Alessandro Corsi
Alessandro Corsi is an Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics at the Department of Economics of the University of Turin (Italy). He holds a Master in economics from the CSREAM (Naples, Italy). His research interests include, among others, rural development issues, in particular the behaviour of family farms, agricultural labour and off-farm labour participation. His papers on these topics have been published on the European Review of Agricultural Economics, Applied Economics, Cahiers d’Economie et de Sociologie Rurales, Rivista di Economia Agraria, Questione Agraria. He has published over 50 scientific articles, books and monographs. He has worked as a consultant for the European Commission, for the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, and for Italian regional administrative bodies.
Gary Cummins
Gary Cummins, at the time of the study principal researcher of a multidisciplinary consultancy, has a rich experience in business development and organizational reform in agriculture, processing and food industries. An Agriculture Scientist from Melbourne (Australia), he specialized in rural development, livestock production and agribusiness. His career led him to work, prior to Syria, in several African countries and nearly all the main countries of Asia.
Gareth Edwards-Jones
Gareth Edwards-Jones, Professor of Agriculture and Land Use at the University of Wales, Bangor, was originally trained in Biology (Manchester University, 1984) and took a PhD in ecology (Imperial College, 1988). Finding greater interest in applied than in pure science, his varied itinerary took him through computer modelling, pest management and agricultural economics. His current research work covers all of these interests and revolves around the relationship between society and the environment, particularly: the psychology of farmer decision-making; links between farmer health and environment; the economics of invasive species; climate change; links between agriculture and conservation and rural development policy. He has published over 80 scientific articles, including a recent book Ecological Economics: an introduction (with B. Davies and S. Hussain). He has worked with FAO, particularly in the Middle East for over 10 years, and has also been consultant for the EU, Unilever, the pesticide industry and conservation organizations. Currently advisor to the UK Government on pesticide regulation, he keeps his practical skills honed through being Director to the University sheep farm and working on his own small holding.
Ciro Fiorillo
Ciro Fiorillo is Chief Technical Advisor of the FAO Project GCP/SYR/006/ITA. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Policy (MURST, Italy) and MAs in Economic Development (Nottingham, UK) and Agricultural Economics (CSREAM, Italy). Over the five years spent in Syria as agricultural economist and project manager he has been actively involved in training, policy analysis and institutional building activities aiming at establishing the National Agricultural Policy Centre. In the past he was university lecturer of economics and agricultural economics in Mozambique and research consultant in agricultural trade and development with a focus on the transition toward the market of Eastern European agricultures.
Nadia Forni
Nadia Forni, a socio-economist, spent most of her professional life with FAO dealing with various aspects of rural development in the developing world. Her special focus was on problems related to landlessness, on pastoral areas and common property regimes. Recent publications include contributions to 'Poverty and Transition to a Market Economy in Mongolia', K. Griffin Ed., MacMillan, London 1995 and to FAO’s Land Reform: ‘Herders and common property in evolution: an example from central Italy’ 2000/1, and ‘Common property regimes: origins and implications of the theoretical debate’ 2000/2. Currently she is a practicing farmer in Central Italy and a free lance consultant with special interest in the Near East and Eastern Europe.
José-María García-Alvarez-Coque
José-María García-Alvarez-Coque, Professor of Economics and Agricultural Policy (University of Valencia - UPV) carries out research on the effects of economic policies on the agricultural sector, economic modelling of agricultural markets, international trade, resource allocation and rural development. His focus has been on EU and Mediterranean agricultural sectors. Particular assignments have been: Visiting Researcher of the International Food Policy Research Institute (Washington, D.C., 1991); over the last 15 years, conducting a number of research projects and postgraduate course for international organizations related to the international trade of agricultural products; in 1993-94, Chairman of the Group of Fruit and Vegetables at the OECD, Paris. He collaborates as a consultant/researcher with European institutions (Commission and Parliament), FAO (Latin America and Near East), CIHEAM, Ministry of Agriculture of Poland, Andean Pact, and other Spanish, Latin American and international institutions. Since 2000, he is Head of Department of Economics and Social Science at the University of Valencia- UPV) and since 2001, Chairman of the Spanish Association of Agricultural Economists.
