About

I am currently the primary liaison for CABI’s institutional partnerships, managing relationships with key international stakeholders and donors. With an in-depth understanding of rural development policies and donor strategies, I apply this expertise to help shape new development programmes that prioritize sustainability, food security and agricultural resilience. In addition, I am a board member of CABI’s flagship food security programme, PlantwisePlus, serve as Chair of the UK-CGIAR Centre Board and manage the CABI office in the Netherlands. My work also includes managing CABI’s project on the potato value chain in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

My technical specialization is in Integrated Crop and Pest Management (IPM) and knowledge dissemination, with a focus on reducing reliance on chemical pesticides in agriculture. A key aspect of my work at CABI has been advising international organizations and governments on strategies to phase out hazardous pesticides and adopt more sustainable agricultural practices. I have been actively involved in several global programmes supported by major development agencies, including the Dutch Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the European Union (EU) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

In addition to advisory and technical roles, at CABI, I have led several multi-partner capacity building projects aimed at strengthening local and regional pest management systems. In support of the European Union’s efforts to phase out the use of methyl bromide, I led a CABI team in documenting alternatives to this highly harmful soil fumigant. I have also been involved in projects that integrate IPM with soil fertility management, particularly in Africa. As part of these efforts, I contributed to reviews on the barriers to the availability and use of biological control by farmers in Asia, helping to address challenges in pest management for smallholder farmers. With an emphasis on sustainable farming practices, I have developed and implemented discovery learning training modules on IPM for various regions including Southeast Asia (vegetables), West Africa (cocoa) and Southeast Europe (apples).