Global secretariat

Alessandro is an Associate in the Knowledge Generation team at the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) and SYSTEMIQ. His focus is on research and development of solutions to transform global food and land use systems to work better for people, nature and climate. Prior to joining SYSTEMIQ, Alessandro worked in several roles and industries around the world: he worked in South Asia, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa as an air transport development consultant; in supply chain and logistics transformation projects in the Nordic countries; and as a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software implementation consultant for clients in Europe. Alessandro holds a M.Sc. in International Management from Bocconi University and NHH Norwegian School of Economics, and a master’s in environmental management from the University of Padova. He also holds a PhD in Economics of Local Systems from the University of Trento, with a research dissertation focusing on the role of governance in the transformation of agri-food systems at territorial level towards agroecology.

Alessia Mortara is The Food and Land Use Coalition’s Head of International Policy Engagement. She has over 10 years of experience in the food policy space leading advocacy efforts to influence legislation as well as providing technical assistance to governments on evidence-informed policy design. Her work has had global reach, spanning from Europe to Latin America and Africa. At FOLU, Alessia’s work involves advancing our global policy engagements as well as working with our country teams to support their national efforts.

Alex Eastham is Project Specialist with Regen10, a multi-stakeholder initiative that brings together food system actors to share, scale and accelerate regenerative approaches at the landscape-level. The role sits within FOLU, and Alex works closely with partners around the world to help build an evidence base for regenerative food systems. 

Alex joins FOLU with a diverse array of experience, having worked in global supply chains for more than a decade. In her most recent role, Alex was Head of Women and Markets in CARE International’s global Women’s Economic Justice Team, where she forged and maintained strategic partnerships to advance women’s rights and dignity. She also worked with farmers and garment workers around the world to design a number of women’s rights programmes in Kenya and Bangladesh. 

Prior to CARE, Alex worked in a labour rights consultancy, working with governments, civil society and the private sector to tackle poor working conditions in global supply chains, and manage multi-country initiatives to prioritize the needs and rights of farmers and workers.

In her spare time, Alex enjoys spending time in nature and learning about permaculture and forest gardening. 

Aline D’Ormesson is Senior Development Manager at the Food and Land Use Coalition. Prior to joining FOLU, Aline spent over 8 years at the UN World Food Programme (WFP), working in a variety of programmatic and partnerships-based roles. She managed large resilience and livelihoods programmes in Asia, and lead complex strategy development and change management projects, notably in West Africa. She also worked on strengthening WFP’s partnerships with international financial institutions such as the IMF or World Bank. Prior to working with WFP, Aline worked as a strategy consultant in the private sector in Paris. Most recently, she worked for Better Cotton, a multi-stakeholder initiative in the textile and fashion sector representing close to a quarter of the world’s cotton, to help develop and roll-out a traceability solution that will enable brands and consumers to make more sustainable and ethical decisions. She has master’s degrees in law, anthropology, and business management. Outside of work, Aline enjoys reading, art, exploring Italy and embarking on adventures (ideally on horseback).

Andrés Florido Delgado is Communications Advisor at the Food and Land Use Coalition Colombia. Prior to joining FOLU, Andrés worked in communications and marketing for the Fundación Universitaria Panamericana – Compensar, and as a marketing professional at the Universidad Santo Tomás. He also served as an ICT advisor for several government entities in Colombia, and as a brand consultant on a variety of global projects spanning five countries. Beyond his work at FOLU, Andrés leads the communications division of Grupo E3 and is the Creative Director of Bangluxor. He holds a degree in Social Communication and Journalism from Universidad Central, and specialist degrees in Marketing Strategy and Design from IE Business School and the California Institute of the Arts – CalArts. 

Bineesh is Senior Project Associate, Communications, at the Food and Land Use Coalition India. Working closely with the Communications Lead, he manages FOLU India’s social media accounts, designs and prepares creatives, and takes photographs. 

Bineesh has more than two decades of professional experience in photography, print production and digital media in a variety of roles in India and the United Arab Emirates. He holds certifications in photojournalism, visual communication design and digital marketing. 

