Mobilizing Investment for Low-Emission Development in Asia’s Agriculture Sector: Crop Production and Processing: An Asia LEDS Partnership Regional Workshop
Speakers – October 28
Beau Damen
Natural Resources Officer – Climate Change and Bioenergy, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Beau is a natural resource management specialist focused on promoting equitable, climate resilient and low emissions development in Asia and the Pacific. Over the past 12 years Beau has worked as a senior policy analyst for the Australian Government's Department of Resources and Energy and as a Climate Change specialist for the International Centre for Environmental Management in Hanoi and the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok. He has experience delivering policy and field–level technical assistance programs on climate change adaptation and mitigation and renewable energy development in over 15 countries in South and Southeast Asia.
Angela Falconer
Fellow, Climate Policy Initiative (CPI)
Angela is a Fellow in Climate Policy Initiative’s Venice office. At CPI, she has tracked flows of international public climate finance for several editions of the Global Landscape of Climate Finance reports. She managed the production of CPI’s Landscape of Public Climate Finance in Indonesia, and advised the Government of Indonesia on national climate fund design. Angela also focuses on analysing the mobilisation of climate finance, and the entry points and incentives for public and private finance, particularly related to land use. Prior to joining CPI, Angela worked for AEA Technology as a climate change and energy policy consultant, primarily on behalf of the European government. Angela holds an MSc in Environmental Change and Management from the University of Oxford, an MA in Geography from the University of Glasgow and is currently completing her PhD with Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.
Armine Avagyan
International Consultant, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations
For the last 3 years Armine has worked at the FAO as an international consultant for climate change and natural resources management. At FAO Armine was one of the main developers of FAO learning tool: Nationally Appropriate Actions (NAMAs) in Agriculture, forestry and other land use sector. Her tasks also include capacity building activities and scientific advisory. Additionally, Armine is in charge of project which promotes conservation of swamp forests, restoration of drained and degraded organic soils and their further sustainable use. Before FAO, Armine worked as an expert of biodiversity and rural economy for the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), scientific researcher at the University of Hamburg and as an expert for investment promotion in bio-pharm sector at the Armenian Development Agency. Armine holds a PhD degree in Earth Sciences from University of Hamburg. The PhD research was conducted at the Soil Science Institute of Hamburg and was within the climate change framework.
Speakers – October 29
Dr. Pham Hoang Mai
Director General, Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment
Vietnam Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI)
Dr. Mai is the technical team leader of the Vietnam Delegation to The Rio 20+ Earth Summit and in the formulation of the Vietnam National Green Growth Strategy. He is experienced in international cooperation for development strategies and strategic green activities. He received his PhD in Australia, which focused on the exploitation of external resources for Vietnam’s development. Currently he is dedicated to green finance as the team leader of Climate Finance Task Force established by MPI in 2012.
Ben Ridley
Asia Pacific Head of Sustainability Affairs
Credit Suisse
With over 20 years of experience as a sustainability professional, Ben is responsible for managing sustainability issues for the Bank in the region. Key activities are technical and reputational assessments of environmental and social (labour, community) matters associated with transactions and financial products, the provision of sustainability business support services to bank clients, and management of relationships with key stakeholders. Prior to joining Credit Suisse, Ben worked in environmental consultancy, latterly as Director of the environmental business stream for the East Asia operations of an international consultancy business where he managed or oversaw some 300 projects in support of a broad range of customers primarily involved with manufacturing, waste management, construction and real estate, and investment. Ben has a Bachelor degree in Ecology and a Master degree in Environmental Management. He is inter alia a Board member of ASrIA – the Association for Sustainable & Responsible Investment in Asia – and a member of the technical advisory group of the Zoological Society of London’s ‘Sustainable Palm Oil Transparency Toolkit’ (SPOTT) initiative.
Geoffrey Tan
Managing Director, Asia Pacific
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC)
Geoffrey is OPIC’s Asia Pacific representative based in Bangkok. He has worked in emerging markets financing and investments for over 19 years. During his twelve years at OPIC he has been involved in innovative deals in Algeria, Chile, India, Jordan, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey. Prior to OPIC he worked for the Chase Manhattan Bank (now JPMorgan Chase) in New York, Singapore and Hong Kong focusing on project and structured finance, and for Emerging Markets Partnership in Singapore focusing on private equity infrastructure investments. He has an MBA from Cornell University and a B.A. in Economics and International Affairs from the University of Virginia.
Doogie Black
Director
Climate Sense
Doogie is expert in reviewing and developing the capacity that organisations have to respond to their climate change challenges. He has expertise in exploring the potential to align ‘Inclusive Business’ opportunities in agricultural value chains with opportunities to manage GHG emissions and to respond to inevitable changes in climate. Most of the agricultural value chains he has worked on are located across South East Asia and Southern Africa. His work has a strong focus on how private, public and civil society organisations can work together to co-create effective ‘enabling environments’ that delivery real and meaningful actions on the ground. This includes understanding how to stimulate and support the engagement of different types of organisations, of all sizes and sectors, on ‘Inclusive Business’ and ‘Climate Change’ issues.
Kenneth Kyaw Shein
Group CEO and Managing Partner, PRIME Holdings Pte Ltd
Mr. Shein is a co-founder of PRIME Holdings Pte Ltd, an associate member of the private, closely held PRIME Group of Singapore who also conduct Asian-focused investment banking, asset management, and private equity operations – all licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. PRIME Holdings is an industrial developer, investor, and operator in the Energy & Infrastructure and Agri & Food Sectors, also co-investing alongside PRIME Group funds and vehicles. Mr. Shein directs PRIME Holdings’ investment initiatives and operations, with a special focus in Myanmar. He directly oversees the Agri & Food Division including PRIME Farms, PRIME Agri Technologies, and Smallholder Prosperity Enterprises (SPE) subsidiaries. SPE is a for-profit developer and operator of innovative projects that improve livelihoods at the ‘base of the pyramid’ by transforming subsistence and rural farmers into commercial producers. Mr. Shein brings to PRIME over 27 years of direct investment and international operating experience in start-ups, growth companies, MBO’s, privatizations, M&A, and control-stake private equity. He currently Chairs the Horticulture Working Group of The World Economic Forum’s “New Vision for Agriculture and Grow Asia” initiative in Myanmar. He is an Executive Board Member of the Zurich based Swiss-Asian Chamber of Commerce & Co-Chairperson of the Myanmar Committee. Mr. Shein holds a B.A. Economics and earned an M.B.A. from the University of California, Irvine.
James Dien Bui
Managing Director, Lotus Impact
James is Managing Director at Lotus Impact, and is directly responsible for sourcing of social impact investments across Southeast Asia. Lotus Impact is an impact investment fund that invests into high potential businesses to generate lasting social impact and transformative growth, it is also a member of the Asia LEDS Steering Committee.
Implementing Deforestation-Free Supply Chains
Hans Smit
Senior Advisor Climate Smart Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations
Hans has 7 years of experience working on the development and implementation of sourcing strategies for agro-commodities in Asia and Africa. In his work he focused on designing and mainstreaming planning tools for sustainable development planning and pathways towards green economies. In this work he developed guidance for the sustainable development of the oil palm, rubber and timber industries as well as training programmes on increasing productivity and reducing environmental impact. Hans is currently senior advisor SNV’s Climate Smart Agriculture team, coordinating SNV’s work on palm oil globally and the Deforestation Free Supply Chains for coffee, cocoa, palm oil and rubber.