Experts

Abdi Fidar

Coordinator of IGAD Food Security, Nutrition, and Resilience Analysis Hub (IFRAH) at ICPAC, Nairobi

Dr. Abdi Mohamud holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Exeter and a second Doctorate degree in Wastewater Collection Technologies from Imperial College London. Over his twenty-year career, Dr. Fidar has gained expertise in various fields including water supply, sanitation, environmental impact assessment, and drought management, among others. Previously, he served as the head of the Somali Region Water Resources Development Bureau in Ethiopia, where he managed water and environment-related projects. Dr. Fidar has also taught courses at Addis Ababa University and worked as a Capacity Development Coordinator for IGAD. He has published numerous articles and possesses strong analytical skills in handling complex environmental and resilience issues. 

Abdul Husaini

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands and Survey, Niger State

Dr. Abdul Husaini is a Fellow of the 2007 United Nations University -International Course (UNU-IC) and 2022 Arcadis Shelter Academy Programmme, Dr. Husaini was the focal person for the Urban – Rural Linkages component of UN-Habitat’s support to Niger State Government and the Team Lead for the collaborative research on Covid-19 Impacts on Transportation of Food and Related Commodities in the Urban-Rural Nexus (ITFCURN) in some selected African countries funded by UN-Habitat, through University of Nairobi, Kenya. He has participated in most of the Expert Group Meetings of the African Urban – Rural Linkages Network and the three previous International Forums on Urban-Rural Linkages organized by Songyang County, China. A recipient of the 2018 Nigeria’s Presidential National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award, he was instrumental for the inclusion of Minna as one of the 20 foundation members of World Council on City Data (WCCD) and subsequent registration of Minna as the first City in Nigeria with ISO 37120 Certification by World Council on City Data (WCCD) in 2015. 

Akiko Suwa-Eisenmann 

Senior scientist, INRAE
Chairperson of the High-Level Panel of Expert in Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) of the Committee on Food Security (CFS) at the United Nations

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. 

Scientific Director, FABLE Pathways Consortium

Aline Mosnier is the Scientific Director for the FABLE (Food, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Land-use, and Energy) Pathways Consortium. She works with researchers in more than 20 countries to develop long-term quantitative national pathways towards sustainable land use and food systems which are globally consistent. She has created the FABLE Calculator, an open Excel-based model on the food and land system currently used in 24 countries and coordinates the development of the tool. Prior to joining SDSN, Aline worked at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) where she contributed to the development of the global partial equilibrium model GLOBIOM. Her work focused on international trade and trade policies for agricultural products, indirect impacts of biofuel policies, climate change impacts on agriculture, and reduction of deforestation and forest degradation in the tropics. With teams from local research institutes, she has worked on the co-development of regional versions of GLOBIOM in the Congo Basin, Brazil, and Indonesia. Aline holds a PhD in Agricultural and Environment Economics from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences of Vienna and a Masters in Development Economics from CERDI-Université d’Auvergne of Clermont-Ferrand.

Amos Laar

Professor of Public Health Nutrition at the School of Public Health, University of Ghana

Amos Laar's research integrates three interrelated fields: Nutrition, Public Health, and Bioethics - providing a framework for exploring the multifaceted influences of the physical environment, social environment, and structural forces on health outcomes. He served as the Principal Investigator of the “MEALS4NCDs Project” which provided Measurements, Evaluation, Accountability and Leadership Support for NCDs prevention in Ghana. His leadership extended to spearheading a coalition comprising academics and civil society organizations, which successfully advocated for the enactment of Ghana’s Sugar Sweetened Beverage Tax Law. Currently, the “Healthier Diets for Healthy Lives Project” which he leads, is assisting the Ghanaian government in the development of a Nutrient Profiling System to support the implementation of four food-based policies: Public Food Procurement and Service Policy, Front of Pack Labelling Policy, Marketing Restrictions Policy, and Food-related Fiscal Policy.  In recognition of his significant efforts to combat diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Ghana, Professor Laar was honored in the Lancet (Diabetes and Endocrinology) in 2019. He served as the President of the African Nutrition Society from 2016 to 20220; and currently convenes the Africa Food Environment Research Network (FERN). He is a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences. 

READ:  STATEMENT ON SESSION 2

Andrea Galante

Senior Policy Advisor for Food Security and Nutrition, Advocacy and External Engagement, World Vision International

Major Group - Together 2030

An expert in Food Security and Nutrition, Ms. Galante has been pivotal in global transformation for over two decades. With a profound dedication to understanding global food security and nutrition, she brings extensive experience in leading nutrition-sensitive interventions, such as the food value chain for nutrition and home-grown school meals programs. Currently serving as a Senior Policy Advisor in Food Security and Nutrition at World Vision, she previously spent 9 years as a nutrition expert at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Prior to FAO, she contributed to South-South cooperation efforts at WFP for nearly 4 years. Additionally, as a professor, she managed graduate and master’s degree programs in nutrition at a private university in Sao Paulo. As president of the Brazilian Nutrition Association, she collaborated closely with the Brazilian government’s hunger combat initiatives, thereby enhancing societal influence in addressing food security and nutrition challenges. Ms. Galante holds graduate and master’s degrees, along with a Ph.D. in the nutrition field.

READ: STATEMENT ON SESSION 14

Arthur Muliro

Deputy Managing Director, Society for International Development

Major Group on Civil Society Financing for Development Mechanism

Amongst other responsibilities, Arthur leads SID’s Futures programme that works closely with diverse development stakeholders to develop future-oriented public-interest scenarios that are focused on the challenges of institutional transition and transformation. He has successfully managed large-scale public interest scenario projects in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and regionally. Prior to joining SID, Arthur worked for the Centre for Innovative Leadership, a Johannesburg-based consulting firm specializing in organizational learning and scenario thinking. He also worked for several years in student leadership at various levels regionally and internationally. A graduate of the United States International University – Africa, Arthur holds a degree in Management Information Systems.

