Key skills and expertise

With over 35 years of experience, the expert possesses strong leadership and management skills in agriculture development, strategic visioning, and policy formulation. Having led international projects in food safety, quality assurance, and market access across 65 countries, the expert demonstrates significant technical expertise in food preservation technology and eco-labelling. Career highlights include authoring 107 peer-reviewed papers and leading FAO's Blue Growth Initiative. Previously held roles such as Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture Economics and Policy Division and Chief of Products, Trade and Marketing Service at FAO underscore the expert's capacity for high-level strategic program implementation.

Project experience and donor exposure

The expert has collaborated with international organizations including FAO, WHO, UNIDO, and USAID, providing technical assistance and consultancy in agriculture and agro-industry development. Responsibilities have included project formulation and implementation in thematic areas like food safety, quality assurance, and market access. The projects have had a broad geographic scope, covering over 65 countries across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, focusing on sector-specific initiatives in food value chains, fisheries, and aquaculture.

Sectors and geographic focus

Background includes positions at FAO, where the expert worked extensively in the sectors of food processing and safety, fisheries and aquaculture, and agriculture. Responsibilities have included strategic program implementation and policy development, with cross-cutting expertise in food value chains, climate change, and international food trade. The expert's work spans over 65 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, demonstrating a strong capacity for interdisciplinary approaches in regional and international contexts. This exposure has provided deep familiarity with regional development issues, local governance, and cultural dynamics.

Languages and education

Bringing a multilingual background, the expert is fluent in Moroccan colloquial Arabic (Darija), official Arabic (Fossha), French, English, and Italian. Native languages include Tamazight (Berber of the Middle Atlas, Morocco) and Arabic. These language skills have been utilized in diverse international settings, facilitating communication in multilingual teams and contributing to effective project implementation across various regions. Educational qualifications include a Ph.D. in Food Science and Nutrition from the University of Minnesota, USA, and a Docteur Es-Sciences Agronomiques from the Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Morocco. Additionally, the expert obtained an Ingénieur Agronome degree from the same Moroccan institution and an Ingénieur ENSIAA from École Nationale des Industries Agricoles et Alimentaires in France, now part of AgroParis Tech.