Michael Taylor is the Director of the International Land Coalition (ILC) within the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). ILC is a global alliance of over 200 inter-governmental and civil society organizations – including IFAD. It works to put people at the centre of land governance, as a fundamental step towards building a just, equitable, and inclusive world in which land rights are secure and poverty is eradicated.

Before being appointed Director in 2015, Taylor was responsible for Africa Programmes and Global Policy in ILC. He was previously a Programme Manager at the United Nations Development programme. Prior to that he held various positions in the Government of Botswana; Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs.

Taylor holds a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from the University of Edinburgh, and an Honours Degree from the University of Cape Town.