Meet the Stakeholder Engagement and Networking Advisory (SENA) Group
One of the responsibilities of the Hub is to engage widely with stakeholders in the food systems landscape across all the follow-up workstreams and to establish a Stakeholder Engagement and Networking Advisory (SENA) Group to engage with and advise the Hub over time, with self-nominated focal points of priority communities to ensure a robust follow-up to the Summit for the success of the 2030 Agenda through food systems transformations. The SENA Group helps the National Pathways and other national, regional, and global platforms (e.g., dialogues, coalitions, initiatives, etc.) to be informed by, and account for, the perspectives and views of multiple stakeholders to enhance effectiveness, transparency, and inclusiveness. The initial communities to comprise the SENA Group are the following: Youth, Indigenous Peoples, Producers, Women and the Private Sector, which are explicitly mentioned on the UN Secretary-General’s closing statement of the Food Systems Summit.
YOUTH
NICOLÁS DOMKE VENEGAS
Nicolás is a 29-year-old young professional interested in the promotion of biotechnology within the framework of circular and sustainable bioeconomy. He holds a bachelor's degree in plant biotechnology engineering, with a diploma in public policy and territory, and he is a master’s student at the Faculty of Forest Sciences at the University of Concepción. He is an active member of the International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA), in the role of President of the Keules del Biobío Local Committee and Head of the FAO Sub-Commission. As part of his advocacy activities, he is a member of the Focal Point Group of the Youth Action Track for the World Food Forum, which is facilitated by FAO in cooperation with other Rome-based Agencies. In his role as Youth Representative, Nicolas seeks to promote the voice of young people from the global south in a decentralized way, including youth from rural and peripheral areas.
ELIZABETH MWENDE
Elizabeth is an agricultural engineer with over 7 years of experience in agri-food systems transformation, in both the public and private sector in Kenya. She has worked with rural communities to enhance their resilience to climate change and increase their food production through developing proposals for funding by FAO and the World Bank, and training them on climate-smart agriculture practices. She has expertise in: engineering design (irrigation and water harvesting), climate technology (development and deployment), and project management. Currently, she is a National Coordinator of Young Water Professionals of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, as well as a Coordinator of Food Security Programmes at Africa Climate and Environment Foundation, which is a youth-led organisation aimed at championing climate action in various sectors. Through her role at the SENA Group, she seeks to incorporate bottom-up approaches in food systems transformation through engagement and capacity building of youth at the grassroots level.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
ALUKI KOTIERK
Originally from Igloolik and now residing in Iqaluit with her family, Nunavut Tunngavik President, Aluki Kotierk, leads by example. Aluki is driven by her passion to empower and improve the lives of Inuit. After earning her master’s degree in Native and Canadian Studies at Trent University, Aluki worked for various Inuit organizations, including Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (now known as Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami), and Nunavut Sivuniksavut. She has also held management and Deputy Minister roles within the Government of Nunavut, Office of the Languages Commissioner and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated. In her current role as President, Aluki is keen in how Inuit language and culture can be better incorporated into the way in which programs and services are designed and delivered in Nunavut.
GEOFFREY ROTH
Geoffrey Roth (Lakota) is a Native American leader with over 25 years of advocating for American Indian/Alaska Native and Global Indigenous rights. Currently, as Expert Member and Vice Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, he actively participated in the coordination of the Forum’s Indigenous Determinants of Health member report, COVID-19 pandemic response, Regional Listening Sessions across the globe, and Indigenous Peoples activities at the World Food Summit through FAO’s workgroup and Coalition on Indigenous food systems. Likewise, he is an advisor assisting Tribes, Urban Indian organizations, and Indigenous Peoples in the United States and globally.
PRODUCERS
ANDREA PORRO
Dr Andrea Porro has more than 18 years of experience in development program and humanitarian disaster relief with a focus on data and information management, and has worked in over 15 countries in Africa, Asia, Middle-East and South America. He has a Master's in Crop Production and Protection and a Doctorate in Plant Biology and Production, starting his career in extension service for agriculture. In the last 10 years, he was actively involved in development and humanitarian programs, including agriculture and livestock, research and education, disaster risk reduction and natural resource management, technical support and capacity building for Government and international organizations in Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. He is currently the Secretary General of the World Farmers' Organisation.
BABAFEMI OYEWOLE
Dr. Babafemi Oyewole is an international and tri-sector executive leader with a track record of success that reflects broad experience gained across banking, energy, oil and gas, corporate management, strategy, marketing, and business development. He is currently the CEO of Panafrican Farmers Organisation (PAFO), a network of farmers organisations with membership of over 80 million African farmers. Prior to this, he was the CEO of African Agribusiness Alliance and African Cashew Alliance based in Accra, Ghana. He served as an Executive Director/CEO of African Energy Investment Corporation, AEICORP, Cotonou, a subsidiary of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) in Benin Republic and General Manager Banque Internationale du Benin. He was also a Deputy Secretary General of the West African Bankers Association (WABA) in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He sits on the Board of Orabank, Benin, FINADEV Benin and Supreme Microfinance Bank Limited, Lagos Nigeria. Dr Oyewole obtained his PhD (Development Finance and Policy) from the University of Bradford, U.K. as a Chevening Scholar; MBA (Marketing and Business Strategy) and Executive Certificate in Private Sector Development from the Harvard University, USA in addition to several professional and personal development courses in reputable institutions. He is a regular resource person and speaker in international conferences and fluent in English and professional competence in French language. He brings his wide networks and diversified expertise and experiences to the work of SENA.
