Business programme

Global food prices have reached an all-time high. In March 2022, the FAO Food Price Index averaged 159.3 points, up 12.6% from its all-time high in February. The UN is sounding the alarm bell: soaring food, energy, and fertilizer prices are threatening to escalate into a global famine of catastrophic proportions. The UN World Food Programme predicts this year it will affect 44 million people in 38 countries. Experts note that the response to these unprecedented challenge facing humanity requires abandoning politically motivated restrictions and coordinating efforts and cooperation throughout the global community. With its unique agro-industrial potential, Russia plays a key role in this regard. How is the Russian agro-industrial complex and the mineral fertilizer industry overcoming sanctions and logistical barriers as the country searches for new markets for its products? Will the status of ‘essential products’ help to maintain the uninterrupted supply of agricultural products and agrochemicals around the planet? Do countries still have effective mechanisms to curb food inflation? Will the experience gained during the pandemic help to cope with the new phase of the crisis or will it create a negative cumulative effect on the global food system as the world’s population continues to rapidly increase?

Moderator
Andrey Fursenko, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation

Andrey Fursenko

Aide to the President of the Russian Federation

Born on July 17, 1949, in Leningrad (now St Petersburg). 1971 – graduated from Zhdanov Leningrad State University; Doctor of Physics and Mathematics. 1971-1991 – junior researcher, laboratory head, deputy director for research, leading researcher at the Ioffe Physical Technical Institute of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, Leningrad. 1991-1993 – Vice President of Advanced Technology Centre, St Petersburg. 1994-2001 – Director of Regional Foundation for Scientific and Technological Development, St Petersburg. From 2000 – Chairman of the Academic Council of the Centre for Strategic Research North-West Foundation. 2001-2002 – Deputy Minister of Industry, Science and Technology of the Russian Federation. From June 2002 – First Deputy Minister of Industry, Science and Technology of the Russian Federation. From December 2003 – Acting Minister of Industry, Science and Technology of the Russian Federation. March 9, 2004 – appointed Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Since May 21, 2012 – Aide to the President of the Russian Federation. State award – Honorary Diploma of the Government of the Russian Federation.

Panellists
Victoria Abramchenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
Rodrigo de Lima Baena Soares, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federative Republic of Brazil to the Russian Federation
Andrey Guryev, President, Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers (RAFP)
Oleg Kobyakov, Director, Liaison Office with the Russian Federation, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers of the Republic of India
Maksim Reshetnikov, Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
Vitaliy Sergeychuk, Senior Vice President, VTB Bank
Jean-Baptiste Thiathie Tine, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Senegal to the Russian Federation
Aleksander Yakovenko, Russia's National Coordinator for the implementation of decisions of the UN Food Systems Summit; Rector, The Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Victoria Abramchenko

Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation

In 1998 she graduated from the Krasnoyarsk State Agrarian University. In 2004 from the Russian Presidential Academy of Public Administration. In 1998 – 2000 she worked in the Committee for Land Resources and Land Management of Roskomzem. In 2000 – 2001 she worked in the Federal State Institution "Land Cadastre Chamber". In 2001 – 2005 she held different positions, including the position of Deputy Head of Department in Roszemkadastr and in Rosnedvizhimost. In 2005 – 2011 she held various positions in the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, including the position of Deputy Head of Real Estate Department of the Ministry of Economic Development. In 2011 – 2012 – Deputy Head of Rosreestr. In 2012 – 2015 – Head of the Department of Land Policy, Property Relations and State Property of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. In 2015 – 2016 she worked as State Secretary - Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. By order of the Government of the Russian Federation of 11.10.2016 № 2141-r she was appointed Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation – Head of Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography. Victoria Abramchenko was awarded honorary certificates of the Government of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and certificate of acknowledgement of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation. Active State Adviser of the Russian Federation, Class 3 (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of 10.07.2014 № 498). Married, has a son.
2020 January, 21st - Appointed as a Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.

Rodrigo de Lima Baena Soares

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federative Republic of Brazil to the Russian Federation

Rodrigo de Lima Baena Soares, born in 1963, in Rio de Janeiro, is, since September 2021, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federative Republic of Brazil to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

He graduated in Law from the Centro de Ensino Universitário de Brasília (CEUB), in 1986, and concluded a Specialization Course in International Relations from the American University, Washington/DC, and a Post-Graduation in Public Administration from the National School of Administration in Paris.

He joined the Foreign Service in 1987 following a strict recruitment process and was promoted to the position of Ambassador in 2015. During his career, besides holding senior positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the Presidency of the Republic, he served in the Permanent Mission to the United Nations, in New York, and in the Brazilian embassies in Paraguay, France, and Argentina. He was also appointed ambassador of Brazil to Mozambique and Peru.

Abroad, he represented Brazil on several occasions as delegate and as head of delegation in international meetings and negotiations and taught as guest professor at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris ("Sciences-Po") and at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina. He was decorated, among others, with the Order of Rio Branco - Brazil, Ordre du Mérite - France, Order of Infante D. Henrique - Portugal, and the Order of the Cedar - Lebanon.

Andrey Guryev

President, Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers (RAFP)

Andrey Guryev was appointed CEO by PhosAgro’s Board of Directors starting 1 August 2013. Prior to becoming CEO, he served as Deputy CEO of OJSC PhosAgro from April 2011. He was also Deputy CEO for Sales and Logistics of PhosAgro AG from October 2011 to June 2013. From June 2013 to August 2013 Mr. Guryev was the COO of PhosAgro AG. Mr. Guryev has worked at PhosAgro since 2004, holding various positions in the finance department and specialising in fertilizer exports. Mr Guryev graduated from The University of Greenwich in London with a BA in economics, and holds a Master’s degree from the Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation. He received a PhD in economics from the National Mineral Resources University (University of Mining).

Oleg Kobyakov

Director, Liaison Office with the Russian Federation, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Mansukh Mandaviya

Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers of the Republic of India

Maksim Reshetnikov

Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

Born on July 11, 1979, in Perm.
2000 — graduated from Perm State University by the major Mathematical Economist.
2002 — acquired the speciality of Translating Language Expert.
2000 - 2005 — Head of the Budget Revenue and Expenses Planning Department, Head of the Regional Finance and Investment Department, Deputy Head of the Main Department of Economy of the Perm Region Administration.
2005 - 2007 — First Deputy Chairman of the Planning Department of the Perm Region, First Deputy Head of the Perm Territory Governor Administration.
2007 - 2009 — Deputy Director of the Inter-Budget Relations Department, Director of the Department for Monitoring and Evaluating Effectiveness of State Governments of the Russian Federation of the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation.
2009 — Head of the Perm Territory Governor Administration.
2009 - 2010 — Director of the Department for State Administration, Regional Development and Local Self-Government of the Government of the Russian Federation.
2010 - 2011 — First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Moscow City Mayor and Government.
2012 - 2017 — Minister of the Moscow City Government, Head of Department for Economic Policy and Development of Moscow city.
09.2017 - 01.2020 — Governor of the Perm Territory.
Since January 21, 2020 — Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
Awarded the Letter of Acknowledgement of the President of the Russian Federation and Diploma of the Government of the Russian Federation.
PhD in Economics.

Vitaliy Sergeychuk

Senior Vice President, VTB Bank

Front row participants
Pavan Kapoor, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to the Russian Federation
Sergey Mamedov, Auditor, Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation
Eugenia Serova, Director, Institute for Agricultural Research, National Research University Higher School of Economics

Sergey Mamedov

Auditor, Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation

Eugenia Serova

Director, Institute for Agricultural Research, National Research University Higher School of Economics

Eugenia Serova was graduated at economic department in Moscow state university with honors degree. Later in the same university she got PhD and doctor degree in economics. Used to work in the research institutes and Presidium of the All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Was one of the authors of the new USSR land law. In 1991-1994 was an economic adviser to the Russia’s Minister of Agriculture, participated in agrarian reform in the country. Since 1994 a head of the department in the Institute for Economy in Transition and of Analytical Centre AFE. Was a Professor and Chair in the Higher School of Economics. In the 1990s-2000s took part in elaboration of legislative and strategic documents on agrarian development, advised to the ministers of agriculture, economics, and finance, worked in a number of Russia’s regions and in CIS. Since 2007 is a senior adviser to director of FAO Investment Centre. Participated and had a lead in a number of projects in CIS, in sub-Saharan Africa. Was FAO coordinator of the World Grain Forum, St.Petersburg, 2009. Has the awards of Russia’s and France’s Ministries of Agriculture, Stolypin Foundation and Rosstat. Member of International, European, and Russian associations of agricultural economists. Has several books and text books, some 150 publications in Russian and international journals.