OVERVIEW
UN Food Systems Advisory Group
The UN Food Systems Advisory Group was established to accelerate transformative change in global food systems, building on the momentum of the 2021 Food Systems Summit and the UNFSS+2 Stocktaking Moment in 2023. Engaging a diverse group of leading voices, the advisory group leverages influence, networks, and expertise across sectors and regions to anticipate emerging trends and drive innovative solutions in food systems. By cultivating groundbreaking ideas at local and global levels, the group ensures actions are impactful, far-reaching, and foster substantial, sustainable change for inclusive and equitable food systems worldwide.
Members
RAHAF AJAJ
Assistant Professor, Abu Dhabi University College of Health Sciences
Dr Rahaf Ajaj, a University Professor at Abu Dhabi University, specializes in Environmental Health and Safety with over 15 years of expertise in sustainable development, food systems, and public health. She has authored many impactful publications and leads the Climate Change and Public Health research cluster under the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. Dr. Ajaj is also the UAE Chapter Leader for Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) Canada, where she advocates for gender equity in sustainability. Her work bridges research, policy, and education, focusing on innovative solutions to global environmental challenges and fostering sustainable development practices.
PETER BAKKER
President and Chief Executive Officer, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
Peter Bakker has led the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) as President & CEO since 2012. WBCSD is a global, CEO-led community of over 250 sustainable businesses working collectively to accelerate system transformations for a net zero, nature-positive, and equitable future. Peter was recognized as a TIME Top 100 Climate Leader in 2023 and has received honors including the Clinton Global Citizen Award and Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau. He serves as Director of GenZero, Co-chair of the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures (TISFD), and member of the High-level Advisory Board for the UN Food Systems Summit.
CARLA BARNETT
Secretary-General, the Caribbean Community (Caricom)
Dr Carla Barnett, CBE, became the eighth Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on 15 August 2021. An economist, she brings over 30 years of professional experience in the Region to the post, including having served as Deputy Secretary-General, CARICOM Secretariat; Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Belize; Financial Secretary, Government of Belize; and Vice President, Operations, Caribbean Development Bank, blazing a trail as the first woman appointed in these positions. Her multi-faceted career also includes appointments as Senator and Minister of State in the Government of Belize. She is a Member of the CIWiL Belize Chapter; past President, Belize YWCA; and Board Member, Haven House. Dr Barnett has received several awards, including Commander of the British Empire.
AISHA BASHIR
Founder and CEO, Cam Dairy Foods Limited
Aisha, a visionary entrepreneur and Stanford University alumna, is the founder and CEO of Câm, Nigeria's pioneering pastoralist-driven dairy company. Established in 2018, Câm is revolutionising Nigeria's dairy industry, creating rural jobs and elevating pastoralists' livelihoods. Her innovative business model has garnered support from global organisations like Mastercard Foundation, Mulago Foundation, and IFC. With diverse sector experience, Aisha serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director at Sterling Financial Holding Company. Passionate about social entrepreneurship and business-driven solutions addressing challenges faced by modern African women, Aisha champions innovative approaches to transform smallholder-driven supply chains, aiming for lasting economic impact across food and agriculture sectors in Africa and beyond.
BØRGE BRENDE
President, World Economic Forum (WEF)
Børge Brende is President and CEO of World Economic Forum. Formerly Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Trade and Industry, Minister of Climate and the Environment. Deputy Chairman of Norway’s Conservative Party. Chairman of UN Commission on Sustainable Development and Secretary-General of Norwegian Red Cross. Board Member of Statoil and Norwegian School of Economics. Chair of Mesta. Director of Philanthropy Asia Alliance. Member of Advisory Council, Harvard International Negotiation Program, China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, Strategic Committee of Sciences Po, and Board of the Bilderberg Meeting. Member, UN Food Systems Advisory Board.
ARTURO CONDO
President, EARTH University
ERTHARIN COUSIN
President and Chief Executive Officer, Food Systems for the Future
Ertharin Cousin is the CEO and Managing Director of FSF Ventures and Food Systems for the Future Institute. She is a Distinguished Fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University. From 2009 to 2012, Cousin served as the U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture. She led the UN World Food Programme, providing food assistance to over 80 million people annually from 2012 to 2017. She has held leadership roles at Feeding America and in corporate retail. Cousin is on several boards and has been recognized on multiple influential lists.
