Speaker Bios for The Mitigation Potential of Plant-Based Diets: From Science to Policy

A COP24 Side Event

Humane Society International


Jenny Chandler

Alexandra Clark

Dr. Doru-Leonard Irimie

Florent Marcellesi, MEP

Marie Persson

Dr. Marco Springmann

Cristina Tirado-von der Pahlen, DVM, MS, PhD

Jenny Chandler

Jenny Chandler is a freelance food writer and teacher based in Bristol, England. She has written a number of cook books including Pulse (2013). Jenny teaches at many cookery schools and London’s Borough Market and is particularly focused on getting both home cooks and chefs using more pulses and whole grains and reducing their animal protein consumption. During the UN FAO International Year of Pulses 2016, Jenny was the European Special Ambassador, spreading the word about the health and sustainability benefits of legumes. Nowadays Jenny runs workshops for the Humane Society International’s Forward Food campaign, training and inspiring chefs from all over the food sector to get more plants on plates.
Twitter: @jennychandleruk

Alexandra Clark

Alexandra Clark is a Consultant for Humane Society International, one of the world’s largest animal protection organisations. She works on sustainable food and farming issues with a focus on accelerating the transition towards more plant-based diets in the European Union. She has a background in health and nutrition and was the Head of the Office to the Vice President of the European Parliament for six years, during which time she was responsible for a number of initiatives to promote more sustainable production and consumption patterns in the EU.

Dr. Doru-Leonard Irimie

A Research Policy Officer for the European Commission’s DG Research & Innovation, working on the FOOD 2030 strategy for tomorrow’s nutrition and food systems. Technical background combining sciences with engineering and economics, some 20 years working experience in programme, process and project management, international relations and policy development. Good knowledge of EU institutions, policies and processes, in particular on research and innovation, environment, agriculture, forestry, climate change, renewables, plant health, food safety. Working positions by date: European Commission, UNDP; national ministries responsible for agriculture, forestry, environment; research and education.

Florent Marcellesi MEP

Florent Marcellesi is a Spanish Member of the European Parliament for Equo, part of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance. He was elected to the European Parliament in October 2016. Currently, he leads the energy positions of the Greens in the European Parliament and he is the vice-president of EUFORES, the parliamentary network for the promotion of renewable energies. He holds a degree in civil engineering and urban planning and he is also a specialist in international cooperation. He is a member of the Spanish green think tank EcoPolítica. He has written among other books “Qué Europa queremos” (What Europe do we want?) (Icaria, 2014) and “Adiós al crecimiento. Vivir bien en un mundo solidario y sostenible” (Goodbye to growth. Living well in a world of solidarity and sustainability) (El Viejo Topo, 2013).
Twitter: @fmarcellesi

Marie Persson

Project officer of Nordic Food Policy Lab, Nordic Council of Ministers. Nordic Food Policy Lab is one of six flagship programmes under the joint Prime minister’s initiative “Nordic solutions to global challenges”. With the aim of accelerating action on Agenda 2030 the project disseminates examples of Nordic food policy solutions for health and sustainability and curates international policy dialogues. Previously Marie worked for the Food Climate Research Network, University of Oxford, focusing on science communications and network building. She has previous experience from UNDP, Forum Syd and smallholder farmer network COCOCH-Honduras.
Twitter: @marieperssson @nordicfoodpol

Dr. Marco Springmann

Marco Springmann is a senior researcher in the Centre on Population Approaches for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention in the Nuffield Department of Population Health, and leads the Centre’s programme on environmental sustainability and public health. He is interested in the health, environmental, and economic dimensions of the global food systems. He often uses systems models to provide quantitative estimates on food-related questions.

Cristina Tirado-von der Pahlen, DVM, MS, PhD

Dr. Cristina Tirado works at the interface between science and policy related to climate, health, food and sustainability with the University, WHO, FAO, UNEP, governments, and NGOs worldwide. She is Director of Int’l Climate Initiatives at the Center for Urban Resilience at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) and Faculty at the Environmental Sciences Program. She serves as Climate and Health policy adviser for several UN organizations and she is lead author of the IPCC AR6 Health chapter to be published in 2021. She moderates the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition group on Climate Change and chairs the Climate and Health group of the Secretariat of the Mediterranean Cities Climate Change Consortium (MC-4).

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