Outside of work, Bineesh enjoys reading poetry, fiction and non-fiction, and watching films. 

Catherine Jarman is the Impact and Reporting Manager of the Food and Land Use Coalition at World Resources Institute.

Most recently Catherine worked as a Researcher at the Sustainable Food Trust focused on localised food systems. Prior to this she was a Product Owner for an initiative encouraging UK farmers to improve soil health by utilising on-farm fertility sources. Catherine also worked as an NGO Program Coordinator in Istanbul, developing a range of initiatives to support those displaced by the conflicts in Syria, the Middle East, and the North Africa Region.

She holds a BSc in Physical Geography from the University of Leeds, specialising in soil amendments, and has recently completed a University of Cambridge Institute of Sustainable Leadership course in Sustainable Food.

Claudia Martinez is the Director of E3- Ecology, Economics and Ethics as well as FOLU Colombia. She supports programs and actions to foster sustainable development, economies and financial schemes. Claudia is also a member of the independent advisory Panel of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) where she has supported to assess the projects presented to the fund since its inception. She was Director of the Office of Sustainable Development and later Vice President for Social and Environmental Development at the Latin American Development Bank (CAF) managing the portfolio of environmental and social projects as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs). As Deputy Minister of Environment of Colombia, she coordinated the Environmental system of the country including 33 regional environmental corporations and five research institutions. She worked for the Latin American Bureau of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in New York, managing the portfolio of environmental projects.

Claudia studied Business Administration at Los Andes University in Bogotá and holds Master Degrees in development economics and Environmental Studies from Yale University.  She is co-founder of Sistema B, the B Corporation movement in Colombia. She is currently in the board of directors of “Agrosavia” the research institution for agriculture in Colombia, as well as Sistema B Colombia. Claudia has been a member of several boards including CIFOR, CATIE and Green Fund

Clem Perry is Head of Partnerships for the Food and Land Use Coalition. In this role, Clem focuses on developing catalytic partnerships with actors across both national and global food and land use systems, working with governments, civil society and the financial and private sectors to transform food systems such that they deliver better outcomes for people, nature and planet.

Prior to WRI, Clem spent almost a decade in the UK Civil Service, most recently in the Cabinet Office where he led on the launch of the Breakthrough Agenda for COP26. Before that, he was Head of Strategy for International Climate Finance, where amongst other things he led on developing the strategy for £3.5bn climate mitigation spend to help developing countries respond to the challenges of climate change. Clem has also worked as a senior policy advisory for Ofgem, the energy regulator; as a writer for an environmental journal; and, for a few months, as a London bus driver. He has a Master’s degree in Environmental Policy from the London School of Economics and an undergraduate degree in Social Anthropology from the University of Manchester.

Clem now lives with his partner and 3 children on the Devon-Cornwall border, restoring 15 acres of farmland attached to a Victorian farmhouse that he eco-renovated. He loves music, nature, the outdoors and travel.

Dana is a young professional with experience in delivering community engagement and development projects. She previously worked as a grants officer at the national grant-making organization in Kazakhstan. During this experience, she worked closely with local grass-root NGOs specializing in environmental projects. Dana holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Exeter and a MSc in Conflict Studies from the London School of Economics. Dana was born and raised in Kazakhstan, and is currently based in The Hague, Netherlands. She is fluent in English, Russian, Kazakh languages, and currently is learning Spanish.

Devisha Poddar, is a Senior Project Associate with Food and Land Use Coalition India (FOLU India). She is responsible for research and programme development for the FOLU India platform. Currently, she is leading the Action Agenda, writing proposals for competitive funding, coordinating with multiple partners among other roles. Previously, she has had intersectional experience in stakeholder management, project implementation, relationship building and communication. Devisha has worked in the environment and sustainability space, namely waste management, urban farming, energy efficiency and sustainable development goals. She has worked in New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, India and briefly in Budapest, Hungary. She has an MSc. in environmental science and policy from Central European University, Austria (formerly in Hungary) and a B.A. in international studies from FLAME University, India. 

