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FOODSEC - Middle East Food Security is a Virtual Summit and Expo taking place from 24-25 March 2021.
The event is an inter-regional platform with a B2B & B2G international trade expo and summit presenting developments in Food Security at all spatial levels from local, to global markets and from an interdisciplinary and systemic food systems perspective.
The event will feature participation from C-level executives, thought leaders, government decision makers, focused investors, entrepreneurs, corporates, food executives, researchers, technology experts, innovators, from across the agriculture and food production supply chain, to uncover disruption within the industry and identify the right business models to commercialize and scale the next generation of solutions.
EXPOrience the Future
A new way to experience an Exhibition. A virtual event works very much the same as our in-person events, with many of our physical features transferring across to the digital experience. The Event will run for 48 Hours from 24 March 2021, Gulf Standard Time – 10:00hrs or GMT+4, to make sure global attendance from all time zones. All you need is a desktop, laptop, tablet or phone, and you can digitally attend from the safety and comfort of your office or home.
Transforming food systems is crucial for delivering the Sustainable Development Goals. Middle East FOODSEC is pleased to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The Event Features
Exhibition
Summit
Unique Offerings
Product Showcase
Exhibitor Virtual Booth
Generate New Leads
Watch Live
1-2-1 Meetings
Discuss
Webinars & Round Tables
On-Demand
Speakers
H.E. Yerlan Baidaulet
Director General
Islamic Organisation for Food Security
H.E. Yerlan Baidaulet
Director General
Islamic Organisation for Food Security
TOPIC : OIC Multilateral Umbrella for Ensuring Food Security in Member Countries
H.E. Yerlan A. Baidaulet is the Director General of IOFS which is OIC specialized institution, in field of food security and agriculture development, founded in 2013.
H.E. Yerlan A. Baidaulet has a long-term experience in International Relations and in Islamic Finance worked for 28 years and held various corporate and management positions, including IDB Executive Director, Head of JSC Engineering and Technology Transfer Center, Eurasian Development Bank, Chairman of the Association for Islamic Finance Development, The Experts Council by the Security Council of Kazakhstan, and others.
H.E. Yerlan A. Baidaulet has won the CIFA Special Prize 2015 (Leadership Role) for the contribution to the development of the Global Islamic Finance industry (awarded in Bahrain by GIFA UK Committee).
H.E. Yerlan A. Baidaulet holds a Bachelor of History and Political Economy and Ph.D. Degree of Political Economy, MBA in Banking & Finance in KIMEP University and Postgraduate MAPOW program, St.Gallen University, Switzerland.
Maciej Golubiewski
Head of Cabinet Wojciechowski, EU Commissioner for Agriculture
European Commission
Maciej Golubiewski
Head of Cabinet Wojciechowski, EU Commissioner for Agriculture
European Commission
TOPIC : Global sustainable food security and the European Green Deal
Maciej Golubiewski is the Head of Cabinet of Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Janusz Wojciechowski.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Washington and Lee University (1999) and a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from the Johns Hopkins University (2005). He also holds an International Baccalaureate Diploma from the United World College of the Atlantic in the UK.
After graduation, he moved to Washington D.C. where he spent three years in business consulting at Charles River Associates International (CRAI) before going on to graduate school. During his studies Mr. Golubiewski interned with the office of Senator Richard Lugar, served as a summer fellow at the Heritage Foundation and was an associate scholar at the Center for European Policy Analysis. For close to five years, he was a teaching assistant and lecturer in political science and international relations at the Johns Hopkins University and spent two semesters as a visiting professor at Mannheim University in Germany.
In 2008, he joined, as an established official, the Directorate General for Development and Relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries at the European Commission in Brussels as a desk responsible for regional political and economic cooperation with the Horn, East and Southern Africa region. During that time he participated in the Economic Partnership Agreement free trade negotiations with the African regional blocks. In 2011, he was transferred to the newly created European External Action Service, where, since 2012, he had been responsible for preparing the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council positions on the developing conflict in Syria. Between 2014 and 2016, Mr. Golubiewski served as the Deputy Chief of Mission and the Head of the Political Section at the EU Delegation to Lebanon in Beirut and between 2017 and 2019 as the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York.
Mr. Golubiewski sits on an advisory board of the Integral Economic Development master programs at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C, and for almost ten years has been associated with the Sobieski Institute in Warsaw as an expert on the EU and foreign policy. He speaks Polish, English and French.
Rachid Serraj
Delivery Manager
Regional Initiative on Small-Scale Family Farming
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Rachid Serraj
Delivery Manager
Regional Initiative on Small-Scale Family Farming
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
TOPIC : Agri-food systems Innovation for smallholders in the MENA region: challenges and prospects
Rachid is the Delivery Manager of the Regional Initiative on Small-Scale Family Farming at the FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa, and Coordinator of the RNE’s initiative on agrifood system innovation. Served previously as the Director of the Diversification and Sustainable Intensification at ICARDA, Senior Officer with the Science Council of the CGIAR; the leader of rice drought frontiers at IRRI, and as principal scientist at ICRISAT. Technical expertise and management leadership in international agricultural development, with more than 30 years’ experience in agriculture and crop production systems, and in particular problems of adaptation to climate change, resilience of dryland farming systems, resources interactions within farming systems. Lead role at the CGIAR Science Council secretariat in coordinating strategic foresight and research evaluation; competencies in R&D management, with emphasis on the technical, socioeconomic, institutional and regulatory aspects relating to agricultural and rural development.
H.E. Prof. Ibrahim Adam El-Dukheri
Director General
Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD)
H.E. Prof. Ibrahim Adam El-Dukheri
Director General
Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD)
TOPIC : Initiative for Arab Food Security
Ibrahim Adam Ahmed El-Dukheri, Professsor of Agricultural Economics, Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics (system analysis; mathematical approach), Technical University of Munich, Germany, 1997. M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics, Washington State University, Pullman, USA 1987. B.Sc. Honor in general agriculture, University of Khartoum, Sudan 1983. Work Experience: Since May 2017 and onward he is the director general of Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, April 2017, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. December 2012 to June 2015, Director General of the Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC).
June 2010 to December 2012, Minister of Agriculture and Forests, South Darfur State of Sudan. May 2006 to May 2010,Research Scientist at the Center for Economic Studies and Policy Analysis of the ARC. July 2002 to April 2006,Food Security Advisor and Project Manager for Kordofan Food Security Project, funded by the EU .November 2001 to July 2002,National VAM Officer with the World Food Programme (WFP), attached to the Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping Unit. Duties include analysis of the food security situation. 1999 to 2001,Project Manager and Technical Analyst for Kordofan Food Information System (Early Warning Project) of CARE International in the Sudan. 1997 to 2001, Part-time lecturer at the University of Kordofan and supervisor for research work as partial fulfillment of degree of Master in Agricultural Economics. January 1992 to December 1992 National Socio-economist for the On-farm Research Project, funded by the FAO. 1987-1999, Research Scientist with the Agricultural Research Corporation (El-Obeid Research Station- Agricultural Economic Section).
