Dr. Olivier Jolliet
is Full Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the School of Public Health, University of Michigan. Dr. Jolliet has pioneered the development of LCA method for agriculture and food production since early 1990s, comparing nutritional and environmental impacts of food systems. He has recently determined minutes of healthy life gained and lost for 5800 individual foods (https://rdcu.be/cuVht), a high impact research reported by more than 1000 news media.
Dr Jolliet co-Initiated in 2003 the Life Cycle Initiative (a collaboration between the United Nations Environment Program UNEP and the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry SETAC), presently managing the effort of more than 150 scientists worldwide towards development of impact assessment approaches. His work aims to a) compare the life cycle risks and benefits of foods, consumer products and emerging technologies; and b) model and screen population exposure and effect on health. Dr. Jolliet has authored or co-authored 220 peer-reviewed publications or book chapters.
Dr Jolliet co-Initiated in 2003 the Life Cycle Initiative (a collaboration between the United Nations Environment Program UNEP and the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry SETAC), presently managing the effort of more than 150 scientists worldwide towards development of impact assessment approaches. His work aims to a) compare the life cycle risks and benefits of foods, consumer products and emerging technologies; and b) model and screen population exposure and effect on health. Dr. Jolliet has authored or co-authored 220 peer-reviewed publications or book chapters.
Assumpció Antón Vallejo
In 1982 Assumpció became officer of the Agricultural Department of Generalitat of Catalunya (DACC). Since 1985 she has been working as a researcher at the Food and Agricultural Research Institute, (IRTA). First she conducted research as an agronomist and the last 20 years conducting projects in the area of Life Cycle Assessment and Agriculture.
She has been teaching LCA and supervising bachelors, masters and doctoral thesis students in the field of LCA applied to the agricultural sector for 15 years, first as associate professor in the Chemical Engineering Department at University Rovira Virgili (Spain) and currently, as associate professor of the Agrifood Engineering and Biotechnology Department at the Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya (Spain). She has been involved as an expert in different international initiatives (UNEP-LCI, LEAP-FAO, PAS2020, ECOINVENT, EC-TAB-AWG).
Assumpció’s area of expertise is the development and application of LCA methodology in agriculture. She focuses her research on the improvement of agricultural inventories and the development of Life Cycle Impact Assessment methods related to agricultural processes, i.e. carbon footprint, land use, water consumption, eutrophication and toxicity due to pesticides use. Final goal of her work is the improvement of agricultural systems from an environmental point of view.
She has been teaching LCA and supervising bachelors, masters and doctoral thesis students in the field of LCA applied to the agricultural sector for 15 years, first as associate professor in the Chemical Engineering Department at University Rovira Virgili (Spain) and currently, as associate professor of the Agrifood Engineering and Biotechnology Department at the Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya (Spain). She has been involved as an expert in different international initiatives (UNEP-LCI, LEAP-FAO, PAS2020, ECOINVENT, EC-TAB-AWG).
Assumpció’s area of expertise is the development and application of LCA methodology in agriculture. She focuses her research on the improvement of agricultural inventories and the development of Life Cycle Impact Assessment methods related to agricultural processes, i.e. carbon footprint, land use, water consumption, eutrophication and toxicity due to pesticides use. Final goal of her work is the improvement of agricultural systems from an environmental point of view.
José Luis Chicoma
works to promote sustainable and healthy food systems in Latin America. He served as Minister of Production in Peru in the transition government in 2020-21. Previously, he was the executive director of Ethos Public Policy Lab, a Mexico City-based think tank that works on governance, sustainable development and food systems.
He frequently writes and speaks internationally on the intersection of food and politics. He holds a Master’s in public policy from Harvard University and a BA in economics from Universidad del Pacífico, in Peru. He is a 2017 Yale World Fellow and 2018 Stanford Draper Hills Fellow.
He frequently writes and speaks internationally on the intersection of food and politics. He holds a Master’s in public policy from Harvard University and a BA in economics from Universidad del Pacífico, in Peru. He is a 2017 Yale World Fellow and 2018 Stanford Draper Hills Fellow.
