Fresco Louise

Professor Louise O. Fresco is a prominent academic and policy leader in tropical agriculture and global food systems. She served as President of the Executive Board of Wageningen University & Research (2014–2022) and as University Professor at the University of Amsterdam (2006–2014). Her roles include Assistant Director-General at the FAO (1997–2006) and Non-Executive Director at Unilever. She holds professorships at Wageningen University and Stanford University, focusing on plant production systems in tropical regions.

• Affiliations: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Board, World Food Prize Council of Advisors, Trilateral Commission
• Key Awards: Member of Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Foreign member of Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry

Her research emphasizes sustainable agriculture, food security, and international development. She authored over 160 scientific publications and eight non-scientific books, including novels and essays on food and society. She chairs major initiatives like the Evaluation of the EU's Seventh Framework Program for Research and contributes to policy dialogues globally.

Her literary works, such as Hamburgers in Paradise, explore cultural and environmental dimensions of food systems. She writes a fortnightly column in NRC, a Dutch daily, and has appeared in documentaries and international forums like the Nobel Prize Dialogues.