Hector Maletta
Hector Maletta, who was educated at the Catholic University of Buenos Aires (Argentina) and the University of Bologna (Italy), has worked as an FAO consultant on agricultural policy since 1983, and has also advised international financial institutions such as the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Inter-American Development Bank. He is a professor at the Graduate School of International Relations, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and is also a teacher at the FODEPAL training programme on agricultural policy and food security implemented by FAO. In 2002-2003 he has been FAO Senior Food Security Advisor for Afghanistan.
Ivan Malevolti
Prof. Ivan Malevolti developed his career at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of Florence (Italy) where he is Professor of Economics of Agricultural Markets and Agribusiness. He also carried out teaching activities at the University of Somaliland starting 1980. His research interests range from structures, agents and behaviours in agribusiness systems to Product markets, Entrepreneurship in agriculture, Strategic management and marketing, Technical and institutional innovations in agriculture, as well as Epistemological bases for decision making in rural households, etc. He published in several occasions on these subjects in, among others, La questione agraria, Atti dell'Accademia dei Georgofili, and at scientific conferences (Atti del convegno SIDEA, 1995; Seminar of the EAAE, Parma 1997; 5th IFSA-European Symposium; etc.). His professional experience extends geographically to many countries North and South of the Mediterranean Sea, as well as Germany or Argentina.
N. S. Parthasarathy
N.S. Parthasarathy has been associated with agriculture in India for over 30 years having held senior management positions in the private sector agro-input industry. His industrial experience also covers sugar, confectionery, ceramic, steel and leather garment industries. He is a practicing Management Consultant and has been advising leading business houses in India. He has presented papers at international seminars on various aspects of agricultural policy, marketing and related issues. He has been associated with FAO and the World Bank as consultant for studies in countries in Asia, Africa and in UAE and Syria. In addition to the research on input policies and institutions and Rural Credit policies and institutions in Syria reported in this volume, his studies cover a range of subjects such as: fertilizer industry privatization program in Ethiopia; leading an international team to formulate investment proposal for the National Soybean Seed Development in Indonesia; Input and Output policies and institutions in Tanzania; agro-food industry in UAE and review of the country’s water conservation policy; post-harvest infra-structure and identification of potential avenues for investment by private sector in the New Lands of Egypt; agricultural produce flow and investment proposals for establishing Agricultural Markets in China; etc. Parthasarathy is Masters in Economics and has successfully carried out institutional and financial restructuring programs and turned round sick units in the private sector in India.
Daniele Rama
Daniele Rama is an Associate Professor of Agricultural and Food Marketing and of Agricultural Policy at the Department of Agricultural and Food Economics of the Catholic University of Piacenza (Italy). After a Degree in Agriculture, he got a Master of Science in Agribusiness from the CIHEAM, Montpellier (France). His research interests fields include the quantitative analysis applied to agricultural markets, the organization and strategic aspects of the agro-food system, the agricultural policy and institutional mechanisms for the regulation of the agro-food system. He published about 10 books and over 50 articles in Italian and international scientific journals. He has worked as a consultant, among others, for the Italian Government, the European Commission and the Food and Agricultural Organization.
Juan Antonio Sagardoy
Juan Antonio Sagardoy graduated in 1966 as irrigation engineer in the Polytechnic University of Madrid Initially he worked in Spain and Venezuela as irrigation design engineer. In 1970 he entered in FAO as technical staff member where he served for 29 years in different capacities and positions. For the last 10 years he was responsible of Water Management Unit of FAO. In the period of 1989 to 1990 he worked in the European Commission as Senior Technical Administrator responsible for the development programme of the EU in Thailand and Bangladesh. He worked extensively in more than 40 countries of Latin America, Asia and Near East as part of his responsibilities with FAO. The main areas of expertise cover: water resources management, operation and maintenance of irrigation systems, project identification, preparation and evaluation of projects for international agencies (WB, EC, FAO, UNDP), management of irrigation systems, design and evaluation of open or closed irrigation systems and ample expertise in programmes aimed at transfer of irrigation management responsibilities to water user organizations. At the time of his work in Syria he was an independent international consultant position which he continues to carry out for several international organizations.
