From Pastures to Policy: Livestock Practices for Regenerative Agriculture

This talk, led by renowned food systems scientist and policy advocate Professor Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, delves into the critical intersections of livestock production, sustainable food systems, and regenerative agriculture. Drawing on over 25 years of leadership and research in agriculture, policy reform, and rural development, Professor Sibanda will discuss how innovative, regenerative livestock practices can drive food security, economic resilience, and sustainable development across Africa and beyond.

Professor Sibanda will share insights from her work as Board Chair of CGIAR, former Chair of the International Livestock Research Institute, Chair of the ARUA Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems, and her roles with global initiatives like the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the potential for policies aligned with regenerative principles to transform livestock systems and strengthen agricultural systems in ways that support both rural communities and global sustainability goals.

Lindiwe Majele Sibanda is an animal scientist and a practicing farmer with extensive experience, serving as a policy advisor to numerous African governments and global institutions. She is Professor, Director and Chair of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Centre of Excellence in Food Systems at the University of Pretoria, in South Africa. She is a Nestlé SA Board Member and serves on the Board of WorldVeg. She is an Associate Fellow at Chatham House, and member of Champions 12.3, accelerating progress on UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 12.3, halving global per capita food waste.

She previously served as Board Chair for the International Livestock Research Institution (ILRI); Board Member of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT); and program advisor to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). She also served on the EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems and as a member of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Policy Advisory Council. She has served in senior leadership positions in various organizations, including co-Chair of the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA),Vice-President, Country Support, Policy and Partnerships for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and CEO and Head of Mission of the pan-African Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN). She holds a PhD and MSc in Agriculture from the University of Reading, and a BSc in Animal Production from the University of Alexandria, Egypt.

Lindiwe Majele Sibanda is a visiting scholar with the Goldsmith Sustainable Agriculture Fund.

Thabo Lenneiye is the inaugural managing director of the Carl H. Goldsmith Sustainable Agriculture Fund at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, where she leads research at the intersection of sustainable agriculture, climate, and energy policy. Her work focuses on building a comprehensive research agenda that explores how agriculture can address the challenges posed by climate change and the global energy transition. Lenneiye is also a senior fellow with the Center for Leadership and Change Management at the Wharton School.

Her experience reflects a deep commitment to societal impact. Before joining the Kleinman Center, she served as managing director of Penn Praxis, where she oversaw strategic planning, business development, and operations for the applied research center focused on social impact at the University of Pennsylvania. At Gensler, a global design firm, she not only worked as an architect and project manager but also collaborated with the executive team to drive initiatives related to justice, inclusion, and social impact. Notably, she led the establishment of Gensler’s Africa practice and supported CEO Diane Hoskins in her role on the Obama Administration’s Presidential Advisory Council for Doing Business in Africa (PACDBIA). Additionally, she served as the inaugural secretary of the Board for the African Union Pan-African Diaspora Women’s Association from 2017 to 2018.

An entrepreneurial spirit has driven her to found several social ventures, further highlighting her commitment to equitable development. In addition to her professional achievements, she has taught design studios at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Maryland. Thabo serves as Vice-Chair of the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Placemaking Product Council, and is an Associate Scholar at the Penn Center for Global Health.

With a diverse interdisciplinary background, she holds an MBA from the University of Cambridge, where she was awarded the Africa Regional Scholarship, as well as dual master’s degrees from the Stuart Weitzman School of Design and the School of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.

We look forward to welcoming guests to the Kleinman Center’s Energy Forum. In accordance with the University of Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 guidelines, masks are optional for all visitors. Boxed lunches will be available to go following the event!

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, 220 S. 34th St., Philadelphia, United States