Summary of experience and skills:
Agricultural economist from Purdue University (USA, 1999) with over 30 years’ experience as executive director, coordinator and manager, as well as independent consultant, focusing on agricultural agribusiness, value chains, agricultural production, improvement of smallholders’ livelihood, resource mobilization, capacity building and organizational strategy. Experienced in a variety of private and public organizations, projects, and countries.
Strong experience in strategic planning, project management and coordination, agricultural technologies, capacity development and coordination of different projects. Objectives-oriented and multidisciplinary approach to work, with a view to achieving sustainable strategic objectives. Excellent interpersonal skills and experience working in multicultural teams.
Significant international experience – undertaking assignments in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Panamá, Costa Rica, México, South Sudan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Philippines. Professional travels to North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
Academic background:
- Sapienza, University of Rome, Italy, 2023: PhD Candidate. Research tittle: ”Study of the strategic successful factors of the most prominent Agribusiness Value Chains in Italy (in economical, industrial and social terms)”.
- Purdue University, USA, 1999: Master of Science in Agricultural Economics, with a focus on agribusiness.
- University of Buenos Aires, School of Agriculture, 1988: Agronomist, with a focus on agricultural production.
Professional experience:
Consultancies:
- Latest: FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations): International Consultant on Agribusiness and Value Chain Management in the Philippines.
Review the relevant current initiatives, challenges, gaps, and identified entry points for the technical capacity support on agribusiness and value chain management and implementation.
2000 to 2022:
- Consultant on agricultural value chains:
o FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations): International Consultant on Agricultural Value Chains and Program Development Specialist in Sierra Leone.
1. Review and update of resource mobilization strategy and pipeline of project proposals.
2. Value Chain analyses for the most important staple productions (rice, cassava, and poultry) indicating priority areas for public sector interventions and areas for the private sector support considering all stakeholders in the different value chains, improved livelihood of smallholder farmers, and female and youth participation.
o FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations): International Consultant on Agricultural Value Chains in Liberia.
1. Understanding on the status and potential of different agricultural productions.
2. Value Chain analyses of the 5 prominent agricultural productions (rice, cassava, cacao, poultry, vegetables and pulses) considering:
a) Value chain approach: Input providers, production and productivity, post-harvest, storage, processing and trading (farmers to market),
b) Improved livelihoods and nutrition of smallholder farmers, and
c) Female and youth participation.
o African Development Bank: Agribusiness and Value Chains project formulation for a special call for a grant targeting Fragile and Conflict affected countries. The project was on Food Security and Livelihoods Enhancement for South Sudan.
o International Centre for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT): Identification and organization of stakeholders for the development of the wheat value chain in México.
o US Grains Council: Coordination of a managerial and technical tour to Argentina for members of the Executive Board, with focus on the maize and sorghum value chains;
o US Soybean Export Council: Coordination of activities for members of the Executive Board to provide insight on the soybean value chain in Argentina with a special focus on intellectual property rights for seeds; and
o Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA): Consultant for the AAPROTRIGO (Asociación Argentina PRO-Trigo) project, with responsibility for developing a strategy to transform a farmers’ organization into a value chain organization to serve all its stakeholders.
- Consultant on agribusiness: formulation of agricultural and livestock production investment projects and their start-ups in:
o Argentina (cereals, oilseeds, livestock, milk production, orchard crops and forestry),
o Uruguay (agriculture, livestock production and forestry),
o Paraguay (pastures and livestock production),
o Panamá and Costa Rica (forestry and inter-cropping orchard crops and forestry).
- Consultant to review and improve CIMMYT’s organizational policy on a global level.
o Strategic planning
o Policy analysis
o Proposal development
Managerial positions:
- 2007 – 2012: Argentine Wheat Value Chain Organization (Argentrigo): Founding member and first Executive Director. Value Chain NGO for the promotion of Argentine wheat, including all stakeholders, from breeders to consumers. Responsible for:
o Strategic planning;
o Coordination, monitoring, evaluation and reporting on action plans;
o Promotion and recruitment of members;
o Convening stakeholder meetings;
o Identification and promotion of synergies between the different stakeholders;
o Identification, analysis, and evaluation of opportunities;
o Internal and external communications;
o Financial planning and budgeting;
o Establishing beneficial external relations with collaborators, including the private sector and government agencies.
- 2003 – 2010: Argentine Association of Regional Consortiums for Agricultural Experimentation (AACREA): Regional manager of the leading technology and agribusiness farmers’ association in Argentina, which consists of local farmer groups with an advisor. Responsible for:
o Strategic planning and project coordination and evaluation;
o Coordinating and supervising technical advisors;
o Evaluating and improving farmers’ group methodologies (similar to Farmers Field School);
o Technical coordination for agronomical field experimentation;
o Testing of innovative applied technologies for agriculture and livestock production;
o Monitoring and adaptation of technical equipment to improve productivity;
o Field tests for new applied technologies (crops and pasture seeds, improved crop rotations, fertilizers, ag-chemicals, planting density, machinery);
o Studying and promotion of sustainability: field tests on conservation agricultural technology;
o Organization of field days, workshops, congress, and seminars to upscale and disseminate proven technologies and methodologies;
o Capacity development of member farmers on managerial and entrepreneurship skills and technology application;
o Training field labourers on improved technologies;
o Technology transfer to non-member farmers;
o Coordination of activities with external stakeholders including private companies.
