Global Food Systems and Agribusiness Management

Wendy Umberger has transitioned from her role as Executive Director of the Centre for Global Food and Resources at the University of Adelaide to become CEO of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) in August 2023. Her extensive career spans over two decades in sustainable agriculture and food systems research. Growing up on a family beef cattle farm in South Dakota shaped her lifelong passion for agribusiness. She holds a B.S. in Animal Science and M.S. in Economics from South Dakota State University, and a PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her research has focused on consumer behavior, food economics, and value chain development across the Indo-Pacific region, with projects spanning Australia, North America, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and South Africa. She served as President of Australia's Policy Advisory Council for International Agricultural Research and Development from 2020 to 2023 and was a Board Trustee of the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics. Her current role as ACIAR CEO involves managing a $111 million budget and developing innovative partnerships to address global food security challenges. She maintains positions as Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne, Distinguished Fellow of the Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, and Honorary Fellow of Food Standards Australia New Zealand.

Elizabeth Gunner currently serves as Business Development and Program Manager at CSIRO Agriculture and Food, bringing extensive experience in agribusiness and strategic marketing across private and public sectors. Her diverse career spans roles at major agribusinesses, including a national corporation, an Australian winery, and a prominent dairy company. As a hands-on entrepreneur, she co-managed a sheep and cattle grazing property while building a successful paddock-to-plate meat enterprise that supplied their own retail stores and over 300 restaurants across Australia. Her commitment to sustainable food systems extends to her role as shareholder in Something Wild Australia, an Indigenous-owned business specializing in native Australian produce. Previously, as Agribusiness Outreach Program Manager at the University of Adelaide's Centre for Global Food and Resources, she contributed to international value chain development, particularly in Indonesia, while developing business opportunities and educational programs. Her expertise in agribusiness is showcased through her role as instructor in the edX course "Understanding Agribusiness, Value Chains, and Consumers in Global Food Systems," where she shares her practical industry insights with a global audience.

Craig Johns serves as Associate Director Agribusiness Innovation at the University of Adelaide's Centre for Global Food and Resources, where he has worked since 2011. His expertise spans the entire food value chain, combining practical industry experience with academic research. As Program Director for the Centre's Masters programs and CEO of the University Agribusiness Advisory Board, he strengthens connections between academia and industry. His research focuses on analyzing and improving agribusiness and agroforestry value chains, with significant international development work across the Pacific Islands and Indonesia. His background includes roles as general manager of a food production company, national value chain funding program manager, and senior business consultant. His work at the Centre involves managing the internship program and coordinating courses in agrifood systems, while fostering industry partnerships that enhance both research and teaching outcomes. His comprehensive understanding of food technology, quality management, and business operations enables him to effectively bridge gaps between industry, government, and academic stakeholders to create sustainable value chain improvements.

Alexandra Peralta serves as Associate Professor in Agricultural and Food Economics at the University of Adelaide's Centre for Global Food and Resources, where she has worked since 2014. A Colombian native and development economist, she brings extensive expertise in impact evaluation, experimental methods, and agricultural economics. Her research focuses on connecting smallholder farmers to high-value markets, analyzing value chain relationships, and understanding technology adoption in agriculture. She leads projects across multiple countries including Vanuatu, Uganda, Indonesia, and Vietnam, while maintaining collaborations with major international organizations. Her work spans innovative research methodologies, from experimental economics to non-experimental impact evaluations of rural development initiatives. Prior to joining Adelaide, she worked as a Research Associate at Michigan State University and consulted for the Inter-American Development Bank, following earlier roles with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the International Agroforestry Center (ICRAF). Her teaching approach emphasizes interactive learning methods to help students grasp complex economic concepts in agricultural policy and globalization. Her recent research has garnered significant attention, particularly her work on women's empowerment in agriculture and technology adoption among smallholder farmers.