Diah Pramesti is Communications Officer at the Food and Land Use Coalition Indonesia, where she supports the platform with key engagement-related activities. Prior to joining FOLU, Diah worked for Media platform Remotivi, and as a freelance journalist for Project Multatuli and a variety of local outlets in Bali. She also worked as a Media and Publication Officer for IDEP Foundation, a local NGO that applies the principles of permaculture to promote community-led development and disaster risk reduction. Diah has a lifelong passion for writing, and has developed a strong interest in food, agriculture and sustainability through her professional work. 

Dr Olaf Erenstein is the Director of Research Integrity within the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) team based at the World Resources Institute (WRI) The Hague. In this role he supports the development of a Coalition-wide research strategy, as well as oversees a rigorous quality assurance process for all knowledge products bearing the FOLU (and WRI) logo. He is an agri-food systems R&D professional with a multi-disciplinary background and some 3 decades of experience in the Global South, including being posted and working in Africa (West, eastern & southern), South Asia and Mexico. Much of his international career was associated with the CGIAR focusing on research for development in agri-food and land use systems and the environmental and development implications. He previously was Socio-Economics Program Director for 8 years with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Mexico. He holds a PhD and MSc in agricultural development economics from Wageningen University, Netherlands as well as a MSc in tropical agronomy from the same university and has an established publication record (115 journal publications recognized in Scopus, with a h-index 33).

Edward Davey is Partnerships Director at the Food and Land Use Coalition. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring that FOLU drives real and lasting impact in international processes and institutions on the food systems agenda, as well as for the effective deployment and management of FOLU’s Ambassadors. Edward has been involved in FOLU since its creation in 2017; in the first phase, he worked to establish and then collaborate with FOLU’s country platforms.

Edward is based at WRI, where he also serves as Co-Director of WRI UK.  He lives in Lewes, a small town set in the rural landscapes of Sussex in southern England, with his wife Davina, son Oliver, daughter Lara, and chocolate Labrador Rosie.

Gabriela Brooks is the Food and Land Use Coalition’s Grants and Finance Specialist. She brings with her more than 25 years of experience in accounting and finance, having worked on a variety donor-funded projects in the international trade and development sector, mainly in Africa and Mexico. 

Specializing in project accounting, financial planning and analysis, and cost management, Gabriela is a fellow member of the Association of Accounting Technicians, and is currently studying for a MSC in International Development at the University of Portsmouth, UK. She is fluent in English and Spanish and has a strong passion for contributing to the social and economic development of communities and countries around the world. 

Outside of work, Gabriela enjoys going for long walks, traveling and making her own candles.

Gina Karina (Gina) leads FOLU Indonesia, hosted as part of the World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia. In this role, she works to shape a strategic partnership to support the government of Indonesia in achieving low carbon development through accelerating the food and land use system transformation. Working closely with the global team and partners, she provides leadership to the FOLU Indonesia Secretariat and is responsible to position the coalition strategically with key counterparts and diverse stakeholders across the FOLU Indonesia network.  

Prior to joining FOLU, Gina spent six years at Local Government for Sustainability (ICLEI). As the focal point for Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) constituency at the UN, ICLEI influences sustainability policy and drives local action for low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient, and circular development. Gina was certified as an Urban Greenhouse Gas Inventory Specialist from City Climate Planner program and served as the Country Manager for Indonesia from 2017-2019. 

Gina holds an MSc in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) with UK FCDO Chevening scholarship.

Haijun Zhao is a Research Associate in the Food and Natural Resources Program in the WRI China Office. He works to coordinate Food and Land Use Coalition China program by working with multiple research and business partners independently.

Prior to joining WRI, Haijun worked as a policy advisor and senior engineer in Research Center for Urban-rural Development of Chinese Academy of Sciences, a senior program officer in the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) for years. He also worked as a policy expert in a consulting firm, by doing strategic research for multinational companies in agriculture/ food sector.

Haijun holds a M.S in Ecology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He was selected as the consultant for the Chinese Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, and consultant of Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of MEE.

Jake Ireland is Communications Associate at the Food and Land Use Coalition’s Global Secretariat. He provides editorial assistance across FOLU’s outputs, initiatives and events, and supports the Coalition in scaling its digital, PR and media reach.

