Luca Alinovi, FAO (ESAF)
Coordinator of the ESAF/EC project, "Improving Early Warning and Food Security Information in Countries Subject to Complex Emergencies". Over 15 years of experience in FAO, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (development cooperation) and the private sector. Research interests: food security analysis in countries with poor/no institutions; early warning and food security information system; and use of sustainable technology.
E-mail: luca.alinovi@fao.org

Cristina Amaral, FAO (TCE)
Senior Operations Officer in FAO's Emergency and Rehabilitation Division. Supervising Central Asia, Middle East (except Iraq and Palestine) and Europe Desk in the Emergency Operations Service. Previously worked on food security and agricultural policy issues in developing countries.
E-mail: cristina.amaral@fao.org

Christian Bosson, International Committee of the Red Cross
Swiss, holds an EPFL degree in agricultural engineering & surveying. Technician/engineer in tropical agronomy (Swiss Tropical Institute), degree in development studies (Geneva Development Studies Institute). Has spent 15 years in Madagascar and West Africa as NGO Programme Manager and with Swiss Cooperation in the field of rural development. Has spent the last five years with the ICRC in the field of Economic Security.
E-mail: cbosson@icrc.org

Barbara Boyle Saidi, International Committee of the Red Cross
Head of Sector, ICRC Economic Security Unit/Assistance Division. Field work with the ICRC, and Medecins sans Frontieres before that, in the Caucasus, South America and Africa since 1994. Special areas of interest: the Horn of Africa and West Africa.
E-mail: bboylesaidi@icrc.org

Dr Margie Buchanan Smith, Independent consultant
Has carried out a range of policy research, related to humanitarian assistance, including early warning, accountability of donor agencies and strengthening links between research and policy. She is also an experienced coordinator of humanitarian programmes, was previously head of ActionAid's Emergencies Unit and is a trainer and coach.
E-mail: margiebsmith@aol.com

Richard China, FAO (TCE)
Coordinator, Rehabilitation and Humanitarian Policies Unit, Emergency Operations and Rehabilitation Division, FAO, Rome. Extensive experience in Africa, Asia and Latin America in countries affected by chronic poverty and conflict.

Prof Lionel Cliffe, University of Leeds, UK
Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Leeds. He has worked on rural development and political economy in Africa since 1957, focussing on conflict, relief and recovery, land tenure and institutions. He is author/editor of 10 books including 'Beyond the Conflict in the Horn of Africa: Towards Recovery & Development' and 'Zimbabwe: Politics, Economy and Society', and some 40 articles.
E-mail: l.r.cliffe@thurgo.u-net.com

Stephen Devereux, Institute of Development Studies, Sussex
Research projects include: new understandings of famine; operational definitions of famine; Southern African food crisis; destitution in the Ethiopian highlands; and social protection for food security.
E-mail: S.G.Devereux@ids.ac.uk

Prof Martin Doornbos, Institute of Social Studies, The Hague
Emeritus Professor of Political Science, Institute of Social Studies, The Hague and Visiting Professor of Development Studies, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda. Has worked on issues of food aid and food security as well as on complex emergencies, mainly in the Horn of Africa, Uganda and India.
E-mail: doornbos@iss.nl

Jean-Claude Esmieu, EC AidCo

E-mail: jean-claude.esmieu@cec.eu.int

Margarita Flores, FAO (ESAF)
Chief, FAO Food Security and Agricultural Projects Analysis Service. She has 25 years experience in agricultural development and food security issues. Her experience covers the community level, high-level public administration and work for the UN in Latin America. Before joining FAO in October 2002, she was Deputy Director of ECLAC. She earned a Doctorate (3ème cycle) from Paris I University.

Prof François Grünewald, Groupe URD
Engineer in agriculture science and specialized in rural economy with over 20 years field experience in development, emergency and post disaster rehabilitation projects in Africa, Central Europe, Central America and Asia, including Afghanistan. He has worked NGOs, UN agencies and ICRC. He currently chairs a research institute, Groupe URD (Urgence-Rehabilitation-Developpement) which runs various inter-NGO initiatives, such as the Quality Project (http://www.qualityproject.org) and a Global Sudy on Participation and consultation of affected populations in humanitarian action (www.globalstudyparticipation.org). François Grunewald is associate professor and director of a master degree programme on humanitarian affairs at the University Paris XII.
E-mail: fgrunewald@urd.org