Becca Jablonski

Co-Director of the Food Systems Institute at Colorado State University

Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics

Becca Jablonski's research investigates the roles of cities in leveraging food policies to achieve progress towards sustainable development, highlighting tradeoffs of different policy approaches and interventions. Importantly, she pays particular attention to the geographic dimensions of impacts. To do this, she undertakes disciplinary research, large scale quantitative modeling projects, and leads engaged community processes. She also works at local, regional, national, and international scales. As part of her position she co-leads CSU’s Food Systems Extension team. Dr. Jablonski holds a MS from the University of London and a PhD from Cornell University. Her work has been published in top journals including Food Policy, BioScience, Advances in Nutrition, among others. She has been the PI on more than $8M in externally funded projects, and co-PI on more than $36M. She has won several research and engagement awards, including the Distinguished Extension/Outreach Program award: less than 10 years of Experience from the Applied Agricultural Economics Association, and the Abraham Lincoln Honor Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Read: Statement on Session 4

Belinda Ng

Youth Leader, Act4Food

Major Group for Children and Youth

Belinda is a 24-year old food sustainability advocate from Hong Kong representing the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) and the Sendai Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism. Aside from her full-time role as a corporate sustainability consultant at ERM, Belinda is one of 30 selected youth leaders of the global Act4Food movement, driving youth engagement across sectors and scales to create a more sustainable food future. She is a member of UN Women Asia-Pacific’s 30 for 2030 Network and a World Economic Forum’s Global Shaper, where she is co-leading a project in London to establish community fridges in underserved areas to alleviate food poverty. Belinda holds a BA in Geography from The University of Cambridge and an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London. With a particular focus on the gender lens, Belinda has worked with low-income migrant mothers in Hong Kong to understand their experiences with food insecurity and developed gender-sensitive approaches to climate-risk insurance in Fiji. Passionate about youth empowerment, Belinda is the founder of ‘SustainaPod’, a youth-led podcast featuring youth in direct dialogue with leading sustainability change-makers. 

Brian Baldwin

International Agrifood Network

Brian Baldwin (Geographer and Agricultural Economist) held field posts with the UK’s Overseas Development Administration (the precursor of DFID) in Sri Lanka and Zambia in design and evaluation of agricultural and rural development programmes. These long term in-country positions within the civil service structure gave an important perspective on the needs and priorities of emerging countries, their constraints and opportunities. Subsequently, he worked as an independent economist with USAID, UNIDO, FAO, IFAD, EU and the private sector in the Caribbean, Thailand, Philippines, Tanzania, Malawi, Botswana and Zambia. He began working with IFAD in 1988 as a country programme manager in Asia Region (Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Myanmar. With a focus on project preparation and implementation, tasks included stakeholder workshops, appraisal, loan negotiation and management of loan administration and supervision.  Partnerships were developed with co-financiers (World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank), and bilateral donors such as Sweden, Ausaid, Germany and UNDP, FAO and WFP. From 2004 he was IFAD’s Senior Operations Management Adviser in office of Asst. President for Programme Management. He led IFAD’s involvement in HIPC-DI and Debt Management to provide debt relief to selected IFAD member countries, the implementation of IFAD’s financial allocation system and the MOPAN exercise.  He managed IFAD’s harmonisation and alignment initiatives under the Paris Declaration and Accra accords. He co-chaired the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development, chaired the Multilateral Development Bank working group on Management for Development Results, and was the IFAD representative at the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) working party on Aid Effectiveness which evolved into the Global Partnership for Effective Development, and the Steering Committee of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI). Since leaving IFAD he continues to work as a development and policy adviser with both public and private sector in Ghana, Sri Lanka and Tanzania.

Brian Kawuma

Powering Agriculture Director, Power For All

Brian Kawuma is an advocacy campaign and stakeholder engagement expert with extensive work experience in sub saharan Africa. His work journey includes supporting Uganda's Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry on Agricultural policy formulation and improvement, working with East African Dairy producer cooperatives to transform their livelihoods through improved farm yields and better market access as well as supporting various crop value chain actors on communication and marketing. For the past four years, Brian has lead Power for All's Powering Agriculture Campaign that is advancing policy and fiscal support to accelerate the adoption of productive use of renewable energy in Africa's agrifood systems.

Read: Statement on Session 10

Cecilia Elizondo

ECOSUR Agroecology Group 

High-Level Panel of Expert in Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) of the Committee on Food Security (CFS) at the United Nations

Cecilia is member of ECOSUR’s Agroecology Group, where she has been working for 22 years. She is also member of the steering committee of the High-Level Panel of Expert in Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) of the Committee on Food Security (CFS) at the United Nations. In 2019-2020 she was Chief of the Cabinet of the Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico (SEMARNAT). At Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Mexico she coordinated the Intersectoral Group for Health, Food, Environment and Competitiveness (GISAMAC), a group which with she continues collaborating as an adviser of the Vice Minister of Food Security, of the Ministry of Agriculture. She has also carried out projects for UNDP, UNEP and IDB. She has a PhD in Sciences in Landscape Heritage Conservation of CIIEMAD/Instituto Politécnico Nacional de México. Cecilia has almost 35 years of experience in environmental management including 12 years in the Argentine Government, where her last position was as Advisor to the Vice Minister of Sustainable Development.  

Charlotte Dreger

Policy and Advocacy Officer for Sustainable Food Systems, FIAN International Secretariat

Charlotte Dreger is a policy and advocacy officer for sustainable food systems at FIAN International. She has been engaged in the Civil Society and Indigenous People`s Mechanism (CSIPM) for relations with the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) since 2020. She has been co-facilitating the CSIPM working group on food systems and nutrition and is currently co-facilitating the CSIPM Global Food Governance Working Group. 

READ:  STATEMENT ON SESSION 8

Chiara Villani

Senior officer, Global Engagement and Executive Communications at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

Chiara Villani works as a Global Engagement and Executive Communications Senior officer at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, a CGIAR centre, where she leads the organization's advocacy work on food, climate and the environment. In this capacity, Chiara coordinates the Alliance's engagement in key policy processes and high-level events, including the Rio Conventions COPs, the UNFSS and its Stock Taking Moments, and the CFS. Prior to that, she worked for the FAO Strategic Programme to Reduce Rural Poverty and the Gender team.

Elizabeth Mwende Mwendwa

Agricultural Technology Development Center, Kenya

Elizabeth is an Agricultural Engineer with over 8 years experience in agrifood systems transformation in both the public and private sector in Kenya. She works directly with rural farmers to enhance their resilience to climate change, and increase their food production and profitability. She has expertise in: Engineering Design (irrigation and water harvesting), Climate Technology (development, deployment, and transfer), Soil and Water Conservation, Sustainable Land Management, and Project Management. She is a strong advocate for youths and currently serves as a Youth Representative at the Stakeholders Engagement and Networking Advisory Group of the United Nations Food Systems Coordination Hub. Her ambition is to incorporate bottom-up approaches in food systems transformation and climate action through: meaningful engagement, capacity building, and support of communities at the grassroots.

Elizabeth Nsimadala

President of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation 

Board of World Farmers Organisation and of the Pan Africa Farmers Organization (PAFO)

Elizabeth is a Ugandan young agriprenuer and a smallholder farmer. She is the President of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) since 2017.mElizabeth serves as a member of the COP 28 Presidency Food Systems Reference Group, is a task force member for AU-EU Cooperation in Agriculture and sits on the FAO Global Steering Committee for Forest Farm Facility. She is the Vice President for Africia for FAO One Country One Priority, serves on the board of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), is a member of the steering committee of Pan Africa Agribusiness Chamber (PAAAC) and sits on the Technical Committee for Common Africa Agricultural Industrial Parks (CAAPS) by the Africa Union Commission (AUC). Elizabeth holds a MSc. in Project Planning and Management from Ndejje University, Uganda (2016) and a B.A. in Social Sciences from Makerere University Kampala, Uganda (2006). She is a passionate cooperator and small holder farmer who has been at the fore of climate change discourse and championing digitalization of the agriculture sector through the EAFF farmers’ owned E-granary mobile initiative that virtually aggregates farmers for input, services and output markets and is noteworthy for her advocacy for inclusivity through a gender and youth strategic focus.

