Mamadou Goïta, PhD, is a development socio-economist from Mali, a university professor in Senegal, Burkina Faso and Mali, and a researcher and land specialist contributing to many socio-economic studies, researches and evaluation processes in Africa and other continents. . Amongst his many roles, Dr Goita is a member of the regional coordinating committee of COPAGEN (Coalition to Protect African Genetic Heritage)and Executive Director of IRPAD/Afrique (Institute for Research and Promotion of Alternatives in Development). Before joining IRPAD, He worked for UNICEF in Mali, the United Nations Development Programme in Togo and Burkina Faso and several international NGOs, including ACORD (Regional Director for West Africa and Africa Program Manager) and OXFAM-Belgium. He is active in social movements and works with farmer organizations networks in Africa. Currently a member of IPES-Food, he is a board member of CSO Coalition on African Development Bank, DES (Diobass, Ecology and Society); AMASSA (Association Malienne pour la Sécurité et la Souveraineté Alimentaire); USC Canada, ETC Group, PANiDMR (The Pan African Network in the Defense of Migrants’ Rights)