Selected Speaking Engagements
2011-2019

Moving Forward on Food Loss and Waste Reduction
(SOFA 2019 launch at CSIS)
From improving food security and economic efficiency to carbon sequestration, reducing food loss and waste can bring tremendous benefits. The challenge is to improve data to find out how much food is lost and identify critical loss points in the food supply chain to develop effective interventions. The State of World’s Food and Agriculture 2019 takes policymakers to tasks.

Food Loss and Waste Reduction Can Improve Food Security and Climate Change
(SOFA 2019 launch at FAO)
Based on data from governments and independent studies, The State of Food and Agriculture 2019 estimates that globally, around 14 percent of food is lost between post-harvest and wholesale stages of the food supply chain. It argues that with improved data, food loss and waste reduction can help improve food security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Economic Resilience Is Key to Protecting Food and Nutrition Security
(SOFI 2019 launch at the United Nations New York)
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019 alerts us that economic turmoil negatively affects food security and nutrition. Countries need to act now to boost social protection programs and protect incomes. In the longer term, they need to make investments to reduce economic vulnerability and inequality.

The Ranks of Hungry People on the Rise
(SOFI 2019 launch at IFPRI)
Using detailed methodologies, The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019 makes official data from governments public and explains what they signify. It offers analysis of the drivers of hunger and malnutrition with a special focus on the impact of economic slowdowns and downturns.

The Political Economy of Food Systems
(EAT Forum 2019)
The current food system is not sustainable. In order to implement best practices from pioneering countries like New Zealand, we need to first build a common understanding of what “food systems” are and align incentives with evidence. David Nabarro moderates the discussion and Vicky Robertson joins in. See Torero’s EAT bio.

Digital Agriculture Transformation: Challenges
(FAO)
Ours is a world of agriculture, one that comprises smallholder farmers, 40% of whom are women. For digital technology to benefit smallholder farmers worldwide, we need to ensure that it is affordable and adaptable for the poor, and that users have capability to take advantage of it. We need efficient regulatory mechanisms to make sure the digital divide doesn’t grow deeper.

Food Systems, Smallholder Farmers and Climate Change
(Future of Food Talks)
Today we need to feed more people, generate more employment and be sustainable. If we understand these relationships, we can prioritize our investments.

The Impact of Food Loss and Waste
(Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2019)
The impact of food loss and waste on the availability of increasingly scarce resources and how it can be tackled.

Robotics and AI for Food Security and Innovation
(Robotics, AI and Humanity Workshop at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences)
In order to sustainably feed nearly 10 billion by 2050, the world must achieve a great balancing act, including closing the food gap and supporting economic development while reducing environmental impact. Technological innovations have significant potential to achieve this balance and improve food security.

How to Achieve Gender Equality
(Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)
Women represent 50 percent of the world population, but only 38 percent of human capital in the world. If women made the same amount of income that men do, the world’s GDP would essentially double.

The Role of Information
(International Forum on Food Safety and Trade)
Information plays a critical role in improving food safety across value chain and bridging the digital gap. It is only with information that people will be able to change their behavior.

Disruptive Digital Innovations in Value Chains
(22nd ICABR Conference)
For digital technologies to help the world achieve a great balancing act — of closing the food gap, supporting economic development and reducing environmental impact — we need to ensure that they promote innovations, equality and inclusion.

Connectivity as Human Right
(Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Foundation for Worldwide Cooperation)
Three billion people around the world still do not have access to the Internet. Connectivity is paramount, but content and the capability of the users are also important. Children can play a significant role in bridging the information gap.

Connectivity, Content and Children
(Ag Talks)
Children using mobile phones help their computer-illiterate parents overcome some of the most serious problems facing farmers in the developing world.

Global Hunger Index 2011 Launch
(World Food Prize/Borlaug International Symposium)
The index provides a multidimensional measure of global, regional, and national hunger. By bringing the results every year, it raises awareness and shows progress overtime. It also shows which countries are performing well and gives incentives to those that lag behind.