"Prosperity for the poor and health for all" through better and safer vegetables. With this focus, Dr. John Donough Heber Keatinge assumed his duties as Director General of AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center on 14 April 2008.

Dr. Keatinge brings a wealth of experience in international agricultural research and development to the post of Director General. He has held senior management positions with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Syria and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Nigeria. Since 2002 he has served as Deputy Director General - Research at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India.

He received his PhD in Agronomy/Crop Physiology from Queen's University, Belfast, UK in 1978. From 1993 to 1999, he was Professor of Agricultural Systems and Management at the University of Reading, UK.

"There is an exciting future ahead for the World Vegetable Center," Dr. Keatinge said. "The Center is poised to make a significant contribution to the Millennium Development Goals over the next decade. Its efforts will be felt by the poor in farming communities throughout sub-Saharan Africa and in other parts of the developing world."

His vision for the Center includes fostering partnerships with organizations of all sizes across the research-to-development continuum, and maintaining a "pro-poor" focus to improve nutrition, food safety and job creation.

Dr. Keatinge replaces outgoing Director General Dr. Thomas A. Lumpkin, who will join the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico.

- Source: AVRDC