Presidential Message Raj Vardhan

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

RAJ VARDHAN

IFAMA President

At IFAMA we are all nostalgic after a successful conference in Costa Rica where seeds of new partnerships were planted, and attendees invested in new friendships and deepened existing ones. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the three conference chairpersons: Professor Esteban Brenes, Professor Irene Alvarado, and Mr. Juan Jose Bolaños Herrera. Each punched above the responsibility bestowed upon them. We are ever grateful to our founding President, Professor Ray Goldberg, for his pre-recorded visionary address, presented at our awards banquet. I would also like to acknowledge the Young Board for conducting a very successful interactive session and for anchoring the networking sessions.

Preparations for IFAMA 2023 New Zealand are well under way. New Zealand is one of the most beautiful countries that I have had a prior chance to visit. Family holidays before or after the conference are highly recommended. I request that each one of you weave the 2023 conference into your respective calendars. I also request that you start promoting the conference within the domain of your influence. Do assist the organizers by recommending prospective sponsors and speakers for the conference.

Membership drives targeting students have seen progressive gains over the last two years as IFAMA is actively working to attract more students to the ag sector because we recognize that this generation will inherit and soon steer the future of the ag sector. As of September 2022, IFAMA’s total membership is 1735 of which 26% are comprised of academic members, while members from industry, NGOs, government, and consultants comprise 13%. Students are now the largest group at 60%. Regionally, membership is well diversified from around the world— the continent of Africa accounts for largest zone at 29%, while Oceania accounts for the smallest at 11%. Within IFAMA there have been small, but significant changes. Mr. Juan Jose Bolaños Herrera, the Young Board treasurer was inducted into the IFAMA Executive Committee in recognition of his great work in assisting with the IFAMA conferences. Our

SEPTEMBER 2022: MEMBERS BY GEOGRAPHICAL AREA

14% S AMERICA 247 members

11% OCEANIA 183 members 15% N AMERICA 267 members

14% EUROPE 240 members

29% AFRICA 508 members

17% ASIA 290 members

board believes that the infusion of young professionals into the senior board will bring a nuanced perspective.

IFAMA is seeking student and young professional volunteers to serve in different capacities to strengthen IFAMA’s regional presence. See the next column for more details. If you are passionate about the global food system and would like to get experience volunteering, please contact your regional Young Board member or email Mara Doane, IFAMA Communication Director (mara@ifama.org).

Thanks to everyone who is already using IFAMA’s new Global Community app. Here you can find active job postings, or post jobs for your organization. It also features the latest information on upcoming events, articles published in the IFAMR and it provides a great way to find and connect with colleagues. See the Quick Start Guide to the App on the next page. If you are currently using one of IFAMA’s WhatsApp groups, please transition to our new app and use it as your primary communication platform. More details on how to download and use it are on the following page.

Until we meet again,

Gain relevant experience. Earn global recognition. Develop leadership skills.

VOLUNTEER FOR A POSITION AT IFAMA

REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

REGIONAL FUNDRAISER MANAGER

REGIONAL PROJECTS MANAGER

REGIONAL MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

PURPOSE

To engage the next generation of leaders in improving the global food system using innovation and business principles. To co-create impact through collaboration with IFAMA, our student members, and academic and business leaders.

To provide support for the IFAMA Business Office and Young Board members for regional projects.

BENEFITS

Collaborate with students from all over the world who are passionate about improving the transparency and sustainability of the global food supply. Learn next-gen leadership skills through this experiential platform. Make connections and network with potential future employers.

REQUIREMENTS:

Must be an IFAMA member and have attended a virtual or in-person IFAMA event. Commitment: 2 years, 2 hours per week. Click for more information.

IFAMA GLOBAL COMMUNITY APP — QUICK START GUIDE

GET STARTED– To use the app, you must be an IFAMA member and you will receive an email invitation with a link to download the app. You can download to your phone and computer. Complete the profile questions and upload a your photo.

JOIN RELEVANT GROUPS CONNECT WITH COLLEAGUES POST

Are you a student? Want to connect to others in your region? Looking for a Book Club? From Home (bottom left icon), click “Join a Group”. Select your Groups. All messages posted by members of your groups will be seen in your “My Feed” folder. From Home, click on “My Feed”. Click on the search icon (top right corner). Type a name, country, or interest. Relevant matches will appear. Select a person and click on the green “connect” button to connect and start a conversation. Have a question? Want to collaborate? Want to share an interesting article or study? Have a job to post? Need to promote an upcoming event? Want to connect with someone you met at the conference? From Home, click on “My Feed” and click the green + sign in the lower right. (Toggle to the group in which you want to post at the top, to the right of your photo). Type your post. You can add or take a photo, or add a gif or hashtag. To post, click the green “Post” at the top right. SHARE – LIKE – COMMENT

Just like other social platforms, you can click on any post and add your comment or question, give a thumbs up, or share the post. Click on the post and look for Icons for these responses at the bottom of the post. SEARCH IFAMR

You have a wealth of the latest peerreviewed research at your fingertips. From Home, click on the IFAMR folder. Click on search icon (top right) and search by keyword, topic, author, or title by typing in the search bar in the orange box at top.