Opening Event

The opening event marked the official start of the GFFA with an exchange between renowned experts in global bioeconomics from politics, business, science and civil society on the guiding theme ‘Farming a sustainable bioeconomy’. It provided a high-level introduction to the topic, outlined its many aspects and thus paved the way for the various discussions at the GFFA.

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The opening event marks the official start of the GFFA with an exchange between renowned experts in global bioeconomics from politics, business, science and civil society on the guiding theme ‘Farming a sustainable bioeconomy’.

It provides a high-level introduction to the topic, outlines its many aspects and thus paves the way for the various discussions at the GFFA.

speaker

Claudia Müller

Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture

Parliamentary State Secretary

Moderator

Monika Jones

Monika Jones is one of Germany’s leading bilingual journalists and presenters. As an English speaking news anchor at Germany’s global TV broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, she is familiar to a wide international audience, especially in North America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Speakers

Dr Julius Ecuru

International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) / Leiter des „BioInnovate Africa“-Programms

Dr Julius Ecuru is a principal scientist and Head of BioInnovate Africa at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Nairobi, Kenya. He is also Co-Chair of the International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy (IACGB), Kenya. He works with scientists and entrepreneurs to advance biologically based research outputs, including ideas and inventions, into practical uses in society through appropriate business models. Dr Ecuru’s expertise and experience are in chemical and bioengineering sciences, technological systems of innovation, science policy and business development.

Christine Lang

International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy (IACGB) / Co-chair

Christine Lang studied biology in Bochum and Brighton. She gained her doctorate in Bochum in 1985. After working as a scientist and group leader in the chemical industry, she moved to the TU Berlin in 1993, where she completed her habilitation in microbiology and molecular genetics. She is an adjunct professor of microbiology and molecular genetics. In 2001, she founded Organobalance GmbH as a company for new microbial agents and strains. Since 2016 Organobalance is part of Novonesis A/S. She has been Co-Chair of the German Federal Government’s Bioeconomy Council from 2012 to 2019. She is Co-chair of the think tank International Advisoary Council on Global Bioeconomy. She heads the Biobased Future Foundation.

Kaveh Zahedi

Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations / Director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment

Mr. Kaveh Zahedi is the Director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). He is responsible for coordinating FAO’s work and strategies on climate change, biodiversity, and environment, including through partnerships with the Conventions. He also oversees FAO’s Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund portfolios, as well as the Commission on Genetic Resources, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Globally important Agricultural Heritage Systems.

From 2016 to 2023 Mr. Zahedi served as Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in Bangkok, overseeing its programmes on environment, climate change, natural disasters, finance, energy, trade, transport, social development, and statistics, all in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

From 1995 to 2016 he worked at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Kenya, Mexico, UK, France and Thailand. Mr. Zahedi started his career at a non-governmental organization where he was responsible for agricultural credit and micro finance projects in Latin America and the Middle East.

Mr. Zahedi holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from The Fletcher School at Tufts University in the United States, and a Bachelor of Science in Economics (1st class honours) from University College London in the United Kingdom.

Shobha Shetty

World Bank / Global Director, Agriculture and Food Global Practice

Prior to assuming her current position as Global Director, Agriculture and Food Global Practice at the World Bank, Dr. Shobha Shetty served as Agriculture and Food Practice Manager in the Africa region as well as South Asia. She also served as Practice Manager for Global Partnerships and Resource Mobilization in the Social, Urban, Rural, Resilience Global Practice at the World Bank.

Dr. Shetty has earlier worked in the East Asia & Pacific and Middle East and North Africa regions. Her work and interests span nutrition-sensitive agriculture, irrigation and water resources management, digital agriculture, value chain development, women’s empowerment, urban food systems, rural youth employment, and climate resilience.

In 2015, she was a Visiting Fellow at the Tata-Cornell Agriculture and Nutrition Initiative (TCi) at Cornell University, NY. She has also been a Visiting Fellow at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

Dr. Shetty holds a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Anna University, Madras, India. She obtained her Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in agricultural economics from Cornell University.