Jake brings with him a diverse portfolio of experience in the sustainable development space, having worked, consulted and interned at a variety of INGOs, charities and nonprofits, including the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Action Against Hunger and Fairtrade.

Outside of work, Jake enjoys playing the guitar, running, cycling and exploring the great outdoors.

Jayahari (Hari) leads FOLU India together with a secretariat at WRI India. His primary responsibility is to coordinate the FOLU India activities working closely with the FOLU India partners and initiatives. He is also the Associate Director of the Sustainable Landscape Restoration Programme India.

Prior to joining FOLU and WRI, Hari worked in different capacities in institutions like Kerala Forest Research Institute, WWF India, Winrock International India till 2015, focusing on Natural Resource Management and Biodiversity Conservation. He has initiated and implemented many conservation programs primarily in Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas. Between 2015-17 he led an NGO working in pastoral and dry-land agriculture sectors—Sahjeevan—as its Executive Director. He has also played an instrumental role in building several spatial databases in India, like India Observatory (www.indiaobservatory.org.in) at the Foundation of Ecological Security, and Restoration Opportunity Atlas of India (india.restorationatlas.org) at WRI India. He also provided consultancy services to national and international organizations like Tetra Tech, ICLEI South Asia, etc.

Jayahari holds a PhD in Forestry (Wildlife Biology) from Forest Research Institute, Dehradun.

Kalkidan previously worked with UNDP as Communication Specialist for the Federal Justice Reform Project and prior to that she worked at the Embassy of Israel in the areas of Press and Public Relations as well as heading the Economic and Cultural teams. Kalkidan brings 10 years of communications, public relations and media experience having worked in the bilateral, international organization and the private sectors in Ethiopia.

Kalkidan has a Master’s degree in Language and Literature from Addis Ababa University and she is currently doing her second Master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Relations at Ethiopian Civil Service University.

Katie is the International Policy and Engagement Manager at FOLU’s Global Secretariat. In this role, Katie collaborates with the Policy and Engagement Director, country leads and communication teams to support a systemic program of international engagement.

Prior to joining WRI, Katie straddled both business and politics, working to promote trade and investment in emerging markets with DMA Invest and as a senior advisor in the House of Lords. As an Associate at DMA, she organised investment summits for heads of state and led trade missions to Sierra Leone and Algeria. When putting on her political hat in August 2020, Katie worked closely with a Peer in the House of Lords, advising them on a range of topics including green finance, community inclusivity, female empowerment and human rights. She enjoyed being in the heart of Westminster and seeing the progression of many bills as a speech writer.

Katie has a Master’s with Distinction in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics, and a First-Class Undergraduate Degree from the University of Cambridge in Geography. She has volunteered in New Delhi with ActionAid India’s partnership unit, during which she supported field research on food security and women’s empowerment. Katie has also been a research consultant for Oxfam GB, analysing projects on climate change adaptation and sustainable forestry.

Kitty Parker Brooks is The Food and Land Use Coalition’s Head of Business Engagement. Throughout her career, Kitty has supported large, multinational corporations to engage with critical sustainability issues, working within the FMCG industry for several years and more recently alongside it, leading the CGF Plastic Waste Coalition of Action, in which 40+ major FMCG companies work together to address the problem of plastics pollution. She is excited to be working with the FOLU team and the coalition’s extensive network to accelerate corporate engagement and action.

Klara is Communications Manager at FOLU’s Global Secretariat. In this role, she leads on FOLU’s communication work together with the Communications Manager, developing strategic communications plans globally and in country. More specifically, She leads the coalition’s digital media channels, content development, project coordination, media relations and engagement efforts to elevate inspiring stories, deepen dialogue to support action towards transformed food and land use systems.

Klara brings with her experience in creative writing, media, development work, and business. Curious and artistic, she began her journey as a storyteller in the theatre and has ever since been driven by the power of narratives. Having lived in multiple countries, Klara holds global fluency and approaches every situation with an open mind. As a longstanding advocate for sustainable development, she further developed her communications skills during an internship with the United Nations and is committed to creating a better future for all.

She holds a BA in Communications and Business from Pace University, New York.

