OpenAg Foundation Onboards Dr Celso Moretti as CEO
13 November 2025, Switzerland: The OpenAg Foundation, a non-profit organisation working with food and water security in the developing world, has announced the appointment of Dr Celso Moretti as CEO. Dr Moretti will lead on management, project development, fundraising, and advocacy for the OpenAg Foundation, working closely with the Board to deliver on the Foundation’s priorities and commitments.
Dr Moretti is a veteran of sustainable agricultural development, bringing 35 years of experience in the area of agribusiness, along with a first-hand perspective on leading the ‘green revolution’ in Brazil. Between 2019-2023, Dr Moretti was President of EMBRAPA – Brazil’s national agricultural research agency – leading a team of 8,000 employees, including 2,100 PhD researchers, distributed in 43 Research Centres, and developing close links between the public and private sector around food security, farmer resilience, and sustainable agriculture. In addition to helping catalyse Brazil’s green revolution, Dr Moretti was also the architect of EMBRAPA’s digital farming and precision agriculture programme.
Dr Moretti’s international experience will also benefit the growth and advancement of the OpenAg Foundation, as Vice-chair of CGIAR Board, a member of the Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, (UK), former Board Member of the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture (UAE), Board Member for CIMMYT: International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (Mexico), Board Member for CIP: International Potato Centre (Peru).
In 2021, Dr Celso Moretti received the Norman Borlaug Award in the category “Sustainability”. In 2023, he was elected one of the most influential figures in Brazilian agribusiness. In 2025, he was unanimously elected by his fellow colleagues as the Board Chair of CGIAR.
He is an alumnus of the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and Courtesy Professor with the University of Florida, Gainesville, the USA. Dr Celso Moretti holds an MBA in marketing, as well as an MSc and a PhD in plant sciences.
The OpenAg Foundation was founded in 2024 by Jai Shroff, drawing together experts from policymaking, research, and global leadership to promote sustainable agriculture, farmer resilience, and food security. Its initial projects include a water security programme in Southern Africa to provide new water sources for rural communities, crop-land, and livestock affected by the ongoing drought.
Jai Shroff, Chairman of the OpenAg Foundation said, “We are thrilled that Celso has joined the OpenAg Foundation as its CEO, and looking forward to working together to advance our projects across the developing world. Celso is unquestionably one of the architects of the green revolution in Brazil, and his experience shows how sustainable agriculture is central to farmer resilience, economic uplift, and improved lives and livelihoods. His leadership will bring crucial expertise at a critical time for global development, and we are excited to see the OpenAg Foundation continue to thrive.”
Dr Celso Moretti, CEO of the OpenAg Foundation said, “Joining the OpenAg Foundation and being a part of its work and progress from the ground floor is one of the most exciting opportunities of my career. There has never been a more critical time for agriculture to play a role in sustainable development, and the Foundation offers a unique platform for launching impactful projects across the developing world to build farmer resilience and food security.”
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