Peter Tyedmers
Is a Professor of ecological economics in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, where he also currently serves as Director of the Interdisciplinary PhD program. Beginning with his Ph.D. research, in which the biophysical costs of salmon fishing and farming in British Columbia were compared, over the last almost 25 years Peter has established himself as an authority regarding the energy and related environmental performance of seafood systems. Though much of this work, undertaken with students and colleagues, has employed life cycle assessment to help illuminate some of the enormous diversity, challenges, and opportunities that exist within seafood systems, Peter’s interests also extend to improving methods of biophysical accounting and data aggregation generally, as well as characterizing the environmental performance of terrestrial food systems.
Peter holds a Ph.D. (2000) in Resource Management and Environmental Studies and an LL.B. (1992) from the University of British Columbia, Canada, and a B.Sc. (1988) from the University of Waterloo, Canada.
Peter holds a Ph.D. (2000) in Resource Management and Environmental Studies and an LL.B. (1992) from the University of British Columbia, Canada, and a B.Sc. (1988) from the University of Waterloo, Canada.
Melissa D. Ho, SVP, Freshwater & Food, WWF-US
As Senior Vice President for Freshwater and Food at WWF-US, Melissa D. Ho drives landscape and transformational initiatives that increase the sustainability of agricultural systems and the conservation of water for the environment and ecosystems. She also supports the integration of food and water issues in all of WWF's other workstreams. Dr. Ho has over 25 years of experience as a scientist, policy advisor, and development professional. Throughout her career, Dr. Ho has leveraged a keen focus on the intersection of water and agriculture and its connections to energy and health.
She has worked at the landscape level, with large-scale public irrigation systems, agricultural value chains, community-based water resource planning and management systems, as well as in household level water technology delivery through the private sector. Dr. Ho came to WWF from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, where she oversaw a $1.5 billion portfolio of infrastructure investments in West Africa. She also served at USAID overseeing the technical team responsible for the strategy development and implementation of Feed the Future. Previously, Dr. Ho developed and implemented the agricultural water management strategy and grant portfolio at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
She has also served in various capacities in the US Congress. She has a PhD in plant physiology from the Pennsylvania State University, an MSc in soil science (plant-water relations) from the University of California, Davis, and a BSc in environmental systems from Cornell University.
She has worked at the landscape level, with large-scale public irrigation systems, agricultural value chains, community-based water resource planning and management systems, as well as in household level water technology delivery through the private sector. Dr. Ho came to WWF from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, where she oversaw a $1.5 billion portfolio of infrastructure investments in West Africa. She also served at USAID overseeing the technical team responsible for the strategy development and implementation of Feed the Future. Previously, Dr. Ho developed and implemented the agricultural water management strategy and grant portfolio at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
She has also served in various capacities in the US Congress. She has a PhD in plant physiology from the Pennsylvania State University, an MSc in soil science (plant-water relations) from the University of California, Davis, and a BSc in environmental systems from Cornell University.
Maryam Rezaei
Maryam Rezaei is an agro-industry and value chain officer with FAO's regional office for the Near East and North Africa, in Cairo.
She leads the work on sustainable food systems and value chain development, provides technical support and strategic guidance on agribusiness, market linkages, food loss and waste, including trade-off analysis for policy making.
Throughout her career, she has worked across sectors, with governments, private sector agri-food businesses, NGOs and international development organisations. Previous to this role, she was a Food Systems Advisor with the Food Systems and Food Safety division at FAO Head Quarters in Rome.
Maryam has a Masters in Food Science and Technology from Ecole Supérieure d'Agricultures d’Angers in France, with a specialization in local and territorial food systems.
She leads the work on sustainable food systems and value chain development, provides technical support and strategic guidance on agribusiness, market linkages, food loss and waste, including trade-off analysis for policy making.
Throughout her career, she has worked across sectors, with governments, private sector agri-food businesses, NGOs and international development organisations. Previous to this role, she was a Food Systems Advisor with the Food Systems and Food Safety division at FAO Head Quarters in Rome.
Maryam has a Masters in Food Science and Technology from Ecole Supérieure d'Agricultures d’Angers in France, with a specialization in local and territorial food systems.