When she is not working, Klara enjoys long walks in the countryside, yoga, poetry and skiing. 

Lily Begg is a Countries Coordination Specialist with the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), where she coordinates FOLU’s activities across its Country Platforms to influence regional food-related policy and actions in South America, Africa and Europe.

Prior to joining FOLU’s Global Secretariat in London, Lily worked as a food systems expert in FOLU’s Colombia platform with the consultancy Grupo E3. She was responsible for reporting and strategic planning, as well as developing proposals and contributing her knowledge to various knowledge products. Lily also helped implement the Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) program in Colombia for two operational cycles.

Between 2020-2022, Lily co-founded and managed an agroecological small-scale farm in southern Sweden. During this time, she helped secure funding and land for the business, elect a management board, execute two production seasons and manage a CSA sales scheme, weekly markets, workshops and practical internships for other students.

Lily has a master’s in Agricultural Sciences with a specialisation in Agroecology from SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences), and a bachelor’s in French and Italian from Oxford University.

Liz Kirk is Director of Knowledge and Engagement at the Food and Land Use Coalition.

Liz joins FOLU with nearly two decades’ experience in agriculture and food systems. Her first ten years were spent in the international non-profit sector (Ethical Trading Initiative, Care International and Oxfam GB) where she set up and led Oxfam GB’s Agriculture and Natural Resource Team. Liz moved to the UK’s Department for International Development in 2013, working latterly as Senior Advisor, Agriculture, leading the UK G7 Presidency’s Food Security Working Group and UK input to the UN Food Systems Summit. Most recently, Liz worked as a Senior Advisor: Agriculture at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, providing consultancy on sustainable agriculture and resilience to twenty-one governments in Africa.

Marco Daldoss Pirri is member of the SBTN Land Hub’s Steering Committee, where he leads the development of the first version of the Science-based Targets for Land, which will enable the corporate sector to align their own commitments to nature’s needs with the necessary speed and scale of action as determined by science. Prior to this role, Marco was European Lead of CDP Forest Program where he supported companies in establishing deforestation-free supply chains, engaged and trained leading financial institutions in understanding their portfolio’s exposure to nature and forest-related risks, and worked with the EU and national governments to support public policy efforts to stop the loss of forests. In this capacity, he represented CDP in the Multi-stakeholder Platform on Deforestation which advised the European Commission in drafting the EU Deforestation Regulation to stop forest loss driven by EU consumption. In parallel, he contributed to multiple global initiative focused on nature. He co-chaired the Nature, land-use & deforestation working group that revised and strengthened nature-related requirements in the Race to Zero, a UNFCCC’s climate initiative. He has been member of the scientific committee who worked at Ceres’s Investor Guidance `Global Sector Strategies for the Land Sector. Marco holds a MsC in Forest and Nature Conservation at Wageningen University and previously studied Environmental Engineering at the University of Padova and Technologies for the Environment at the University of the Studies of Milan.

Micaela Cole is Partnerships and Coalition Coordinator at the Food and Land Use Coalition, where she supports the partnerships team with the delivery of key administrative and programmatic functions. Micaela has recently completed her Masters of Science in Human Rights and Politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and joins FOLU with a strong background in advocacy, human rights and campaigning. In her most recent role, Micaela was the Assistant Program Officer for the Fellowships programme at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington DC, where she worked to support human rights and democracy activists from around the world who were facing persecution on account of their advocacy. Micaela also has experience as a language and culture assistant with the Spanish Ministry of Education, as a field organizer for a state level coordinated political campaign, and as an intern with foreign affairs think tank the Atlantic Council. She is interested in a range of cross-cutting issues facing people and the planet today, and enjoys reading, salsa dancing, and time spent outdoors.

Michael Onchabo is Country Director for the Food and Land Use Coalition Kenya, where he guides the platform’s strategic direction and ensures the effective delivery of its programmes.