Alexander Sarris
Alexander Sarris has been a professor at the department of economics of the University of Athens, Greece since 1982. He holds a PhD in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA), and has taught at the department of agricultural and resource economics of the University of California at Berkeley, USA. He has been president of the Brussels based Centre for the Development of Industry, and president of the Athens based Centre for Planning and Economic Research. He has consulted extensively with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the European Commission, the World Bank, IFAD, OECD, and other organizations. He has led or participated in development related missions to many countries in Africa, Asia, Middle East and Eastern Europe. He has published 11 books and monographs, and over 50 scientific articles. His professional and research interests are in agricultural development and food policy, applied international trade, income distribution and poverty analysis, international migration, and commodity risk management.
Consuelo Varela Ortega
Consuelo Varela-Ortega, Professor of Agricultural Economics at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain, is currently involved in research in Spanish, European and International networks in the fields of agricultural policy and the environment, natural resources (water and land), and institutions. Also collaborating with international organizations (FAO, World Bank, Inter American Development Bank) she has been directly implicated in the analysis of irrigation water policies in a number of developing countries (Jamaica, Syria, Mexico, Georgia, Lebanon). In the EU research networks she has been and is directly involved as scientific coordinator for the Spanish research team in a number of EU projects related mainly to the integrated analysis of agricultural and environmental policies in the EU, the development of new agricultural policy instruments and the establishment of a water resources Knowledge Base in the Mediterranean. Author of an ample number of scientific articles and publications, she is actively participating in national and international associations and congresses in Agricultural Economics and Environmental and Resource Economics. Prof. Varela-Ortega is the country representative for Spain in the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE) and a member of the editorial board of the Spanish journals Revista Española de Economía Agraria and Economía Agraria y Recursos Naturales. She is currently a member of the advisory panel of the Global and National Food and Water System at IFPRI for the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food.
Jacques Vercueil
Jacques Vercueil, a quantitative economist (Ecole Polytechnique, Paris and Centre d'Etude des Programmes Economiques, Paris), had most of his career as consultant in agriculture development projects, programmes and policies, and as FAO staff member, where he was particularly involved in the subject matter preparations and support for the negotiations of the World Food Summit (1996). His main specialty and publications were in methodology for projects and policy analysis and monitoring. He retired from Director of the Agriculture and Economic Development Analysis Division, FAO, early 2001. He has had extensive work experience in most Near East and North Africa countries, and currently advises the Project that supports development of the National Agricultural Policy Centre in Syria.
Peter Wehrheim
At the time of his research in Syria Peter Wehrheim worked as Associate Professor for Agricultural and Economic Policy at the University of Bonn, Germany. Currently he is Senior Research Fellow with the Centre for Development Research at Bonn and Visiting Scholar at the Department of Economics, University of Maryland. His research interests are in the fields of agricultural policy, transition and development economics. He worked as a consultant for the Commission of the EU (TACIS), the Government of Germany, the FAO/Rome and the World Bank.
Michael Westlake
Michael Westlake has a PhD in Mathematical Economics from the University of Birmingham. He has extensive advisory and consultancy experience in the countries of Sub Saharan Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, and South and South-East Asia. He has worked on long-term assignments as a government advisor in Sri Lanka, Kenya, Bulgaria and Namibia. He has also worked as the senior economist of the International Coffee Organization and lectured economics and statistics. He is currently a member of the Consultative Committee of the Common Fund for Commodities. His main interests are price policy, the impact of price instability, and agricultural commodity marketing and trade.
