Mohammad Hossein Emadi is a distinguished systems agriculture scientist with over four decades of experience in sustainable agriculture and food security (since 1980). He holds a Ph.D. in Systems Agriculture from Australia (1995).
He served as Iran’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture (1996–2004), where he led major reforms, including the establishment of the Agricultural Knowledge and Information System (AKIS), the promotion of participatory approaches and the advancement of agroecological practices. His comprehensive strategies significantly enhanced agricultural productivity, earning him the 2004 Asian Productivity Organization (APO) International Award from Japan. Between 2005 and 2013, he contributed to the reconstruction of Afghanistan as a senior policy advisor to the Ministers of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL). His efforts led to policy reforms and the founding of the Afghanistan Institute of Rural Development (AIRD).
Since 2013, Emadi has advised the Iranian Minister of Agriculture on the impacts of climate change, water scarcity, and smart agriculture. From 2016 to 2020, he served as Iran’s Permanent Representative to the UN Rome-Based Agencies (FAO, WFP, and IFAD), chaired the FAO Committee on Agriculture (COAG), and was a member of the WFP Executive Board. Since retiring from the public sector in 2020, he has worked as a freelance consultant in the MENA region, Central Asia, and China. He also served on Iran’s National Biodiversity Board (2022–2024), and since 2024, he has served as Chair of the Board at the Sustainable Aquatic Development Institute (SADI).
He has authored 15 books and chapters, 52 papers, and numerous research reports.
He is a national of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
