Dr. Victor Villalobos Arambula
Public official, expert in Agronomy, Genetic Resources, and Biotechnology
Dr. Victor Villalobos Arambula holds a Master of Science in Agricultural Engineering from Mexico’s National School of Agriculture (ENA) and a Master of Science in Agricultural Engineering from Chapingo Postgraduate College, Mexico, and a PhD in Plant Morphogenesis from the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Dr. Villalobos has worked in academia as a distinguished researcher and professor at Mexican and foreign institutions. He has published more than 250 scientific publications and articles promoting sustainable agriculture and conservation of genetic resources. As a public official, he served as Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development (2018-2024); General Director of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and Principal Biotechnology Officer at the FAO in Rome (1992-1995).
As a researcher and professor, he has made important contributions in the fields of Agricultural Biotechnology, Plant Production, and Genetic Resource Conservation, which has earned him various distinctions and awards, including four honorary doctorates and the appointment as a Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry. Among his major achievements is the distribution of free fertilizer to subsistence farmers in Mexico, which increased national corn production and improved the incomes and livelihoods of millions of micro, small and underprivileged farmers.