Berhanu AbegazExecutive Director, African Academy of Sciences
Prof Berhanu Abegaz is the Executive Director of the African Academy of Sciences, a position he has held since 2011. Previously, he was Professor of chemistry of the University of Botswana for 17 years (1994-2011) and Addis Ababa University for 21 years (1973-1994). Abegaz has contributed to the rapid growth... [ View ] |
His Excellency Dr. Akinwumi A. AdesinaPresident, African Development Bank Group
Akinwumi A. Adesina is the 8th elected President of the African Development Bank Group. A distinguished development economist and agricultural development expert with 25 years of international experience, Adesina served as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development from 2011 to 2015, during which time he implemented bold policy reforms... [ View ] |
Maria Andrade2016 World Food Prize Laureate
Maria Andrade, Senior Sweet potato Breeder for SSA & Asia from the International Potato Center, is recognized as a 2016 World Food Prize laureate for her research in breeding disease-resistant, drought-tolerant, high yielding varieties of orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) has countered the devastating effects of Vitamin A deficiency, diarrhea, immune... [ View ] |
Her Excellency Dr. Joyce BandaFormer President of the Republic of Malawi and Founder of the Joyce Banda Foundation
An entrepreneur, activist, politician and a philanthropist, Her Excellency President Joyce Banda is the Former President of the Republic of Malawi having ruled from 2012 -2014. She founded the Joyce Banda Foundation International, which seeks to transform villages through its 5 pillars namely; Women’s Income, Education, Maternal Health/HIV/AIDS, Leadership, and... [ View ] |
Howarth Bouis2016 World Food Prize Laureate
Dr. Howarth Bouis, 2016 World Food Prize laureate, is the founder of HarvestPlus (within the International Food Policy Research Institute – IFPRI), a global multi-sector, multidisciplinary effort to improve nutrition and public health through crop biofortification. Dr. Bouis pioneered the implementation of a multi-institutional approach to biofortification as a global... [ View ] |
John BryantChairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Kellogg Company
John Bryant is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Kellogg Company. Mr. Bryant joined Kellogg in 1998 and has held a variety of roles including Chief Financial Officer; President, North America; President, International; and Chief Operating Officer before becoming Chief Executive Officer in January 2011. He has... [ View ] |
Ambassador William J. BurnsPresident, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Bill Burns is president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the oldest international affairs think tank in the United States. Ambassador Burns retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2014 after a thirty-three-year diplomatic career. He holds the highest rank in the Foreign Service, career ambassador, and is only... [ View ] |
Jose CardenasSenior Director, Elanco Operations, Latin America
Jose Cardenas is currently the Sr. Director – Elanco Operations for Latin America at Elanco Animal Health, a Division of Eli Lilly and Company. He began his career at Elanco in 1990 as a chemist and transitioned to sales and marketing in 1995. He has held various roles in the... [ View ] |
Margaret Catley-CarlsonVice Chair, Canada Water Network; Chair ICIMOD Policy Advisory Group (Nepal)
Margaret Catley-Carlson operates within Boards of Organizations focused on improved water resource management and agricultural productivity and rural development serving with 20+ in the last decades, and is now PAC Chair of the International Commission on Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Vice Chair Canadian Water Network Board member Syngenta Foundation for... [ View ] |
Ambassador Wendy J. ChamberlinPresident, The Middle East Institute
Wendy Chamberlin has been president of the Middle East Institute since 2007. Previously, as deputy high commissioner for refugees from 2004 to 2007, she supervised the administration of the U.N. humanitarian organization. A 29-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service, she was ambassador to Pakistan from 2001 to 2002, when... [ View ] |
Dominique CharronDirector, Agriculture and Environment, International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
As Director of IDRC’s Agriculture and Environment program, Dominique Charron oversees research that seeks innovative, evidence-based solutions to help people face the world’s toughest development and environmental challenges: poor agricultural productivity; food insecurity and malnutrition; chronic and infectious diseases; and, risks to lives and livelihoods from a changing climate. In... [ View ] |
W. Ronnie CoffmanInternational Professor of Plant Breeding and Director of International Programs, Cornell University
W. Ronnie Coffman serves as International Professor of Plant Breeding and Director of International Programs of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. He also serves as Principal Investigator of the Agricultural Innovation Partnership, the Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat project, Driving Genetic Gains... [ View ] |
