Abebe Haile-Gabriel, a national of Ethiopia, is a long-time champion of the crucial role of agriculture in sustainable development. With extensive experience in the sub-Saharan development landscape, Haile-Gabriel brings to the organization his practical knowledge, technical expertise and strategic approach to the developmental challenges of the region.

In his previous capacity as a senior manager at the African Union Commission (AUC), he engaged with crucial stakeholders and partners ranging from government officials to civil society organizations, private sector, farmers, etc.

Haile-Gabriel began his career in the academia in 1986, and served as a faculty member of the Alemaya University in Ethiopia until 2005. A champion of the higher education system and the potential of the rural area in steering the continent’s path towards development, Haile-Gabriel soon joined the AUC as Director of the Semi-Arid Food Grains Research and Development based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and then assumed the role as Head of the Rural Economy Division.

From 2011 to 2015, he served as Director of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture based at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Haile-Gabriel joined FAO in 2015 as Deputy Regional Representative for Africa and Representative to Ghana. He was also the Regional Programme Leader for Africa since 2017.

The ADG holds a Doctorate and a Master of Arts degree in Agricultural and Rural Development from the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) at The Hague, the Netherlands. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the Alemaya (now Haramaya University) University of Agriculture in Ethiopia.