var speakers_clientHandler = [{"id":225325,"bio":null,"birthdate":"","country":null,"email":"","photourl":"https://c.connectedviews.com/assets/1bfa9a49-e636-4405-818d-24844135f9b8.jpg","name":"Ms. Yolanda Huerta, Legal Counsel and Director of Training and Assistance, UPOV","jobs":"","urls":""},{"id":225329,"bio":null,"birthdate":"","country":null,"email":"","photourl":"https://c.connectedviews.com/assets/77ff52a7-7968-4844-ae41-8a814f86f73d.jpg","name":"Moderator: Mr. Marien Valstar, President of the Council, UPOV","jobs":"","urls":""},{"id":225330,"bio":"

John Derera

John Derera is the Senior Director, Plant Breeding and Pre-Breeding at One CGIAR.

Previously, held the roles of Head of Breeding at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Group Head of R&D at Seed Co Group, and Professor of Plant Breeding at the African Centre for Crop Improvement, University of KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa. In his native Zimbabwe, he worked in the Department of Research & Specialist Services, where he implemented variety registration for plant breeders’ rights and seed certification.

He has a combination of business (MBA) and technical qualifications (PhD) in plant breeding and international seed systems, with professional experience from both the public and private sector.

He is an accomplished publisher and postgraduate students’ supervisor. He is a member of Southern Africa Plant Breeders Association (SAPBA), and an Executive Member of the African Plant Breeders Association. Recently, he received the SAPBA award for being one of the 20 most influential plant breeders in 2020.

","birthdate":"","country":null,"email":"","photourl":"https://c.connectedviews.com/assets/28cf1927-d969-4cdd-8cde-c73a466e160d.jpg","name":"Mr. John Derera, Senior Director, Plant Breeding and Pre-Breeding, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)","jobs":"","urls":""},{"id":225331,"bio":"

Arianna GIULIODORI

Arianna Giuliodori was appointed Secretary General of the World Farmers’

Organisation, WFO, in December 2017. In this role, she has been strongly promoting

solid governance of the association and a wide set of international partnerships to

ensure that farmers can fully play their fundamental role in the Sustainability

challenges.

After her degree in Communications Sciences, she got a master’s in Economics and

Rural Development at Siena University in Italy. Farmers and agriculture have always

been part of her working life: she spent ten years serving at the Italian farmers’

Organisation Coldiretti, first in Rome and then in Brussels, acting as Economic

Officer, Secretary General of Young Farmers, Head of the President’s Technical

Secretariat and Senior Policy Advisor at the European Representation. Four years of

experience in American multinational research and consulting company in Paris

and an executive MBA at Sorbonne University complete her profile, giving her a

strong business-oriented approach.

","birthdate":"","country":null,"email":"","photourl":"https://c.connectedviews.com/assets/570d5dce-f780-454c-b352-3b17baf10955.jpg","name":"Ms. Arianna Giuliodori, Secretary-General, WFO","jobs":"","urls":""},{"id":225332,"bio":"

Michael Keller

Secretary General of ISF

Michael Keller was appointed Secretary General of the International Seed Federation in June 2014.

Michael, a German national, lived and worked in Paris for 18 years before relocating to Switzerland to join the International Seed Federation in Nyon.

After graduating from the University of Mannheim and the University of Bonn where he completed a Law State examination, Michael pursued post-graduate studies at the Paris-Sorbonne University.

In 1999 Michael joined the French Senate in Paris as a Parliamentary Advisor and moved to the Mayor’s Association of France where, as Head of European and International Affairs, he represented his constituents’ interests at European level.

Between 2008 and 2014 Michael held the post of Director of Regulatory and Public Affairs at DuPont Pioneer in France. During the same period Michael was a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee at the Union Française des Semenciers (UFS) and Chairman of the UFS Regulation and Innovation Commission.

In June 2022, he was elected chair of the International Agriculture and Food Network (IAFN) for a two-year term. IAFN is the elected focal point for the Private Sector Mechanism (PSM) of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS).

","birthdate":"","country":null,"email":"","photourl":"https://c.connectedviews.com/assets/c7270a5f-824b-4f04-818a-512ab3fc6ea4.jpg","name":"Mr. Michael Keller, Secretary-General, ISF","jobs":"","urls":""},{"id":225333,"bio":"

Edgar Krieger, Secretary General of CIOPORA

Dr. Krieger has extensive experience in the field of Intellectual Property protection for plant innovation and has held the position of the CIOPORA Secretary General since 2004. Before CIOPORA, Dr. Krieger worked as a lawyer at an international law firm specializing in IP protection, particularly Plant Breeder's Rights, advising agricultural breeders in several hundred court cases up to the European Court of Justice. He holds a Law Degree from the University of Bonn and a Degree in Business Administration from the Aachen University of Applied Sciences. He completed his doctoral dissertation on the topic \"Farmers' Exemption in Germany\" at the Philipps University of Marburg.