James C. Collins, Jr.Executive Vice President, DuPont
James C. Collins, Jr. is executive vice president with responsibility for the DuPont Agriculture segment: DuPont Pioneer and Crop Protection. After the completion of the proposed merger of equals between DuPont and Dow, Mr. Collins will become the chief operating officer for the DowDuPont agriculture business. He currently serves on... [ View ] |
Liam CondonMember of the Board of Management of Bayer AG / President Crop Science
Liam Condon has been a member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and head of the Crop Science Division, headquartered in Monheim, Germany, since January 1, 2016. He is also responsible for the Animal Health Business Unit. Condon was born in Dublin, Ireland, on February 27, 1968. He studied... [ View ] |
Sir Gordon ConwayProfessor of International Development, Imperial College London
Gordon Conway is a pioneer of sustainable agriculture, developing integrated pest management programs for the State of Sabah in Malaysia. He joined Imperial College in 1970 setting up the Centre for Environmental Technology in 1976. In the 1970s and 1980s he lived and worked extensively in Asia and the Middle... [ View ] |
Abmassador Ryan C. CrockerCareer Ambassador, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, Lebanon
In August 2016, Ryan Crocker stepped down as Dean at the George Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University where he had served from 2010-2011 and 2013-2016. He retired from the Foreign Service in April 2009 after a career of over 37 years but was recalled... [ View ] |
Fatima DentonDirector, Special Initiatives Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN ECA)
Fatima Denton is the Director for the Special Initiatives Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). She previously led the International Development Research Centre's (IDRC) research on adaptation strategies. She joined IDRC in 2006 after working as a senior energy planner with the United Nations Environment Program... [ View ] |
Beth DunfordAssistant to the Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development, Bureau for Food Security
Beth Dunford is the Assistant to the Administrator in the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Bureau for Food Security, as well as the Deputy Coordinator for Development for Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative. In this dual role, she coordinates implementation of Feed... [ View ] |
Gebisa Ejeta2009 World Food Prize Laureate
Dr. Gebisa Ejeta is a Distinguished Professor of Agronomy at Purdue University. He received the 2009 World Food Prize for his sorghum hybrids that are resistant to drought and the devastating weed, Striga. His work dramatically increased the production and availability of the food supply for hundreds of millions of... [ View ] |
Jeffrey M. EttingerChairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Hormel Foods
Jeffrey M. Ettinger is chairman of the board and chief executive officer (CEO) at Hormel Foods. Under Ettinger’s leadership, Hormel Foods has grown through strategic acquisitions and a continued focus on new product innovation. In 2016, Ettinger was named one of the World’s Best CEOs by Barron’s and in 2012... [ View ] |
Robert T. Fraley2013 World Food Prize Laureate
Dr. Robert Fraley is executive vice president and chief technology officer at Monsanto. He has been with the company for more than 30 years, and currently oversees the company’s global technology division which includes plant breeding, plant biotechnology, ag biologicals, ag microbials, precision agriculture and crop protection. Dr. Fraley is... [ View ] |
Prof. Dr. Ir. Louise O. FrescoPresident, Wageningen University and Research
Louise Fresco is president of Wageningen University and Research Centre, one of the leading research Institutes worldwide in the field of Food, Agriculture and Life Sciences. She served as Assistant Director-General for Food and Agriculture of the UN’s FAO in Rome, conducted field work in over 50 developing countries, served... [ View ] |
Pietro GennariChief Statistician & Director, Statistics Division, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
Pietro Gennari is the Chief Statistician and the Director of the Statistics Division of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN. He coordinates the FAO statistical system by ensuring the corporate implementation of international statistical standards and best practices. Currently he is also the Chair of the Chief Statisticians of... [ View ] |
Bram Govaerts2014 Recipient-Borlaug Award for Field Research & Application, Endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation
Dr. Bram Govaerts works at the Global Conservation Agricultural Program at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), in Mexico. He was awarded the Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application for his work developing leading-edge, sustainable programs that are transforming subsistence agriculture and unsustainable farming systems in... [ View ] |
