Iain MacGillivray

special advisor UN food agency

Iain MacGillivray is currently Special Advisor to the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). An agricultural economist and agricultural engineer/agronomist by training, he recently completed a one-year assignment with the UN's High Level Task Force on Global Food Security Coordination Team as Senior Advisor.

His career includes farm management in Argentina, farming in the Sudan, integrated rural development in the Americas and marketing and consultative work for private and public sectors. At the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), his work included program management and scientific, technical and policy advice.  Iain represented Canada on the CGIAR for over ten years in various capacities. He spent two years directing the Entrepreneurial Partnerships Program at the International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR) -- the institutional strengthening center of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) -- based in The Hague, The Netherlands.  In June 2010, Iain was awarded the President’s Award for Excellence for his work in developing Canada’s Food Security Strategy.

With over 35 years’ experience in international development at the policy, program and project levels, Iain has worked to strengthen support to agriculture and rural development and developing-country agriculture capacity, including emphasis on management, economics and food security-nutrition policy issues. He is a strong supporter of food-based approaches to micronutrient malnutrition and of bridging the divide between agriculture, nutrition and health.

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Events in past editions