“by acclamation”  ⎮  Visual: © Corbecoms

Heike Hoeffler

Incoming SNRD Africa Speaker

Currently Heike Hoeffler is Coordinator of the Food and Nutrition Security Project at GIZ Zambia.

An international agricultural economist by profession, Heike joined German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) in 2002. Until 2008, she worked as an advisor to the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture in the bilateral “Private Sector Promotion in Agriculture” Programme.

After five years as a freelance consultant, doctoral thesis and founding a family, she re-joined GIZ in 2013 as an advisor for agricultural policy within the Bonn-based team Agricultural Policy and Food Security, where she focused on the contemporary agricultural policy agenda, rural transformation in Africa and nutrition-sensitive agriculture.

In early 2017, she took over the project lead for the sector project Agricultural Trade and Value Chains, later called Agricultural Trade, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance (AAA) and from April 2021 onwards Sector Project Agriculture. With that team, Heike provided advisory services to the German government, mainly to BMZ division 122 on general conceptual questions around sustainable agricultural production, marketing, trade and agricultural policy.

In 2022, her work was dominated by analysing the impacts of the war against Ukraine on global food markets and by supporting the German Government’s engagement with the G7 food security working group and the foundation of the Global Alliance for Food Security (GAFS). In mid-2023, she moved to Zambia, where she now coordinates GIZ`s food and nutrition security portfolio, including the project management for Food and Nutrition Security, Enhanced Resilience (FANSER), National Information Platform for Nutrition (NIPN) and Transformation of Food Systems (TES).

Lamiaa Melegui

Incoming SNRD Africa Co-Speaker

Lamiaa Melegui is a highly accomplished professional with extensive experience in various fields. She has served as t

he EU Economic Affairs Advisor to the former Minister for Planning and International Cooperation, where she excelled in partnership management and policy-level work. Lamiaa’s expertise extends to international marketing, trade, and industries, with a focus on SME development, business planning, and economic relations. She is also a skilled Component Lead in Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

In addition to her expertise in economic affairs, Lamiaa has worked with renowned institutions such as UNIDO,

SECO, DFID, USAID, and the EU, Lamiaa has gained a wealth of knowledge and practical experience in partner and stakeholder management, negotiations, and policymaking. These experiences have equipped her with a solid understanding of the complexities and nuances associated with rural development and food systems with a focus on sustainable natural resource management and agriculture and agribusiness development.

Lamiaa’s commitment to community and social services is evident through her active engagement. She holds a master’s degree in International Relations and Affairs from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. Furthermore, Lamiaa’s dedication to promoting international trade is highlighted by her certification as a trainer on the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) by the International Trade Center (ITC).

Notably, Lamiaa has also contributed to the democratic process as an International Election Observer with EISA and the Carter Center. She has participated in critical elections, including those in Mozambique in 2014 and the Ivory Coast in 2020 and 2021.

Lamiaa Melegui’s multifaceted expertise, commitment to positive change, and extensive experience make her a highly valued professional in her field.

Caroline Willeke

Incoming SNRD Community Management

Presently, Caroline is employed in the Sector Project Agriculture based in Bonn. She holds a Master’s degree in Development Economics and Agricultural Economics. Prior to her tenure at GIZ, she gained experience in the private sector, specifically in agribusiness and on various farms. Her exposure to the work within development cooperation occurred in 2018 during her master’s program in South Africa.

Caroline commenced her association with GIZ as an intern in 2021 within the Sector Project Soil Protection, Combating Desertification, Sustainable Land Management. Subsequently, she embarked on her EZ Traineeship in Accra for the CompetitiveCashew Initiative (now MOVE), where she contributed to the community management of SNRD Africa by assisting in planning the conference. During her traineeship, she worked for the Aid by Trade Foundation on sustainable cotton value chains, followed by a BMZ station assignment in the department of Transitional Development Assistance.

In early 2023, Caroline joined the Sector Project Agriculture, where she is currently engaged in matters pertaining to agricultural trade and trade policies. Furthermore, she has assumed the role of the gender focal person for her project.

Janice Kanyire and Lamia Melengui at the GTA working group meeting⎮ Photo: © corbecoms