Professor Shenggen Fan is a world renowned economist for his work on transitional economies, global food systems, and agricultural and rural development. He is currently senior chair professor at the China Agricultural University, Beijing where he is leading a national innovation lab on food economics and policy. He serves as advisor to many national governments (including China and Vietnam) on agriculture, food security and nutrition. He is former director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington D.C., from 2009 to 2019.

Professor Fan is one of the Champions of Target of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, dedicated to inspiring ambition, mobilizing action, and accelerating progress toward cutting global food loss and waste. In 2017, he received the highly prestigious Fudan Management Excellence Award, referred to in China as the “Nobel Prize for Management,” which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of economics and management. In 2014, Professor Fan also received the Hunger Hero Award from the World Food Programme in recognition of his commitment to and leadership in fighting hunger worldwide.