Keynote Speakers

Dr. Giorgia Liguori

University of Palermo

Italy, Sicily

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. Karim El Fakhouri

College for Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Science Mohammed VI Polytechnic University

Morrocco

Integration of host plant resistance and biopesticides with preventive and curative properties as an eco-friendly and effective options to control wild cochineal in Morocco

Dr. Karim El Fakhouri is a former research associate in entomology (2014-2021) at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and current assistant professor of entomology at the College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Ben Guerir, Morocco. Additionally, Pr. Karim is an affiliated professor at Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University.

Dr. El Fakhouri's primary research interests are in the development of integrated pest management (IPM) techniques for major insect pests of food legumes, cereals and cactus by combining genetic resistance, cultural practices, botanical insecticides with new formulation and biological control. Dr. El Fakhouri was the recipient of CGIAR Borlaug Fellowship Program (2018-2021) working on semiochemicals in the laboratory and field in Michigan State University. To date, he has authored more than 30 publications, 2 patents, and more than 40 presentations. Today, he is involved in several research projects which aim to develop a sustainable management techniques of the most economic insect pests in arid and semi arid regions, as well as in many African countries.

Dr. Carmen Sáenz

Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, 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

School of Engineering and Sciences, 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.

North Florida Research and Education Center, 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.