Envisioning a Food Systems Transformation

Two people exchanging food for money at a food market

Join the London International Development Centre (LIDC) and Nature Food on 18 May 2023 for a hybrid event at the Foundling Museum in London, as they bring together policymakers, researchers, and change-makers to discuss and share innovative ideas and solutions for transforming food systems across the globe.

Attendees will gain new insights on how to better support and facilitate the transitions agenda, with a focus on achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 - zero hunger by 2030. Through keynote presentations and discussions, industry leaders and academics will demonstrate the critical need for interdisciplinarity in addressing the systemic issues in food production and show how adopting an interdisciplinary approach is key to enabling evidence-based nutrition policies at the global, regional, and country levels. The key audience for this event includes policymakers, researchers, academics, students, industry leaders, and other professionals who are interested in international development, global health, and nutrition.

Speakers

Professor Tim Benton, Chatham House: Professor Tim G. Benton leads the Environment and Society Programme at Chatham House. He joined Chatham House in 2016 as a distinguished visiting fellow, at which time he was also dean of strategic research initiatives at the University of Leeds. From 2011-2016 he was the ‘champion’ of the UK’s Global Food Security programme which was a multi-agency partnership of the UK’s public bodies (government departments, devolved governments and research councils) with an interest in the challenges around food.
Dr Annisa Chand, Nature Food: Annisa joined Nature Research in March 2019, after completing her Bachelor’s in Veterinary Sciences and her PhD in Endocrinology at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London. During her time at the college, Annisa conducted research in animal reproduction, sperm cryopreservation, and immunology, while also gaining practical experience in livestock handling and dairy farming. For her doctoral studies, she specialised in pituitary gland development and function in zebrafish, focusing on the local hormonal regulation of pituitary secretion via the natriuretic peptide system.
Dr Lawrence Haddad, GAIN: Dr Lawrence Haddad is GAIN’s Executive Director since 2016. In such capacity, he was one of the drivers behind the Initiative on Climate and Nutrition at COP27 in 2022; he chaired Action Track 1 of the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit to ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all; and he was the co-founder of the Standing Together for Nutrition consortium, a response to the COVID19 pandemic and the current food crisis.
Professor Claire Heffernan, LIDC: Professor Claire Heffernan is Director of the London International Development Centre and Chair of International Development at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). She holds a joint appointment with LSHTM. Her work at the Centre focuses on facilitating interdisciplinary research across seven University of London institutions aimed at addressing critical challenges in international development. Claire’s particular areas of expertise include the application of interdisciplinary research within the development sphere.
Dr Edward Mabaya, Cornell University: Dr Ed Mabaya is a scholar and a development practitioner with more than two decades of experience working on development, agribusiness value chains and food security issues with a regional focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. He is a Research Professor in the Department of Global Development at Cornell University where his teaching, research and outreach work focuses on economic development in Africa. Mabaya’s applied research work is anchored around food marketing and distribution, enabling environments for agribusiness, seed systems, digital agriculture, and the role of efficient agricultural markets in Africa’s economic development.
Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, African Union: Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki of the Republic of Niger is the current Special Envoy for Food Systems at the African Union and former Chief Executive
Officer of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). A former Prime Minister of Niger, from 1997 to 2000, Dr Mayaki has a Master’s degree from the National School of Public Administration (Enap), Quebec, Canada and a PhD in Administrative Sciences from the University of Paris I, France. He worked as a Professor of Public Administration in Niger and Venezuela.
Dr David Nabarro,World Health Organisation: David is Co-Director and Chair of Global Health at Imperial’s Institute of Global Health Innovation, which he was appointed in 2019. He is also Strategic Director of the Swiss-based social enterprise, 4SD (Skills Systems and Synergies for Sustainable Development), established in 2017, training and mentoring leaders for sustainable development. In March 2020, David was appointed Special Envoy of WHO Director-General on COVID-19. He is also co-chair of the World Innovation Summit for Health Forum on Climate Change and Health.
Lord Jonathan Oates, United Against Malnutrition: Lord Oates joined United Against Malnutrition and Hunger as its first Chief Executive in September 2022. His interest and involvement in development issues date back to 1985 when he spent time in Ethiopia during the Ethiopian famine. From 2010 to 2015, Jonny was Deputy Director of Communications in 10 Downing Street and subsequently Chief of Staff to the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, during the coalition government. In the late 1990s Jonny worked in South Africa’s first democratic parliament on a two-year project to support political parties previously excluded from parliament under the apartheid regime. From 2017-2019 he was Senior Adviser to the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. Lord Oates has been a member of House of Lords since October 2015 and has a particular interest in international development and climate change.
Sareh Forouzesh, Meridian Institute: Sareh Forouzesh is a Senior Mediator and Program Manager at Meridian Institute, where she is the Deputy Director of the Just Rural Transition (JRT) Secretariat. Sareh is a sustainable development professional with more than nine years’ experience in consulting and program management roles. She is specialized in agricultural drivers of deforestation and land use change, supply chains and sustainable procurement, and corporate sustainability. Prior to joining Meridian, she was the Associate Director of Forests at CDP, where she worked on issues relating to commodity-driven deforestation and landscape-level/ jurisdictional approaches towards eliminating deforestation. In this role, Sareh was responsible for developing, fundraising for, and managing several global multi-year programs of work, developing CDP’s strategy on eliminating commodity-driven deforestation through landscape-level approaches, and contributing towards multiple thought leadership and knowledge products.
Dr Alok Ranjan, Power of Nutrition: Dr Alok Ranjan joined The Power of Nutrition as Director of Programmes and Investments in January 2021. He has over 17 years of experience across various public health and nutrition programs. Prior to The Power of Nutrition, for over six years he led the Nutrition program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and South Asia. Prior to that, he worked with UNICEF for over seven years including leading nutrition programs for the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India, states which collectively contribute to around 10% of the global burden of stunted children.
Dr Alberta Sagoe, AU-IBAR: Dr Sagoe obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Ports and Shipping Administration from the Regional Maritime University in 2009. She further obtained a Master of Arts degree in Governance and Sustainable Development from the University of Cape Coast in 2011, and a Master of Science Degree in Marine Spatial Planning in 2015. In 2020, she obtained a PhD in Integrated Coastal Zone Management from the University of Cape Coast. She is currently a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Africa Center of Excellence in Coastal Resilience at the Centre for Coastal Management, University of Cape Coast. Dr Sagoe’s research in coastal management has contributed to operationalizing the establishment of Marine Protected Areas in the Western Region of Ghana.
Dr James Wangu, World Resources Institute: Sustainability enthusiast, driven international development and research professional with over seven years of experience. Completed several international knowledge management and learning assignments. Highly respectful of others, a critical thinker, resourceful, accountable, a team player, timely and attentive to details.
Laura Wellesley, Chatham House: Laura Wellesley is a senior research fellow in the Environment and Society Programme at Chatham House. She works on issues related to sustainable diets, food security and climate change and her publications span the areas of healthy and sustainable food systems, global food trade risks, agricultural commodity supply chains, and trade in illegal timber. Laura joined Chatham House in 2013 as a project coordinator, later becoming a research associate in 2014 and a research fellow in 2017.

