Dr. Jean Balié
| Head, Agri-food Policy Platform, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
Topic: “Food System Transformation and Implications for Agricultural Markets and Policies”
Dr. Jean Balié is the Head of the Agri-food Policy Department at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). He leads a team of sixty-five scientists that promotes agri-food policy reforms to support the transformation of rice-based economies. His field work experience extends to sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. His areas of expertise relate to agricultural and food policy analysis, monitoring and evaluation, public expenditure and price analysis, and international multilateral negotiations in agriculture. He worked during 17 years on these topics for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations where he led the Monitoring and Analysis Food and Agricultural Policies (MAFAP) program. Previously, he held positions as civil servant in the Ministry of Agriculture and one decentralized regional Government of France. He holds a PhD in agricultural economics form the University of Göttingen, a MSc in agricultural economics (Montpellier) and an Ingenieur agronome diploma (Toulouse).