Read: Statement on Session 4

Facundo Etchebehere

Senior Vice President of Sustainability Strategy & Partnerships at Danone

Facundo Etchebehere currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Sustainability Strategy & Partnerships at Danone, where his extensive background in economics and political science informs his strategic leadership. Embarking on his journey with Danone in 2010, Mr. Etchebehere was appointed as the Corporate Affairs Director for Argentina. Demonstrating remarkable leadership, he then ascended to oversee Regional Corporate Affairs across the Americas from Mexico. Since 2016, he has been at the helm of Global Public Affairs for Danone, showcasing his capacity for global influence and policy shaping. His academic career is marked by significant contributions as a researcher in applied economics, further complementing his practical experience with a robust theoretical understanding. Additionally, he has served as an economic consultant and has held various influential positions within the Argentine Public Sector at both the national and provincial levels, exemplifying his versatility and commitment to public service. In recent years, Mr. Etchebehere has been instrumental in leading Danone's BCorp certification and championing the company’s commitment as a Société à Mission. He has been a driving force in fostering multi-stakeholder dialogues, actively promoting collaborative and sustainable solutions for growth. His efforts have positioned Danone as a forward-thinking leader in corporate sustainability.

Fadhel Kaboub

Associate Professor of Economics at Denison University

President of the Global Institute for Sustainable Prosperity

Senior Advisor, Power Shift Africa

Fadhel Kaboub is an associate professor of economics at Denison University (on leave), and the president of the Global Institute for Sustainable Prosperity. He is also a member of the Independent Expert Group on Just Transition and Development, an expert group member with the International Taxation Task Force (created at COP28 and co-chaired by France, Kenya, and Barbados), and serves as senior advisor with Power Shift Africa. He has recently served as Under-Secretary-General for Financing for Development at the Organisation of Southern Cooperation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Dr. Kaboub is an expert on designing public policies to enhance monetary and economic sovereignty in the Global South, build resilience, and promote equitable and sustainable prosperity. His recent work focuses on Just Transition, Climate Finance, and transforming the global trade, finance, and investment architecture. His most recent co-authored publication is Just Transition: A Climate, Energy, and Development Vision for Africa (May 2023, published by the Independent Expert Group on Just Transition and Development). He has held a number of research affiliations with the Levy Economics Institute (NY), the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (MA), the Economic Research Forum (Cairo), Power Shift Africa (Nairobi), and the Center for Strategic Studies on the Maghreb (Tunis). He is currently based in Nairobi, Kenya and is working on climate finance and development policies in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter @FadhelKaboub and you can read his Global South Perspectives on substack where he blogs regularly.

Francine Picard

Director of Partnerships, Shamba Centre for Food and Climate

Francine has worked for 15 years across the African continent, advising parliamentarians, regional economic commissions, public institutions and farmers organizations' on food, agriculture, land, climate change, gender equality, and regional integration. She co-founded the Shamba Centre for Food and Climate to help raise the political commitment to ending hunger and closing the gender gap, while providing a voice and space for vulnerable communities in decision making.  Before co-founding the Shamba Centre, Francine was a Senior Policy Advisor and Partnerships Lead at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). She managed capacity building programmes for the Pan African Parliament and served as an adviser to the Africa Forum (an organisation of former African heads of state) on regional integration. She also participated in the creation of the Ecowas Network of Parliamentarians on Gender Equality and Investments in Agriculture and Food Security, which aims to improve food security and nutrition in West Africa. Francine holds an MA in Legal and Political Anthropology from La Sorbonne University, an LLM in European and International Law from L'Université Paris Descartes, and a diploma in African Studies from the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales.

Habib Ur Rehman Mayar

Deputy General Secretary of the g7+ Secretariat

Mr. Habib Mayar serves as the Deputy General Secretary of the g7+ Secretariat, based in Dili, Timor-Leste. Since joining the Secretariat in 2013, he has played a pivotal role in shaping policy and advocacy initiatives, with a focus on enhancing peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development engagement in fragile situations. The g7+ is an intergovernmental organization comprising 20 conflict-affected countries worldwide, working collaboratively to advocate for peace and stability through effective engagement and peer learning. Since its establishment in 2010, Mr. Mayar has been an integral part of the g7+ collective journey, contributing to its emergence as a leading voice for countries affected by conflict and fragility. His efforts include consolidating the group, resulting in a charter lodged at the treaty section of the United Nations. He has been at the forefront of the group’s collective endeavors to improve the effectiveness of international cooperation in conflict-affected countries. Mr. Mayar actively engages in global policy discussions on aid effectiveness, peacebuilding, statebuilding, and Agenda 2030. He has represented the g7+ at various global forums and debates, contributing to an enhanced understanding of the narrative of fragility and stability. Notably, he led the g7+ mission seeking observer status at the United Nations, which was granted in 2019. Before taking on his position at the g7+ Secretariat, Mr. Mayar held the role of Head of the Aid Coordination Unit in the Ministry of Finance in Afghanistan for five years. The Aid Coordination Unit served as a central repository of aid information for Afghanistan and was the government's focal point for grants and loan negotiations, aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of development aid. In this capacity, Mr. Mayar supervised the development of policies for aid management and represented Afghanistan in international forums dedicated to aid effectiveness. Notably, he served as the focal point for the g7+ during the group's conception and the development of the New Deal for engagement in fragile states. Mr. Mayar has authored serveal blogs and pieces on related matters, including a chapter on the g7+ featured in the recently released "Handbook of Fragile States." Mr. Mayar's personal background reflects the resilience of many Afghans. Having fled his country during the Russian occupation in the 1980s, he grew up in a refugee camp in Pakistan.

Ibrahima Hathie

Deputy Director, Feed the Future Policy Systems Services, Dakar, Senegal

Member of the Independent Group of Scientists (IGS) for the 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR)

Dr. Ibrahima Hathie is the Deputy Director of the Feed the Future Senegal Policy Systems Services, a USAID funded project. He is also a member of the Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General and tasked to draft the 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report. From July 2011 to October 2020, Dr. Hathie was the Research Director for IPAR, a West African Think Tank. His research focuses mainly on agricultural performance, climate change, youth employment and the sustainable development goals. He was the Africa regional coordinator of Southern Voice for the Post 2015 development agenda from 2013 to 2018. He has also served as the Director of studies and fieldwork at the National School of Applied Economics in Senegal from 2004 to 2007. Dr. Ibrahima Hathie holds a PhD and MSc in Agricultural & Resource Economics from the University of Connecticut, USA.