Dawood Suleiman Al-Yahyai
Acting Director General of Fisheries Research
Ministry of Agriculture Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources
Sultanate of Oman
Dawood Suleiman Al-Yahyai
Acting Director General of Fisheries Research
Ministry of Agriculture Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources
Sultanate of Oman
TOPIC : Sustainable development of Aquaculture in Oman
Dawood Al-Yahyai Director General of Fisheries Research at Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries Wealth and Water Resources in Oman. He has more than 25 years' experience in fisheries and aquaculture sectors in Oman. He served in different leadership position including Aquaculture and Fisheries research centers, in addition to extension and training and education departments. He has participated in preparation of different plans for aquaculture development and also in different scientific and practical aquaculture researches.
Eng. Saleh Mohammed Al Shanfari
CEO
Oman Food Investment Holding Company (OFIC)
Eng. Saleh Mohammed Al Shanfari
CEO
Oman Food Investment Holding Company (OFIC)
TOPIC : Food Security for Oman - The Role of OFIC in Driving Food Security for Oman
Mr. Saleh Mohammed Al Shanfari is a graduate of Iowa State University and MS in global management, UK. He is the Chief Executive Officer at Oman Food Investment Holding Company (OFIC), Oman’s leading state-owned food security company mandated to develop food security projects for Oman. Mr. Al Shanfari is a leading Agribusiness professional with more than 30 years of experience in government and private sector. He is the Chairman of Anamma Poultry, Chairman of Mazoon Dairy, Ex-Chairman of Internationals Seafood Co., as well as Vice Chairman of Al Bashayer Meat Co. Besides being an Agribusiness professional, he is the Chairman of Food Security Committee at Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a steering committee member of Oman Animal & Plant Genetic Resources Center. He is the Chairman of the Alshanfari has extensive experience in project development, investment banking, financial leasing, deal sourcing and M&As. Alshanfari has extensive experience in Project Development, Private Equity, businesses re-engineering and sick unit turnaround and industrial Investment. Mr. Alshanfari have participated and confounded projects within Oman, GCC and provided strategic advice to companies in UAE, India, Sudan, Turkey, Kuwait and Bahrain. With his extensive corporate and public network. Mr. Alshanfari is contributing through his extensive insight and strategic advice during the deal sourcing, negotiation and deal closing. As part of his voluntary work Alshanfari work very closely with young entrepreneurs and SMEs through rigorous coaching and mentoring programs as well as strategic business coach.
Bashair Al Riyami
Director of Innovation for food and beverage sector
Industrial Innovation Center
Bashair Al Riyami
Director of Innovation for food and beverage sector
Industrial Innovation Center
TOPIC : Innovation in food and beverage sector: challenges and opportunities
Dr. Bashair Al Riyami has earned her BSc in Nutritional Sciences at University College Cork, Ireland, in 2001 and her MSc in Food Science and Nutrition from SQU. Her PhD was obtained in Nutritional Science from University of Nottingham, UK (2018). She worked as Nutritionist in the health sector for 8 years. Recently she expanded her expertise in the field of innovation and development of food products. She is the director of innovation for food and beverage within the Industrial Innovation Centre assisting startup establishment, strategic projects and mapping innovative opportunities in the food sector in Oman.
Philippos Papageorgiou
Director of Aquaculture
National Fisheries Development Program
Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Philippos Papageorgiou
Director of Aquaculture
National Fisheries Development Program
Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
TOPIC : Prospects and challenges for the further development of aquaculture in the ME region, at the aftermath of COVID-19
A passionate aquaculture and seafood industry professional, with 25+ years of experience in both the private and the public sectors, from specialized consulting and aquaculture producing companies to government organizations, associations and NGO’s.
Philippos has participated and managed numerous projects and studies, many of which in collaboration with international organizations and bodies such as the European Commission, the European Parliament, FAO/GFCM, the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP), the Spanish Aquaculture Observatory Foundation (FOESA), as well as various national aquaculture Producer Organizations and Associations (Greece, Spain, Saudi Arabia).
From February 2016 till July 2019 he held the post of the Technical Consultant to the Saudi Aquaculture Society (SAS) and to the Aquaculture Department of the Ministry of Environment Water & Agriculture (ADMEWA) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Under this capacity he developed the ‘Saudi Arabian Code for Responsible Aquaculture Practices’, which currently serves as the standard setting document for the Saudi Mark of Aquaculture Quality (SAMAQ).
Since August 2019 he holds the position of Director of Aquaculture for the National Fisheries Development Program (NFDP) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He holds a BSc(Jt.Hons) degree in Marine Biology/ Oceanography and an MSc degree on Aquaculture and Fisheries from the University of Wales (UK) as well as an MBA on General Management and Marketing from the University of Leicester (UK).
Philippos strongly believes that the time has come for the aquaculture industry to redefine its role, not solely as a contributor to food security, but as an active driver for positive total societal impact.
Fatema AlMulla
Senior Research Analyst, Food and Water Security Office
Ministry of Presidential Affairs, UAE
Fatema AlMulla
Senior Research Analyst, Food and Water Security Office
Ministry of Presidential Affairs, UAE
TOPIC : Food Security in the UAE
Fatema AlMulla joined the Food and Water Security Office in July 2019. She leads the Office’s efforts in enhancing Research & Development, including the adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies towards achieving the National Food Security Strategy 2051. In addition, Fatema also manages the relationship between the UAE and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.
Prior to joining the FSO, Fatema worked with Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s Renewable Energy company. She was part of the Marketing and Corporate Communications team that helps deliver Masdar’s special projects locally and internationally including Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), the region’s largest annual event on sustainability.
Fatema has a Masters of Environmental Management, Sustainable Development from the University of Queensland, Australia, and a Bachelor’s in Business Marketing from the American University of Sharjah. She is passionate about community development and raising awareness on challenges our planet faces and the path needed to transition towards a more sustainable future.
Sultan Kahmis Saeed Al Waheebi
Investment Division Director
Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA)
Sultan Kahmis Saeed Al Waheebi
Investment Division Director
Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA)
TOPIC : Investment Opportunities
Sultan Al Waheebi has more than 25 years cumulative experience in different sectors. Currently he is the Investment Director in Abu Dhabi Food and Agriculture Authority “ADAFSA”. He has also worked as Finance Director and Contracts & Procurement Director in the same organization. Prior to joining ADAFS, he worked as Contracts Manager in Abu Dhabi and Water & Electricity.