","birthdate":"","country":null,"email":"","photourl":"https://c.connectedviews.com/assets/85144e5c-6221-4694-bd6c-be58069d8146.jpg","name":"Mr. Edgar Krieger, Secretary General, CIOPORA","jobs":"","urls":""},{"id":225334,"bio":null,"birthdate":"","country":null,"email":"","photourl":"https://c.connectedviews.com/assets/7ba2f313-2170-4a07-91c1-593f488d9616.jpg","name":"Mr. Daren Tang, Secretary-General, UPOV","jobs":"","urls":""},{"id":225340,"bio":"

CUI Yehan

\r\n\r\n

Dr. CUI Yehan\r\nwas appointed Chief Agronomist in DCST of MARA, PR China on October 25, 2021,\r\nhaving previously held the role of Division Director\r\nof Plant Variety Protection in DCST, MARA since\r\n2014. Since 2019, he has been\r\nthe Vice President, the Council of the UPOV.

\r\n\r\n

Dr. CUI\r\ngraduated from the University of London\r\nwith a Ph D degree in Biological\r\nSciences.

\r\n\r\n

From 1997 to 2003,\r\nhe worked in Plant Variety\r\nProtection Division\r\nof DCST, MARA, as\r\na member of the founding team,\r\nhe helped to establish the PVP system in MARA of China,

\r\n\r\n

focused on technical aspects for PVP\r\noperation, and became International Liaison Officer in the PVP Office of MARA. From 2003 to 2014, he was the Division Director of Quality and Standard in Agriculture of\r\nDCST, MARA, responsible for examining and reviewing agricultural related\r\nstandards, and testing laboratory accreditation in MARA. In 2014, Dr. CUI\r\nbecame the Division Director of Plant Variety Protection in DCST,MARA, contributed\r\nto the amendment of Seed Law and PVP Regulations in China, and endeavored to\r\nstrengthen the cooperation with the UPOV and other members.

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Herwig Ranner

Herwig is a Team Leader and Coordinator on Climate Issues at the Directorate General for Agriculture of the European Commission and EU agriculture negotiator at UNFCCC sessions since 2012.

He has a background in marine biology, biogeochemistry and climate sciences and a solid track record as a mediator and negotiator in different professional environments.

","birthdate":"","country":null,"email":"","photourl":"https://c.connectedviews.com/assets/d7b01629-52fd-4fd1-b91e-f881491c2350.jpg","name":"Mr. Herwig Ranner, Team Leader – Climate change and agriculture, Unit for Sustainable Agriculture, Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI), European Commission","jobs":"","urls":""},{"id":225342,"bio":"

Solomon Gyan Ansah

Dr. Solomon Gyan Ansah is a Director of Agriculture under the Ghana Civil Service. Dr. Ansah is the Head of the Seed and Adaptive Research Unit at the Directorate of Crop Services of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. He holds a doctoral degree in Plant Breeding. He is a member of the National Seed Council, the National Variety Release and Registration Committee and a Management Committee member of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana. Dr. Ansah is the focal person for AfricaSeeds and the Coalition of African Rice Development in Ghana. He has been instrumental in the development of the National Seed Policy and its implementation plan. He is quite exposed about the seed sector issues in Ghana and West Africa. He was an advocate in creating the public awareness towards the passage of the Plant Variety Protection, 2020 (Act 1050).

","birthdate":"","country":null,"email":"","photourl":"https://c.connectedviews.com/assets/2f55fe3e-d861-4767-897a-f781aa54c2d3.jpg","name":"Mr. Solomon Gyan Ansah, Director of Agriculture & Head of the Seed Unit, Directorate of Crop Services, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana","jobs":"","urls":""},{"id":225343,"bio":"

Sol Ortiz García

Sol Ortiz has served as General Director for Policies, Prospective and Climate Change in the Agricultural Sector within the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, since 2018. Currently she is coordinating the development of the National Strategy for the Sustainable Use and Conservation of Pollinators in Mexico, she is the Executive Secretary of the Sectorial Committee on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and starting as national focal point to the Global Soil Partnership she has been recently elected the Chair of the Latin America and the Caribbean Soil Partnership (LACS).

Sol graduated as a Biologist from the Faculty of Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and has a Doctorate in Ecology from the Institute of Ecology also at UNAM.

She has worked in the Public Sector since 2001, first at the National Institute of Ecology as an advisor to the President and later as Coordinator of the Biosafety Program. From 2007 to 2018, she worked for the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) in the Executive Secretariat of the inter-ministerial commission dealing with issues related to the safe use of biotechnology.

