Senior professional with 25+ years of experience in international development. Currently, Joao is Global Leader of WWF's Food Practice, leading the Network´s efforts to enhance the sustainability of the global food system, including responsible production, sustainable diets and reduction of food waste and post-harvest loss. Prior to WWF, Joao held the position of Special Environmental and Sustainability Advisor to Brazil ́s Minister of Agriculture. In that role, he served as President of the Low-Carbon Agriculture Platform and as Executive Secretary of the Agribusiness Commission on Sustainable Development.
Joao has held technical and executive positions in multilateral and bilateral agencies (World Bank, UNDP and DFID), in the federal government of Brazil (Ministry of the Environment) and has advised national and sub-national governments (in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay) on the design and implementation of regional development policies, combining socio-economic growth with conservation. Prior to the Ministry of Agriculture, he worked for The Nature Conservancy as Program Director in Latin America, Executive Director in Brazil and Lead Economist of the Global Lands program. Joao holds a bachelor ́s degree in international relations and economics, master ́s and Ph.D. degrees in economics and a degree in General Management from the Harvard Business School.
He has published two books on the economics of deforestation and co-authored the most comprehensive study assessing the carbon mitigation potential of low-cost improvements in land management. In 2014, he was nominated among the top 100 Brazilian leaders in the agricultural sector for the disruptive work conducted on agriculture and conservation.
Joao serves on the advisory boards of NGOs, agri-food platforms and companies