Salvatore Lavallo
Acting Head of FDI
Abu Dhabi Investment Office
Salvatore Lavallo
Acting Head of FDI
Abu Dhabi Investment Office
TOPIC : Abu Dhabi as a hub for future desert and arid AgTech
Salvatore Lavallo is the Acting Head of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) at the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO).
Prior to joining ADIO, Salvatore has held roles across an eclectic range of industries and organisations. Salvatore started his career with Invest in Bavaria before founding Trail of Seeds – an NGO promoting culturally inclusive development around the world. He has also held positions at McKinsey and Company, Akemi Venture Partners and, most recently, acted as an advisor for the Tony Blair Institute.
Salvatore also holds the distinct honour of having travelled to every country of the world – one of the youngest ever to do so – as part of his “193Journeys” project where he shared images and stories with over 100k social media followers. The project was featured in Conde Nast, CNN, the New York Post and more.
Salvatore holds an International Baccalaureate from the United World College as well as a B.A. in Culturally Inclusive Development from New York University where he was the recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar for Devotion to Service and President’s Service Award.
Mohamed Al Jabri
Business Counselor
Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development
Mohamed Al Jabri
Business Counselor
Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development
TOPIC : Zaarei program - Khalifa Fund program supporting food security
Mohamed Al Jaberi is a determined Business Counselor with vast experience in multivariate entrepreneurial ventures: business inception and evaluation, business plan preparation, and capacity building/consultation during project implementation & operations. Professionalism and cross-functional collaboration with proven capacity to utilize essential business skills to assess end-user needs, develop bespoke solutions, and track progress.
Dr. Juan Carlos Motamayor
Executive Director – Food Sector
NEOM
Dr. Juan Carlos Motamayor
Executive Director – Food Sector
NEOM
TOPIC : Water and Food Security in Arid Environment
Francois Buratto
Head of Food Procurement
World Food Programme
Francois Buratto
Head of Food Procurement
World Food Programme
Mr. Francois Buratto is appointed as Head of Food Procurement at WFP, overseeing all international purchases of food. In 2020, WFP purchased 3.3 million tons of various food commodities in 92 countries, at the total value of USD 1.7 billion.
Mr. Buratto has over 25 years of experience with WFP in procurement and general management. His career path took him to various country offices and several WFP operations, including Angola, Zimbabwe, Romania and Benin. Prior to joining the team in Headquarters in Rome, Italy, he acted as Regional Procurement Officer for Asia and the Pacific based in Bangkok, Thailand.
Mr. Buratto, French national, holds a University Degree in Economics and a Master’s in Business Administration.
Mícheál Ohiarlaithe
Regional Private Sector Partnerships Officer
World Food Programme
Mícheál Ohiarlaithe
Regional Private Sector Partnerships Officer
World Food Programme
TOPIC : How WFP works with the private sector
Mícheál Ohiarlaithe is the Regional Private Sector Partnerships Officer in WFP’s Regional Bureau for the Middle East and North Africa. Since 2008, he has worked in WFP in a mix of both development and humanitarian contexts in Yemen, South Sudan, Egypt, CAR, Burundi, Jordan, Tanzania and at Headquarters in Rome. Prior to WFP, in 2005 he worked as a medical doctor in health systems strengthening with government and NGOs in Uganda and Mozambique specifically on HIV and nutrition.
Mr. Ohiarlaithe holds a medical degree from Trinity College Dublin as well as a master’s in development from UCD Dublin.
Ronald Hartman
Director, Global Engagement, Partnership and Resource Mobilization
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Ronald Hartman
Director, Global Engagement, Partnership and Resource Mobilization
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
TOPIC : Development of Value Chains for Coffee and Mango- IFAD project Jizan
Mr. Ron Hartman is currently IFAD’s Director for Global Engagement, Partnerships and Resource Mobilization. He is responsible for leading IFAD's global engagement and multilateral relations including with the private sector; IFAD's south-south and triangular cooperation agenda; and replenishment, resource mobilization and funds management. Prior to his current position, Mr. Hartman has served as IFAD Country Director and Representative at its South East Asia and the Pacific sub-regional office in Jakarta. He was also formerly IFAD's Country Programme Manager (Nepal, Pacific Islands, Thailand) and Portfolio/Operations Advisor in the Asia and Pacific region. Mr. Hartman has also served UNOPS as a Portfolio Manager based in Bangkok, Thailand. Prior to joining the United Nations in 2003, Mr. Hartman held management positions in both public and private sector organizations in Australia and the United Kingdom, most recently in investment banking and fund management. With over 24 years of professional experience, including over 15 years with the United Nations, Mr. 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, public and private investment, and partnerships. He has strong technical experience in the design and implementation of investment programmes. In 2011, Mr. Hartman was awarded the IFAD Presidential Award for outstanding performance. Mr. Hartman was educated in Australia and UK and holds qualifications in economics, finance and management.
Andre Laperriere
Executive Director
Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN)
Andre Laperriere
Executive Director
Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN)
Mr. André Laperrière joined the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) initiative as its first Executive Director, in September 2015. During his career, Mr. Laperrière has led/managed numerous projects on behalf of large Private Corporations and subsequently, within the United Nations and the World Bank. In this context he played a senior role in the design and the implementation of major reforms within a number of agencies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. He has extensive work experience in the Americas, Caribbean, Africa, Europe and the Middle East, in particular in developing countries and in conflict/post conflict environments.
Before joining GODAN, Mr. Laperrière was Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in Washington DC. Among other positions, he has also been the first Executive Director of the Trust Fund for Victims at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Director of the Administration and Finance Division in the World Health Organization (WHO), and Coordinator for reconstruction and rehabilitation activities under the responsibility of UNICEF in Iraq.
Prior to his career in the UN, Mr. Laperrière was Director in the International Services of Price Waterhouse. In this position, he led multiple large scale business evaluations, privatizations, mergers and structural reform projects in Europe, Africa, the Americas and Caribbean. Mr. Laperrière was born in Canada, where he completed post graduate studies in Administration and in Industrial Relations. Mr. Laperrière is an expert in international development.
Nicolò Cinotti
Secretary General
International Poultry Council (IPC)
Nicolò Cinotti
Secretary General
International Poultry Council (IPC)
TOPIC : Poultry Role in Sustainable Global Food Security
Nicolò Cinotti is the Secretary General of the International poultry Council starting from 1st January 2020.
Nicolò graduated in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Bologna in 2009 and before concluding his study he spent a year in the prestigious Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, being recipient of an “Erasmus project” scholarship. After that, he got a specialization in Animal Health, livestock and livestock products from the University of Pisa.
His first career experience was a year of training as a lab veterinarian in virologic and microbiologic diagnostics, following which he spent three year at the Ministry of Health in Italy, Direction General of Animal Health and Veterinary medicines, dealing with Animal Welfare related issues for different species. He has most recently held the position of Policy Advisor at Unaitalia (Italian Poultry Producers Association) for seven years where he led lobbying activities on technical issues both at national and EU level, and was responsible for export-related matters. He has also represented the Italian poultry sector at a number of high-level conferences and on television.
A native Italian speaker, he is also fluent in English and has an elementary knowledge of German.
Jan Hulzebosch
Relations Manager
Dutch Poultry Centre
Jan Hulzebosch
Relations Manager
Dutch Poultry Centre
TOPIC : Innovations for Profitable and Sustainable Poultry Production in Middle East Region
Jan Hulzebosch was born in 1956 on a farm with poultry, cattle and pigs in the Eastern part of The Netherlands.
He studied animal husbandry at the Aeres University of applied sciences in Dronten.
In 1979 he started working as a trainer for a well-known international training institute on pig and poultry husbandry and milling technology in the Nether lands. (Barneveld College/PTC+)
In 2008 he moved to a German company named Salmet. This is a company designing, selling, producing, and installing layer and broiler projects worldwide.
At Salmet he was regional business manager for the Middle East.
Since 2017 he is active for the Dutch Poultry Centre.
The Dutch Poultry Centre is an association with more than 100 members. All members are selected and are active in the poultry industry, internationally.
The members of DPC can together supply all what is needed to set up, and run poultry farms, feedmills, hatcheries and processingplants. (Equipment, birds, feed, feed additives, healthcare products, training, financing etc.)
Professor Chris Elliott
Professor of Food Safety at Queen's University Belfast and founder of the Institute for Global Food Security
Queens University Belfast
Professor Chris Elliott
Professor of Food Safety at Queen's University Belfast and founder of the Institute for Global Food Security
Queens University Belfast
TOPIC : Creating a food system which will help drive the knowledge economy and improve human health
Chris is currently Professor of Food Safety and founder of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast. He served as Pro Vice Chancellor responsible for the Medical and Life Sciences Faculty between 2015 and 2018.
He has published more than 460 peer review articles, many of them relating to the detection and control of agriculture, food and environmental related contaminants. His main research interests are in the development of innovative techniques to provide early warning of toxin threats across complex food supply systems. Protecting the integrity of the food supply chain from fraud is also a key research topic and Chris led the independent review of Britain’s food system following the 2013 horsemeat scandal. He currently co-ordinates a flagship Horizon2020 project involving 16 European and 17 Chinese partners on food safety and also co-ordinates a European Institute of Innovation and Technology flagship research project.
Over the years Chris has developed a high level network of collaborators across Europe, the United States , the Middle East and Asia. He is a visiting Professor at the China Agriculture University in Beijing and the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Thammasat University in Thailand. He is a recipient of a Winston Churchill Fellowship and is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Royal Society of Biology. Chris has received numerous prizes and awards for his work. In 2017 he was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry Theophilus Redwood Prize and was also awarded an OBE by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He was elected a member of the Royal Irish Academy in 2020.
Assad Abbas
Marketing Director
Tetrapak
Assad Abbas
Marketing Director
Tetrapak
TOPIC : History of Feed Preservation
Before joining Tetra Pak on 1st August 2011, Assad worked in several industries such as Corporate Banking, B2B Textile Sales, FMCG Sales & Marketing.
After joining Tetra Pak, Assad filled the position of Marketing Manager for Pakistan & Afghanistan and then Marketing Director – Pakistan & Afghanistan prior to coming to Arabia Area as Operations Marketing Director.
Wim Delameilleure
Area Sales Manager EMEA
SCE | Silo Construction and Engineering
Wim Delameilleure
Area Sales Manager EMEA
SCE | Silo Construction and Engineering
TOPIC : Greener, Faster and Smarter Storage Solutions as Our Answer on How to Manage Financial, Environmental and Supply Insecurities in Today’s Food Industry
Wim Delameilleure joined Silo Construction & Engineering (SCE.BE) in June 2017. He is responsible for the development of the company in the MEA region.
SCE is the storage and building construction partner for some of the world’s leading food manufacturers. With its innovative square silo concept it contributes to the most efficient food and feed production facilities in the MEA region. Over the last 32 years SCE has executed more than 700 projects in 72 countries.
Prior to joining SCE, Wim has gained experience for over 15 years in different positions with some of the leading agro-equipment, commodity and food manufacturing companies worldwide. This enabled him to have an excellent oversight of the global food supply chain.
Wim has a Masters of Applied Economics from the University of Leuven (Belgium), an additional Master in Business Administration with a specialisation in Industrial Organization from Solvay Business School in Brussels (Belgium) and several certifications in Project Management.
He is passionate about finding sustainable solutions to the challenges our planet is facing in feeding a future population of 10 billion people. Improving the food supply chain and reducing the losses from field to fork is fundamental in the race to ensure food security. Efficient and innovative storage solutions such as SCE is developing are one of the key factors in reducing food waste. High quality strategic long term grain storage are essential to avoid future disruptions.
Dr. Ron Harrison
Global Technical Director
Orkin, LLC
Dr. Ron Harrison
Global Technical Director
Orkin, LLC
TOPIC : Making the Grade: Tips for Passing Food Safety Audits During the Pandemic
Ron Harrison earned his BS in Agronomy from Utah State University (Logan); his MS in Horticulture from the University of Georgia (Athens); and his Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Georgia (Athens). He has done Post Doctoral work in England and Florida working on biological control research programs.
He is a tenured Professor at Mercer University and adjunct Professor at Mercer University. He has also served on committees for the Entomology Society of America and Georgia as well as the National Pest Management Association.
Dr. Harrison has been employed by Rollins/Orkin, LLC since 1998 in various roles from Director of Training to Director of Global Technical Services providing advice and counseling on technical matters to field locations and home office departments. He researches and recommends the most effective products and service procedures and forges alliances with universities. He is a sought after speaker for pest control associations across the nation and continues to nurture the professionals in the field.
Dr. Shamal Mohammed
Chief Technical Officer
Agri-EPI centre- UK
Dr. Shamal Mohammed
Chief Technical Officer
Agri-EPI centre- UK
TOPIC : How digital innovations enable food security
Dr Shamal Mohammed is one of the UK’s leading experts in digital agriculture. He is Chief Technical Officer at Agri-EPI Centre, one of the UK’s four Centres of Agri-Tech Innovation. In this role, he drives agri-tech innovation through engagement with farmers and technology providers to develop, market and upscale digital products and services to improve food production systems and environmental sustainability. Shamal has strong expertise in technologies including smart sensors, earth observation, drones, and robotics and automation and their application in UK and international settings, including on Agri-EPI-led Smart Farms in China and Paraguay.
