Dr. QU Dongyu assumed office as the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on August 1, 2019. 
Born in 1963 to a rice-growing family in China’s Hunan Province, Dr. Qu studied horticultural science at Hunan Agricultural University and then plant breeding and genetics at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. He later added environmental science to his knowledge portfolio while earning a PhD at Wageningen University, in the Netherlands. 
Before coming to FAO, Dr. Qu served as China’s Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, where one of his achievements was to promote inclusive and innovative development and make sure information and communication technologies (ICT) were available in rural areas so that more than 400 million farmers could use their smartphones as a new farming tool. 
Prior to his portfolio as Vice Minister, Dr. Qu served as Vice Governor for several years in China’s north-west, Ningxia, where he accomplished a number of significant projects aiming to lift millions of local residents out of poverty, and he was recognized as a big contributor to China’s anti-poverty project in that part of country. 

Chief Scientist ad interim
Ms Crawford, a national of the United States of America, holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from Robert F. Wagner Graduate School, New York University, New York, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California.  She started her career in July 1984 as US Peace Corps volunteer in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She continued her career working as an advisor in the study abroad office at the University of Maryland, College Park, and as a programme associate in the philanthropy department of Chase Manhattan Bank in New York. She joined FAO in January 1997, working at Headquarters in positions from Programme and Budget Officer in the Office of Programme Budget and Evaluation (PBE) to Principal Officer in the Office of Strategy, Planning and Resources Management (OSP). In July 2013, she was appointed FAO Representative to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, based in Sri Lanka, and, in December 2015, she became Regional Programme Leader at FAO’s Regional Office for Africa in Ghana.  In May 2017, Ms Crawford returned to FAO Headquarters as Deputy Director, Office of Strategy, Programme and Budget (OSP) and in January 2019 was appointed Director, OSP.  The Director-General has promoted Ms Beth Crawford to Assistant Director-General level ad 
personam with effect from 1 September 2023 and acts as Chief Scientist ad interim.

Director General of CIMMITY
Dr. Bram Govaerts is an expert in bioscience engineering and soil sciences, renowned for pioneering sustainable development changes in agri-food systems. He brings together diverse teams to generate innovation that has improved nutrition, conserved nature, and enhanced global food security. A notable initiative, MasAgro, developed with farmers and specialists, has positively impacted 2.5 million people in Mexico by blending the right seeds with conservation agriculture. Inspired by Norman Borlaug's ethos, this transformative project is now being scaled in Africa. A recipient of the 2014 Norman Borlaug Field Award and a Fellow of The American Society of Agronomy, Dr. Govaerts has co-authored over 90 publications and is a Professor-at-Large at Cornell University. 

Sjoukje Heimovaara is since July 2022 President of the Executive Board of Wageningen University & Research. She studied Plant Breeding at Wageningen and obtained her PhD at Leiden University. She subsequently worked at the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research and the international plant breeding company Royal Van Zanten as R&D director and thereafter as CEO. Heimovaara is amongst others member of the Supervisory Board of Naturalis Biodiversity Center, a SDG 12.3 Champion, member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the UN Food System Coordination Hub. In 2024 Heimovaara was a member of the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture.

 

Mariangela Hungria is a Brazilian agronomist and microbiologist noted for pioneering work on biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and the use of beneficial microorganisms in tropical crops. Since 1982, she has been a researcher with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), helping farmers replace chemical fertilizers with microbial bio-inputs. In 2025 she became the first Brazilian woman to receive the World Food Prize, for “extraordinary scientific advancements in biological nitrogen fixation” that transformed tropical agriculture. She is a member of the Brazilian and of the World Academy of Sciences. 

Since 2023, Anna Koivuniemi leads the Google DeepMind Impact Accelerator, an organization that accelerates the social impact of Google DeepMind's technologies. Prior to this, she was a partner in McKinsey & Company for almost 17 years, leading the largest AI alliance and the global Growth Strategy practice, and worked in the technology industry for over two decades prior to joining McKinsey. She sits on the Governance Board for Tuberculosis Vaccination Initiative (TBVI) and the Supervisory Board for Aflatoun International. Anna has a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Tampere University of Technology, and an MBA from the Executive Global OneMBA at RSM Erasmus University in Rotterdam. 

Philippe Mauguin is President and CEO of INRAE, the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment. He graduated as an Engineer specialized in Rural Engineering, Water and Forests and began his career as a research scientist at the Paris School of Mines. During his career, he has held various positions, among them: Director of Agriculture and Bioenergy at ADEME; Advisor to the Prime Minister on Agriculture, Forestry and the Food Industry; Director of INAO; Director of Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture; and Chief of Staff to the Minister of Agriculture, Food Industry and Forestry.  

Emmanuelle Soubeyran is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine specialised in animal health, veterinary public health, crisis management, and One Health, with extensive experience in addressing animal health issues at both national and international levels. 
She has been at the forefront of managing significant health crises, including avian influenza and bluetongue, and has led the development of emergency response plans and preventive measures against influenza, African swine fever, and zoonoses. 
From 2016 to 2021, she further contributed to the field as the dean of the national veterinary school of Lyon (VetAgro Sup). On 1 August 2024, she officially began her term as the Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health. 

  

Tinotenda A. Mhiko is the Chief Executive Officer of the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) in Zimbabwe and the 2024 African Food Prize Laureate. An agricultural technocrat and transformative leader with over 15 years of experience, he has led large-scale innovations across Africa’s food systems from farm to fork. He has been recognized with more than 40 national and international awards for his work in agribusiness, food security, and rural development. Mhiko is also pursuing a Ph.D. in Robotics, focusing on Agri-food applications of AI and machine learning.

Rokiatou Traoré is a Malian entrepreneur dedicated to combating desertification, climate change, and food insecurity. She is the founder of Herou Alliance, a social enterprise that empowers women and youth through a sustainable agroforestry value chain in Mali. Her vision is to plant 10 million high-value trees and create a network of millions of women producers by 2030, driving both economic opportunity and environmental restoration. Recognized globally, she is a UNCCD Land Hero, ICESCO Peace Ambassador, World Economic Forum ecopreneur. Rokiatou also serves as a UNFCCC climate negotiator with the African Group of Negotiators, amplifying African voices in climate action.