Mr. Charlie McConalogue TD.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Ireland.

Minister Charlie McConalogue, born in Gleneely, Co Donegal, has been serving as Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine since September 2, 2020. With a background in farming, he pursued studies inEconomics, Politics, and history at University College Dublin (UCD), where his involvement in politics began. Following work in Fianna Fáil Headquarters and abroad in Australia, he returned to his family farm before he was elected as Donegal County Councillor in 2009. In 2011, he was elected TD for Donegal Northeast.
Before his current role, he held positions including Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality, and spokesperson for Children, Education and Skills, and Agriculture, Food, and the Marine.

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Dr. David Laborde

Director of the Agrifood Economics Division (ESA) at the FAO

Dr. David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics and Policy Division (ESA) at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, leads economic research and policy analysis to enhance efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems. His work supports better production, nutrition, environment, and life, ensuring that no one is left behind. His research areas cover food and agricultural policies, agribusiness, rural transformation, poverty, resilience, bioeconomy, and climate-smart agriculture.

Previously, Dr. Laborde was a Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), focusing on globalization, trade, protectionism measurement, and modelling for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2. He has developed various models including MIRAGE and MIRAGRODEP for trade policy and environmental issues.

Talk: Transforming Agrifood Systems for Global Food Security and Climate Resilience: Leading Toward a More Sustainable and Low-Carbon Future

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Mr. Juan Lucas Restrepo

Global Director (PA), CGIAR, Montpellier cedex 5, France

Juan Lucas Restrepo is the Global Director of Partnerships and Advocacy at CGIAR and the Director General of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. A Colombian and French national, he has 25 years of experience in the agricultural sector, spanning public and private roles.

Restrepo has expertise in policy, value chains, markets, and agricultural research leadership. He has held various governance roles within CGIAR, including positions on the Committee of Genetic Resources Policy and CIAT’s Board of Directors. He was Colombia’s Vice Minister of Agriculture, Executive Director of AGROSAVIA, and Chief Commercial Officer of the National Federation of Coffee Growers. Restrepo holds a civil engineering degree from Universidad de los Andes and an MS in agricultural economics from Cornell University.

Talk: 

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Vice President for Research, Impact, and Innovation (TBA)

University College Dublin, Ireland.

 

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