Mr Jim Woodhill is Director of the Agrifood Systems and Futures Hub, University of Reading, and Lead of the Global Foresight4Food Initiative. He is also Senior Advisor to the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development and has led the Platform’s work on financing food systems. Formerly he was Principal Sector Specialist for Food Security and Rural Development with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Director of the Centre for Development Innovation at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands.

Akiko Suwa-Eisenmann is a senior scientist in INRAE, France, and a professor at the Paris School of Economics. She holds a PhD in economics from École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, France, and has graduated from École Normale Supérieure and Sciences Po, Paris. Suwa-Eisenmann works on global food security, international trade and development.

Her recent research projects examine the impact of perennial crops plantations on food security and the environment, looking at palm oil smallholders in Indonesia. She has also researched the impact of trade and food aid on rural households in developing countries, their choice between growing staple crops or export crops, the role of sanitary and phytosanitary norms on developing countries’ market access to the North.

Akiko Suwa-Eisenmann has published widely across a range of journals. She has been director of LEA, an INRA research unit and deputy director of PJSE and member of the Steering Committee of the Paris School of Economics. She has worked at the OECD Development Centre in charge of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. She has served as team leader for Trade Policy Diagnoses in many Sub-Saharan countries for the Enhanced Integrated Framework.

Current Chairperson of the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE-FSN) of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), she has been a member of the Steering Committee of the HLPE-FSN since October 2021.

She is a national of Japan.

Mr Hanif brings to the position more than 30 years of experience in national and international Civil Service, encompassing analytical work, policy-making, programme planning, capacity development, multilateral diplomacy and extensive knowledge of the United Nations system. Mr Hanif is currently the Director of the Financing for Sustainable Development Office in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

He was previously the Director of Office of ECOSOC Support and Coordination and prior to that was the first Head of the Strategic Planning Unit in the Office of the Under-Secretary-General. He served in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General as a member of the team for the 2005 World Summit. He also held a number of positions in the United Nations bodies, including the Vice-Chair of the High-Level Committee on Programmes. Before joining the United Nations, Mr Hanif served in his country’s Diplomatic Service, including as a delegate at its Permanent Mission to the United Nations. He holds a master’s degree in International Political Economy from Columbia University, New York and a second master’s degree in English Literature from Government College, Lahore.

Mr Jim Woodhill is Director of the Agrifood Systems and Futures Hub, University of Reading, and Lead of the Global Foresight4Food Initiative. He is also Senior Advisor to the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development and has led the Platform’s work on financing food systems. Formerly he was Principal Sector Specialist for Food Security and Rural Development with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Director of the Centre for Development Innovation at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands.

Mr Devesh Chaturvedi is a senior Indian Administrative Service officer (1989 batch) with extensive leadership experience in governance, administration and policy. He completed his schooling at La Martiniere College, Lucknow, earned a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur and an M.Tech in Industrial Engineering from IIT Delhi. In 2005, he obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Policy and Management from IIM Bengaluru, where he was awarded the Director’s Gold Medal. He later received a Ph.D. in Management Studies from IIT Delhi in 2013 for his research on performance management in government.

Mr Chaturvedi’s career spans diverse administrative roles. He has served as District Magistrate in Pithoragarh, Deoria, Bulandshahar, Kanpur Dehat, Gorakhpur and Allahabad, and as Commissioner of Allahabad Division, where he oversaw the organization of the 2013 Kumbh Mela. At the national level, he gained five years of experience in the tourism sector as Director and Additional Director General, followed by three years as Joint Secretary in the Department of Personnel & Training, where he managed services, vigilance and international cooperation.

He also served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare. In the Uttar Pradesh Government, Mr Chaturvedi worked as Principal Secretary and later Additional Chief Secretary, leading Agriculture for four and a half years, and Appointments & Personnel for three years. Since August 12, 2024, he has been serving as Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India.

Lucia Albano, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, is an Italian politician. Since 2020, she has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies. Since 2022, she has served as Undersecretary of State with responsibilities in the areas of public and private investments, public real estate, hydrogeological instability, reconstruction and development of territories affected by earthquakes.

Federica Diamanti is IFAD’s Associate Vice President for External Relations. She is responsible for the Fund’s public and political advocacy, including global policy engagement, partnerships and strategic communications. She also oversees IFAD’s replenishment process, whereby Members agree on priorities and targets for each three-year replenishment period. Diamanti is an expert in international finance and multilateral diplomacy, with extensive experience in key forums and institutions, such as the G7, G20, Multilateral Development Banks and concessional funds.

Before joining IFAD, she was Director of Multilateral Banks and Funds at the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance where she shaped Italy’s partnerships with major international financial institutions. Diamanti also served as Executive Director for Italy, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands at the African Development Bank. She played a central role in the design and launch of the G20 Capital Adequacy Framework, which helped unlock hundreds of billions in additional resources for developing countries. Diamanti holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and an M.Sc. in International Economics and Development Cooperation from the University of Rome Tor Vergata.

Domenico Nardelli manages AIIB’s Treasury Department. As Treasurer, he is responsible for the investment of the Bank’s liquid assets, capital markets operations including payments and back office, and asset and liability management. Before joining AIIB in September 2019, he was Treasurer of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, a specialized agency of the United Nations based in Rome, Italy. Prior to that, he spent several years in investment banking in London, where he was Managing Director in Global Rates responsible for Public Sector coverage and Euro Medium-Term Note issuance, first at the Bank of America and then at Jefferies, a financial services company.

Nardelli started his career at the Italian Treasury as an officer in the Public Debt Department, where he went on to become the Head of International Funding and Liability Management. During that time, he served as Advisor to the Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC. Nardelli has extensive experience in asset and liability management, capital markets, and financial markets policy issues. He holds a BA in Political Science (cum laude) from the University of Pavia, Italy, and a master’s degree from Scuola Superiore della Pubblica Amministrazione in Rome, Italy. Nardelli is from Italy.

Rajesh Singh is distinguished Procurement Director of Africa Improved Foods, bringing over 28 years of expertise in P&L management, sourcing, trading, and distribution for various agro commodities across West Africa. Rajesh’s extensive experience spans key roles at reputable organizations such as Olam International Limited (Singapore), Arise IIP (Dubai), Wacot (TGI/Chi group, Nigeria), and Colgate Palmolive Ltd. His commitment to sustainable partnerships is reflected in his work with cooperatives, communities, and farmers, fostering long-term growth for agriculture in Africa.

A competent professional in new business development, supply chain management, trading, commercial operations, sales, marketing, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, and process transition, Rajesh has managed mid-size manufacturing plants in cocoa, sesame, and cotton operations. Rajesh, a Science Graduate from Delhi University, further enhanced his knowledge with short-term programs from MIT Sloan, Columbia Business School, and Babson College. His proficiency in achieving profitability through optimal resource utilization, strategic planning, and team development makes him an invaluable asset to our team.

Responsable de la ferme agroécologique TERRE BÉNIE, Afantchawo Koudasse est producteur agricole et maraîcher depuis 2013 au Togo. Afantchawo a été élu président du collège des jeunes agriculteurs de la CTOP en 2019 puis celui du collège régional des jeunes agriculteurs du ROPPA en 2020. Afantchawo est membre du Comité de Coordination du Mécanisme de la Société Civile et Peuples Autochtones depuis 2024.

Manager of the agroecological farm TERRE BÉNIE, Afantchawo Koudasse has been an agricultural producer and market gardener since 2013 in Togo. He was elected president of the college of young farmers of CTOP in 2019 and then of the regional college of young farmers of ROPPA in 2020. He has been a member of the Coordinating Committee of the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples Mechanism since 2024.