Inaya Ezzeddine

Member of Parliament, Republic of Lebanon

Dr. Inaya Ezzeddine, MD, Pathologist, is a distinguished figure in both the medical and political spheres. Serving as a Member of the Lebanese Parliament since 2018, Dr. Ezzeddine holds key positions including Chair of the Women and Children Parliamentary Committee and the SDG2030 Agenda Parliamentary Commission. Additionally, she contributes her expertise to committees focusing on Public Health, Labour, Social Affairs, and Foreign Affairs. In May 2023, she was appointed as the National Convenor for Food System Transformation, a groundbreaking role that underscores her dedication to addressing global food security challenges. Dr. Ezzeddine's leadership within the Parliamentary Committee for Women and Children has been marked by significant legislative achievements, including the criminalization of sexual harassment and reforms to promote gender equality in social security laws. She has also spearheaded initiatives to enhance labor laws, advocating for flexible work arrangements, expanded maternity leave, paternity leave, and childcare subsidies. Beyond her legislative contributions, Dr. Ezzeddine has been a driving force for institutional reform, advocating for transparency, anti-corruption measures, and sustainable development across various sectors. Her advocacy for people-centered policies is exemplified by her draft bill on the "Right to Food," informed by extensive analysis of Lebanon's legislative landscape.

Jane Battersby

Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental and Geographical Science at the University of Cape Town

Jane's current areas of particular interest are urban food systems, urban food policies and the construction of food security theory in Northern and Southern research contexts. A key area of focus is the ways in which the food system and the urban system interact to shape nutritional outcomes, with a particular focus on the dual burden of malnutrition within African cities. She works closely with both civil society groups and local and provincial governments. Jane was a team member on the CFS HLPE-FSN Reducing Inequalities for Food Security and Nutrition Report and is the Team Leader on the CFS HLPE-FSN Strengthening Urban and Peri-Urban Food Systems to Achieve Food Security and Nutrition in the Context of Urbanization and Rural Transformation Report. She serves on the FAO-GAIN Urban Food Systems Working Group and Urban Food Systems Coalition. Jane is also a member of the Academic Community of Practice of UN Habitat’s Quality of Life Initiative and a member of the IPES Food Expert Panel.

READ:  STATEMENT ON SESSION 10 

Jean-François Soussana

Vice-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAC) of the UN Food System Coordination Hub

National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, France

Since March 2017, Dr. Soussana is the Vice-President for international policy of INRAE (INRA, prior to 2020). He obtained his PhD in plant physiology at USTL Montpellier in 1986 after an agricultural engineer degree and was appointed by INRA as junior scientist. After becoming senior scientist, he became the director of the grassland ecosystems research laboratory from 2000 to 2009. From 2010 to 2017, he was INRA’s Scientific Director for Environment. Dr. Soussana is member of the IPCC since 1998. He has contributed as Lead Author to three assessment reports (Working Group II contribution) and to the Special Report on Climate Change and Land adopted in 2019. He is a member of the French Climate Change Committee and of the EU Scientific Advisory board on Climate Change. He co-chairs the Integrative Research Group of the Global Research Alliance on agricultural greenhouse gases (60 countries) and chairs the joint programing of research on agriculture, food security and climate change (FACCE JPI, 21 countries). He is vice-chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and contributed in the Science Group of the Food Systems Summit. He is also a member of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the “4 per 1000. Soils for Food Security and Climate” initiative launched at COP21. He coordinated European (EC FP5, FP7 and H2020) research projects on climate change, soils and agriculture. He has published 182 research papers in international journals. He is a highly cited researcher (Cross-Fields, Clarivate Analytics, 2018). Honours: Shared Nobel Prize for Peace in 2007 with all IPCC co-authors; shared Gerbier-Mumm prize of WMO; gold medal of the French academy for agriculture; commander of the French order of agricultural merit; knight of the Legion of Honor (France).

Read: STATEMENT ON SESSION 7 ; Statement on session 9

Jean-Luc Chotte

Research Director, IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement), France

The focus of Chotte's research is the impact of climate change and land use on soil organic matter dynamics (stocks and fluxes) in the tropics. His recent work focuses on i) trade-offs and synergies between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ii) the role of soil and land as levers in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), United Nations Decade for Restoration (terrestrial ecosystem), Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA). Former (2015-2019) UNCCD SPI member, Jean Luc Chotte is the current Chair of the French Scientific Committee on Desertification. He is the elected representative of Research and Higher Education college in the 4P1000 initiative
Jean-Luc Chotte is corresponding member of the French Academy of Agriculture and visiting Professor at Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences PO, Paris.

READ:  STATEMENT ON SESSION 9 

Juliette Tronchon

Head of UN Affairs, ProVeg International

At ProVeg International, Juliette Tronchon works closely with stakeholders to advocate for a food systems approach that includes consumption and healthy sustainable diets. Leading the Food4Climate Pavilion at COP28, she underscores the urgency of transitioning to plant-rich diets and implementing resilient agricultural practices, aiming to deliver a clear message to negotiators and policymakers. Juliette also serves on the ProVeg Youth Board, actively empowering the voices of young individuals globally.

READ:   STATEMENT ON SESSION 4 

Justine Lynn Limocon

Young Farmer' Representative, Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development

Justine Lynn Limocon is a dedicated young farmers' representative of the Asian Farmers Association for Rural Development and the She currently serves as Operations Manager at the Agriculture and Business Development Center Department of Lamac Multipurpose Cooperative. Justine has a lifelong commitment to agricultural development, facilitating agro-enterprise development among farmers and fostering linkages between public and private sectors. Additionally, she is an accredited trainer and assessor, empowering individuals with skills and knowledge for success in agriculture. Justine also administers the Cooperative's farm school, overseeing the education and training of future agricultural leaders. As a credit union development educator for Asia, Justine promotes financial inclusion and empowerment within rural communities. Her work has earned international recognition, including the Joe Biden Award for Development Educator of the Year by the ICULD&E Foundation in 2017. With a passion for empowering youth and vulnerable sectors, Justine advocates for holistic empowerment, aiming to transform farmers into successful agripreneurs through innovative approaches. Her leadership, dedication, and vision make her a driving force in shaping the future of agriculture and rural development in the Philippines and beyond.