Her Excellency Ameenah Gurib-FakimPresident, Republic of Mauritius
In 2015, Dr (Mrs) Gurib-Fakim was sworn in as the 6th President and the First Female President of the Republic of Mauritius. She has participated in several consultation meetings on environmental issues organized by international organizations such as the World Bank, SIDA, CIDA, EU and UN amongst others. Between 2011... [ View ] |
Lawrence HaddadSenior Research Fellow, Co-Chair of the Global Nutrition Report, International Food Policy Research
Lawrence Haddad is a Senior Research Fellow in the International Food Policy Research Institute’s Poverty Health and Nutrition Division. He was the Director of the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex from 2004 to 2014. Prior to that, he was a Division Director at IFPRI and a Lecturer in Development Economics... [ View ] |
The Honorable Patricia M. HaslachPrincipal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic & Business Affairs, US Department of State
Patricia M. Haslach has served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the Department of State since September 2016. She served as Ambassador to Ethiopia from August 2013 to September 2016, and prior to this as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Department... [ View ] |
Emily J. HogueDivision Chief, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning, Bureau for Food Security, USAID
Emily Hogue is the Division Chief, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning, Bureau for Food Security, USAID, where she oversees accountability and learning efforts for the Feed the Future initiative. Prior to USAID, Emily worked in the academic sector, conducting research on agricultural and economic development programs in Andean communities, women in... [ View ] |
Dr. Jim Yong KimPresident, World Bank Group
Jim Yong Kim, M.D., Ph.D. is the 12th president of the World Bank Group. Soon after he assumed his position in July 2012, the organization established goals to end extreme poverty by 2030 and to boost shared prosperity for the poorest 40 percent of the population in developing countries. Kim’s... [ View ] |
Randal J. KirkChairman and Chief Executive Officer, Intrexon
Mr. Kirk was named Chairman of Intrexon in February 2008 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in April 2009. Mr. Kirk also serves on the Board of Directors of Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc., as well as the Board of Directors of ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. In addition, Mr. Kirk is Senior Managing... [ View ] |
Martin KropffDirector General, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
Martin Kropff joined the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in 2015 from Wageningen University and Research Center (Wageningen UR) in the Netherlands, where he was president and vice chairman of the executive board for almost 10 years. He earned undergraduate degrees in biology at Utrecht University in the... [ View ] |
Steven LeathPresident, Iowa State University
Dr. Steven Leath became the 15th president of Iowa State University in January 2012. His dynamic agenda is raising the university’s profile as one of the top land-grant and AAU institutions in the country. Dr. Leath has led Iowa State to new records in enrollment, diversity, research funding, and fundraising,... [ View ] |
Josette LewisAssociate Director, World Food Center, University of California, Davis
Dr. Lewis joined UC Davis in 2013 as Associate Director of the World Food Center. Prior to the World Food Center, she worked in international business development with Arcadia Biosciences. Before Arcadia, Dr. Lewis spent 16 years at the US Agency for International Development, in a variety of areas of... [ View ] |
Jan Low2016 World Food Prize Laureate
Jan Low, 2016 World Food Prize laureate, has focused her career on integrating nutritional concerns into agricultural programs. Currently a principal scientist based at the International Potato Center’s regional office, Dr. Low has spearheaded research to build the evidence base demonstrating the nutritional impact of utilizing pro-vitamin A rich orange-fleshed... [ View ] |
Monica Joshua MaigariFemale Food Hero, Oxfam Nigeria
Monica Joshua Maigari is a farmer and a primary school teacher from Madakiya, Nigeria. In 2014, Maigari was nominated for the Oxfam Female Food Heroine Nigeria #OgbongeWoman award and was a finalist out of 1,280 nominations. Maigari was noted for her entrepreneurial skills and leadership qualities. Since receiving this award,... [ View ] |
M. Peter McPhersonPresident, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
Peter McPherson is president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (A٠P٠L٠U). He is the Co-chair of the Board of the Directors for the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa and is the Chair of the Project Advisory Committee (PAC) of HarvestPlus. He was president of Michigan... [ View ] |
Marie Chantal MessierSenior Manager – Public Affairs, Nestlé S. A.
