Dr. Angela Hilmi is an agronomist socio-economist with studies in Anthropology and Sociology of Politics, experienced in sustainable agriculture and rural development with twenty + years of professional experience in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Caribbean, USA and Europe. She holds an MSC in Biology and a PhD in social and economical sciences. She was awarded the 2001 Prix Export for excellence in private business development, named French Foreign Trade Advisor by French Prime Minister 2002, and has participated as Advisor for Partnerships and Alliances in UN-FAO office for Latin America and Caribbean. Angela has been founder and director of KIASMO Space S.L. a pro-peasant platform supporting the peasant way of farming in all continents in close collaboration with world leading peasant organizations. She has in recent years been leading the creation of a new inclusive investment approach bridging private capital and peasant communities. Her previous professional work includes: Secretary of the Strategic Planning Group in the Office of the Assistant Director-General of the Agriculture Department, FAO, Senior Officer in the Crisis Management Centre for the Food Chain, Senior Officer of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, International Development Director of Ecocert, a world leader in certification of organic agriculture; Natural Resources Officer, and Prevention of Food Losses Officer, FAO Rural Development Division.

Area of Expertise:

Food and Agriculture

Decades of work in food and agriculture around the world has taught me that certain forms of farming can create value at local level and wealth at global level. The agroecological peasant way of farming, when given a favourable environment, not only provides healthy foods and employment, it also restores biodiversity, soil fertility and water resources and is the best answer to climate change. This is why my vision is about blooming local ecologies and economies, where peasants thrive and are in control of their own destiny. My research is directly linked to agroecological transitions, and in particular to the creation of novel financial mechanisms for inclusive investments.