Born in Ethiopia, Yonas spent his childhood in a smallholder farming household in Northern Ethiopia highlands. he earned two scholarships that enabled him to study at Sofia University, Bulgaria, and in London, United Kingdom, where he finished his master’s degree with distinction. Yonas started working in investment banking as a trading risk analyst. In 2015 after nearly 2 decades in investment banking, he decided to go back to Ethiopia to start Lovegrass Ethiopia and work with the rural households.

Borel is an agronomist, project manager and specialist in Protected Geographical Indications (PGI). He is currently Executive Secretary of the Groupement Indication Géographique Protégée Poivre de Penja (GR.IGPP). On a daily basis, he is responsible for promoting and protecting the Poivre de Penja LABEL and the interests of the Poivre de Penja producers who are members of the group. The GR.IGPP currently groups more than 338 producers in the Penja pepper sector in Cameroon. The geographical production area covers 3,000 km, with an estimated annual production capacity of over 600 tonnes of Penja pepper.

Isolina Boto is the Head of Networks and Alliances at COLEAD, a non-profit Association of private sector operators in the agrifood sector active in the EU, Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) regions. Isolina has more than 25 years of experience in agricultural development. She started her career with the European Commission and has also worked with various ACP embassies and NGOs in areas related to food security, rural development and trade. Before joining COLEAD, she was the Manager of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) Brussels Office (2004-2020) implementing policy initiatives related to the ACP-EU cooperation in the field of agricultural and rural development. She has led agribusiness projects in support of capacity development of SMEs, entrepreneurs and farmers organisations across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

Odile Kossiba, born in 1992 in Benin, is a passionate entrepreneur. A graduate in General and Territorial Administration, as well as Business Law, she founded the Société de Production et de Transformation des Noix Tigrées (SPTNT) in January 2015. Odile devotes her energy to promoting the “norée” brand, offering tiger nut-based products to promote well-being and fulfilment. Leading a predominantly female team, Odile has launched natural products such as tiger nut flour, cream, milk and oil on the African market.

Gideon Kalimanzira (Tanzanian) is passionate in agricultural development, food sector, livelihood and agri-business. He is the Founder and CEO at GIPA FOODS & GENERAL SUPPLIES LIMITED situated in the Coastal region of Tanzania, Kibaha area. He has managed to start a viable business of processing and selling cassava starch and animal feeds. He has more than 8 years’ experience in Cassava value addition through different projects.

Jeremy Knops holds a master’s degree in business engineering from the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (SBS-EM). Prior to joining COLEAD in 2009, he was involved in Guatemala with the daily operations of a farmers’ cooperative exporting loquats to the EU and the US. He started to work for COLEAD as an expert in charge of matters related to private standards and certification for ACP producers and exporters of fruit and vegetables. Jeremy is an accredited coach for leadership and professional development. He has been appointed as General Delegate of COLEAD in June 2019.

Dr. Babafemi Oyewole, the CEO of Pan African Farmers Organization (PAFO), is a tri-sector executive and professional with experiences in the public, private and non-government sectors, and a veteran in the management of international institutions.

Born and raised in Uganda until 1972, Nazimuddin J.A Shivji completed his education in United Kingdom and Canada. He holds a Degree in Commerce and Law from University of British in Colombia (Vancouver, B.C), Canada.

Khadiatou Virginie Touré, wife of Baglion de la Dufferie, is Franco-Guinean and, since 2019, the Managing Director of Société Guinéenne pour le Développement Durable (SGDD) with head office is based in Conakry, Guinea. She is also manager of the Dondolikhoure Farm in Sanoyah, in the prefecture of Coyah, Guinea.