MICHAEL FAKHRI
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food
Michael Fakhri is the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. He is also a professor at the University of Oregon School of Law and Co-Director of the Food Resiliency Project. He teaches in the areas of international economic law, commercial law, and food law. He has appeared before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and been cited by the International Court of Justice. Prior to pursuing graduate studies, he began his legal career with one of Canada's leading business law firms, later shifting to a practice in social justice advocacy.
LAWRENCE HADDAD
Executive Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
Dr Lawrence Haddad has been GAIN’s Executive Director since 2016. In 2020 he was asked by the UN Deputy Secretary General to Chair Action Track 1 of the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit : Ensuring Access to Safe and Nutritious Food for All. Lawrence is the co-founder of the Standing Together for Nutrition, a response to the COVID-19 crisis, and is one of the drivers behind the Initiative on Climate and Nutrition (ICAN) which was formally launched by the Egyptian Government at COP27. Prior to GAIN, Lawrence was lead author of the Global Nutrition Report, Director of the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), and Director of the Food Consumption and Nutrition Division at IFPRI. He was made a World Food Prize Laureate in 2018 and was awarded a CMG in the 2023 UK Honours List for his “services to international nutrition, food and agriculture” . Click here for more.
NOSIPHO NAUSCA-JEAN JEZILE
Chairperson, Committee on World Food Security (CFS)
H.E. Ambassador Nosipho Nausca-Jean Jezile currently serves as the Chairperson of the Committee on World Food Security. She is also the Ambassador in Rome, Italy, and Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations Agencies in Rome. Additionally, she serves as the Vice-Chairperson of the Programme Committee of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and, in 2023, she was the Chairperson of the Africa Regional Group. Ambassador Jezile has extensive leadership experience in public sector administration, policy development, innovation, and evidence-based program implementation, including as the Director General of the South African Ministry of Environmental Affairs for 12 years. She also led South Africa’s national delegation to various Conventions and Conferences of Parties (COPs), including Climate Change, Biodiversity, Convention on Trade in endangered species (CITES) and the UN Committee on Sustainable Development (CSD).
AGNES KALIBATA
President, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
Dr Agnes Kalibata has since 2014 led AGRA in mobilising partners to raise the resources and build capacities needed to catalyse Africa’s inclusive, resilient and sustainable food system transformation. She was previously Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources from 2008 to 2014 where she led efforts that turned her country from a food deficit to a food and nutrition secure country. She served as the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the 2021 Food Systems Summit where she galvanized global efforts from multiple stakeholders towards solutions for people and planet. Most recently, she served as a member of the Advisory Committee of the COP28 Presidency credited for generating consensus that culminated in the UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action endorsed by 134 governments from across the world. She has a distinguished record of accomplishments as an agricultural scientist, policy maker and thought leader. She is a recipient of many prestigious awards. She sits on various panels, boards, councils and commissions to provide thought leadership as an African voice with global perspectives.
AFSHAN KHAN
Coordinator, Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement
With over 30 years in international service, she held senior roles at UNICEF, including Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, and Director of Emergency Operations, with country assignments in South Africa, Colombia, DRC, Jamaica, Kenya, and Mozambique. She also served with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee for Humanitarian Affairs. From 2012 to 2014, she was CEO of Women for Women International. She has collaborated with governments, civil society, and the private sector for better nutrition outcomes. She holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University.
DAVID LANE
President, The Annenberg Foundation Trust
David Lane became president of The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands in September 2016. Just prior, he served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies in Rome. He served as assistant to the president and counselor to the White House chief of staff in the Obama administration, president and chief executive officer of the ONE Campaign, lead the public policy and advocacy efforts of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and held several appointments in the Clinton administration. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the board of directors for AGRA. Lane earned degrees from the University of Virginia and the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.
PHILIP LYMBERY
Global Chief Executive Officer, Compassion in World Farming
Philip Lymbery is Global CEO of Compassion in World Farming International, the leading farm animal welfare environmental organisation operating in over 40 countries worldwide. He is President of the federation, Eurogroup for Animals, and is a founding Board member of the World Federation for Animals. Philip was an official ‘Champion’ for the UN Food Systems Summit. In 2024, he was the sole representative of animal welfare at the EU Commission President’s Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture and is a member of the UN Advisory Board on Food Systems. An award-winning author, his latest book is Sixty Harvests Left: How to Reach a Nature-Friendly Future.
