Read the GDPRD White Paper
The Advisory Group brings together experts from across the donor community, development finance institutions, and food and nutrition organizations. Its role is to provide strategic input and synthesize insights from across sectors to inform the White Paper, which serves as an informal contribution to 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) and a reference point for donor engagement throughout the year.
While consultative in nature, the Group’s work aims to help shape a more coherent and impactful donor approach to financing sustainable food systems and rural development in 2025 and beyond.
Between March and June 2025, the Group guided the development of the White Paper, which was launched at an official side event at FfD4 on 30 June 2025.
The High-Level Advisory Group comprises of the following representatives:
Federica Diamanti, Associate Vice-President, External Relations Department, International Fund for Agricultural Development (Co-Chair)
Leonard Mizzi, Head of Unit, Sustainable Agri-Food Systems and Fisheries, Directorate-General for International Partnerships, European Commission (Co-Chair)
Maximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Nikita Eriksen-Hamel, Deputy Director, Food Systems Practice, Global Affairs Canada
Marianne Grosclaude, Lead Agriculture Economist, World Bank
Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
Cornelia Hett, Deputy Head of Section, Health and Food, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Arif Husain, Chief Economist, United Nations World Food Programme
Alice Ruhweza, President, AGRA
Wilma Van Esch, Head of Food Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands
Virginia Villar Arribas, Deputy Director, Private Sector Partnerships, United Nations World Food Programme
