Indalecio Dangond Baquero

President of the Board

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Carolina Camacho

Delegate of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development

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Carlos Eduardo Campo Cuello

Principal Member

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Elsa Álvarez

Alternate member

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Claudia Benavides Salazar

Representation of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation

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Ana Isabel Vargas

Delegate of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation

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Fredy Garcés Obando

Principal Member

He obtained his Agricultural Engineer degree from Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Medellín campus in 1996, focused on agricultural biotechnology. Later, he worked as one of the first COLCIENCIAS "Young Researchers" at the Colombian Sugar Cane Research Center CENICAÑA, under the guidance of Dr. Jorge Victoria, and later replaced Phytopathologist II in 1998. At the end of 1998, he was part of the team that created the Ecuadorian Sugar Cane Research Center CINCAE. From 2007 to 2011, he completed his doctoral studies at the Louisiana State University under Dr. Jeff Hoy, Sugarcane Plant Pathologist, and at the LSU-AgCenter Proteomics Laboratory, receiving the Edgerton Honor Award as a graduate student. Upon his return to CINCAE, he continued working on disease-preventive management projects. In the clone evaluation and selection process, he included molecular techniques to select clones resistant to systemic diseases and complementing the field work with brown rust resistance markers. Since May 2016, he has worked at CENICAÑA as a phytopathologist and, later in 2018, as Director of the Variety Program. As of July 2019, he is the Director General of this research center.

Eduardo José Graterol Matute

Alternate Member

The Director General of the Corporation for Oil Palm Research, Cenipalma, is an agronomist with an M.Sc. and a Ph.D. in plant breeding and genetics.

He has more than 30 years of professional experience, two decades of which have been devoted to the leadership and management of agricultural research and development organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

He has led public–private partnerships at both regional and international levels, as well as the formulation, funding, and implementation of strategic projects focused on innovation, productive sustainability, and food security.

Between 2013 and 2025, he served as Executive Director of the Latin American Fund for Irrigated Rice (FLAR), from which he promoted the release of new varieties, technology transfer, and the consolidation of research networks in more than 17 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Previously, he was a Research and Development Manager and also a researcher at the DANAC Foundation–Alimentos Polar in his home country, Venezuela.

His career includes executive positions in applied research, he has broad experience in institutional management, engagement with international organizations, and an extensive scientific production.

Jorge Enrique Bedoya

Principal Member

Jorge Enrique has an M.S. in economics from Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá and Public Policy from Harvard University. He has extensive trade experience. Further, he has been part of the team of Federación Nacional de Cafeteros and presided over Federación Nacional de Avicultores de Colombia (Fenavi). From 2011 until 2015, Bedoya was the Vice Minister of National Defence, where he assisted the Minister in formulating and evaluating policies, and strategic and sectoral objectives in this matter. Before joining the Farmer Society of Colombia (SAC, for its acronym in Spanish), he was Director of Fundación Bavaria y Desarrollo Sostenible, a position in which he has managed the design and implementation of the entity's investment programs to benefit the neediest communities in Colombia. He has been a lecturer at Universidad Javeriana and an Assistant Professor at Harvard University. He is currently also President of the National Trade Association Counsel and a member of various boards and boards of directors of entities related to the agricultural sector.

Jose Gustavo de Silvestri

Alternate Member

He is the current technical Director of Fedegan-Fondo nacional del ganado, a traditional cattle breeder and zootechnician with a long career as an association and business leader. In addition, he stands out for his experience in managing private companies linked to the agri-food sector in the country, lecturer, coordinator of the zootechnics area, and Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics of educational entities. To the title of zootechnician from Universidad Nacional, he has a Master's Degree in International Cooperation and Project Management and a specialization in Tropical Bovine Production. He has also taken diplomas, including Management of Livestock Companies, Tropical Bovine Nutrition, Bovine Production for the Tropics, Reproductive Biotechnology Update, and New Approach to Bovine Nutrition.

Luis Ernesto Rodríguez Molano

Principal Member

Cristóbal Lugo López

Alternate Member

Agricultural Engineer with a specialization in irrigation and an MSc in environmental planning and watershed management. He is a PhD student in teaching. He has extensive experience in designing, installing, and operating hydraulic irrigation and drainage systems in Valle del Cauca, Tolima, and Meta. He has a teaching background in water management for agricultural and agroindustrial systems and the social sciences. He has held academic and administrative leadership positions at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (FCAyRN), including coordinating the Territory Observatory. He was president of ASPU-Unillanos (2005–2019) and a faculty representative on various university councils.

His expertise includes water management, land assessment using AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process), sustainable rural energy (renewable energy), academic planning, agricultural science teaching, and participation in public policies with a territorial approach, including monitoring the Peace Agreements.

He has contributed to studies and publications on hydraulic systems, rural development, land restitution, electoral risks, human rights, agricultural education, and community leadership. He is currently the Scientific Coordinator of the Territory Observatory, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (FCAyRN), and a Professor in the Agricultural Engineering (since 2001) and Agro-industrial Engineering (since 2009) programs, positions he holds to date.

Giovanny Moncayo

Principal member

He is the Agricultural and Rural Development Secretary of Palmira (Valle del Cauca). Giovanny is an agricultural engineer from Universidad Nacional de Colombia with an M.Sc. in administration from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, a Specialist in environmental management and sustainable development from la Universidad Santiago de Cali, and a Specialist in domiciliary public services of Uniexternado Bogotá.

He has extensive experience in the public sector. He has served as Secretary of the Council of Palmira (1995-1997), Representative for Environmental Protection (1993-1994), Councilor of Palmira for 4 periods (1998-2011), President of Asociación de Ingenieros Agrónomos del Valle [Association of Agricultural Engineers of Valle del Cauca] (ASIAVA, Palmira chapter, 2002-2005), National Secretary of FENACON (Councilors of Colombia), Legislative Work Unit Congress of the Republic Bogotá (2013-2014), Contractor Supervisor of Minagricultura Projects Bogota (2016), Advisor to the Minambiente Office Bogota (2017 -2018), UNGRD Bogota Office Advisor (2020), and Technical-Commercial Advisor of CANNABISHEALTH Company S.A.S (2020-2023).

Yaid Ferley Bolaños Díaz

Alternate Member

Juliana Millán

Principal Member

Anthropologist with a Master's degree in environment and development from Universidad Nacional de Colombia, with doctoral studies at the Faculty of Anthropology at Universidad Autónoma de México.

She has collaborated with interdisciplinary teams from civil society organizations, public institutions, and international cooperation agencies to strengthen peasant, indigenous, and union organizations to build fair, equitable, and inclusive agri-food systems.

Currently, she is the Political Director of the Association for Interdisciplinary Work (ATI, for its Spanish acronym), where she contributes to the progressive construction of the right to food. She is also one of the advocacy liaisons for the National Family Farming Network (RENAF, for its Spanish acronym) and serves as the spokesperson for the Expanded Roundtable Network for Peasant, Family, and Community Agriculture (ACFEC, for its Spanish acronym).

Luis Guillermo Quintero Estrada

Principal Member

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