Suresh Babu is an impact-oriented international agricultural development leader, program manager, policy impact analyst and communicator with over 25 years of experience in food systems transformation, innovation, and evidence-based program development and implementation. Based on data-driven policy analysis, policy advice, and institutional strengthening, he designed and implemented multicounty and multidisciplinary agricultural development and food system interventions, including integration of local and global supply chains, outreach networks and partnerships, and resource mobilization. He has successfully managed global, regional, and national programs in agricultural development, climate action, food security, nutrition, natural resources, environment, and sustainability sectors with transformative outcomes and impact.
Dr. Babu, as Head of Capacity Development at IFPRI, provides mentorship for younger colleagues and professionals through capacity development, learning, knowledge management, and communications. His areas of expertise include:
- Technical Support, Policy Analysis, and Impact Assessment: Provided technical support for agricultural interventions through policy analysis, proposal development, fund raising, and implementation support. Data-driven evidence generation for policy design and implementation over the past 25 years and currently engaged in AI-driven modeling of agricultural extension systems, large data analysis, and forecasting.
- Project Design and Management: As the Program Lead, developed and executed intervention projects for food and agricultural system transformation covering over forty developing countries. Project coordination, stakeholder consultations, and monitoring and impact evaluations, and reporting progress.
- Communication and Reporting: Targeted policy advice and outreach on emerging issues facing food and agricultural systems in developing countries and their governments resulting in key policies and programmatic changes. Policy communications through briefs, blogs, and media reporting on project outcomes and impact. Organized and represented at more than 50 global, regional, and national conferences and workshops including recent CAADP, UNFCCC, and UNFSS events.
- Partnerships and Networks: Developed and lead regional, national, local networks and partnerships for in more than thirty countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, including, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, and South Africa. Facilitated collaboration of development partners and internal expertise and resources.
- Institutional and Capacity Sharing: human and organizational strengthening of food policy systems, policy processes, food and nutrition security policy, climate action, and agricultural innovation systems Trained over six thousand mid-career agribusiness and policy executives. Supported institutional reforms of policy, research, agribusiness, and extension organizations in the Global South.
Dr. Babu was a Research Economist at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York before joining IFPRI. He has MS and PhD degrees in Economics from Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
Languages spoken: Chichewa, English, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu
