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Governing Council 42 - events

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About the event

The forty-second session, held on 14 and 15 February, will focus on the theme rural innovation and entrepreneurship. IFAD, with its specialized mandate of enabling rural transformation, has a pivotal role to play in creating the conditions for innovation and entrepreneurship to thrive in rural areas.

His Holiness Pope Francis will make an address in the inaugural session and the violinist Midori, United Nations Messenger of Peace, will give a performance.

Interactive sessions will focus on IFAD’s support for innovation and entrepreneurship and its engagement in innovative processes. They will explore how IFAD is working to ensure that its value chain development activities are gender- and nutrition-sensitive; the role of social entrepreneurship and innovation in promoting resilience and addressing global challenges; and the impact of new technology on the future of farming.

Other sessions include the launch of the Agribusiness Capital Fund (ABC Fund), a youth panel, an event featuring IFAD Recipes for Change with Italian Chef Carlo Cracco, and a briefing on the G20. 

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Documents & Member Statements

Documents & Member Statements

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Statement by the representative of Luxembourg for Benelux

Video: English
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Statement by the representative of Sweden for Nordic Countries

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Statement by the representative of Angola

Video: English
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Statement by the representative of Austria

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Statement by the representative of Argentina

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Statement by the representative of Bangladesh

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Statement by the representative of Cambodia

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Statement by the representative of Canada

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Statement by the representative of China

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Statement by the representative of the Dominican Republic

Video: Spanish
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Statement by the representative of Egypt

Video: Arabic
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Statement by the representative of Equatorial Guinea

Video: Spanish
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Statement by the representative of Fiji

Video: English
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Statement by the representative of France

Video: French
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Statement by the representative of Germany

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Statement by the representative of India

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Statement by the representative of Indonesia

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Statement by the representative of Japan

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Statement by the representative of Kiribati

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Statement by the representative of Republic of Korea

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Statement by the representative of Lesotho

Video: English
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Statement by the representative of New Zealand

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Statement by the representative of Nicaragua

Video: English
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Statement by the representative of Qatar

Video: Arabic
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Statement by the representative of Rwanda

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Statement by the representative of Samoa

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Statement by the representative of Spain

Video: Spanish
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Statement by the representative of Sudan

Video: Arabic
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Statement by the representative of Togo

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Statement by the representative of the United Republic of Tanzania

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Statement by the representative of the United States

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Statement by the representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

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Speakers

Inaugural ceremony (in speaking order)
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H.E. Ambassador Hans Hoogeveen

Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UN Rome-based agencies, Chair of the Governing Council
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H.E. Ambassador Hans Hoogeveen

Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UN Rome-based agencies, Chair of the Governing Council
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José Graziano da Silva

Director-General, FAO
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José Graziano da Silva

Director-General, FAO
José Graziano da Silva has worked on food security, rural development, and agriculture issues for over 30 years, most notably as the architect of Brazil’s Zero Hunger (Fome Zero) programme and now as the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
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His Holiness Pope Francis

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His Holiness Pope Francis

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H.E. Gerardine Mukeshimana

Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Republic of Rwanda
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H.E. Gerardine Mukeshimana

Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Republic of Rwanda
H.E. Géraldine Mukeshimana was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources in July 2014, replacing the outgoing Minister, Dr Agnes Kalibata, following a cabinet reshuffle. Geraldine Mukeshimana is a post-doctoral scientist in plant molecular biology at the BecA-ILRI Hub, a shared agricultural research and biosciences located in Nairobi. She holds both a master’s degree and PhD in plant breeding, genetics, and biotechnology from Michigan State University, and an agriculture engineering degree from the former National University of Rwanda.
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Gilbert F. Houngbo

President of IFAD
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Gilbert F. Houngbo

President of IFAD
Gilbert F. Houngbo became the sixth President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on 1 April 2017. Previously, Houngbo was the Deputy Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO). He served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Togo from 2008 to 2012. From 1996 to 2008, Houngbo undertook a number of roles at UNDP including Chief of Staff and Assistant Secretary-General, Africa Regional Director. Houngbo has a Maîtrise en gestion des entreprises from the University of Lomé, Togo, and a Diplôme d’Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées in Specialised Accounting from the University of Québec, Canada.
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H.E. Giuseppe Conte