Eren Kelekci
Chief Investment Officer, Food and Agriculture
African Development Bank
Eren Kelekci
Chief Investment Officer, Food and Agriculture
African Development Bank
TOPIC : Financing Sustainable Food Security in Africa
Eren has seventeen years of professional experience in the investment industry on a wide range of asset classes, investment strategies/solutions and geographies both in direct and fund investments. Eren joined the African Development Bank in 2018 as Chief Investment Officer, Food and Agriculture, Textile and Forestry focusing on leading private sector and public-private transactions across Africa.
Prior to joining the Bank, Eren established and led a SME investment solutions platform active across emerging and frontier markets through a range of investment vehicles, advisory solutions and technical assistance mechanisms. Eren’s role included the design, creation and management of the platform and team; establishing joint ventures and building local investment teams; sourcing and executing equity investments; developing strategic partnerships, actively raising funds among institutional investors and representing the institution on a number of Boards and Investment Committees across MENA, Central Asia and South-East Asia. Eren has also occupied general management functions seconded as an acting CEO for financial institutions in Caucasus and Central Asia. Prior to that, he was in charge of the funds strategy for Europe at Aviva Investors London, and lecturer on Investment industry at Sciences Po Paris. His past experiences include fund management/investment related roles, financial structuring, business development, corporate development and strategic consultancy in different companies as Andersen, AXA Investment Managers and Aviva Investors for a wide range of institutional investors across Europe and Asia.
Allison Grove Smith
Director, Shared Secretariat
CGIAR Advisory Services (CAS)
Allison Grove Smith
Director, Shared Secretariat
CGIAR Advisory Services (CAS)
TOPIC : A transformational Agri-Food Research and Innovation agenda: how do independent advisory functions inspire multi-stakeholder trust and confidence?
Allison Grove Smith is the Director of CGIAR Advisory Services Shared Secretariat (CAS Secretariat). Allison has played a leading role in change management and strategic planning in development and research settings since 1998, working for a leading international NGO and a CGIAR research center, with side projects on sustainable business practices and sustainability financing. She has launched and led multi-locational and multi-disciplinary teams, managed portfolios of projects across a range of development and food systems research disciplines, and directed regional quality assurance and global business process design activities. Allison has lived and worked in the South Caucasus, Balkans and Sub-Saharan Africa. Allison holds a Global Executive MBA from IE Business School and MSc in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University. Allison grew up between small family farms in the Chesapeake Bay area of the US and in Francistown, Botswana, kindling her passion for CGIAR’s mission.
Aziz A. Karimov
Head of the Regional office for Central Asia and the South Caucasus, Uzbekistan
International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, Dubai, UAE
Aziz A. Karimov
Head of the Regional office for Central Asia and the South Caucasus, Uzbekistan
International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, Dubai, UAE
TOPIC : Development of Quinoa Value chain to improve food and Nutrition security in Middle east and Central Asia countries
Dr. Aziz Karimov joined ICBA in July 2019 as Head of the ICBA Regional representative office for Central Asia and South Caucasus.
He has 16 years of professional experience, of which 12 years are with international research organizations abroad. He has a field experience in Central Asia, Southeast Asia and Eastern Africa.
Prior to joining ICBA, he worked for four years as an agricultural and market economist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Turkey. He was co-leading the cluster of activities within the Adoption and Impact Assessment and Market/Value Chain packages within Global WHEAT CGIAR research program. Dr. Aziz Karimov was also the Wheat focal point (2015-2017) at the Standing Panel on Impact Assessment, which is a sub-group of the CGIAR Independent Science and Partnership Council. Prior to CIMMYT, he had worked as an agricultural and market economist for the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) at ILRI’s regional office for East and Southeast Asia based in Hanoi, Vietnam. He contributed to the CGIAR Research Program on Integrated Systems for the humid tropic regions.
Between 2011 and 2014, he worked as a research fellow at the United Nations University – World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) in Finland, where he contributed to the Environment and Climate Change theme of the Research and Communication of Foreign Aid program and co-supervised UNU-WIDER – African Economic Research Consortium’s (AERC) Climate Change and Green Growth projects. He also coordinated joint Helsinki School for Economic Research (HECER) and UNU-WIDER's Master’s programme in Development Economics.
From 2005 to 2007, he was a Lecturer in Economics at Westminster International University in Tashkent and started his career as an Economist at the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Dr. Aziz Karimov’s main expertise and research interests lie in agricultural and development economics, particularly in areas of agri-food systems, value chain analysis, impact assessment and sustainable use of agricultural resources. He is also keen to explore opportunities in managing programs/projects related to adaptation to climate change, rural development, natural resource management, food, water and energy nexus in marginal environments through research, innovation and partnership.
Dr. Aziz Karimov has a doctoral degree (magna cum laude) from Bonn University, Germany, received under the umbrella of a ZEF/UNESCO project on the Economic and Ecological Restructuring of Land and Water Use in the Aral Sea region. He also holds a MA in Economics from Northeastern University, Boston, USA. He earned bachelor’s degree in Finance (Faculty of Business Management) from Tashkent State Technical University.
Dr Aziz Karimov is a recipient of the Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship (USA) and DAAD scholarship (Germany). He holds a PMD Pro (Project Management for Development Professionals certificate accredited by APM GROUP, UK). He received trainings in systematic review and meta-analysis (University of Glasgow, Scotland), gender capacity strengthening program (KIT, Netherlands), productivity and efficiency analysis (Wageningen University, Netherlands), Impact Assessment (University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, USA) and TOA-MD Modelling (Oregon State University, USA). He is a silver winner (SDG 12) of the Global Innovation Lab competition (2017) held in Denmark.
Dr. Munir Yasin
Project Manager
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Dr. Munir Yasin
Project Manager
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Dr. Munir Al Ramahi works as International consultant and expert in tropical trees, hydroponics and modern agricultural technologies. Currently he is director of IFAD/ RTA/KSA project for the development of value chains for coffee and mango crops in Jazan. Dr. Al-Ramahi has participated in several assignments for IFAD and other international institutions such as the International Food and Agriculture Organization. (FAO), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ACBA) and the National Center for Agricultural Research (NCARE), he has worked in about 40 countries. Dr Al Ramahi worked in the last five years as an agricultural consultant in the Government of Sharjah and agricultural consultant in the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in the United Arab Emirates, and before that he worked for 7 years as an executive director in the Jordan Institute for Agricultural Investments and worked for 22 years as a researcher and administrative official at the National Center for Agricultural Research in Jordan. Dr. Al Ramahi has 38 years of experience in consulting, administrative and agricultural field work. He is a member of the Arab Hydroponics Committee , International Organization for Coffee Research, Jordanian Agricultural Engineers Association, Jordanian Society to Combat Desertification, UAE Food Security Committee, and an international arbitrator in the international awards of Agrame and Aquame Exhibition UAE , and other bodies, and holds several medals, shields and certificates of appreciation in each of Jordan ,Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Algeria. He has books and scientific papers published and is under publication in the agricultural field and holds a patent from the World Organization of Intellectual Property (WIPO) in the field of healthy food. Dr. Al Ramahi holds a PhD in horticulture and tropical crops, Master’s degree in horticulture, and a Bachelor’s degree in plant production and protection, and speaks Arabic and English.