Prior to joining FOLU, Michael was the Country Director for Kenya and Tanzania at the Rainforest Alliance, where he played a critical role in building strong partnerships across the tea sector. Previously, Michael also served as a Senior Associate in sustainable agriculture across East and Southern Africa, and as a consultant on integrated crop and pest management and climate change adaptation and mitigation. He has also served as a Business Development Advisor for Fairtrade Africa and a Field Manager for Shagasha Tea Company in Rusizi District, Rwanda under The Wood Foundation Africa. Michael’s diverse portfolio of experience in strategic leadership and management spans multiple countries in Africa, including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. 

Michael holds a BSc in Agriculture and an MSc in Soil Science from Egerton University, Kenya, as well as an International Diploma in Project Management from the University of Cambridge, UK. He is currently undertaking a PhD in Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) at Kenyatta University, Kenya.

Morgan Gillespy is the Executive Director of the Food and Land Use Coalition, co-led by the World Resources Institute. In this role, she provides strategic leadership for the coalition, working collaboratively across its global partners and country platforms to advance FOLU’s reform agenda with governments, the private sector, financial institutions, and civil society.

Prior to this, Morgan was the Director of Forests and Head of Water Security at CDP. Morgan brings a decade’s worth of experience working across climate, forests, sustainable supply chains, water security, corporate disclosure and sustainable finance.

Pallavi Singh is Senior Communications Manager at FOLU India. She has extensive experience designing and managing development sector communication strategies, having worked on various campaigns and multistakeholder initiatives at organizations such as TERI and UNDP.

Over the years, Pallavi has established a talent for creating powerful impact stories, which capture the perspectives of stakeholders in multiple sectors including, health, nutrition, sustainable agriculture, climate change, sustainable business, youth engagement, e-mobility, green buildings, energy, biodiversity, gender and WASH. She has also managed COVID-19 response communication campaigns through new and traditional media formats, led multi-state behavioural change communication initiatives, and worked on several crowdfunding programmes.

In her current role, Pallavi oversees the communications strategy of FOLU India, where she supports the platform to scale its reach, amplify its research and create high-visibility partnerships and alliances.

Patricia holds a M.Sc. in Ecological Economics, Territories and Environmental Management from Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain and a B.A. in Economics from Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. Has over 25 years of experience working with public institutions, NGOs and multilateral agencies in environment and sustainability projects and plans. She has also supported processes to formulate, evaluate and implement public policies on biodiversity conservation, climate change, environmental offsets and rural development. Patricia is an expert in forming public-private coalitions and in implementing policies, programs, and projects. 

Rob Campbell-Davis is Senior Strategy Manager at FOLU where he leads the development of FOLU 2030. Rob is an Associate with Systemiq, where he most recently delivered a technical assistance program for the UK Government focused on financing tropical forest protection and restoration. He has previously supported the development of Regen10, provided strategic support to IMAGINE’s Food Collective, and advised corporates and coalitions across the land and energy systems on their approaches to net zero. Prior to Systemiq, Rob worked for the FCDO on European policy and at the Embassy in Indonesia, where he led the UK’s work on human rights, education cooperation, and supported the implementation of Indonesia’s timber legality standards. He is active in Somerset’s local food movement and is a keen surfer and cyclist, splitting his time between Indonesia and the UK.

Haniy is the Senior Communications Coordinator at World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia. She is responsible for providing support on communications strategies and managing multiple communication channels for several projects, including WRI Indonesia’s Agriculture, Forest and Land Use (AFOLU) portfolio, which includes the Food and Land Use (FOLU) Coalition.

Prior to joining WRI, Haniy worked as a multimedia journalist for almost three years for Rappler.com, where she covered multiple affairs, including human rights, environment and lifestyle. She also worked as a researcher for the Public Relations team of the Indonesian Parliament.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Media and Journalism from Newcastle University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Universitas Indonesia. In her spare time, she loves eating out and playing with her son.

Santiago is Communications Manager at the Food and Land Use Coalition Colombia. Santiago joins FOLU with a diverse portfolio of experience in communications, journalism and knowledge management, having worked for several international and governmental organizations, including the Legislative Work Unit of former Colombian Congresswoman Juanita Goebertus, the Mission to Support the Peace Process of the Organization of American States in Colombia, and the Delegation of the European Union in Colombia.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in social communications and journalism from Universidad de la Sabana, Colombia, and has interests in international relations, development, government affairs and the promotion of education.