","birthdate":"","country":null,"email":"","photourl":"https://c.connectedviews.com/assets/c91a3586-826a-4526-97d6-6b8d98c42052.jpg","name":"Ms. Sol Ortíz García, General Director of Prospective Policies and Climate Change, Ministry of Agriculture, Mexico","jobs":"","urls":""},{"id":225344,"bio":"

Alexandre Lima Nepomuceno

Graduated in Agronomy from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (1987), Master's in Plant Science from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (1989), Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Plant Physiology - University Of Arkansas (1998) and post-doctorate at Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences - JIRCAS, Tsukuba, Japan (2000 and 2004). MBA in Project Management ESALQ/USP (2021). Since 1990, he has been a researcher at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA). He is a Full Professor in the Post-Graduate Course in Genetics and Molecular Biology at the State University of Londrina (since 1999) and in the Post- Graduate Course in Environmental Biotechnology at the State University of Maringá (since 2012). He was a Titular Member of the National Technical Biosafety Commission (CTNBio) from 2001 to 2020 for 8 terms. From Sep2011 to Sep2013 he coordinated the LABEX US Program in Plant Biotechnology located at the ARS/USDA Plant Gene Expression Center, in Albany, California, USA. He was President of the Advanced Biotechnology Portfolio applied to Agribusiness (BioTecAgro) at Embrapa from 2014 to 2020. He is a member of the Management Committee of the National Institute of Science and Technology in Synthetic Biology (INCT-BioSyn). He is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Latin American Center for Biotechnology - CABBIO. Since April 2018 he represents Brazil, which participates as a guest, in the OECD meetings in the discussion groups: Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds (WG-SNFF) and Harmonization of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology (WG- HROB). He is currently the Chief-General of the National Soybean Research Center (Embrapa Soja). He has experience in Plant Physiology, Molecular Biology, Genetic Engineering and Genome Editing (CRISPR systems), Drought Tolerance, Obtaining and Characterizing Genetically Modified Plants and Biosafety of GMOs.

There are several ongoing initiatives seeking to show and attest to the good practices adopted by Brazilian soy producers. In this context, Embrapa Soybean is proposing the creation and implementation of a concept-brand (“seal”), designated as Low-Carbon Soy (LCS). The LCS brand identifies soybeans coming from no-till production systems characterized by the adoption of a set of good agricultural practices that, in the light of accumulated scientific knowledge, result in the reduction of GHG emissions while maintaining or increasing productivity. The process of granting the seal will be structured through private, voluntary, third-party certification, following a measurable, reportable and verifiable (MRV) control system, in accordance with internationally recognized standards and protocols. The LCS brand should be available to the market within two years and will certainly stimulate the use of sustainable practices in soybean production, providing a distinct advantage and adding value to the grain. In addition to the advances mentioned above, it is worth drawing attention to the investments and achievements in the area of phytosanitary protection, particularly with regard to the integrated management of insect-pests, diseases, nematodes and weeds. The management of these biotic stresses is crucial for the sustainability of soy cultivation in a tropical country like Brazil.

","birthdate":"","country":null,"email":"","photourl":"https://c.connectedviews.com/assets/8e313e57-9ffd-4c98-aaf5-36c219e6bbd9.jpg","name":"Mr. Alexandre Lima Nepomuceno, Researcher, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), Brazil","jobs":"","urls":""},{"id":225345,"bio":"

George Prah

George Prah is presently a Deputy Director of Agriculture responsible for Food Crops Development at the Directorate of Crop Services of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. He holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture Technology.

Since 2005, he has been involved in policy formulation, analysis and implementation in respect of the crop sub-sector. Generally, he facilitates and organizes training for the Private Sector Stakeholders in Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs)/Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) for transfer of new and improved technologies to farmers and Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs).

From 2010 to date, he has served as the Secretary to the National Variety Release and Registration Committee and has facilitated in the development of procedures for the release and registration of crop genetic materials in Ghana. He led the development of DUS/VCU testing protocols for 10 crop genera following ECOWAS and UPOV criteria for the release of crop varieties in Ghana. From 2018 to date, he serves as a Board Member of the CSIR-Plant Genetic Research and Resource Institute, Bunso, Ghana.

Between 2017 and 2020, he supported the Registrar General’s Department of the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, Ghana in the sensitization of relevant stakeholders towards the passage of the Plant Variety Protection Act, 2020 (Act 1050).

","birthdate":"","country":null,"email":"","photourl":"https://c.connectedviews.com/assets/4b2ba21c-cc64-4587-b204-2cc6e43ed499.jpg","name":"Mr. George Prah, Deputy Director, Directorate of Crop Services, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana","jobs":"","urls":""}];