Dr. Elsa A. Murano
Director
Norman E. Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture & Development at Texas A&M University
Dr. Elsa A. Murano
Director
Norman E. Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture & Development at Texas A&M University
TOPIC : Role of food safety in improving food security
A graduate of Florida International University in Biological Sciences, Dr. Murano received an M.S. in Anaerobic Microbiology and a Ph.D. in Food Science & Technology from Virginia Tech. She began her career as an Assistant Professor in food microbiology at Iowa State University in 1990, where she conducted research in food safety and was appointed Researcher-in-Charge of the Electron Beam Food Irradiation Program. In 1995, she joined the faculty at Texas A&M University as Associate Professor, leading the university’s Center for Food Safety as Director, and was awarded the Sadie Hatfield Professorship in Agriculture. In her career as a scientist, Dr. Murano received an average of ~$750K/year in extramural funding, published over 60 scientific papers, and a total of 7 book chapters in the field of food safety. In 2001, Professor Murano was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Undersecretary for Food Safety at the United States Department of Agriculture, the highest-ranking food safety official in the U.S. government. As a result of her policies and leadership, the Centers for Disease Control’s Healthy People 2020 goals of reducing foodborne illnesses were met six years ahead of schedule. In 2005, Dr. Murano returned to Texas A&M, where she was appointed Dean and Vice Chancellor of Agriculture and Life Sciences, overseeing academic programs with a student body of 6,700, and a research portfolio of $200 million annually. In 2008, Dr. Murano became the first woman and first Hispanic president of Texas A&M University, where she oversaw a budget of $1.2 billion, 2,800 faculty, and a student enrollment of over 50,000. Since June of 2012, she has been serving as Director of the Norman E. Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture, a premier institution within Texas A&M which conducts development projects to lift small farmers out of poverty and hunger in Asia, Latin America, Sub Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. Under her leadership, the Borlaug Institute has secured more than $100M in extramural funds. As part of her service activities, Dr. Murano serves on the Board of Directors of Hormel Foods Corporation, the Food Safety Advisory Committee for Ecolab, and the Board of Advisors for Food Safety Net Services. She is the incoming Chair of the Board of Trustees for the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and serves a member of the Council of Advisors for the World Food Prize Foundation, and for the Director General of the International Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA).
Tana Lala-Pritchard
Executive Director I Strategy, Innovation and Communications
WorldFish
Tana Lala-Pritchard
Executive Director I Strategy, Innovation and Communications
WorldFish
TOPIC : Fish for Africa Innovation Hub: Scaling Egypt’s Success in Aquatic Food Production
Tana Lala-Pritchard is the Executive Director for Strategy, Innovation and Communications at WorldFish, a non-profit research and innovation institution that creates, advances, and translates scientific research on aquatic food systems into scalable solutions with transformational impact on human well-being and the environment.
A graduate of the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics and Political Science, she works at the intersection of science, policy, social entrepreneurship, and advocacy with actors across the public and private sectors to shape evidence-based investments, innovations, and policy on food security and nutrition, climate action, ocean governance, blue economy, gender equality, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability.
She is a dynamic transformational change leader, who has spent the past 18 years developing and implementing strategies at corporate, business and functional levels to advance the goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, while working for a host of development agencies, think tanks, and international organizations across Africa, Asia, Middle East, Europe, and the Pacific. In 2015, her strategy and advocacy work in support of the global Economics of Land Degradation initiative led to the adoption of specific evidence-based targets on Climate Action (SDG13) and Land Degradation Neutrality (SDG15.3) in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the UN General Assembly.
Often described as a powerhouse of strategic and creative ideation and innovation, Tana is a creative and passionate storyteller who loves to combine data, emotion, cool design, and innovative technologies to create and communicate big transformational ideas that inspire and deliver innovations that are socially and environmentally responsible.
In 2020, she was the recipient of the prestigious fellowship on Strategy and Innovation by the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, awarded to Exceptional Women Leaders. She is also the recipient of the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award by the American Alpha Chi National College Honor Society, which recognizes academic excellence and scholarship in public service and leadership. Tana is passionate about pushing boundaries, breaking down silos, and challenging biases and limitations in current systems to find common ground and forge innovative solutions that work for all people, and the future sustainability of our planet.
Zoë Harries
Project Director
World Free Zones Organization
Zoë Harries
Project Director
World Free Zones Organization
TOPIC : The Role of Special Economic Zones in Food Security
With a background in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Advisory, Zoë Harries supports governments, multilateral organizations and SEZs in accelerating sustainable economic growth though SEZ development, investment attraction and trade promotion. Zoë also provides cross-border expansion and market entry services to companies.
Born in South Africa, based in Amsterdam and Dubai, Zoë holds a BSc. in International Business Administration and Economics from Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. She has extensive experience working with governments, companies and SEZs in Europe, Russia, CIS, North America, Latin America, Caribbean, Africa, Middle East and Asia.
Zoë’s mission is to mobilize the public and private sector to achieve the SDGs. She is a keynote speaker and lecturer on topics such as FDI Trends, Trade & Investment Promotion, Business Development, Marketing & Branding, Sustainability (SDGs) by organizations such as Nyenrode Business University, AIM, WAIPA, AmCham Jordan, The World Bank, Regional Cooperation Council, USAID/DAI, AIM, World FZO, Impact Investment Summit Europe, Jordan Investment Commission, Kazakh Invest.
Lina Abdelfattah
Senior Research Assistant
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Lina Abdelfattah
Senior Research Assistant
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
TOPIC : IFPRI’s Contribution to Food and Nutrition Security in the MENA Region Before and After COVID
Lina Abdelfattah is a Senior Research Assistant. She is working on research related to food, water and agricultural land in the region, and is also acting as the office's communication liaison. Before joining IFPRI, Lina held several research positions in the government and international organizations as well as research and teaching positions at the American University in Cairo (AUC). She holds MSc in Economics and Public Policy from the University of Bristol, UK, MA in Economics from the American University in Cairo (AUC) and BA in Economics from the American University in Cairo (AUC). Her research interests include applied economic development, international trade, labor economics, and macroeconometric modelling and forecasting.
