Keynote Speakers

Dr. Maryna de Wit

University of the Free State, Bloemfontein

South Africa

Cacti: fundamentals, facts, food and fodder for future farming

Professor at the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development, University of the Free State (UFS), Bloemfontein, South Africa. She holds a Ph.D. in Food Science. She has been teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Food Chemistry, Food Analysis, Food Components and Plant Processing at the UFS since 2004. Her research on Cactus pears started in 2006 and focuses on all human food applications of cactus pears. She has supervised many Honors, Masters and Doctoral students. She is the Research Theme Coordinator for Agro-processing and Post-harvest Technology of the FAO-ICARDA CactusNet. She is also an Executive board member (Vice President: Southern Africa) of the newly founded CactisMundis International Cactus Pear Association. Locally, she is a member of the South African Association of Food Science as well as the South African Society of Horticultural Sciences. She has published ± 80 peer-reviewed international research papers as well as book chapters. She is a rated researcher from the National Research Foundation of South Africa.

Dr. Giorgia Liguori

University of Palermo (Sicily)

Italy

New perspectives on cactus pear fruit production and postharvest management

Giorgia Liguori is Associate Professor at the Department of Agricultural Food and Forest Sciences (SAAF), University of Palermo, Italy. She has a Ph.D in “Orchard and fruit quality management”. Her research interest includes Cactus pear fruit quality, production, and postharvest management; plant and fruit physiology; sustainable orchard management; fruit postharvest quality; technology and management; minimal processing fruits and functional foods. She is Fruit Production Research Theme Coordinator of the Cactusnet FAO-ICARDA and teaches “Fruits Quality and Post-harvest technology” at SAAF. In collaboration with FAO-ICARDA was responsible for study regarding the best orchard planting and management techniques in the region where the Opuntia ficus-indica varieties were introduced. She has published more than 80 research papers, book chapters and invited reviews on cactus pear, plant physiology, fruit quality and postharvest management.

Dr. Mustapha El Bouhssini

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University

Morocco

Integration of host plant resistance and biopesticides for the control of Dactylopius opuntiae in Morocco.

Dr. El Bouhssini is a Professor of Entomology at the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University. He has made exceptional contributions to the development of Integrated Pest Management options that are increasingly used in the West Asia, Central Asia, and North Africa regions. Dr. El Bouhssini has been the recipient of several awards in the scientific field of entomology. Major awards include the 2021 Grand Prix Hasan II for Invention & Agronomic Research, category of Advanced Sciences and Technologies, the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award in plant resistance to insects from the International Association of Plant Resistance to Insects, the 2014 Distinguished Scientist Award from the International Branch of the Entomological Society of America, the 2014 Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Kansas State University Department of Entomology and the 2007 International Plant Protection Award of Distinction from the International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences.

Dr. Carmen Sáenz

University of Chile

Chile

Cactus pear and other cacti: processed foods for the climate change

Carmen Sáenz is Doctor in Pharmacy (Food Area), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (1979). Full Professor at the Department of Agroindustry and Enology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Chile and Full Member of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chile (2014). She works in food processing and functional ingredients, mainly from species with low water requirements (cactus pear and other cacti, amaranth, etc.). She works also in food formulation and fruit juice technologies. She was Manager of the Agrifood Area of CYTED (2017-2022) and currently she is the General Coordinator of the FAO-ICARDA International Technical Cooperation Network on Cactus (2017- ) (http://www.cactusnetwork.org/). She has led numerous research projects both nationally and internationally, given multiple lectures in her specialty at scientific events, and carried out extension activities to transfer technologies to small farmers and entrepreneurs. Among her numerous publications is a book for FAO about cactus pear processing and uses (http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0534s/a0534s00.htm).

Dr. Marilena Antunes-Ricardo

Tecnológico de Monterrey

México

Desert treasure: revealing secrets and health benefits of cacti and prickly pear

Ph. D. in Biotechnology by Tecnologico de Monterrey, where she has been a research professor since 2015. She is attached to the Healthy Food Unit at the Institute for Research on Obesity (IOR) of the Tecnologico de Monterrey. She has wide experience in the collection, purification, analysis, and characterization of bioactive molecules present in various plant matrices and by-products of the agri-food industry, as well as the development and validation of biological platforms, using tissue culture and in vivo models for the evaluation of their potential effects on health. She has more than 70 scientific articles, book chapters, divulgation articles, and participation in scientific-technological ventures. Member of the National System of Researchers (SNI) at level 2 (4 levels). Member of the INNOPROT Network in the Ibero-American Program of Science and Technology for Development (CYTED). Winner of the 25 Women in Science in Latin America and Canada 2024 program, promoted by 3M.

Dr. José Dubeux Jr.

University of Florida

EEUU

Ecosystem services of cacti: novel benefits in a climate-change scenario

Jose Dubeux is Professor of Forages and Grassland Sciences at the University of Florida, with 70% research and 30% extension. Dr. Dubeux is internationally recognized as an authority on grassland science and cactus production systems. Dr. Dubeux is fellow from American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America. Dr. Dubeux currently is coordinating the FAO-CACTUSNET Research Theme on Forage, Bioenergy, Rangeland, and Environmental Protection. The major focus of Dr. Dubeux program is the development of sustainable livestock systems. In his international program, Dr. Dubeux focuses on utilization of cactus as fodder in Africa to improve livelihood and resilience of rural communities in drylands. In his career, Dr. Dubeux and his team have published 956 publications including 313 peer-reviewed articles, 485 abstracts, and chaired 41 graduate students.