interactive graphic, CSIS explores the history and status of U.S. government funding for eight of these programs.

Commentary by Caitlin Welsh, Rose Parker, and Joely Virzi — November 13, 2025