Sheikh Bilal Khan
Director General and Chief Executive Officer
International Islamic Food Processing Association (IFPA)
Sheikh Bilal Khan
Director General and Chief Executive Officer
International Islamic Food Processing Association (IFPA)
TOPIC : Introducing International Islamic Food Processing Association - The B2B Platform for Enabling Intra-OIC Agri-Food Trade and Investment
Sheikh Bilal Khan MBA is the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the International Islamic Food Processing Association (“IFPA”) under the auspices of the OIC specialized institution of Islamic Organisation for Food Security (“IOFS”). He has been actively involved in many geo-strategic projects both in the OIC and major non-OIC markets in multiple sectors and indeed across all the sub-sectors of the agri-food industry value chain from producers to suppliers to processors to distributors to retailers as well as the supporting institutions and related infrastructure providers. Sheikh Bilal is closely connected with key decision-makers in both public and private sectors.
Sheikh Bilal is leading the new OIC-wide platform of International IFPA and its engagement in the IOFS/OIC Member States with the vision and strategic mandate to serve as the preferred champion and end-to-end enabler of private-sector trade and investment for sustainable development of food security between agri-food ecosystem players across the value chain through Halal and Shariah-compliant tools, thereby reducing import dependencies of OIC-based agri-food entities and addressing various challenges of food wastage and post-harvest losses with optimum use of innovative technologies in agri-tech, food-tech and fin-tech.
Sheikh Bilal is also globally renowned for establishing and managing financial centres and financial institutions and is a highly respected specialist in corporate finance, corporate governance, financial services, legal services, Islamic finance, fintech, agribusiness and intra-OIC trade with executive board experience serving in high profile posts as Chairman, CEO, Independent Non-Executive Director, Director General, Secretary General, Board Member, Special Government Adviser and Business Ambassador as well as an English qualified lawyer, partner of an international law firm, approved adjudicating arbitrator and judge, honorary and visiting faculty at British and international universities, multiple award-winner and public speaker with several decades of experience.
Sheikh Bilal holds Master of Business Administration with specialism in Legal Services, M.A. in Islamic Banking, Finance & Management and LL.B (Hons) in Law from major British universities as well as M.A. in Islamic Sciences and Arabic with proficiency in multiple languages including English, Arabic and Urdu.
Christine Zimmermann-Loessl
Chairwoman
Association for Vertical Farming e.V.
Christine Zimmermann-Loessl
Chairwoman
Association for Vertical Farming e.V.
TOPIC : New Heights for Vertical Farming
Christine Zimmerman-Loessl has a background in studying political science, sinology and philosophy at Munich University - which was the starting point for her interest in international work. She has worked in different Asian countries which has given her experience and deeper insight in the culture and people. In Germany, she benefited from this as a project manager for risk analysis and crisis management. Networking was always easy for Christine and she founded the Asia Network Information Center – a research and project organization bridging Eas and West. Later on, as the representative for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in China, she took responsibility in different areas and led a German-Chinese Management Institute, initiated environmental protection and poverty alleviation projects, as well as engaged in women’s programs.
Christine was inspired by her son’s interests in Vertical Farming and founded with a group of like minded young people the first nonprofit in the world - the Association for Vertical Farming (AVF) in 2013, since then she is acting as the chairwoman of AVF . “Through AVF we are raising awareness and building a network of like-minded people for the implementation of Vertical Farming around the world”.
Dr. Heiner Lehr
CEO - Founder
Faromatics
Dr. Heiner Lehr
CEO - Founder
Faromatics
TOPIC : Robotics, artificial intelligence and big data in the poultry farming
Dr. Heiner Lehr a recognised expert in Precision Livestock Farming. Since 2008 he is active in European research in the field. Heiner founded Faromatics (www.faromatics.com), a Precision Livestock Farming company in 2016 on the basis of that research. Before Heiner was active in food traceability and a speaker at the 1st conference on Halal food in Saudi Arabia. Heiner holds a PhD in Quantum Mechanics from the Technical University of Berlin (summa cum laude).
Shan Kadavil
CEO & Co-Founder
Freshtohome Pte Ltd
Shan Kadavil
CEO & Co-Founder
Freshtohome Pte Ltd
Shan Kadavil is the founder and CEO at Freshtohome.com – the largest vertically integrated e-commerce company in the Fish and meat space in the world delivering over 1.5 Million orders a month across 2 Million customers in 10 large cities in India and all of UAE. Shan and team are on the mission of providing Chemical-Free & Antibiotic Residue Free food to the masses and are re-inventing the food supply chain from scratch by disintermediating the middle men through the Freshtohome Platform vendors and providing higher value to the farmers and fishermen. Freshtohome is now the largest such venture in the world and is funded by reputed investors such as Peter Thiel, Mark Pincus, David Wehner - CFO of facebook, David Krane - CEO of Google Ventures, ICD, the US Government DFC, ADIO, ADQ and other reputed institutions. Shan is also the Chairman of Dbaux Technologies – a technology start up in the Critical Infrastructure Security Domain, manufacturing indigenously built UTMs, Network Devices, Operating Systems and the like. Dbaux Products now power many of the Critical Government Infrastructure in India.
Shan is an entrepreneur and multi-functional leader who has jump-started many of the popular technology companies and start-ups in United States and India. In his previous role as the India Founder & Country Manager, Shan is credited for having built the first and largest Studio outside the US for Zynga (NASDAQ: ZNGA), a leader in social gaming and maker of popular titles such as Farmville, CityVille, Draw Something, Words with Friends and Mafia Wars. Under Shan's leadership, Zynga India had witnessed a rocket speed growth owning and launching a number of titles that are the largest at Zynga. Prior to Zynga, Shan ran Product at Support.com (NASDAQ: SPRT), a California based company considered as the market leader in the Support automation domain as their Vice President of Products. Shan has also served in senior management and advisory roles across a number of the leading companies in the world. He has been named twice in the Exhibit magazine "100 Top Tech Indians" list, has won numerous awards including the Economic Times “Most Promising Entrepreneur of 2019” and was also honored by the Prime Minister of India as part of the “Champions of Change” program. Shan holds a number of patents in the areas of Big Data & Cloud Computing and has also participated in the World Economic Forum.
Sheikh Dr. Majid Al Qassimi
Founding Partner
Soma Mater
Sheikh Dr. Majid Al Qassimi
Founding Partner
Soma Mater
A doctor of veterinary medicine, Dr. Majid began his career as a veterinarian in the zoo and conservation field after graduating. He then directed the Terrestrial Biodiversity and Conservation activities at the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi and later developed the Food Diversification Strategy for the UAE alongside the UN FAO. He currently serves as the Chief Veterinary Officer of the UAE and Advisor to the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment. He sits on the boards of accreditation authorities, and on multiple other food, animal and agriculture boards. Sh. Dr. Majid is a founding partner of SOMA MATER.