READ:  STATEMENT ON SESSION 5 ;  STATEMENT ON SESSION 7

Lara Nasreddine

Professor of Nutrition at the American University of Beirut

Since joining AUB in 2007, Dr. Nasreddine has been heavily involved in research, teaching, and community service.  She served as the chairperson of the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences (2014-2016) at AUB, and is currently serving as the co-chair of the Institutional Review Board (Social and Behavioral Sciences). Dr. Nasreddine’s research focuses on dietary assessment and the investigation of diet-disease relationships. She has published more than 125 manuscripts in renowned international journals in addition to several book chapters. In collaboration with the WHO EMRO, she has conducted several systematic reviews aimed at characterizing the nutrition situation and the policy landscape in countries of the region. She has led the development and drafting of food-based dietary guidelines in several countries, conducted national food consumption and early life feeding surveys, and developed various culture-specific nutrition education manuals. She has worked on numerous occasions as a nutrition consultant for the WHO, FAO and UNICEF. She is an adjunct at the Académie d’Agriculture de France (Human Nutrition), and has won the Abdul Hameed Shoman Award for Arab Researchers (2014) and the AUB Board Designated Professorship Award (2022).  

READ: STATEMENT ON SESSION 2

Magdalena Ackermann 

Co-coordinator ad interim of Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples’ Mechanism (CSIPM) Secretariat

Magdalena Ackermann (Argentina) is the co-coordinator ad interim of Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples’ Mechanism (CSIPM) Secretariat. Before joining the CSIPM Secretariat she was the Policy and Advocacy Officer on Food Systems, Nutrition and Agroecology at the Society for International Development (SID) for 5 years. She graduated in Food Science and Technology at the University of Buenos Aires in 2016.”

 READ:   STATEMENT ON SESSION 3;  STATEMENT ON SESSION 9

Maryam Rezaei

Research Fellow - Food Systems, Climate and Sustainability,  ODI Global  

Maryam is a Research Fellow in the Climate and Sustainability team with the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). She provides strategic technical and policy advice and thought leadership to ODI on food systems and food security. She has nearly two decades of experience in sustainable food systems, including policy advice and capacity building in value chain development and rural livelihoods, urban food systems and food loss and waste reduction. Working across sectors in different countries, with governments, the private sector, NGOs and international development organizations, she has managed multi-disciplinary teams, supported inter-governmental processes, and implemented major technical projects and programmes with a focus on building the resilience, inclusion and sustainability of food systems. Prior to joining ODI, Maryam worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome as a food systems programme advisor, and team leader on value chain and agribusiness development at the FAO regional office for the Near East and North Africa in Cairo, Egypt. Maryam has a BSc in food science and technology and a Masters in Food Identity from Ecole Supérieure d'Agricultures d’Angers in France, with a specialization in applying food science and technology for sustainable local food systems development.

 READ:  STATEMENT ON SESSION 10 

Michael Keller

Chair of the International Agri Food Network 

Secretary General of the International Seed Federation

Michael Keller is Secretary General of the International Seed Federation, focusing on its vision of a world where quality seed is accessible to all farmers to support sustainable agriculture and food security. In line with ISF’s mission, Michael is engaged in creating through collaboration an enabling environment for the private seed sector. In 2022 he was elected Chair of the International Agri Food Network which serves as focal point for the Private Sector Mechanism of the UN Committee on Food Security and he is a Champion 12.3 to contribute to inspire ambition, mobilizing action, and accelerating progress toward achieving SDG Target 12.3 by 2030. Through long-standing involvement at national and international levels, he has an extensive knowledge and understanding of cooperation within the private sector and with non-governmental and civil society organisations. His field of expertise spans a wide range of topics including seed, agriculture, food security, Sustainable Development Goals, law, policy and advocacy.  

Michael Windfuhr

Vice Chair of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)

Deputy Director, German Institute for Human Rights

Michael Windfuhr is a member of the CESCR’s Drafting Group on a General Comment on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Sustainable Development and Vice-Chair of the CESCR. Thanks to his dedication and work on the field of social, cultural and economic rights, he has contributed to the effort to set standards for the right to food and was actively involved in the elaboration of the “Voluntary Guidelines on the progressive implementation of the right to adequate food” adopted by the FAO Council in November 2004 and the “Voluntary Guidelines on responsible governance of Tenure of Land, Forests and Fisheries in the context of national food security” adopted by the Committee on World Food Security in May 2012. For his role during negotiations on the Voluntary Guidelines on responsible governance of tenure of land, forests and fisheries, he was awarded the highest honour of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in 2014. Windfuhr holds various advisory roles and board positions in German government and civil society, and has been deputy director of the German Institute for Human Rights (DIM) since 2011. Prior to his work at the Institute, he served as Human Rights Director of Bread for the World, the development organisation of the Protestant Churches in Germany. From 1988 he worked with FIAN International (FoodFirst Information and Action Network), an international human rights organisation focusing on the realisation of the right to adequate food, by representing it at the United Nations Human Rights, becoming the Executive Director and Secretary General of FIAN from 2003 to 2006.  For almost 15 years, Windfuhr had been teaching the Institute of Political Science at the University of Heidelberg. He is also the author of a number of publications mainly in the field of human rights policies with a special focus on economic, social and cultural rights as well as trade and agricultural policies, international relations theory, and international economic and development policies.

Read: The statement by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: The pledge to leave no one behind - the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Patricia Goulart Bustamante

Researcher, Embrapa (Brazil)

Patricia Goulart Bustamante is a Researcher at Embrapa- the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company. The focus of her work is on the local conservation of agrobiodiversity with traditional peoples and communities. She is a member of the Steering Committee of the LANIIT Project: "Latin American Network for the implementation of the International Treaty", financed by the TIRFAA Benefit Sharing Fund. She represents Embrapa on the Management Committee of the Safeguard Plan for the Traditional Agricultural System of Rio Negro. She is responsible for managing the project portfolio in Embrapa's Technology Transfer and Communication area (Macroprogram 4). She participates in the Editorial Committee of the "Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Ethnobiologia e Etnoecologia". She is a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems. Patricia has a degree in Agronomy from the Federal University of Viçosa (1985), a master's degree in Genetics and Breeding from the Federal University of Viçosa (1988), a doctorate in Biochemistry from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2005) and a post-doctorate in Local Heritage from the Institute of Research for Development - IRD France.

Patrick Caron

CGIAR Vice chair and former Chair of the CFS HLPE

Building upon his education in veterinary sciences (doctorate), nutrition (MSc), human health (MSc) and development geography (PhD and HDR), Patrick Caron is a specialist of food systems and territorial dynamics, with specific focus on controversy analysis and multi-scale governance.  He is Director of the Montpellier Advanced Knowledge Institute on Transitions, Chair of Agropolis International, and Vice-Chair of the CGIAR System Board. He joined CIRAD in 1988 where he has been Director-General for research and strategy from 2010 to 2016.  He has organized and chaired many international scientific events.  He is a member of the French Academies of Technology and of Agriculture and Food. He was the Chair of the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) from November 2015 to October 2019. He has been Vice President for International Affairs of the University of Montpellier from January 2019 to March 2023. He is a member of many institutional and inter-institutional bodies. He has been a member of the Scientific Group of the 2021 UN Food System Summit. 

