SustainFood Innovation & Entrepreneurship Conversations

The resilience of the agricultural sector to climate change

Topic: Successful experiences related to climate change and agrifood systems

Speakers:
Prof. Abdelaziz Hirich, Biosaline Agriculture and alternative crops
Prof. Manal MHADA, A case study of Amendy Foods

Topic: Agricultural Innovation Initiatives at UM6P’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship (AgriEngage, Agri-Food Tech Incubator, IFA Challenge, Master in AgriBusiness innovation)

Speaker:
Mr. Adnane SOULIMANI

Topic: The place of digital transformation and innovative entrepreneurship in the Green Generation 20-30.

Speaker:
Mr. Majid Lahlou.

Zoom Webinar Registration:

About the Speakers

Hirich Abdelaziz

Hirich Abdelaziz is an assistant professor of Biosaline agriculture in UM6P, African Sustainable Agriculture Research Institute in Laayoune, Morocco since January 2020. Prior to his current position he was scientist at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, Dubai from 2017 to 2020 and Postdoctoral fellow from 2014-2016. His expertise is focusing on Biosaline agriculture, salinity management, horticulture, irrigation management, alternative crops, fertigation…etc. Currently at ASARI he is leading a portfolio of more than 10 research projects with a total budget of more than 65 MMAD and supervising 5 PhD students. He has more than 120 publications in journals, book chapters and international conferences.

Manal Mhada

Manal Mhada is currently a Research Fellow at the School of Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (SAES) at UM6P. She was born in Marrakech in 1988 and obtained her Bachelor’s degree in plant physiology and pathology from Cadi Ayad University, which sparked her interest in plants. She then pursued a Master’s degree in Agrobiodiversity and Biotechnology Applied to Agriculture at IAV Hassan II, followed by a PhD in Agrobiodiversity in 2016.
In addition to her academic pursuits, Manal Mhada co-founded a small company called “Amendy Foods” in 2015. The company works with farmers to produce quinoa, design quinoa-based recipes, and deliver products tailored to Moroccans’ cooking habits. This entrepreneurial experience allowed her to interact with farmers from various backgrounds and helped her to understand the factors influencing the adoption of new crops. Her scientific and entrepreneurial experiences have both contributed to shaping her personality and have made her a passionate scientist and determined entrepreneur.
In 2017, Manal joined UM6P as a postdoctoral researcher in the Agrobioscience department. She played a role in establishing the quinoa program, balancing research, and development aspects. She collaborated with MIT on enhancing seed microenvironments and mentored, coached, and served as a jury member for several startup competitions, working with numerous entrepreneurs.
Based on her background, Manal is confident that she can contribute to shaping local agriculture in Africa in the next decade and create a development model that can be scaled to other countries, taking into account their socio-economic contexts and genetic resources.

Adnane Alaoui Soulimani

Mr. Adnane Alaoui Soulimani is the Director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab of UM6P (I&E Lab). He began his career at UBS Investment Bank and worked in derivatives trading at HSBC. He has a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science from Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris, France. After several years of experience in investment banking and trading in London, he came back to Morocco and joined OCP group in 2016 as a Project Manager. Adnan SOULIMANI has led several startup support programs within UM6P and is now Director of the I&E Lab

Majid LAHLOU

Majid LAHLOU is since 2009 a Central Director of Information Systems at the Department of Agriculture within the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests. He is a Telecom engineer graduated from INPT in Rabat, Holds an Executive MBA from Ecole des Ponts and a certificate of administrator of public enterprise from the International University of Rabat. with over 31 years of versatile experience in both private and administration sectors.
His first work experience was a technical manager of the Master Card, Visa and Swift telecommunication nodes in Morocco, he then was appointed as a telecommunication manager at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (1995-2000). He was also a CEO of a telecommunications company and information technology (2000-2009) in Casablanca.
At the Department of Agriculture, he won with his team E-Gov E-mtiaz 2011 first Prize in the G to B category for the SABA platform that digitalized the processing of farmers’ request for incentive to investment. He was also appointed as the Focal Point of Morocco for the Feeding Knowledge program of the UNIVERSAL EXPO MILAN 2015. He is the initiator of AGRO IT DAYS events (2017;2019;2023) and gives talks and lectures about e-commerce and digital transformation at different universities and forums.