BOARD MEMBERS

Professor Ruth K. Oniang’o, Chairperson

Professor Ruth Oniang’o currently serves as Professor of Nutrition at the Great Lakes University of Kisumu. She is founder and editor-in-chief of the African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development and founder and leader of the Rural Outreach Program, a Kenya based NGO. She has served on a number of international boards, such as the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Australian Centre of International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). She was a member of the Kenyan parliament, from 2002 to 2007, and Shadow Minister of Education, and currently chairs the Kenyan government’s thematic group for food security and nutrition.

Dr Masa Iwanaga, Vice Chairman

Dr Masa Iwanaga has served as the President of the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Science (JIRCAS) since April 2011. He was previously Director General of the National Institute of Crop Science located in Tsukuba, Japan and served as the Director General of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico.

Dr Gebisa Ejeta, Member

Dr. Gebisa Ejeta is Distinguished Professor of Plant Breeding & Genetics and International Agriculture at Purdue University, Indiana, with responsibilities in teaching, research and international engagement. He was awarded the World Food Price in 2009 for his scientific contributions in the development of drought and parasitic weed (striga) resistant sorghum cultivars and for facilitating the deployment and adoption of these crop cultivars in a number of African countries.

Jiro Hanyu, Member

Jiro Hanyu was appointed Chairman of The Sasakawa Peace Foundation in September, 2008. Prior to this, he was President, and then Chairman, of The Sasakawa Peace Foundation (USA), following five years as President of the Japan International Transport Institute (JITI). He has also held posts at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Tourism.

John Hardman, Member

John Hardman, President and Chief Executive Officer at The Carter Center, Atlanta, Georgia, provides leadership to achieve The Carter Center’s commitment to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health. He is an active participant in The Carter Center’s program initiatives, including election monitoring in Asia, Africa and Latin America, Ethiopian public health training, global development strategies and conflict resolution efforts, and agriculture programs aimed at improving food production in Africa and North Korea.

Dr Katsumi Hirano, Member

Katsumi Hirano is Director General of IDE-JETRO (The Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization), a position he has held since 2008. He has had long experience of Sub-Saharan Africa in both the diplomatic and academic fields. From 2004 to 2007, he was Executive Director of JETRO Johannesburg Center. In the academic field, he was awarded the Okita Memorial Prize 2003 for his work entitled ‘illustrated Africa’s Economy’.

Shuichi Ohno, Member

Shuichi Ohno, Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation, was appointed to this position in 2004. He joined the Foundation in 2001 as Director of International affairs. Under his leadership, the International Program Department of The Nippon Foundation has developed and supported a wide range of programs aimed at alleviating poverty and promoting human development around the world.

Nicéphore Soglo, Member

Nicéphore Soglo has had a long and distinguished career in the service of his country, Benin. He was elected President in Benin’s first multiparty presidential election in March 1991 having first helped to guide his country to multiparty democracy. Before becoming President, he held senior positions at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. In 2003, he was overwhelmingly elected as Mayor of his country’s capital city, Cotonou, and was re-elected in June 2008.

Christopher Dowswell, Executive Director – Programs

Christopher Dowswell worked for CIMMYT, the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) and Oregon State University. For 31 years, he was aide de camp to Norman Borlaug. He served on the UN Millennium Hunger Task Force during 2002-06, the IFPRI 2020 Millions Fed Advisory Committee in 2008-09, and the World Food Program Purchase for Progress Technical Advisory Committee, 2009. He lives near Mexico City.

Masaaki Miyamoto, Executive Director – Management and Finance

Masaaki Miyamoto has held the position of Executive Director – Management and Finance for SAA and SAFE since 2007 having previously been Director General. A trained economist, he was previously General Manager of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. He has also worked for the Japan Ship Machinery Export Association as well as serving as Division Chief for The Space Exposition, run by The Nippon Foundation.