Vidyut Mohan is the co-founder and CEO of Takachar, a social enterprise enabling farmers to prevent open burning of their waste farm residues and earn extra income by converting the residues into value-added chemicals like activated carbon on-site. Passionate about energy access and supporting rural livelihoods, Vidyut became interested in biomass-based energy/chemical development due to its untapped potential and close association with farmers.

Wendao Cao is a Senior Agriculture Economist of Agriculture and Food Global Practice. He is based in the Beijing Country Office.  He has worked extensively on both Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA) and operational aspects of the World Bank programs. He has about 20 years working experience in the World Bank, covering broad areas including poverty reduction, rural development, climate smart agriculture, food safety, watershed management, small town development and one health.

Takashi Takahatake is an Economic Affairs Officer with the Subregional Office for South and South-West Asia of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).  Prior to joining the South and South-West Asia Office, he served for five years with ESCAP’s Strategy and Programme Management Division in Bangkok, Thailand as well as four years with ESCAP’s Centre for Alleviation of Poverty through Sustainable Agriculture (CAPSA) in Bogor, Indonesia.  He also worked for over seven years with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (F