Brigitte Laliberté, a Canadian national, joined Bioversity International in 1996.
Since 2010, Brigitte has been focusing her work on cocoa genetic diversity, its conservation and use in the development of improved planting materials of quality with priority traits for cocooa producers: well-adapted to the changing climate; tolerant to pest and diseases; low uptake of soil contaminants and other. She coordinates the Cocoa of Excellence Programme(CoEx), the International Cocoa Awards (ICA) and the Global Network for Cacao Genetic Resources (CacaoNet). Brigitte also coordinated the development of the Global Strategy for the Conservation and Use of Cacao Genetic Resources led by Cacaonet and published in 2012, and now coordinates its implementation.
Brigitte advised on the coordination of the Global Network for Musa (banana and plantains) Genetic Resources (MusaNet) and coordinated the development of the Global Strategy for the Conservation and Use of Musa Genetic Resources published in 2016.
Previously, Brigitte coordinated the World Bank-funded project: 'The Rehabilitation of Global Public Goods in the CGIAR Genetic Resources System (GPG2)' with the 11 genebanks of the CGIAR between 2007 and 2010. Brigitte was seconded to the Crop Trust between 2003-2007, where she coordinated the development of more than 20 regional and global crop strategies guiding the allocations of funds.
From 1999-2003, Brigitte provided scientific support to the European Cooperative Programme on Genetic Resources (ECPGR) Thematic Networks on inter-regional cooperation, documentation and information and in situ/on-farm conservation, as well as support to crop genetic resources national programmes in Eastern Europe and in countries of the former USSR.
From 1996-1999, she worked in impact assessment and evaluation of Bioversity International's projects.
Contact:
Credentials:
MSc Conservation & Utilisation of Plant Genetics Resources, University of Birmingham, UK
BSc in Agricultural Sciences, with specialization in horticulture, Mc Gill University, Montreal, Canada
Publication highlights:
Medina, V. and Laliberte B. 2017. A review of research on the effects of drought and temperature stress and increased CO2 on Theobroma cacao L., and the role of genetic diversity to address climate change. Bioversity International, Rome, Italy.
Laliberté, B., End, M., editors. 2015. Supplying new cocoa planting material to farmers: a review of propagation methodologies. Bioversity International, Rome, Italy. 200pp.
CacaoNet. 2012. A Global Strategy for the Conservation and Use of Cacao Genetic Resources, as the Foundation for a Sustainable Cocoa Economy (B. Laliberté, compiler). Bioversity International, Montpellier, France.