WOMEN
LUCY MUCHOKI
Lucy Muchoki, the president of Pan African Agribusiness and Agroindustry Consortium (PanAAC), an organization created to support the African agribusiness through enhanced productivity and competitiveness in the regional and global market. She is also the CEO of Kenya Agribusiness and Agroindustry Alliance (KAAA), a membership organization supporting the competitiveness and transformation of agribusiness in Kenya with special focus on small holder farmers and sme’s. She has wealth of experience in advocating for agricultural transformation. She has participated and led from the front on a number of policy formulation across the continent and within her own country.
Lucy was one of the appointed UN Food Systems Champions due to her passion for food security in Africa. She is the current chair of Comprehensive African Agriculture Development programme (CAADP), a Non-State Actors Coalition group launched in 2015 by African Union Commission/NPCA. She is also a member of the task force formed by African Union to support the organization of a regional agribusiness platform for mobilizing and supporting the domestic private sector in Africa.
REEMA NANAVATY
Reema joined SEWA in 1984 and was elected as the General Secretary in 1999. She expanded membership to new heights making SEWA the single largest union of informal sector workers.
Reema oversees 4813 SHGs, 160 co-operatives and 15 economic federations totaling 2.1 million members, pan India including 18 states, and also in 7 South-Asian countries, focusing on women’s economic empowerment by building women owned enterprises – Cooperatives, Collectives, Companies, Federations; building women led supply chain in Energy, Agribusiness, Food Processing, Waste recycling, Textile and garmenting.
She was honored by Padma Sri for her contribution in area of Social Services in 2013.
PRIVATE SECTOR
VICTORIA CRAWFORD
Victoria is an Agriculture and Food Director at WBCSD, having joined the organization in 2020. In this role she works with leading agri-food companies, supporting them in driving regenerative and equitable agricultural systems producing quality raw material and nutritious food for all. She was previously a Global Leadership Fellow at the World Economic Forum, where her roles included engaging investors on climate resilience, managing the WEF’s partnerships with multilateral organizations such as the UN and the World Bank, and leading the “IGWEL” programme, WEF’s highest level political dialogues. Her background is in multistakeholder approaches to sustainability, including working in the UK Parliament, for the research institute International Institute for Environment and Development and for CSACEFA, a civil society group in northern Nigeria. Victoria has an MA (Oxon) in Geography and an MSc in Dryland Science and Management, both from Oxford University.
MICHAEL KELLER
Michael Keller is Secretary General of the International Seed Federation (June 2014 to present), focusing on its vision of a world where quality seed is accessible to all farmers to support sustainable agriculture and food security. In line with ISF’s mission, Michael is engaged in creating through collaboration an enabling environment for the private seed sector.
In 2022, he was elected Chair of the International Agri Food Network (IAFN) which serves as the focal point for the Private Sector Mechanism of the UN Committee on Food Security. He was selected as a Champion 12.3 to contribute to inspiring ambition, mobilizing action, and accelerating progress toward achieving SDG Target 12.3 by 2030.
Prior to joining ISF, Michael worked in the French Senate as a Parliamentary Advisor, as Head of European and International Affairs of the Mayor’s Association of France and in different positions at DuPont de Nemours and Pioneer Seed.
TANIA STRAUSS
Tania Strauss has nearly 20 years of experience in international development, public-private partnership facilitation, business development and strategy and development economics, in the areas of food security, sustainable agriculture, inclusive growth, gender, and health systems.
She is currently Head, Food and Water at the World Economic Forum. Previously the Head of the New Vision for Agriculture initiative, a global public private partnership platform that has mobilized over US $11 billion in investment commitments, of which US$2.5 billion has been implemented, reaching over 10 million smallholder farmers. She is responsible for partnership facilitation and strategic advisory support to senior leaders from industry, government and civil society to align priorities for sustainable development in the agriculture and food systems worldwide. Specific geographies of specialty include ASEAN, India, China and Pakistan, with additional experience in Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Brazil, Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya and Zambia.
Prior to this role, Tania has extensive experience in development economics and inclusive growth engaging employers such as USAID, World Bank, UNDP and the Government of Pakistan. Recipient of an Executive Master’s degree in Global Leadership with the World Economic Forum’s Global Leadership Fellows, a partnership with the Wharton School, Columbia University, INSEAD, the London Business School and CEIBS.