Prime Minister of the Italian Republic
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H.E. Giuseppe Conte

Prime Minister of the Italian Republic
Giuseppe Conte was born in Volturara Appula (FG) on 8 August 1964. He graduated in Law at "La Sapienza" University of Rome with 110/110 summa cum laude (full marks with Honours). He has carried out research work for many years, both in Italy and abroad. In 2002 he qualified as full professor of private law, becoming Professor of Private Law I and Private Law II at the School of Law of the University of Florence. He is a co-editor of numerous legal journals and series. He has practised law in various law firms. He is the author of numerous publications of which some of the most recent are: L’impresa responsabile [The responsible company] (Giuffré, Milan, 2018); La formazione del contratto (in Il Codice civile. Commentario [The formation of the contract (in The Civil Code. Commentary)], Giuffré, Milan, 2018; with Prof. Guido Alpa, he edited Diritti e libertà fondamentali nei rapporti contrattuali [Fundamental rights and freedoms in contractual relations] (Giappichelli, Turin, 2018).
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H.E. Danilo Medina Sánchez

President of the Dominican Republic
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H.E. Danilo Medina Sánchez

President of the Dominican Republic
Danilo Medina, the eldest of eight children by Juan Pablo Medina and Amelia Sánchez, was born in Arroyo Cano, San Juan province, in 1951. He is a Chemical Engineer by the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, where he became a student leader, and an Economist by the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo. He is a founding member of the Dominican Liberation Party, with which he won three terms to House of Representatives, rising to the Presidency of the Chamber in 1994. He has been a member of the Latin American Parliament and Minister of the Presidency. Medina was elected President of the Dominican Republic in 2012 and re-elected in 2016 with 62% of the electorate. The promotion of inclusive and sustainable rural development has been a pillar of his tenure, during which time indicators of national socio-economic advancement —especially in the rural areas— have been at the forefront of both the Latin American and the Caribbean region, and the developing world. He has been married since 1987 to Mrs Cándida Montilla, a matrimony blessed with three daughters.
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David M. Beasley

Executive Director of the World Food Programme
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David M. Beasley

Executive Director of the World Food Programme
As Executive Director of the World Food Programme, David Beasley continues his life’s work bridging political, religious and ethnic boundaries to champion economic development and education. At WFP, Mr Beasley is putting to use four decades of leadership and communications skills to mobilise more financial support and public awareness for the global fight against hunger.
Opening session
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Midori

Violinist
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Midori

Violinist
The violinist and UN Messenger of Peace Midori is a visionary artist, activist and educator. Since her debut 1982 with the New York Philharmonic, she has been performing with the world’s great orchestras, such as the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic, and sharing stages with legendary conductors, including Christoph Eschenbach and Mariss Jansons. For more than 25 years, Midori has founded and led various non-profit organizations that provide music education and the musical experience to young people and underserved communities around the world. Born 1971 in Osaka, she currently lives in Philadelphia, where she is a member of the violin faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music.
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Sherrie Silver

Choreographer
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Sherrie Silver

Choreographer
Sherrie Silver is an accomplished actress, dancer, choreographer and activist made world-famous by her work in Childish Gambino’s culturally seismic video “This Is America”. Born in Rwanda and educated in the UK, Silver recently won the 'Best Choreography' category at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. Silver is passionate about helping young people thrive and educating the world about African cultures through the dance, while giving back to African countries through her philanthropy. She has been mentioned by Forbes as "a new creative visionary" and by Bill Gates as one of Africa’s young innovators changing the continents present and future. Silver has always made philanthropy a key part of her work as a rising star of the dance world, holding dance workshops for African children, and even starting homes for at-risk youth in Lagos and Kigali.
Recipes for Change event
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Carlo Cracco

Chef
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Carlo Cracco

Chef
Carlo Cracco began his professional career at Gualtiero Marchesi in Milan, the first Italian restaurant to be awarded three Michelin stars. For the next three years he resided in France, where he learned about French cuisine under the guidance of Alain Ducasse (Hotel de Paris) and Lucas Carton (Senderens, Paris). Cracco finally returned to Italy where he was appointed Chef at Enoteca Pinchiorri, Florence. During his tenure, the restaurant was awarded three Michelin stars. He was one of the three judges of the TV series MasterChef Italy and Hell’s Kitchen Italy. Cracco is also the president of the non-profit association Maestro Martino, founded in 2011 to promote the Lombardy agri-food chain. In 2016, Carlo Cracco opened his first restaurant outside of Italy with a new brand OVO by Carlo Cracco in Moscow inside the five star Lotte Hotel. In February 2018, he opened his new flagship restaurant inside Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milano where he runs a café, a gourmet restaurant and event gallery.