DAVID NABARRO
Strategic Director, Skills, Systems & Synergies for Sustainable Development (4SD Foundation)
SANDA OJIAMBO
Chief Executive Officer, United Nations Global Compact
GUNHILD STORDALEN
Founder and Executive Chair, EAT Foundation
Dr Gunhild A. Stordalen is the co-founder and executive chair of EAT, a leading science-based platform defining food system guardrails and driving global action through multi-stakeholder collaboration and convenings. A medical doctor with a PhD in pathology, she bridges disciplines to tackle the intertwined crises of climate change, public health, and food justice. Gunhild has shaped landmark efforts including the EAT-Lancet Commission and the UN Food Systems Summit, earning numerous accolades such as the UN Foundation’s Global Leadership Award. A published scientist and WEF Young Global Leader, she advises key global initiatives, championing healthy, sustainable, and fair food systems worldwide.
SHAKUNTALA HARAKSINGH THILSTED
Chairperson, CGIAR / Scientific Advisory Committee of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub
Dr Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted is Director, Nutrition, Health and Food Security Impact Area Platform, CGIAR. She was awarded the 2021 World Food Prize for her ground-breaking research, critical insights, and landmark innovations in developing holistic, nutrition-sensitive approaches to aquatic food systems. She was awarded the 2021 Arrell Global Food Innovation Award for research innovation. She is a member of the Steering Committee of the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) of the United Nations Committee on World Food Security (CFS). She was Vice Chair of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021: Action Track 4 - Advance Equitable Livelihoods, and also a Food Systems Champion. In 2022, Shakuntala was appointed co-chair of the EAT-Lancet 2.0 Commission. Shakuntala holds a PhD from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark. She holds Honorary Doctorates from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and The University of the West Indies.
JUERGEN VOEGELE
Vice President for Sustainable Development, World Bank
Juergen Voegele, Ph.D., assumed the position of Vice President for Planet Vice Presidency at the World Bank on April 1, 2020. In this role, he oversees the work of Global Practices and thematic groups that bring together the best expertise from across the World Bank Group and from partners, to help countries tackle their most complex challenges in the area of sustainable development. The practices and groups under his responsibility include Agriculture & Food; Climate Change; Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy; Social Sustainability and Inclusion; and Water. Dr Voegele is chair of the CGIAR System Council Board.
JOACHIM VON BRAUN
Professor, Center for Development Research University of Bonn
Joachim von Braun is Professor (em.) for Economic and Technological change at Bonn University, Center for Development Research (ZEF). His research is on food, nutrition and agriculture, economic development, trade, science and technology policy. He is President of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences of the Vatican, and member of various academies of sciences in Europe, Africa and globally. He is member of the International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy and Vice President of the NGO Welthungerhilfe (WHH). He was Chair of the Scientific Group for the UN Food Systems Summit 2021. He published more than 250 peer reviewed publications.
Observers
QU DONGYU
Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Dr QU Dongyu took office on 1 August 2019 as Director-General of FAO. Born in 1963 in Hunan Province, China, QU studied horticultural science at Hunan Agricultural University, plant breeding and genetics at the graduate school, CAAS. He later added a PhD on agriculture and environmental science at Wageningen University. Before coming to FAO, QU served as China’s Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, promoted inclusive and innovative development and make sure information and communication technologies (ICT) were available in rural areas. As Vice Governor of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, QU formulated action plans aimed at poverty reduction, women empowerment, youth startups, agritourism and solidarity between ethnic groups. As FAO DG, QU makes the full range of his efforts to build a dynamic, open, transparent and deliverable FAO to achieve the 2030 Agenda through the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.
ALVARO LARIO
President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Alvaro Lario is President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and a leading advocate for rural transformation and inclusive global food systems. As leader of the only UN entity and International Finance Institution solely dedicated to rural communities, he champions innovative, scalable solutions and financial mechanisms to address rural poverty and food insecurity. A strong proponent of public-private partnerships, Lario has prioritized mobilizing resources to invest in small-scale farming and climate resilience. He also serves as Chair of UN-Water, the body that drives international collaboration on water security.
CINDY MCCAIN
Executive Director, World Food Programme (WFP)
Cindy Hensley McCain became the World Food Programme’s Executive Director on April 5, 2023. A distinguished humanitarian, business leader and diplomat, she brings a wealth of expertise to the role. Prior to joining WFP, she served as United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies in Rome, and is the former Chair of the Board of Trustees of Arizona State University’s McCain Institute for International Leadership. She has also served on the Board of Directors of Project C.U.R.E, CARE, Operation Smile, and Halo Trust, and was Chairman of her family’s business, Hensley Beverage Company.
