McGill Convergent Innovation Webinar

On December 4, 2025, McGill University’s Convergent Innovation Webinar Series will spotlight digital innovation and governance in food systems through a unique case study of Kenya’s maize milling supply chain. The session, titled “Data Sharing, Incentives, and Governance Models for Food Convergence Innovation at Scale: From Micronutrient Fortification Index to Food Safety, Traceability and Sustainable Transformation of Kenya’s Milling Sector”, promises valuable insights for anyone invested in sustainable agri-food systems.

Food systems today require solutions that integrate multiple complex factors, including nutritional quality, safety, affordability, sustainability, and consumer acceptability, across every stage from farm to table. Using the Kenyan milling sector as a multi-tiered example, the webinar will explore how digital data sharing, incentive structures, and governance frameworks can accelerate innovation that supports food quality, traceability, and market transparency at scale.

The session addresses critical questions such as:

How can digital traceability and sustainability tools enhance governance of food quality?
What incentives, both business and policy, best stimulate industry adoption and innovation?
How can these lessons inform regional models for sustainable, data-driven food systems?

The panel brings together leading experts who combine research and practical experience, including TechnoServe’s Tobi Durotoye and Dominic Schofield, the main speakers who are actively engaged in driving Kenya’s food sector transformation through digital solutions and sustainable practices.

The panel features the following experts:

Paloma Fernandes, CEO of the Cereal Millers Association.
Jacqueline Khanali Njonjo, Development Specialist at the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Peter Kahenya Kinyanjui, PhD in Food Science and Nutrition.
Javad Nasiry, Professor of Operations Management at McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management.
Alejandro Ortega-Beltran, Senior Plant Pathologist and Head of the Pathology and Mycotoxin/Aflasafe Unit at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), headquartered in Nigeria.

Laurette Dubé, McGill Emerita Professor and James McGill Chair of Consumer and Lifestyle Psychology and Marketing, will chair the webinar.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from leading voices shaping the future of food systems in Africa and beyond. Whether you are a policymaker, food industry stakeholder, researcher, or development professional, the insights shared here will help map pathways toward transparent, resilient, and competitive food value chains fueled by innovation and collaboration.

Webinar Details