- 2005 – 2009: Argentine Association of Regional Consortiums for Agricultural Experimentation (AACREA): Coordinator of the Agricultural Affairs Commission, with responsibility for:
o Identifying future challenges and mitigation interventions, both in domestic and international markets (South-South cooperation);
o Advocating for the adoption of verified best practices and certification processes;
o Engaging all stakeholders in the value chains, from breeders to consumers, in achieving mutually beneficial objectives;
o Representing AACREA in international forums.
- 2000 – 2003: Food and Agribusiness Program (PAA), Graduate program in the School of Agriculture, University of Buenos Aires: Manager and coordinator. Responsibilities included:
o Identification and analysis of the stakeholders and competitiveness studies of the major grain and livestock value chains in Argentina
- 1997 – 1998: Cyanamid of Argentina: Product manager of ‘Wisdom Net’, a business consultancy service for VIP clients. Responsible for:
o Coordination of a team of leading experts in production, industrialization and markets of major grains (cereals and oilseeds);
o Organization of meetings, seminars, and field days with specialists;
o Promotion of the ‘Maximum Yields, with high-tech applications’ program.
- 1995 – 1996: Proarmet (Marguliz Group): Business manager, reporting to the President. Responsible for:
o Agribusiness investment analyses (strategic analysis, market research, government regulations, finance) for a joint-venture with an American company for the production, marketing, and commercialization of agrochemicals for Mercosur’s countries (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay);
o Strategic planning of the farming sector of the (10,000 hectares) for increased production of:
Cereals and oilseeds;
Fruit orchards with drop irrigation; and
Livestock.
- 1993 – 1995: Argentine Secretariat of Agriculture (Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Alimentación): Manager of the International Agribusiness Investment Program and advisor to the Secretary of Agriculture. Responsible for:
o Analysis of potential foreign investments in different agriculture and livestock sectors in the country;
o Promotion of Argentina’s farm sector at the global level, in collaboration with Argentine embassies.
- 1990 – 1992: Argentine Association of Regional Consortiums for Agricultural Experimentation (AACREA): Manager of the Studies Department. Responsible for:
o Managing four technical commissions (agriculture, livestock, dairy production and new alternatives’ productions);
o Managing the area of joint ventures and agreements and international contacts;
o Managing a program of visits by international experts in various fields;
o Advising the President and Board on domestic and international agribusiness affairs;
o Organizing conferences, seminars, and field days.
- 1990: Bank of Boston Foundation, Business School: Coordinator and lecturer. Responsible for:
o Coordinating the seminar series to introduce the agribusiness approach to Argentina entitled “Innovation in Agribusiness”; and
o Preparing and delivering lectures within the series.
- 1989 – 1990: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Assistant to the National Director of the Technical Cooperation Project ARG/0052. Responsible for:
o Coordinating and managing the activities of international consultants for project delivery.
- 1988 – 1990: National Bank of Argentina Educational Institute (Banco de la Nación Argentina): Coordinator of the Department of Agricultural Economics. Responsible for:
o Coordinating the academic activities and publications specific for Regional Managers of the Bank.
Teaching and lecturer experience:
- 1985 – 2003: University of Buenos Aires, School of Agriculture, Department of Agribusiness: from Teaching Assistant to Assistant Professor on the subject “Sistemas Agroalimentarios”. Research and academic activities for senior level undergraduate students.
- 2003 to 2023: Lecturer in agribusiness, value chains and agricultural production:
o University of Buenos Aires (UBA),
o Argentine Catholic University (UCA),
o Catholic University of Córdoba (UCC),
o National University of Córdoba (UNC),
o Syngenta México,
o Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy, and
o Sapienza, University of Rome, Italy
Public presentations:
More than 80 presentations covering topics related to agricultural production, agricultural economics, business strategy, agribusiness, and value chains.
Publications:
• “Sistemas agroindustriales: competitividad, estrategias y mercados”. Capítulo 3: Asociaciones de cadenas por producto: experiencia en la Argentina. Editorial Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Sept 2014.
• “Where is it better to invest, in the U.S. or in Argentina?” Revista Facultad de Agronomía, UBA (con referato). Tomo 20 Nº 2 Año 2000. In collaboration with Michael Boehlje, finance professor at Purdue University.
• “Características del sector agropecuario argentino”. SAGPyA, 1995.
• “Algunas bases para la más eficiente toma de decisiones en la protección del cultivo de trigo”. Revista CREA 148, 1991.
• “Gestión de la empresa agropecuaria”. Banco de la Nación Argentina, 1988.
Scholarships and Awards:
• Fulbright Scholarship, USA, 1997.
• Bunge & Born Foundation, Argentina: Academic Excellence Award, 1997.
• Purdue University, USA: Dean’s List, 1999.
• Council of Logistics Management, Indianapolis Roundtable, USA, 1999.
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Scholarship, Japan, 1995.
• University of Buenos Aires, Argentina: Scientific and Technological Production Award, 1994.
• Italian Government Scholarship, 1990.
Geographical experience:
Latin America: Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Paraguay, Panamá, Costa Rica and México;
North America: USA and Canada;
Africa: South Sudan, Liberia, Senegal and Sierra Leone;
Europe: France, Italy and the Netherlands;
Asia: Israel, Japan, the Philippines; and
Oceania: New Zealand.
Languages:
Bilingual English and Spanish.
Intermediate/working level of French and Italian.