Carlos Estévez Reyes

Works as an Economist at the Global Information and Early Warning System of FAO since 2018. He monitors food markets in West Africa, providing analyses that reflect the trends of food security at the national and subregional levels. He also participates in flagship publications such as the Global Report of Food Crisis and FAO/WFPs Hunger Hotspots Analysis.

Cristina Coslet

Works as an Economist at the Global Information and Early Warning System of FAO since 2012. She is responsible for monitoring the food supply/demand and food security situation in Asia and the Pacific, covering a vast set of 27 countries stretching from Pakistan to Papua New Guinea. She regularly contributes to a variety of FAO’s technical reports and publications and conducts country agricultural and market assessments.

Elliott Grant

Dr. Elliott Grant is a recognized business leader and innovator in food and ag tech. He is the General Manager of Mineral at X, Alphabet’s “Moonshot Factory.” The mineral is using machine learning (ML) and robotics to scale sustainable agriculture globally. He was the founder and CEO of HarvestMark, the world leader in fresh food traceability (acquired by Trimble); the CEO of ShopWell, a personalized nutrition company; and served as the Vice-Chair of the Produce Marketing Association, a global industry organization, and chaired its Science & Technology Committee.

Solutions Search: Meaningful Youth Engagement in ADB's Greater Mekong Subregion Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security Program

This contest is a solution-sharing platform for Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) youth. Through the form of a short video (2 minutes maximum) or an essay (500 words maximum), GMS youth are encouraged to showcase their current project/business/initiative that is relevant to any of the three main themes of ADB’s GMS SAFSP:

Catur Dewi

Dewi is the Global Rice Programme Coordinator of Rikolto International. Dewi oversees its rice programs in 8 countries in Asia and Africa. Previously she was the Regional Director of Rikolto in Indonesia. Two international Master's degrees from Germany and South Africa complement her more than 20 years of practical expertise in the global development sector, particularly in sustainable agriculture, inclusive markets, and sustainable food systems.

 

Toward Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems in Asia and the Pacific

Yasuyuki Sawada emphasized that COVID-19 reversed the gain in food security, highlighting the need for developing Asia to build back the food system better to reduce hunger and malnutrition. He presented how digitalization and technology can facilitate a post-COVID-19 transition to resilient and efficient food supply chains through institutional and legislative forms and targeted support to poor and smallholder farmers. He also highlighted that digitalization can also help social protection programs for better food security.

Malavika Bambawale

Malavika leads Engie Impact’s work out of APAC, based out of Singapore. Malavika is a well regarded sustainability professional with over 20 years of experience, including projects in clean energy, smart cities, climate change, and sustainable agriculture. She has worked with the private sector, governments, and the development sector, both in the West (UK, Europe, and US) and in Asia (Southeast Asia, India).