Paul Howe

Director, Feinstein International Center, Tufts University

As director, Paul Howe is responsible for the overall strategy and administration of the Feinstein International Center. A recognized expert on the topic of famine, he brings to his role over 17 years of experience working with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). In his last assignment, he served as WFP Country Director in Nigeria. He previously worked in Afghanistan, Uganda, and Laos and at WFP’s headquarters in Italy. Even while serving as a senior leader in WFP, Paul continued his research and publication activities on the issues of hunger, famine, and the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. Paul received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a master’s degree from Princeton University, and a doctorate from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex. 

Rachid Serraj

High-Level Panel of Expert in Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) of the Committee on Food Security (CFS) at the United Nations

Rachid Serraj is the director of Africa Initiative and Strategy for agriculture, water and climate at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P). Prior to his current position, Serraj was the delivery manager of the Regional Initiative on Small Scale Family Farming and Rural Transformation, in Near East and North Africa, at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). He was also a senior project officer with the Secretariat of the Science Council of the CGIAR. From 2010 to 2012, he was the director of Diversification & Sustainable Intensification of Production Systems (DSIPS) at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). He has an extensive experience in research and development and occupied several positions in various international research centres and organizations such as IRRI, IAEA, ICRISAT. Rachid Serraj holds a PhD in crop science and agronomy from Montpellier University, France. He is an expert in crop physiology, agronomy, precision farming and agri-food systems innovation. He has supervised dozens of PhD and MSc students across Asia and Africa. He is the author of more than 250 publications, several books, international reports, and studies. 

Rajgopal Dashrath Chandra Shekar

Indian National Trade Union Congress-INTUC

Rajgopal Dashrath Chandra Shekar is the General Secretary of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State Branch of INTUC and Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Workers Trade Union Congress-Affiliated to INTUC, which has a paid membership of 9.89 million people. He is involved in the organization of rural and agricultural labor and constitutes the state and district and Mandal and Village committees and conducts training programmes to enhance grassroots leadership on FPRW (through the Dr GSR Institute for Labour Studies and Research-Hyderabad for which Chandra Shekar is the Director). More than 3870 training programmes have been organized since the inception of the Union in 2011 on leadership development and social security, grievance redress methods and occupational health and safety. Additionally, the Union lobbies Governments and elected representatives for the inclusion of agricultural workers and rural workers on the Government's "Agenda for Decent Wages and Decent Employment and Decent Living". In 2019, he was elected Coordinator of Joint Action Committee of Central Trade Unions and Regional Trade Unions of Telangana State. INTUC is the Lead Coordinator for ILO-FPRW at Cotton Fields, which includes 43,569 cotton field workers, small farmers and migrant workers. Through this programme, huge change has been initiated among cotton field works in Telangana State and a Trade Union formed, i.e. Telangana State Cotton Field Workers and Small Farmers and Migrant Workers Trade Union Congress.

 READ:   STATEMENT ON SESSION 10

Rochelle Diver

UN Environmental Treaties Coordinator, International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) 

Indigenous Peoples Major Group 

Rochelle Diver, Anishinaabe, is a citizen of Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, an Indigenous Nation in Northern Minnesota. The Anishinaabe are water bearers, freshwater fishers, small-scale farmers, hunters and the traditional stewards of the Great Lakes of the US and Canada. She will attend the EGM on SDG-2 as a representative of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group on Sustainable Development where she serves on the Global Coordinating Committee as the Focal Point for North America. Rochelle is also the UN Environmental Treaties Coordinator at the International Indian Treaty Council where her work focuses on the interconnectedness between food sovereignty, environmental toxics and the holistic health of Indigenous women and future generations. 

Shenggen Fan

Chair Professor and Dean of Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy, China Agricultural University 

Shenggen Fan has extensive experience in developing strong connections at the highest levels with a wide range of influential stakeholders, and has engaged widely on issues related to agriculture, food, health, climate change, natural resource management and information technologies. He is currently Chair Professor at the College of Economics and Management at China Agricultural University in Beijing. He is a member of the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition; the Advisory Council of the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford; the Board of the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture; and the Council of Advisers of the World Food Prize. He also serves as a member of the Lead Group for the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement appointed by the UN Secretary General. He previously spent over 20 years with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), including as Director General for the ten-year period until his departure in December 2019. His previous roles within IFPRI included several years as Division Director of Development Strategy and Governance, and prior to that, as a Research Fellow. His earlier professional experience also includes time as a Research Economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at the University of Arkansas and as a Post-doctoral Fellow and Associate Research Officer at the International Service for National Agricultural Research in the Netherlands. He holds a PhD in Applied Economics and an MSc in Agricultural Economics. 

Sheryl L Hendriks

Professor of Food Security and Director of the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Greenwich, UK

Professor Hendriks is an internationally recognised transdisciplinary researcher focusing on food security and food systems. She has extensive experience in the design of policy frameworks, policy analysis and programme design. Her research focuses on food security policy analysis at the national and global levels. She is actively engaged in global food security policy think tanks and panels. Some of these engagements have included serving on the United Nations Food Systems Summit Scientific Group and being an active member of the Malabo-Montpellier Panel advising African governments on public policy choices. She led the drafting of the Inter-Academy Partnership’s consensus report on Food and Nutrition and Agriculture report and was a member of the team drafting the global synthesis report on this topic. This work led to her appointment as a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa in 2020. 

Silvia Caprara

Representative, World Farmers Organization (WFO)

Silvia Caprara, born in 1996, grew up on her family winery in the countryside of Verona, Italy. In 2020 she obtained a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano and then decided to come back to work with the family. In 2023 she attended the high-level capacity building programme called Gymnasium of the World Farmers’ Organisation, aimed at training young farmers to make them become future leaders in the agricultural sector. As a representative of WFO she attended the World Food Forum at FAO in October 2023 and then UAE-COP28 in December 2023.

Simon Barquera Cervera

Director of the Centre of Research in Nutrition and Health, National Institute of Public Health, Mexico

Simon Barquera is a MD with a PhD from Tufts University in Boston, USA. He is a member of the Mexican National Academy of Medicine, Mexican National Academy of Sciences and author of more than 364 scientific publications. He has participated in the development and evaluation of policies for obesity and NCD prevention and control, for which he has been recognized with the 18 Martinson Lectureship (University of Minnesota, 2018), the Michael and Susan Dell Lectureship in child health (2017), the Tufts University Nutrition Impact Award (2016), the Soper award for excellence in health literature (Pan American Health Organization, 2003) and the "Dr. Gerardo Varela" public Health Merit Award (Government of Mexico, 2020). He currently serves as Director of the Center for Research in Nutrition and Health of the National Institute of Public Health and recently he became president elect of the World Obesity Federation.

