Keywords
Agriculture | Environment | Public Policy | Social Impact
Bio
Vithal holds a Doctorate in agricultural development. He specializes in multiple fields such as agriculture, seed systems & policy, forestry, agroforestry, environment, and ecology. He holds a certificate degree in project management. He was a recipient of the Young Scientist award in 2007 by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Austria to conduct advanced research on forestry, carbon sequestration & climate change.
He has 20+ years of international experience in developmental projects in 15 countries in Africa and Asia. He has worked with Indian forest-based industries and NGOs, coordinated international technical assistance programs with the ministry of agriculture in Ethiopia and Afghanistan, implemented international development projects, higher education, and foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in Africa. He has worked for international projects supported by USAID, GIZ, World Bank, DFID, Rockefeller Foundation, CSIRO, IFAD, and corporate houses.
His areas of interest are forestry & climate change, organic farming, hydroponics, tree improvement & clonal forestry. He has a wealth of knowledge on business opportunities in Africa in the areas of international trading, agricultural investment, international development, and higher education.