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Interactive session 1: Agribusiness Value Chains: Mind the Gap – Gender and Nutrition
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Donal Brown

Associate Vice-President, Programme Management Department, IFAD
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Donal Brown

Associate Vice-President, Programme Management Department, IFAD
Donal Brown is an Associate Vice-President at IFAD. He is responsible for developing and managing the operations that IFAD supports through its loans and grants. He previously worked at the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID). Brown holds a Master’s degree in Tropical Animal Health and Production from the University of Edinburgh, a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Leadership and Management from the University of Warwick and a Bachelor’s in Veterinary Science from the University of Bristol.
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Ismahane Elouafi

Director-General, International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA)
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Ismahane Elouafi

Director-General, International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA)
Ismahane Elouafi joined ICBA as Director General in 2012. Previously, she held management positions with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She also worked as a scientist with international research organizations, including the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). She holds a PhD in Genetics from Cordoba University, Spain.
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Katarina M. Eriksson

Project and Partnership Development Director, Tetra Laval Food for Development (Stockholm)
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Katarina M. Eriksson

Project and Partnership Development Director, Tetra Laval Food for Development (Stockholm)
Katarina Eriksson supports the development of private-public partnerships in the fields of school nutrition and dairy value chain development at the Tetra Laval Food for Development Office. Previously, Eriksson worked with export promotion and export finance in the Swedish Embassy in Beijing, at the Swedish Export Credit Guarantee Board and in the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. She holds a degree in International Business and Chinese from Lund University.
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Jessica Fanzo

Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins University
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Jessica Fanzo

Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins University
Jessica Fanzo is the Bloomberg Distinguished Associate Professor of Global Food and Agriculture Policy and Ethics at the Berman Institute of Bioethics, the Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, USA. Fanzo served as the co-Chair of the Global Nutrition Report and the UN High Level Panel of Experts on Food Systems and Nutrition. Before coming to Hopkins, she has also held positions at Columbia University, the Earth Institute, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Food Programme, Bioversity International, and the Millennium Development Goal Centre at the World Agroforestry Center in Kenya. She has a PhD in nutrition from the University of Arizona.
Special event: Access to finance for young people
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Jim Leandro Cano

Country Representative Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD)
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Jim Leandro Cano

Country Representative Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD)
Jim Cano is a Teaching Associate at the Department of Agricultural Systems Studies of the Agricultural Systems Institute, College of Agriculture and Food Science, UPLB, where he teaches Agricultural Systems and Agricultural Extension. Since 2015, he has been the Philippine Country Representative for the Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) network. He has a degree in agriculture from the University of the Philippines, Los Baños.
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Hlami Ngwenya

Special Facilitator, Emerging ag inc
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Hlami Ngwenya

Special Facilitator, Emerging ag inc
Hlamalani Ngwenya is an International Development Consultant and Lecturer at the University of Free State, South Africa (Centre for Sustainable Agriculture). She is also a Social Entrepreneur and Founder and Executive Director of the Facilitation of Systemic Change Consulting Company. With over 25 years of international experience in agriculture, food, nutrition security, natural resources management, climate change, and education.
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Divine Ntiokam

Managing Director and founder of the Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network
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Divine Ntiokam

Managing Director and founder of the Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network
Divine Ntiokam is Managing Director and founder of the Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network (CSAYN). Teams in 37 countries raise awareness of climate smart agriculture among young people. He is also the African Continental Vice President of Youth in Livestock, Fisheries and Aquaculture Incubation Network in July 2018. Ntiokam coordinated the translation of the SDGs into over sixty local languages in Africa and Asia.
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Dalí Nolasco Cruz

Nahua peoples of Tlaola, Puebla
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Dalí Nolasco Cruz