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Seth Cook PhD, is the Asia-Pacific Coordinator at The Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), based in SYSTEMIQ, where he is responsible for overseeing FOLU’s China and India platforms. He has extensive experience in both countries, as well as in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Zambia, Ethiopia and Uganda. Prior to this position, he was a Senior Researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development in the China and Agroecology teams. He lived and worked in China for over 10 years, including heading IUCN’s China office and serving as Global Operations Director for WWF’s China for a Global Shift Initiative. He is a fluent Chinese speaker. Seth has undertaken projects on sustainable diets, sustainable and regenerative agriculture, climate resilient drylands agricultural development, climate neutrality, Chinese investment in African agriculture, and China-Africa forest governance, and has published extensively on these topics. He holds M.E.S. and PhD degrees from the Yale School of the Environment, and an MA in international relations from Yale University.

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Shweta Nikam is Senior Project Associate at the Food and Land Use Coalition India, where she supports the platform and its partners with the delivery and implementation of its sustainable agriculture initiative.

Shweta has more than 12 years’ experience in agricultural project management, research and data analysis, having worked and consulted for multiple public and private organizations, including Thomson Reuters, Connect Agri Services Pvt. Ltd, MITCON Consultancy & Engineering Services, Satara Mega Food Park and, most recently, NABARD.

She holds a master’s degree in agriculture business management.

Sofia leads FOLU’s Ethiopia platform hosted at World Resources Institute (WRI) Africa, with responsibilities leading the day-to-day engagement of the coalition’s activities in Ethiopia. Before joining FOLU she worked at several regional and international organization including Oxfam America Horn of Africa Regional Office as Economic Justice Policy and Research Coordinator for the Horn, AU and Horn of Africa Civic Engagement Advisor for Save the Children Pan African Office. Prior to that Sofia worked at European Union Special Representative for Sudan and CARE International in Ethiopia providing strategic direction, overall program management and coordination for Policy and Research Unit. This included the establishment of coalition of non-state actors, advocating for food and climate justice, ending poverty and inequality, developing national roadmaps as well as Ambassador Program in promoting sustainable food system, economic justice, women in agriculture, and inspiration across the Horn of Africa. 

Sofia has served on the board of directors of the national civil society organization and member of advisory board including Sustainable Environment and Development Action among others.

Sofia holds MA in Development Studies from Institute of Development Studies Dublin, Ireland and BA in Political Science and International Relations from Addis Ababa University with advanced certificate in Human Rights Leadership as well as Peace and Conflict Studies.

Sophie Mongalvy is a Communications Director at the Food and Land Use Coalition. Prior to joining FOLU, Sophie worked as a journalist for 17 years, at Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Bloomberg News. She was a foreign correspondent in East Africa, Scandinavia, and West Africa. Working in print and video, she was a deputy coordinator of AFP’s video output from across Africa before moving to Lagos, Nigeria, where she was Bureau Chief for Bloomberg News. 

During a sabbatical, Sophie decided to pivot her focus towards environment and development issues. She joined WRI and FOLU in April 2021. 

Sophie is French-Danish and now lives in The Hague with her daughter. She enjoys organizing debate evenings with friends and neighbours and loves spending time outdoors.  

Theodora is Program Manager of Regen10 Frameworks Hub and an Associate at SYSTEMIQ with over four years’ experience in consulting and coalition building. Theo’s expertise focusses on the sustainable transformation of food and land use systems. She has worked with a variety of clients and partners across business, government, civil society and finance. She has advised food and agriculture companies on how to embed sustainability at the core of their business and worked with Governments to help shape their food and agriculture strategies, with the aim to raise the level of ambition to deliver positive environmental, social and health outcomes. More recently, Theo has been working with FOLU to conduct an evidence review of how regenerative agriculture can lead to positive social and environmental outcomes, with a particular emphasis in advocating for an outcomes-based framework to successfully measure impact. Theo specializes in approaches to scaling regenerative agriculture and looking at how to trigger positive tipping points in food and land use systems, with a particular emphasis on behavior change and dietary shift.