 READ: STATEMENT ON SESSION 2;  STATEMENT ON SESSION 8

Sophie Aylmer

Head of Policy for Farm Animals & Nutrition, Four Paws

NGO Major Group

Sophie Aylmer is the Head of Policy for Farm Animals and Nutrition at FOUR PAWS, the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence. Sophie has specialised in the interlinkages between health, sustainable development, agrifood systems and climate policy over the past 13 years. Having started her career in the UK in grassroots advocacy, she has drafted, advised, and negotiated public policy and legislation for national government and the European Union, and now focuses on UN policymaking, but always advocating for a world where the environment and all animals and people are protected. 

 READ:  STATEMENT ON SESSION 5

Moderators

Maria Helena Semedo

Deputy Director General, FAO

Semedo is an economist and politician from Cape Verde. A leading expert in global development issues, she has worked in public service for over thirty years. Over the last decade, FAO has helped shape a new global narrative where agriculture is prominently recognized as a solution in addressing increasingly complex emerging issues – from transforming food systems to dealing with climate change. Leading to deliver, Semedo promotes an integrated, inclusive approach, resulting in greater cross-sectoral engagement and stronger strategic partnerships, better positioning FAO in its role to promote a transition to sustainable food and agriculture systems. As part of the FAO Core Leadership Team, Semedo works to develop impactful initiatives such as the FAO Green Cities Action Programme and the corporate strategy for mainstreaming biodiversity across agricultural sectors, fostering multi-stakeholder dialogues that optimize the Organization’s 75 years of technical expertise and experience, its global reach and innovative approaches, all contributing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

David Laborde

Director, Agrifood Economics Division, FAO 

David Laborde is the Division Director for the FAO Agrifood Economics Division (ESA), which focuses on economic research and policy analysis for more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems. He previously worked at IFPRI in Washington, DC, as a Senior Research Fellow specializing in trade, globalization, and environmental issues. He contributed to databases like MAcMapHS6 and ADEPTA on tariffs, and developed models like MIRAGE and MIRAGRODEP for trade policy and environmental concerns. He's been recognized with distinctions like the GTAP research fellow and the Alan A. Powell Award. Dr. Laborde's expertise extends to costing the roadmap to achieving SDG2 in a globalized context, and he's actively engaged in training sessions for researchers and policymakers in developing countries.

Throughout his professional career, Mauro acquired solid skills in the development and implementation of nutrition programmes, addressing the triple burden of malnutrition. He has experience working in the field, as a project manager, as well providing technical support, as a nutrition specialist. He has a master’s degree in public health and medical anthropology, a university diploma in nutritional epidemiology and he attended specific training courses in management. My background and experience in public health, medical anthropology and nutrition provides me with a multidimensional understanding of nutrition, including its biomedical, socio-economic and cultural determinants. He is currently coleading UNICEF agenda on transforming food systems for children. He supports UNICEF work in improving children foods, food policies and food practices. He is part of the UNICEF Headquarters team and he works in close collaboration with regional and country offices a wide range of partners and allies. 

Ron Hartman

Director for Global Engagement, Partnerships and Resource Mobilization, IFAD

Hartman is responsible for leading IFAD's global engagement and multilateral relations including with the private sector; south-south and triangular cooperation, resource mobilization and funds management. Prior to his current position, Hartman served as IFAD Country Director and Representative at its South East Asia and the Pacific sub-regional office in Jakarta. With over 25 years of professional experience, including over 18 years with the United Nations, Hartman has acquired an extensive managerial and operational experience in over 25 countries. He has specialized knowledge in promoting sustainable socio-economic development and poverty reduction, public policy and partnerships. In 2011, Hartman was awarded the IFAD Presidential Award for outstanding performance.

Corinna Hawkes is a specialist in food systems. Between 2016 and 2023 she was Director, Centre for Food Policy at City, University of London. She is also co-founder of the Next Gen(D)eration Leadership Collective. She has worked with international agencies, governments, NGOs, think tanks and universities at the international level, as well as nationally and locally in the UK, United States and Brazil. A regular advisor to governments, international agencies and NGOs, her specialism is the role of food systems policies in what we eat and how they can be levered for positive impact. 

Kent Nnadozie

Secretary, FAO International trade on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

A lawyer by training, Mr Nnadozie holds a Doctor of Civil Law (PhD) degree from the McGill University, Montreal, Canada with a focus on the international relations and international legal issues regarding genetic resources. Mr Nnadozie also has a Master degree in Business Administration (MBA) and Bachelor of Law Degree. During the last 15 years, he has had extensive experience working for the United Nations FAO, on legal and policy matters and intergovernmental processes, with both the International Treaty and the Commission for Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, overseeing various policy and technical areas, and promoting closer cooperation and synergies with other international organizations. Before joining FAO, Mr Nnadozie has been in private legal practice, academic research and consulted for various international organisations, governments, non-governmental organizations and other institutions on environmental and natural resources law, as well as policy and legal issues in agriculture.

Rebecca Vetharaniam Richards assumed her duties as Chief, Emergencies & Transitions at the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in January 2018, responsible for strategy and partnership development across WFP’s evolving work in Humanitarian, Development and Peace spheres. Rebecca also oversees the Peace and Conflict Office which is focused on growing the organisations past, current and future contribution to ‘peace’. Rebecca brings twenty years of experience with the United Nations in the fields of political affairs, peacekeeping, emergency response coordination, humanitarian-development reform and policy, having served in various roles in in the field, regional and global levels with WFP, OCHA, Office of the Director General of the United Nations in Geneva and the Office of the Special Representative for the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Afghanistan. 

 

Lauren M. Phillips

Deputy Director of Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division, FAO 

Lauren M. Phillips is a political economist and currently Deputy Director for the Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Prior to joining FAO in 2021, she worked in a variety of policy, strategy and advisory roles at International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) from 2015–2021. Lauren has also worked in academia, think tanks and the private sector. She holds a PhD in international political economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and master and bachelor degrees from Stanford University. 

 

Kaveh Zahedi

Director, FAO Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment 

Mr. Kaveh Zahedi is responsible for coordinating FAO’s work and strategies on climate change, biodiversity, and environment, including through partnerships with the Conventions. He also oversees FAO’s Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund portfolios, as well as the Commission on Genetic Resources, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Globally important Agricultural Heritage Systems. From 2016 to 2023 Mr. Zahedi served as Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in Bangkok, overseeing its programmes on environment, climate change, natural disasters, finance, energy, trade, transport, social development, and statistics, all in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. From 1995 to 2016 he worked at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Kenya, Mexico, UK, France and Thailand. Mr. Zahedi started his career at a non-governmental organization where he was responsible for agricultural credit and micro finance projects in Latin America and the Middle East.

