Mark Holderness Email and Phone Number

I work to build innovative partnerships between governments, businesses and rural society that deliver better development outcomes, particularly for small-scale farmers, rural women and youth. A strategic and visionary thought-leader, I thrive in dealing with the complex realities of agricultural and rural development, inspiring and driving the inclusive transformation and strengthening of agri-food innovation systems, policies and programmes.My passion is helping others to re-imagine their work and who they serve, to see change as an opportunity, not a threat, and to bring about collective actions that achieve sustainable development impact at scale. Linking science and society, I help to broker and bridge the interactions required for sustainable and equitable change, owned by all concerned.I have worked continuously in international development for nearly 40 years, at the highest levels and across more than 60 countries. I have delivered successfully at Director-level in the international science and development organisation CABI, in the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and as a member of Boards from both the public and private sector. I have always generated the resources required for my work, working closely with bilateral and international finance agencies, business networks and farmer-led systems and advising on the development and impacts of their processes. As Executive Secretary of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation for 11 years, I mobilised collective actions on key agenda across a multi-stakeholder international network of over 600 organisations. I represented the perspectives of farmers and national systems in the reform of the CGIAR system and led 3 highly successful Global Conferences on Agricultural Research for Development, that developed, and delivered on, an internationally agreed Roadmap for change in the sector.Now an independent adviser, I have led external reviews of both the world’s main international agricultural research networks: reviewing the past decade of CGIAR Research Programmes and a forward-looking review of the Association of International Research and Development Centres in Agriculture. For the last 2 years, I have directly supported processes of reform of national agricultural research, advisory services and education for the Government of Uzbekistan, including formulating the National Agri-food Research Plan.I was awarded ‘Development Agriculturalist of the Year, 2018’ by the Tropical Agriculture Association, for my outstanding contribution to sustainable agricultural development.