Johan Swinnen is director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and managing director of Systems Transformation at CGIAR. Prior to joining IFPRI, he was professor of economics & director of the LICOS Centre for Institutions & Economic Performance at KU Leuven (Belgium) and senior research fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels. Earlier he was lead economist at the World Bank and economic adviser to the European Commission. He has been a visiting professor at various universities and a frequent adviser to international institutions. Dr. Swinnen has a PhD from Cornell University and two honorary doctorates. He has published extensively on agricultural policies, food security, international development, political economy, institutional reforms, trade, & global value chains.