Marie Chantal works as Senior Public Affairs Manager at Nestlé S.A. where she manages global corporate issues in relation with creating shared value through tackling undernutrition and the responsible marketing of food products, notably for mothers and young children. With a distinct profile that combines business skills and international expertise in... [ View ] |
Cynthia Hardin MilliganDean Emeritus, College of Business Administration,Univ. Nebraska-Lincoln, Wood Stieper Capital Group
Cynthia Hardin Milligan is Dean Emeritus of the College of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and President and CEO of Wood Stieper Capital Group. She serves of the boards of directors of the Kellogg Company, Wells Fargo and Company, Gallup, Calvert Funds, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Ms.... [ View ] |
Elizabeth MitchamDirector, Horticulture Innovation Lab, University of California, Davis
Dr. Elizabeth Mitcham is the Director of the Horticulture Innovation Lab, a USAID funded program managed by the University of California, Davis, focused on reducing poverty and improving nutrition by enhancing the sustainability and profitability of smallholder farmers through horticulture since 2009. The Horticulture Innovation Lab’s program is active in... [ View ] |
Andrew Mude2016 Recipient-Borlaug Award for Field Research & Application, Endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation
Andrew Mude is a senior economist at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Nairobi, Kenya, where he leads the Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) program. Developed and led by Dr. Mude, IBLI provides insurance for never-before-insured communities that depend upon herding cattle, goats, sheep, and camels in the remote, arid... [ View ] |
Charity Mutegi2013 Recipient-Borlaug Award for Field Research & Application, Endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation
Charity Mutegi is the East Africa Aflasafe Coordinator for the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Dr. Mutegi was named the 2013 recipient of the Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation, in recognition for her efforts in extending the highly effective aflatoxin biocontrol... [ View ] |
Robert Mwanga2016 World Food Prize Laureate
Dr. Robert Mwanga, 2016 World Food Prize laureate, has over 30 years of experience working with research and development teams. In Uganda, he led collaborative multiple-trait improvement of sweetpotato, breeding for increased provitamin A-rich orange-fleshed cultivars to alleviate vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) under the Vitamin A... [ View ] |
Jemimah NjukiSenior Program Specialist, International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Jemimah Njuki is a Senior Program Specialist at Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) where she oversees a portfolio of agriculture and food security projects focused on reducing post-harvest losses, improving nutrition and engaging women and youth in agribusiness, as well as overseeing gender integration and a focus on women... [ View ] |
Hon. Prof. Ruth Oniang'oProfessor of Food Science and Nutrition, Rural Outreach Africa
Ruth Oniang'o has been Chair of Boards of Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) and Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education (SAFE). She also sits on CABI Board in the United Kingdom. She is Professor of Food and Nutritional Sciences, received her BSc and MSc at Washington State University, Pullman USA and... [ View ] |
Eric B. Pohlman2015 Recipient-Borlaug Award for Field Research & Application, Endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation
Eric B. Pohlman is the 2015 recipient of the “Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application by the Rockefeller Foundation.” Mr. Pohlman is the co-founder and Rwanda Country Director and Senior Partner of the One Acre Fund which in six years has grown to 1,000 field-based staff and 130,000... [ View ] |
Benjamin J. PrattVice President, Corporate Public Affairs, The Mosaic Company
Ben Pratt is Vice President, Corporate Public Affairs at The Mosaic Company, the world’s largest producer of phosphate and potash fertilizers. Ben leads internal, executive, investor, media and crisis communications, as well as the company’s community investment activities and its sustainability reporting. Prior to joining Mosaic in February 2012, Ben... [ View ] |
Ambassador Kenneth M. QuinnPresident, The World Food Prize Foundation
On January 1, 2000, Kenneth M. Quinn assumed the presidency of the World Food Prize Foundation in Des Moines, Iowa, following a 32-year career as an American diplomat which focused significantly on refugee and humanitarian relief efforts and culminated with his service as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia.... [ View ] |
Jeff RaikesCo-founder, Raikes Foundation
Jeff Raikes is the co-founder of the Raikes Foundation, which he and his wife, Tricia, established in 2002. Jeff retired from his role as chief executive officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2014, having guided the global organization through more than five years of significant growth. He... [ View ] |
Judith RodinPresident, The Rockefeller Foundation
Judith Rodin is president of The Rockefeller Foundation, one of the world’s leading philanthropic organizations. She was previously president of the University of Pennsylvania, and provost of Yale University. Since joining the Foundation in 2005, Dr. Rodin has recalibrated its focus to meet the challenges of the 21st century and... [ View ] |
Paul E. SchicklerPresident, DuPont Pioneer
Paul E. Schickler is president of DuPont Pioneer, the advanced seed genetics business of DuPont. As president, he has continued to expand Pioneer’s global business by remaining focused on innovation that improves local productivity and profitability of farmers in more than 90 countries. Schickler serves as Board Chair of Grand... [ View ] |
Rod SchoonoverDirector of Environment and Natural Resources, National Intelligence Council
Rod Schoonover is the Director of Environment and Natural Resources for the National Intelligence Council (NIC) in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, where he oversees the intelligence community’s analytic program on the national security implications of environmental change. His specialties are climate change, water security, food security,... [ View ] |
The Honorable Josette SheeranPresident and CEO, Asia Society
Josette Sheeran is President and CEO of Asia Society, leading the organization’s work throughout the U.S. and Asia, across the arts, culture, policy, business, and education. In 2006, United Nations Secretary- General Kofi Annan appointed Sheeran executive director of the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP). A member of the Council... [ View ] |
Lindiwe Majele SibandaChief Executive Officer and Head of Mission, Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis
Lindiwe Majele Sibanda has over 25 years of trans-disciplinary experience in rural development, public sector reforms and private sector management. She is a trained animal scientist, an authoritative leader in agriculture climate change and nutrition, and a trained professional dialogue facilitator for multi-cultural groups. Since 2004, she has held the... [ View ] |
Santiago del SolarFarmer, Argentina
Santiago del Solar Dorrego is a sixth generation family farmer from Argentina, where he plants soybeans, barley, wheat, sunflower, maize and also raises dairy cattle. The family operation began in the 1830’s and started with ranching. Today it has evolved to a high-technology precision operation with a range of crops... [ View ] |
Mahmoud SolhDirector General, International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA)
Dr. Mahmoud Solh, Director General of ICARDA, has been associated with international agricultural research and development in the dry areas since 1972 when he joined the Arid Land Agricultural Development (ALAD) Program of the Ford Foundation in the Near East, ICARDA’s predecessor. He was Director of Plant Production and Protection... [ View ] |
Vanessa Stiffler-ClausDirector, International Affairs, John Deere
Vanessa Stiffler-Claus is Director, International Affairs for John Deere. In this capacity, she directs the company’s political engagement and advocacy in all regions outside of the United States. In addition, she leads John Deere’s Global Public Affairs Council, and manages the company’s international trade and regulatory policy and business-government development... [ View ] |
MS Swaminathan1987 World Food Prize Laureate
M.S. Swaminathan was named the first World Food Prize Laureate in 1987 for developing and spearheading the introduction of high-yielding wheat and rice varieties into India during the 1960s when that country faced the prospect of widespread famine. Wheat production doubled in just a few years, making the country self-sufficient... [ View ] |
Gregory F. TrevertonChairman, National Intelligence Council
Dr. Treverton entered on duty as Chairman of the National Intelligence Council on September 8, 2014. Prior to his selection, Treverton held several leadership positions at RAND Corporation, including director of the RAND Center for Global Risk and Security, director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center, and associate... [ View ] |
Ponsi TrivisvavetPresident, Syngenta Seeds, LLC
Ponsi Trivisvavet is President of Syngenta Seeds and leads operations of Syngenta in North America. Her focus is on providing new technologies and a portfolio of products to help farmers increase their crop productivity with emphasis on farmer ‘return on investment’. She drives inventive marketing approaches to reach a broad... [ View ] |
Secretary Thomas J. VilsackTom Vilsack serves as the Nation's 30th Secretary of Agriculture. As leader of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Vilsack is working hard to strengthen the American agricultural economy, build vibrant rural communities and create new markets for the tremendous innovation of rural America. In more than six years at the... [ View ] |
Juergen VoegeleSenior Director, Agriculture Global Practice, The World Bank Group
Juergen Voegele, a German national, was appointed Senior Director of the Agriculture Global Practice on May 29, 2014. Previously, he was Sector Manager for Agriculture in the Bank’s Europe and Central Asia region, a role he assumed following an assignment in Beijing as Principal Agricultural Specialist and Rural Sector Coordinator.... [ View ] |
Rodger VoorhiesDirector, Ag Development, Financial Services for the Poor, and WASH, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Rodger Voorhies is Managing Director of the Agricultural Development, Financial Services for the Poor, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene teams within the Global Development Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In this role, Rodger leads the foundation’s efforts to alleviate hunger and poverty for millions of farming families... [ View ] |
Randy WoodsonChancellor , North Carolina State University
Dr. Randy Woodson, the 14th chancellor of North Carolina State University, is an internationally renowned plant molecular biologist specializing in reproductive processes in agricultural crops. Under his leadership, NC State has built upon its reputation as a preeminent research institution and has witnessed many transformative changes – The opening of... [ View ] |
