Dr. James Lowe

Principal Advisor
 

James Lowe has more than forty years of diverse and comprehensive international and Canadian experience in the public and private sectors, planning, managing and evaluating programs to facilitate economic and business development in the agriculture and food sector. His experience spans public administration, policy and program development. He has advised and managed programs in AAFC for a range of areas related to international marketing and trade development. In the past ten years, his career has extended to international consulting to assist developing countries in business and trade facilitation.
 

Dr. Lowe has provided consulting services to numerous NGOs and governments in south-east Asia, Latin America and East Africa, as well as in Canada and Ukraine.

 

Dr. Lowe earned a B.S.A., in Agriculture from the University of Manitoba and MSc and PhD degrees in Agricultural Economics from the University of Wisconsin. Recently, the Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) accredited Dr. Lowe as a Certified International Trade Trainer (CITP).

 

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Dr. George W. Luterbach
Principal Advisor

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George Luterbach has more than twenty-five years of experience in animal health and production, development and implementation of policies, programs, standards, procedures, regulations and legislation. He worked for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, CFIA as a Senior Veterinary Manager reporting to the Director of Animal Health and Production Division (AHPD) for Canada as a Veterinary Program Manager, Animal Health, Western Region. He also served as Network Veterinary Manager, Western Animal Health & Production Network and he had national experience as an Acting Director AHPD. 

George has a Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, from the University of Saskatchewan (U of S). He has a Post Graduate, Diploma of Veterinary Medicine from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (U of S) in toxicology, epidemiology, wildlife diseases, immunology, herd medicine in food producing animals. Dr. Luterbach also obtained a Veterinary Fellowship in Science, Politics and Animal Health Policy from the University of Maryland and Michigan, Veterinary Colleges.

 

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Fabio Yepes
Associate Rural Development & Environmental Specialist

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Fabio Yepes has over 25 years of experience in rural and community development, environmental planning and management of territories, facilitation of exercises in land use and management with traditional communities, as well as in program and project design, management, evaluation and systematization. Fabio has worked as a consultant to various international cooperation organizations such as the Spanish Cooperation Agency for International Development (abbreviated as AECID), the UNDP, the European Union, and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). He has done consultations to Colombian institutions such as Bogotá Water and Sewer Company, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, SWISSAID Colombia, WWF Colombia, Interconexión Eléctrica ESP, and indigenous and black community grassroots organizations, as well as various environmental NGOs.

 

Fabio has a B. Sc. Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, and a M.A. Planning and Environmental Management of Watershed Basins. He has received training in milk production and dairy industry, as well as in territory prospective and systematization of experiences.

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Magellan Luanda Mungabo

Africa Liaison Coordinator

 

Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Magellan grew up in the eastern part of the country, known for its agri-business sector due to its proximity to the equator, fertile soil, mountains and a massive green forest. 

 

Mr. Mungabo holds a diploma in political science from the University of Goma in DRC and a degree in communication and international development from Université du Québec en Outaouais in Canada. He speaks English, French, Kiswahili, and other African languages.  He has traveled to several African countries and is well connected to African embassies in Canada.  He promotes the adoption of Canadian livestock genetics and systems to strengthen the agri-business in their countries.

 

Magellan is a humanitarian who has spent years supporting women and children in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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Maria-Cecilia Zuluaga
Associate Solidarity Economy & Entrepreneurship Specialist

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Maria-Cecilia is graduated in agricultural economics from the National University of Colombia, with a specialization in management from the CEIPA Institute in Medellin, Colombia.  She earned a master's degree in development of co-operatives and collectives from the University of Sherbrooke in Canada.  Maria-Cecilia worked as a development agent in the agricultural sector in Colombia for 12 years and has worked for 6 years as a manager in business management in Canada. 

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During this time, her work has focused on project management, including governmental, non-profit and private organizations. Maria-Cecilia is highly passionate about creating interpersonal connections, as well as managing projects with particular emphasis on finance. Ms. Zuluaga has been able to assist people from different backgrounds and cultures in the creation, management and monitoring of different business initiatives. This experience has given her a solid understanding of business and its impact on society. Maria-Cecilia understands and is sensitive to the challenges that especially women face in the world of business and development.

 

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Adolfo Fonseca

Associate Agribusiness Specialist

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Ana-Maria Higuera
Associate Marketing Specialist

 

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Ruth Torres
Executive Assistant

 

Ruth is a highly skilled administrative specialist with over 30 years of experience working with public and private institutions in Colombia. She worked for ten years with the Colombian sanitary authority (Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario, ICA). She provided dedicated secretarial and administrative support to the national program to control and eradicate the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), a well-recognized program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, USDA, in Colombia. For two decades, Ms. Torres worked for the Colombian Corporation For Research in Agriculture (Corporacion Colombiana de Investigacion Agropecuaria, CORPOICA).

 

She worked as executive assistant of the Regional Coordinator of the Technology Transfer Program, where she provided executive and logistic support to organize several training activities. Ruth also has extensive experience designing and editing educational media and print material for the agriculture and agri-food sector. She is currently running Cannexion’s office in Medellin, Colombia.

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Juan-Pablo Higuera
President

Juan Higuera brings more than 20 years of experience working in different roles within Colombia and Canada’s agriculture and agrifood scene. Juan has a background in agriculture, rural development, communication, and technology transfer/commercialization. Juan has lived, studied and worked in Colombia, Cuba, Costa Rica and Spain. He speaks both Spanish and English.

 

Mr. Higuera recently designed and managed the Ovinocaprino Canada-Colombia project under the Canada-Americas Trade-related Technical Assistance Program (CATRTA). He was a member of the directive Committee for the Dairy and Potato value chain roundtable in the province of Antioquia in Colombia as well as a member of the Regional Council of Fruits and Vegetable value chain roundtable of Antioquia Province. He participated and coordinated numerous international and rural development projects with financial support from international institutions such as the World Bank, IDB, USDA, Fontagro, IICA, CIAT, the Colombian government and the private sector.
 

Mr. Higuera finished a Master studies in Rural Development at the National University of Costa Rica and obtained a B.S.A in Agricultural Engineering from the National University of Colombia. He has also earned a specialization in rural development, policies and agricultural extension from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agri-food.