Thomas Rath

Thomas Rath serves as the Lead Advisor Operations Policies at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) since November 1998, where expertise includes project design and implementation across Asia and Africa. Previous roles at IFAD include Country Director and Representative, as well as Country Programme Manager, overseeing rural development initiatives in various countries such as South Africa, Bangladesh, China, and Mongolia. Additionally, Thomas has worked as a freelance consultant focusing on rural development and livestock production, contributing to projects in China and Mongolia, including the development of community-based rangeland systems. Prior experience includes serving as an Associate Professional Officer managing the IFAD Mongolia country program and conducting research on animal husbandry at Hohenheim University in Germany, where Thomas led a project on improved feeding strategies in West Africa while pursuing a PhD in Agricultural Sciences.