Paul Hawken. Environmentalist, entrepreneur, and bestselling author, Paul has dedicated decades to advancing sustainable climate solutions. He founded Project Drawdown — which inspired the creation of SRI‑2030 — and Project Regeneration. His most recent book is Carbon.
Patron
Team
Ranjita Rajan, Chief Executive of SRI-2030 and The Downforce Trust. The granddaughter of Kerala rice farmers, she grew up in Liberia and began her career in Uganda's Ministry of Finance. Her background spans McKinsey & Co, helping to establish Oxford University's Smith School of Enterprise & the Environment, and founding Karta, a youth social mobility initiative.
Francesco Carnevale Zampaolo, Programme Director. Francesco works with governments and partners including Senegal, Cameroon, Zambia, DRC. Francesco has researched the integration of SRI and Conservation Agriculture.
James Dahlgreen, Programme Director. James works with governments and partners including Nigeria, Madagascar and Liberia. James has researched the emissions and yield performance of SRI.
Joshua Gibbs, Programme Director. Josh works with governments and partners including Malawi and Uganda.
Alex Pears, Communications Manager. Alex manages various operational and communications aspects of SRI-2030 and the Trust.
Sam Bickersteth, Development Advisor. Sam advises SRI-2030 and several international development organisations on climate change, agriculture, and livelihoods. Sam has 30 years field, headquarters, senior executive and advisory experience in the leadership, design, financing and implementation of research and policy programmes. He has worked for the UK government, Oxfam, PwC and Oxford University in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Adam Parr, founder and chair of The Downforce Trust. Adam's 40-year career has encompassed finance, law, industry, and Formula One; and he has lived and worked in Japan, South Africa, Australia, and Europe.
Advisors
Dr Karla Cordero (Chile) holds a PhD in Horticulture & Agronomy from UC Davis and has been instrumental in advancing Chilean rice cultivation, adapting SRI into the Climate Smart Rice System. Since 2005, she has led Chile's National Rice Breeding Programme and was honoured with the "Siembra Chile 2023" award.
Professor Bancy Mati (Kenya) introduced SRI to Kenya in 2009 and has since driven its adoption by thousands of farmers. She now leads the SRI-Africa knowledge portal and has advised major organisations including WFP, FAO, and the World Bank.
Dr Abha Mishra (India) has 15+ years of expertise in agroecology and climate-smart agriculture, specialising in soil biology and regenerative farming. She secured a six-year, €3.4 million EU grant promoting SRI across the Mekong region and is a member of the Asian Institute of Technology's Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department.
Tsimba Randriamiarintsoa (Madagascar) has contributed to rural development in Madagascar for over two decades, and promoted SRI globally through Wageningen University events. He currently serves as General Secretary of Association Tefy Saina, dedicated to realising the vision of SRI originator Father Henri de Laulanié.
Emily Sutanto (Indonesia) is the founder and director of Bloom Agro, an Indonesian social enterprise promoting sustainable agriculture. Her innovative approach made Bloom Agro the first organic and fair-trade rice producer and exporter in Indonesia, earning her multiple awards from the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture.
Kelly Witkowski (USA and Central America) is the Director, Green Climate Fund Unit at The Nature Conservancy. Prior to that Kelly led the Agriculture Climate Action and Sustainability Program at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture in Costa Rica. Kelly holds master's degrees in Sustainable Development and International Affairs. Kelly has supported the validation of SRI in several countries.
SRI-RICE at Cornell University
Following the life of Father Henry de Laulanié SJ, who created SRI with farmers in Madagascar, Professor Norman Uphoff of Cornell University took up SRI in 1994 and helped to spread it across the globe. Norman’s colleagues at Cornell include Lucy Fisher, Erika Styger, Devon Jenkins and Olivia Vent. Thanks to their tireless work, and that of SRI farmers and champions all over the world, SRI thrives and continues to evolve.
The Downforce Trust
SRI-2030 is an initiative of The Downforce Trust, a charity registered in England & Wales No. 1187541. Information about the Trust is available from the Charity Commission.