German national, born in Venezuela, with an MSc in agriculture (Dipl.-Ing. agr.) and a PhD in agricultural engineering (Dr. sc. agr.) from Göttingen University, Germany.

 

Since 1982, he has held a range of positions in international agricultural development, covering agricultural extension, research, and university teaching. He has also directed cooperation projects in Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

 

From 1994 to 2012, he served as Senior Agricultural Engineer at FAO in Rome, specialising in agricultural mechanisation and sustainable crop production systems. His work included regulations for pesticide application technologies and the sustainable intensification of agricultural production through Conservation Agriculture (CA). With some 30 years of practical experience in this field, he has worked in more than 75 countries across the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia, with more than 200 publications to his name.

 

He was involved in establishing the term "Conservation Agriculture" and its definition, and in creating the FAO programme that promotes CA globally. This included publications, conferences, support to regional CA organisations, field projects, and the World Congresses on Conservation Agriculture.

 

From 2012 to 2018, he served as FAO Representative in Cuba, and from 2018 to 2020 in Bolivia. He retired to Germany in 2020 and continues to promote Conservation Agriculture.