Falling Walls Falling Walls Science Summit 2023

Food Security: The Path of the Hunger Hurricane

Melinda Crane, Alex Assanvo, Matthias Berninger, Joachim von Braun, Ertharin Cousin

2022 Circle

Food insecurity exists in more than 1.6 billion people (i.e., over 20% of the global population). The last UN Food Systems Summit emphasised that the world’s food system is irretrievably broken. Recent developments such as the war in Ukraine and State-responses to high food prices, alongside ongoing issues like pandemic-related disruptions, climate crisis and biodiversity loss collectively threaten the possibility of hunger in populations around the world.
This session will discuss both short-term and long-term implications of the ongoing food crisis, as well as possible immediate steps that can contribute to global food security.

Preparation of the event is supported by Bayer AG.

Melinda Crane

Dr. Melinda Crane has given speeches and moderated events and discussions for a wide range of international organizations and firms. She is a frequent guest and commentator on German television and radio and regularly analyzes US policy for the news broadcaster n-tv. An experienced TV anchor, she is chief political correspondent at DW TV and also hosts the DW talk show “To the Point”. In 2014 she was awarded the Steuben-Schurz Media Award for her service to transatlantic understanding.

Dr. Crane studied history and political science at Brown University and law at Harvard. She wrote her dissertation on the political economy of development assistance at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

As International Affairs Consultant to the discussion show “Sabine Christiansen” she produced interviews with Kofi Annan, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and George Bush, among others.

Alex Assanvo

Cȏte d'Ivoire Ghana Cocoa Initiative (CIGCI)

Alex Assanvo is the first Executive Secretary of the Cȏte d’Ivoire Ghana Cocoa Initiative (CIGCI).
Before his appointment, he was Director of Corporate Affairs for Europe and Africa at Mars. Alex begun his international development career with the German development agency, GIZ, as a Rural Development Expert between 2002 and 2006 in Dakar, Senegal.
He moved on to Fairtrade Labelling International (FLO), in Germany in 2006 as Head for Africa and the Strategic Lead for Cocoa and Cotton. He later joined the Sustainability and Procurement team at Kraft Foods, now Mondelēz International, from October 2011 to 2013 as the Cocoa Development Manager in charge of the Cocoa Life Programme.

Bayer AG

Matthias Berninger

Matthias joined Bayer in January 2019 as SVP, Public Affairs, Science & Sustainability. In his role he has strengthened Bayer’s global public affairs practice and leads the development of a coherent global sustainability strategy making Bayer’s approach to sustainability a key pillar of its business strategy. Previously, as head of Mars global public affairs, he developed Mars’ sustainability strategy, including its leadership on climate change & cocoa sustainability. Born in Kassel, Germany Matthias studied chemistry & political science (1990-1994). Elected 4 times a member of Germany’s Federal Parliament Green Party (1994-2007), he focused on trade policy, food safety & renewable energy.

Barbara Frommann

Joachim von Braun

Joachim von Braun is Professor for economic and technological change at Bonn University, Center for Development Research (ZEF). His research is on economic development, poverty reduction, food and nutrition security, agriculture, resource economics, and trade. Von Braun is President of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences of the Vatican, Vice President of NGO Welthungerhilfe. He was Chair of the Scientific Group for the Food Systems Summit 2021 of the UN Secretary General, and Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) based in Washington DC 2001-2009.

Ertharin Cousin

Ertharin Cousin currently serves as the CEO and Managing Director of Food Systems for the Future. From 2012 until 2017, Cousin led the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). As Executive Director. In 2009, Cousin served as the US Ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome. Cousin is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago; the University of Georgia Law School and the University of Chicago Executive Management Program-Finance for Non-Financial Executives.

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