CABI News

12 August 2015 – André Laperrière has been appointed Executive Director of the secretariat for Global open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN). He will take up his post on 1 September 2015 at the secretariat office in Wallingford, hosted by CABI.

During his career Mr. Laperrière has led numerous large-scale projects on behalf of private corporations and also within the United Nations. He has extensive work experience in Africa, the Americas, Caribbean, Europe and Middle East, in particular in developing countries and in conflict and post-conflict environments. Mr Laperrière has held various senior management positions in the United Nations Common System, including Executive Director in the International Criminal Court, Director of Administration and Finance Division in the World Health Organization and Oil for Food coordinator for UNICEF. Before joining GODAN, Mr. Laperrière was Deputy CEO of the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

GODAN was formally launched at the Open Government Partnership Summit in London in October 2013 and now has 138 partners from governments, non-governmental organizations and businesses, all committed making data available, accessible and usable for the benefit of farmers and consumers alike, in order to achieve global food security. The organization is one of the founder members of the new Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data along with 20 governments and influential partners keen to harness the data revolution for inclusive sustainable growth. GODAN was delighted to be awarded $4 million additional funding from the US Government in July to drive forward its agenda to open data relevant to agriculture and nutrition on a global scale.

Talking about the challenges ahead, Mr Laperrière said:

“In the next 50 years, the world will need to produce 70% more food. To meet this challenge, we need to change our collective thinking and do things differently. Until recently, food security was a matter of national security and commercial competition, but now food security has to become a world security issue, and one of international collaboration.”

“By sharing agricultural data and knowledge, we will collectively be in a much better position to address the challenges ahead. We can pool our efforts, work together, become more efficient, more effective, and develop new, better ways to feed the next generation, and also our brothers and sisters who are currently malnourished. This is GODAN’s challenge, duty and mission.”

For further information about GODAN, including details for organizations about how to become a partner, please see www.godan.info.

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