Greg Ohannessian
Founding Partner
Soma Mater
Greg Ohannessian
Founding Partner
Soma Mater
Holding a Masters in Middle Eastern Studies from King’s College London, Greg Ohannessian has dedicated his career to developing policy and strategy at the intersection of the public and private sectors. Delivering projects in coordination with the UN, DP World, the UAE Ministry of Defense, MoCCaE, and Dubai Government, and AgriTech projects focused on market-entry analysis in the UAE for a leading global CEA company as well as conducting investor due diligence for a UAE-based CEA incumbent, Greg has over a decade of experience and is committed to long-term sustainable growth in the region. Greg is a founding partner of SOMA MATER.
Yazen Al Kodmani
Principal
3Y Agriculture Research and Consultancy DMCC
Yazen Al Kodmani
Principal
3Y Agriculture Research and Consultancy DMCC
A seasoned organic farm manager who has developed and overseen a proven hybridization of large-scale organic farming, agritourism and retail in the UAE. With over a decade of experience, he has transformed over 25 hectares of arid land into a profitable wholesale and direct-to-consumer farm and tourist destination. He has also established 3Y Agtech, an agritech consulting firm to address the regional food security challenges which brings together the expertise of experienced consultants, developers and farmers.
Marcel Berendsen
Sales Manager MEA
FrigorTec GmbH
Marcel Berendsen
Sales Manager MEA
FrigorTec GmbH
TOPIC : Ensuring Food Security in Grain Storage by Grain Conservation Cooling
Marcel Berendsen is responsible at FrigorTec GmbH for sales in the MEA markets of GRANIFRIGOR™ grain cooling units, used for cooling grain in storage, enabling a natural way of conservation and riskless long-term storage of grain in without losses in quality and yield.
FrigorTec GmbH is a German based company developing, producing and selling GRANIFRIGOR™ mobile grain cooling units ("Made in Germany") for the cooling of grain and oilseeds in storage worldwide for more than 50 years!
Marcel Berendsen studied Chemical Engineering at the Technical University of Groningen in the Netherlands and worked in various international management positions in engineering and sales & marketing for several global service providers to the chemical, pharmaceutical and food & beverage industry. As a Sales & Marketing Manager and Export Manager, he was responsible for large global key accounts in Europe, Middle East and Asia.
Juan Gonzalez Valero
Head Sustainable and Responsible Business
Syngenta
Juan Gonzalez Valero
Head Sustainable and Responsible Business
Syngenta
TOPIC : Unlocking the Potential of Agriculture to Drive Sustainable Development
Juan Gonzalez Valero has worked at Syngenta since 2000, and is currently the Head of Sustainable and Responsible Business. He leads all operations related to integrating sustainability aspects into core business practices, including stewardship and the company’s “Good Growth Plan”. Alongside his current position, he is lecturing at the University of St. Gallen.
Prior to his current position, Gonzalez Valero served as Head of Public Policy and Sustainability, Head of Ecological Risk Assessment, Head of Sustainable Use and Stewardship, and Head of Corporate Responsibility within Syngenta. He has also been Head Ecotoxicology at Novartis, and has served on the board of a number of non-profit organizations, among them the Fair Labor Association and the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
Gonzalez Valero earned his PhD in Biology with specialization in Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, from the University of Hamburg in 1989.
Hassan Halawy
General Manager
Elite Agro Projects
Hassan Halawy
General Manager
Elite Agro Projects
TOPIC : Bringing EPC into Agriculture Projects
General Manager @Elite Agro Projects biggest specialized Agriculture and Farming Design & Build contractor in GCC. With a proven track record of innovative and hightech executed projects in UAE and 6 Countries Internationally, developing open field farms up to 50,000 Ha, High Tech to Medium Tech Protected Houses across various time zones and geographies. Catering for the #foodsecurity of our nation!
Founder @Crypted Security Integration offering solutions to securely enable digital transformation with emphasis on Security and Artificial intelligence and Asset Management. Extensive market knowledge and outreach in Middle East and Africa, with key connections and proven track record.
Managing Director; (JGC) Jana General Contracting LLC; 2008 till 2018; specialized in Security Construction and Perimeter Defense, Mass Housing Design Build Contractors, Security Buildings and Facility Contractors, O&G, remote Sites and Military Camps; Water, Sewerage, Storm Water Pipelines and Networks.
JGC provides its clients with a complete Turn Key solution to accommodate their mobilization requirements; starting from understanding clients requirements, studying the terrain, assessing required security parameters to designing and executing the necessary facilities from perimeter control, infrastructure, housing, offices, recreational and service blocks to accommodate the logistics operation of the site.
Chandra Dake
Executive Chairman and Group CEO
Dake Group
Chandra Dake
Executive Chairman and Group CEO
Dake Group
TOPIC : Converting Desert Land into Arable Land, Bridging the Gap with Arable Countries
Chandra Dake is the Executive Chairman and Group CEO of the Dake Group, and an advocate of Innovation and Sustainability, with a Food Security and Water Conservation focus. Mr. Dake reconciles a strong entrepreneurial drive with a philanthropic spirit, which has helped him conceptualize and implement socially conscious and sustainable business models, over a 21-year career as a successful entrepreneur. From beginnings in IT consulting and niche Medical AI, Mr. Dake’s business interests have blossomed to include sectors such as Agriculture, Energy, Commodity Trading and Sustainable Technologies. His business approach is anchored in strong ethics and values, which is evident in his efforts to implement inclusive growth models for underprivileged community farmers, and scaling transformative Desert Farming and Water Conservation solutions.
Eng. Ramy Boujawdeh
MENA Regional Innovation Hub Manager for the Water and Energy for Food Program & Deputy General Manager
Berytech
Eng. Ramy Boujawdeh
MENA Regional Innovation Hub Manager for the Water and Energy for Food Program & Deputy General Manager
Berytech
TOPIC : Scaling Up Innovations in Water, Energy, Food Nexus, for a more sustainable agriculture. The Water & Energy for Food Global Challenge for Development
With more than two decades of international experience in management in different disciplines, Ramy has amassed diversified knowledge in the fields of change and quality management, operations, and entrepreneurship, Innovation and SMEs support programs. He has a strategic business mindset and a firm commitment to achieve excellent. Ramy is the Deputy GM at Berytech, he leads the A.C.T. Smart Innovation Hub initiative, and is the MENA Regional Innovation Hub (RIH) Manager for the Water and Energy for Food (WE4F) Grand Challenge for Development Program. He is a Board Member for a number of organizations, and enjoys advising entrepreneurs.
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