Who we are
The Pastoralist Knowledge Hub is formed by pastoralist alliances and networks that wish to join global policy dialogue and share their knowledge and views, and by international partners that wish to incorporate pastoralist voice in their discussions and share the technical knowledge they have gathered on pastoralism.
The Hub is hosted by FAO and combines the organization’s expertise in livestock production with its knowledge on civil society and indigenous peoples. The Hub has a dedicated team to facilitate this process:
Badi Besbes
Senior Animal Production Officer, Head of the Animal Production and Genetic Resources Unit of the FAO Animal Production and Health Division. Badi has more than 25 years of experience in the management of animal genetic resources, with a special focus on genetic improvement, characterization and animal identification and recording. He also has good experience in supporting inter-governmental policy processes. Currently, he is particularly working on improving resilience of pastoral and agro-pastoral systems. E-mail: [email protected]
Gregorio Juan Velasco Gil
Coordinator of the Pastoralist Knowledge Hub. Gregorio is an agricultural engineer with 20 years of working experience in livestock production, animal genetic resources, water and food security. He has implemented and coordinated field projects in Spain, Venezuela, Algeria, Egypt and various countries in West Africa. Gregorio has worked with pastoralist communities in West Africa and grew up in a pastoralist family. E-mail: [email protected]
Natasha Maru
Consultant. Natasha has a multidisciplinary social sciences background with experience working with smallholder farmers and pastoralists in India. She is interested in pastoralism, natural resource management, the commons, and land tenure. She is keen on incorporating experiences from the field and promoting inclusive policy processes. E-mail: [email protected]
Caroline Ruto
Consultant. Caroline has a multidisciplinary social science background with experience of working with rural and pastoralist communities in the Kenyan drylands. She has an international experience of working in the field with governments and NGOs. Her interests are majorly in food security, rural development, pastoralism and drought research. She is keen on understanding rural development and developing sustainable solutions that enhance rural communities and promote better and inclusive policies. E-mail: [email protected]
Ivana Mardesic
Consultant. Ivana has a land management and agroecology background, specialising in geographical information systems (GIS). Her interests revolve around human-environment relations and community-based natural resource management, and her research turned naturally to pastoralism. In particular, she explored the role of local ecological knowledge of pastoralists in Mongolia and how different governance systems affect their perception and adaptation to rangeland degradation. E-mail: [email protected]