Pathé is an Agricultural Engineer by training and Climate and Environment Expert. He has over 18 years’ experience in the field of agriculture, green finance & agri value chains development, environment, climate change and sustainable natural resource management, food systems and nutrition security, rural development and poverty reduction; rural infrastructure development; safeguards and de-risking public and private sector investments in sustainable agriculture. In his professional career, he has occupied various technical, managerial and leadership role both at local, country, regional and global level, working across four regions in the World (Africa, South America, Central Asia and Europe). Prior to joining AGRF, Pathé was the Lead Regional Environment, Climate Specialist for West and Central Africa regional based in Rome and later in Abidjan. He also acted as Director of the IFAD Abidjan sub regional Office, Country Director Cote d’Ivoire, Niger and Liberia. Before joining IFAD, Pathe was Policy Specialist on sustainable development with UNDP Global Policy Centre on Sustainable Development based Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). He previously worked with both UNDP and UNEP as Regional Program Advisor based in Nairobi (Kenya), providing technical assistance to African Countries on mainstreaming poverty, environment and gender objectives into national development and investment frameworks. Before that, he served as Program Officer and acting Team leader with UNDP Country Office in Mauritania. Pathé’s other previous positions outside the UN include food security program and sub office manager in Afghanistan, consultant with European Union in France and Agricultural Researcher at the Senegalese Agricultural Research Institute. He holds an MSc and post-graduate degree in Rural Societies, Territories, Sustainable Development and Natural Resources Management from Institut Agronomique Mediterraneen de Montpellier, France; a MSc on Agricultural Engineering from Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture de Meknes (Morocco); on Agribusiness, entrepreneurship and Gender from the Centre for International Agricultural Development Cooperation (Israel).

Arne Cartridge is a lead strategist and practitioner in developing public-private partnerships for a sustainable development. He is currently Senior Adviser and Head of Global Initiatives at Yara International. He previously held positions as the Executive Director of Grow Africa, Senior Director at the World Economic Forum, Executive Vice President with Yara International ASA, and has held senior management positions with Telenor, Gazette, and Digital Equipment Corp. Mr. Cartridge is the initiator of the African Green Revolution Forum and has served as the Chairman of the Board for the humanitarian organization CARE Norway, been on the board of CARE International and serves on the board of the Global Fairness Initiative.