This event is free and open to all, online and in person. Registration required. A recording of this session will be available after the event on this page.

Zoom

Join the session remotely

Admission

Contact

Dhilan Solanki

Where and when

51.524966, -0.1213455

Venue

The Foundling Museum
40 Brunswick Square
London
WC1N 1AZ
United Kingdom

Get Directions

Date

Thursday 18 May 2023

Time

10:00 - 16:30

Date and time zone is UK

Admission

Contact

Dhilan Solanki

Add to Calendar 2023-05-18 10:00:00 2023-05-18 16:30:00 Envisioning a Food Systems Transformation Join the London International Development Centre (LIDC) and Nature Food on 18 May 2023 for a hybrid event at the Foundling Museum in London, as they bring together policymakers, researchers, and change-makers to discuss and share innovative ideas and solutions for transforming food systems across the globe. Attendees will gain new insights on how to better support and facilitate the transitions agenda, with a focus on achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 - zero hunger by 2030. Through keynote presentations and discussions, industry leaders and academics will demonstrate the critical need for interdisciplinarity in addressing the systemic issues in food production and show how adopting an interdisciplinary approach is key to enabling evidence-based nutrition policies at the global, regional, and country levels. The key audience for this event includes policymakers, researchers, academics, students, industry leaders, and other professionals who are interested in international development, global health, and nutrition. Speakers Professor Tim Benton, Chatham House Professor Tim G. Benton leads the Environment and Society Programme at Chatham House. He joined Chatham House in 2016 as a distinguished visiting fellow, at which time he was also dean of strategic research initiatives at the University of Leeds. From 2011-2016 he was the ‘champion’ of the UK’s Global Food Security programme which was a multi-agency partnership of the UK’s public bodies (government departments, devolved governments and research councils) with an interest in the challenges around food. Dr Annisa Chand, Nature Food Annisa joined Nature Research in March 2019, after completing her Bachelor’s in Veterinary Sciences and her PhD in Endocrinology at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London. During her time at the college, Annisa conducted research in animal reproduction, sperm cryopreservation, and immunology, while also gaining practical experience in livestock handling and dairy farming. For her doctoral studies, she specialised in pituitary gland development and function in zebrafish, focusing on the local hormonal regulation of pituitary secretion via the natriuretic peptide system. Dr Lawrence Haddad, GAIN Dr Lawrence Haddad is GAIN’s Executive Director since 2016. In such capacity, he was one of the drivers behind the Initiative on Climate and Nutrition at COP27 in 2022; he chaired Action Track 1 of the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit to ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all; and he was the co-founder of the Standing Together for Nutrition consortium, a response to the COVID19 pandemic and the current food crisis. Professor Claire Heffernan, LIDC Professor Claire Heffernan is Director of the London International Development Centre and Chair of International Development at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). She holds a joint appointment with LSHTM. Her work at the Centre focuses on facilitating interdisciplinary research across seven University of London institutions aimed at addressing critical challenges in international development. Claire’s particular areas of expertise include the application of interdisciplinary research within the development sphere. Dr Edward Mabaya, Cornell University Dr Ed Mabaya is a scholar and a development practitioner with more than two decades of experience working on development, agribusiness value chains and food security issues with a regional focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. He is a Research Professor in the Department of Global Development at Cornell University where his teaching, research and outreach work focuses on economic development in Africa. Mabaya’s applied research work is anchored around food marketing and distribution, enabling environments for agribusiness, seed systems, digital agriculture, and the role of efficient agricultural markets in Africa’s economic development. Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, African Union Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki of the Republic of Niger is the current Special Envoy for Food Systems at the African Union and former Chief Executive Officer of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). A former Prime Minister of Niger, from 1997 to 2000, Dr Mayaki has a Master’s degree from the National School of Public Administration (Enap), Quebec, Canada and a PhD in Administrative Sciences from the University of Paris I, France. He worked as a Professor of Public Administration in Niger and Venezuela. Dr David Nabarro,World Health Organisation David is Co-Director and Chair of Global Health at Imperial’s Institute of Global Health Innovation, which he was appointed in 2019. He is also Strategic Director of the Swiss-based social enterprise, 4SD (Skills Systems and Synergies for Sustainable Development), established in 2017, training and mentoring leaders for sustainable development. In March 2020, David was appointed Special Envoy of WHO Director-General on COVID-19. He is also co-chair of the World Innovation Summit for Health Forum on Climate Change and Health. Lord Jonathan Oates, United Against Malnutrition Lord Oates joined United Against Malnutrition and Hunger as its first Chief Executive in September 2022. His interest and involvement in development issues date back to 1985 when he spent time in Ethiopia during the Ethiopian famine. From 2010 to 2015, Jonny was Deputy Director of Communications in 10 Downing Street and subsequently Chief of Staff to the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, during the coalition government. In the late 1990s Jonny worked in South Africa’s first democratic parliament on a two-year project to support political parties previously excluded from parliament under the apartheid regime. From 2017-2019 he was Senior Adviser to the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. Lord Oates has been a member of House of Lords since October 2015 and has a particular interest in international development and climate change. Sareh Forouzesh, Meridian Institute Sareh Forouzesh is a Senior Mediator and Program Manager at Meridian Institute, where she is the Deputy Director of the Just Rural Transition (JRT) Secretariat. Sareh is a sustainable development professional with more than nine years’ experience in consulting and program management roles. She is specialized in agricultural drivers of deforestation and land use change, supply chains and sustainable procurement, and corporate sustainability. Prior to joining Meridian, she was the Associate Director of Forests at CDP, where she worked on issues relating to commodity-driven deforestation and landscape-level/ jurisdictional approaches towards eliminating deforestation. In this role, Sareh was responsible for developing, fundraising for, and managing several global multi-year programs of work, developing CDP’s strategy on eliminating commodity-driven deforestation through landscape-level approaches, and contributing towards multiple thought leadership and knowledge products. Dr Alok Ranjan, Power of Nutrition Dr Alok Ranjan joined The Power of Nutrition as Director of Programmes and Investments in January 2021. He has over 17 years of experience across various public health and nutrition programs. Prior to The Power of Nutrition, for over six years he led the Nutrition program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and South Asia. Prior to that, he worked with UNICEF for over seven years including leading nutrition programs for the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India, states which collectively contribute to around 10% of the global burden of stunted children. Dr Alberta Sagoe, AU-IBAR Dr Sagoe obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Ports and Shipping Administration from the Regional Maritime University in 2009. She further obtained a Master of Arts degree in Governance and Sustainable Development from the University of Cape Coast in 2011, and a Master of Science Degree in Marine Spatial Planning in 2015. In 2020, she obtained a PhD in Integrated Coastal Zone Management from the University of Cape Coast. She is currently a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Africa Center of Excellence in Coastal Resilience at the Centre for Coastal Management, University of Cape Coast. Dr Sagoe’s research in coastal management has contributed to operationalizing the establishment of Marine Protected Areas in the Western Region of Ghana. Dr James Wangu, World Resources Institute Sustainability enthusiast, driven international development and research professional with over seven years of experience. Completed several international knowledge management and learning assignments. Highly respectful of others, a critical thinker, resourceful, accountable, a team player, timely and attentive to details. Laura Wellesley, Chatham House Laura Wellesley is a senior research fellow in the Environment and Society Programme at Chatham House. She works on issues related to sustainable diets, food security and climate change and her publications span the areas of healthy and sustainable food systems, global food trade risks, agricultural commodity supply chains, and trade in illegal timber. Laura joined Chatham House in 2013 as a project coordinator, later becoming a research associate in 2014 and a research fellow in 2017. This event is free and open to all, online and in person. Registration required. A recording of this session will be available after the event on this page. Zoom Join the session remotely https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/envisioning-a-foods-systems-transformation-hybrid-format-tickets-575951986897?utm_campaign=post_publish&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite&utm_content=shortLinkNewEmail Dhilan Solanki Europe/London public

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