[2009-08-03] Stephen Rudgard representative of the World Agricultural Information Center (WAICENT) of the Organization of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has confirmed its participation in the RIBDA.

Stephen Rudgard is the Head of World Agricultural Information Center (WAICENT) - Capacity Development and Extension Services at the FAO, in its World Headquarters located in Rome, Italy. It leads to a global team that works on a wide range of programs that aim to strengthen institutional capacities in developing countries to manage information; also facilitate international alliances in information / knowledge for agricultural development. These include Ciardo, E-Agriculture.org and IMARK. Dr. Rudgard joined FAO in 2000, after ten years of working with CAB International (CABI) in England as Director of its Program on Development Information. He holds a PhD in plant pathology and has worked 10 agricultural research (pathology cocoa) before working in the field of agricultural information.