Nahua peoples of Tlaola, Puebla
Dalí Cruz is the Director of the Timo’Patla Intercultural Organization A.C. and Mopampa, a network of social and solidarity economy companies of indigenous women. She is an active member of Slow Food in Mexico for the defence and promotion of Creole seeds, food, territories, and indigenous biodiversity. She facilitates training for women, youth and children on topics including rights, gender and interculturalism.
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Annie Nyaga

Co-Director, 4H Kenya
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Annie Nyaga

Co-Director, 4H Kenya
Annie Nyaga is a farmer, agriculture transporter and the youngest County Minister of Agriculture in Kenya. She is an active proponent of youth engagement in agriculture. Nyaga is coordinating with the Office of the President to spearhead a countrywide Youth in Ag Agenda. She is a Global UN Champion for the Youth (2018-2022).
Centre Stage – IFAD Talk
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Dr Gunhild Stordalen

Executive Chair of the EAT Foundation
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Dr Gunhild Stordalen

Executive Chair of the EAT Foundation
Gunhild A. Stordalen is the co-founder and chair of the Stordalen Foundation and the founder and president of the EAT Foundation. She serves on several executive and advisory boards, such as the International Advisory Board of the Stockholm Resilience Centre at the Stockholm University, the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement lead group, CSR board of BT Group, the Advisory Board of Project Drawdown. She is a renowned speaker, debater and published scientist. She was named “Woman of the Year 2013” for her environmental work by the Norwegian magazine KK. Stordalen is a medical doctor with a PhD in pathology/orthopedic surgery from the University of Oslo.
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Katherine Meighan

General Counsel, IFAD
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Katherine Meighan

General Counsel, IFAD
Katherine Meighan is the General Counsel of IFAD and a member of the Executive Management Committee. She also oversees the management of a team of lawyers who deliver results on IFAD's operations, funding, governance and corporate matters. Before joining IFAD, Meighan was Assistant General Counsel and Manager at the International Finance Corporation. She holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law and a BA in Economics and French.
Interactive session 2: Empowering social entrepreneurship for inclusive rural transformation
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Alexander Dale

Senior Officer, Sustainability Community, MIT Solve Initiative
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Alexander Dale

Senior Officer, Sustainability Community, MIT Solve Initiative
Alexander Dale supports people and organizations passionate about tackling food, energy, water and climate challenges. His academic background is in life-cycle impacts of energy and water infrastructure, and professionally in environmental policy, engineering education and non-profit management. Previously Dale was Executive Director of Engineers for a Sustainable World. He has a PhD in Civil & Environmental Engineering and a BSE in Engineering Physics from the University of Pittsburgh.
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Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu

Founder and CEO, ColdHubs Limited
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Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu

Founder and CEO, ColdHubs Limited
Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu is a farmer, innovator and social entrepreneur. He is also director and founder of the Smallholders Foundation which uses its Farmers Rural Radio network to reach farmers with daily agriculture, environmental management, market access and educational messages. He has received a number of awards and fellowships, including 2013 Laureate of the Yara Prize for Green Revolution in Africa (now Africa Food Prize).
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Anushka Ratnayake

Founder & CEO, myAgro
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Anushka Ratnayake

Founder & CEO, myAgro
Anushka Ratnayake has worked in rural Africa since 2008, helping to increase food security and market access for small-scale farmers. Prior to myAgro, she developed components of One Acre Fund’s core operation model and created management-training programmes. She has a BA in Literature from University of California, Santa Cruz. Anushka is a 2018 winner of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship and 2018 Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.
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Annan El-Sherbiny

Junior Consultant, Yawadee
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Annan El-Sherbiny

Junior Consultant, Yawadee
Annan El-Sherbiny is a junior consultant and business development coordinator at Yadawee’s export and trading arm since 2016. She worked on several donor-funded projects and focused on developing market demand-driven skills of female refugees and vulnerable Egyptians and developing their business capacity and creating market linkages. El-Sherbiny also worked on the Strengthening Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development project funded by USAID.
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Dulce Martinez

Creative Director, Fabrica Social
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Dulce Martinez