Mr. Dejene Tezera is Managing Director/OiC, SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation at UNIDO. He worked as researcher in the Agro-Technology Research Institute, a team leader of agro-industry program, Chief Technical Advisor for UNIDO and FAO program. His work consists of coordinating technical cooperation programs for sustainable agro-food value chains and Food Systems, skills development, sector strategies and providing advisory support in agribusiness development. He has more than 30 years of experience in development sustainable agriculture and food systems. 

Jesse Wood

Chief of Humanitarian Policy and Practice in WFP’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Service

This Service is responsible for establishing the normative frameworks and operational standards for humanitarian response and peace & conflict programming in WFP. Jesse was previously WFP Deputy Head of Programme in South Sudan and, before that, held positions in the WFP’s Regional Bureau for East and Central Africa and HQ. Before joining WFP Jesse worked for the Canadian Government on UN Reform, Multilateral Development Financing, and Indigenous Relations

Jyotsna Puri leads the organizations strategy work in IFAD’s key areas targeting agriculture, climate, gender, nutrition, youth and social inclusion. Puri provides the vision for evidence-informed advice on program designs and implementation, contributing to resource mobilization, and supporting IFAD’s global remit in providing state-of the art policy advice related to these topics. Puri has worked previously at the Green Climate Fund, 3ie, UNEP, the World Bank and UNDP. She is also adjunct associate professor at Columbia University, New York where she was also a research scientist. She has published in many academic journals and written for newspapers and provided advice as a board member to several development organizations. In 2019, Puri was selected one of 16 women who have shown leadership in restoring the earth through their efforts, by the Global Landscape Forum. She holds a PhD and MSc in Agriculture and Resource Economics and an MA in Development Economics. 

Astra Bonini

Chief of the Integrated Policy Analysis Branch with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) in the Division for Sustainable Development Goals

Her team works to ensure a sound evidence-base for policy recommendations to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals including through substantive support to the Global Sustainable Development Report and the High-level Political Forum for Sustainable Development. Prior to this role, Astra was a senior researcher with the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme and a Research Scholar with the Committee on Global Thought at Columbia University. Astra earned her PhD in sociology from the Johns Hopkins University and has a Master of International Affairs Degree from Columbia University as well as a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

Fatouma Seid

Deputy Director, Division on Partnerships and UN Collaboration, FAO

Stefanos Fotiou

Director, FAO Office of SDGs

Stefanos Fotiou is an accomplished expert on sustainable development currently serving as Director, Office of Sustainable Development Goals in FAO; under this capacity he is also serving as Director of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub. Prior to joining FAO, Stefanos served 16 years in the UN Secretariat, including 6 years as Director in the Environment and Development Division of the UNESCAP as well as 10 years in the UNEP. Before joining the UN, he had worked for the private sector and academia on issues of regional sustainable development. Throughout his career, Stefanos has taken leading roles in serving international UN fora and platforms, has conceptualised and led the development of regional and national strategies on sustainable development and his work has been published and referenced. He holds a PhD in Natural Resource Economics, a Master of Science in Forestry and Natural Environment and a Master of Science in Information Systems.

EGM ON SDG 2: DRAFT CONCEPT NOTE (AS OF 31 JAN).

EGM ON SDG 2: SUMMARY AGENDA

EGM on SDG 2: Detailed Agenda

H.E. Ambassador Paula Narváez, President of the Economic and Social Council
Message to participants of the Expert Group Meeting on SDG 2

Statements Submitted by Experts

Ms. Lara Nasreddine, Professor of Nutrition at the American University of Beirut

Statement on Session 2: SDG 2 Target 2.2 - End all Forms of Malnutrition

Mr. Amos Laar, Professor of Public Health Nutrition, University of Ghana School of Public Health, Accra, Ghana

Statement on Session 2: SDG 2 Target 2.2 - End all Forms of Malnutrition

Mr. Simon Barquera Cervera, Director of the Centre of Research in Nutrition and Health, National Institute of Public Health, Mexico

Statement on Session 2: SDG 2 Target 2.2 - End all Forms of Malnutrition

Statement on Session 8: People

Ms. Magdalena Ackermann, Co-coordinator ad interim of Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples’ Mechanism (CSIPM) Secretariat

Statement on Session 3: SDG 2 Target 2.3- Double Agricultural Productivity and incomes of small-scale producers

Statement on Session 9: Planet

Ms. Becca B.R. Jablonski, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University
Statement on Session 4: SDG 2 Target 2.4 - Ensure Sustainable Food Production Systems

Ms. Juliette Tronchon, Head of UN Affairs, ProVeg International

Statement on Session 4: SDG 2 Target 2.4 - Ensure Sustainable Food Production Systems

Ms. Elizabeth Nsimadala, President of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation, Board of World Farmers Organisation and of the Pan Africa Farmers Organization (PAFO)

Statement on Session 4: SDG 2 Target 2.4 - Ensure Sustainable Food Production Systems

Ms. Justine Lynn Limocon, Young Farmer' Representative, Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development

Statement on Session 5: SDG 2 Target 2.5 - Maintain Genetic Diversity

Statement on Session 7: Tackling underlying causes and drivers of stagnated or reversed progress towards SDG 2 in a world of recurring crises

Ms. Sophie Aylmer, Head of Policy for Farm Animals & Nutrition, Four Paws & NGO Major Group

Statement on Session 5: SDG 2 Target 2.5 - Maintain Genetic Diversity

 

 

 

 
Mr. Jean-François Soussana, Vice-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAC) of the UN Food System Coordination Hub / National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, France

Statement on Session 7: Tackling Underlying Causes and Drivers of Stagnated or Reversed Progress Towards SDG 2 in a World with Recurring Crises

Statement on Session 9: Planet

Ms. Charlotte Dreger, Policy and Advocacy Officer for Sustainable Food Systems, FIAN International Secretariat 

Statement on Session 8: People

Mr. Jean-Luc Chotte, Research Director, IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement), France

Statement on Session 9: Planet

Mr. Brian Kawuma, Powering Agriculture Director, Power for All

Statement on Session 10: Prosperity

Ms. Jane Battersby, Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental and Geographical Science at the University of Cape Town

Statement on Session 10: Prosperity

Ms. Maryam Rezaei, Research Fellow - Food Systems, Climate and Sustainability,  ODI Global 

Statement on Session 10: Prosperity

Mr. Rajgopal Dashrath Chandra Shekar, General Secretary of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State Branch of INTUC and Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Workers Trade Union Congress 

Statement  on Session 10: Prosperity

Ms. Andrea Galante, Senior Policy Advisor for Food Security and Nutrition, Advocacy & External Engagement, World Vision International

Statement on Session 14: Partnerships and Collaboration