Creative Director, Fabrica Social
Dulce Martinez is a product designer and anthropologist dedicated to support, contribute and extend the recognition of traditional techniques and indigenous women’s knowledge. Through the use of design as a tool for socio economic improvement, Fabrica Social has developed methodologies and systems that allow Mexican women artisan to live in their communities and keep practicing their trades while raising children and harvesting food.
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Dominic Wanjihia

Founder and CEO, Biogas International Limited
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Dominic Wanjihia

Founder and CEO, Biogas International Limited
Dominic Wanjihia is tinkerer, a maker and an innovator. He develops gadgets and tools to alleviate poverty in communities, agricultural practices, and conservation. He focusses on recycling, simplicity, affordability, ownership and sustainability. He tries to develop simple solutions that are replicable and sustainable. Flexi Biogas Solutions is a think-tank that brings people together on issues from climate smart agriculture to better health.
Interactive session 3: The Future of Farming – New technologies to transform smallholder agriculture
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Hamza Chaham

Co-founder, SOWIT
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Hamza Chaham

Co-founder, SOWIT
Hamza Chaham is the co-founder of SOWIT, a start-up providing decision support systems to African farmers. He is a 2018 Marshall German Fund and Policy Center for the New South Emerging Leader. Chaham is also advises the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation. He is co-author of the African Union report, Drones on the horizon: Transforming Africa’s Agriculture.
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Ingabire Muziga Mamy

Managing Director, Charis Unmanned Aerial Solutions ltd (CHARIS UAS)
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Ingabire Muziga Mamy

Managing Director, Charis Unmanned Aerial Solutions ltd (CHARIS UAS)
Ingabire Mamy is the Managing Director of Charis UAS, a recent and fast-developing start-up - the first leading and licensed drone company in Rwanda. She has contributed to innovations to tackle some of the biggest challenges in agriculture and other sectors by using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones). Mamy holds a Bachelor Degree in Applied Life Sciences from Midrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Guoqi Wu

Associate Vice-President, Corporate Services Department, IFAD
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Guoqi Wu

Associate Vice-President, Corporate Services Department, IFAD
Guoqi Wu is responsible for providing IFAD with human resources, administrative services, safety and security, and information technology resources. He was previously Alternate Director of China at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank. Wu holds a PhD in Economics from the Research Institute for Fiscal Science, China, and an MSc in Development Finance from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
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Quan Le

Founder, CEO, Binkabi
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Quan Le

Founder, CEO, Binkabi
Quan Le has over 20-years’ experience in finance, technology and commodities. After a ten year career in finance in Hanoi, Sydney and London, Quan started an agriculture technology firm bringing proven crop know-how from Asia to Africa. From these experiences Quan co-foundered Binkabi, a platform for issuing, trading and financing commodities on the blockchain. Quan holds master's degree in applied finance.
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Nicole Nguyen

Head of APAC - Infinity Blockchain Ventures
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Nicole Nguyen

Head of APAC - Infinity Blockchain Ventures
In her previous role as Head of Corporate Marketing at Infinity Blockchain Labs and as Head of APAC at IBV, Nguyen uses her industry insights and network to develop the blockchain and tech startup ecosystem in Vietnam and South East Asia. She has organised community outreach initiatives in Vietnam, including the first Vietnam Blockathon, Vietnam Blockchain Week and ENIGMA.
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Veronica Barbati

President of Coldiretti Giovani Impresa
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Veronica Barbati

President of Coldiretti Giovani Impresa
Veronica Barbati is the President of Coldiretti Giovani Impresa. Since 2010, she has owned and managed Agriturismo Barbati in the province of Avellino. During the last year, Barbati represented Coldiretti Giovani Impresa at CEJA, the European Council of Young Farmers and at the WFO, the World Farmers Organization, bringing Coldiretti's vision on European and international policies. She has a degree in Economics and Management of Tourist Services.
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event-photos
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GC42 Video
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Videos

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Welcoming statement by Mr Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD
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Address by His Holiness Pope Francis
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Performance of the violinist Midori, UN Messenger of Peace
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Advocating for rural youth: Ms Sherrie Silver
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Centre Stage, IFAD Talk - Dr Gunhild Stordalen, Executive Chair of the EAT Foundation
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Indigenous Peoples Forum's Recommendations to the Governing Council
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Media contact

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Jessica Thomas

[email protected]
+39 3921605992
+39 0654592215