Natasha Hayward assumed the role of program head for the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) in April 2019. In this role with GAFSP – a global program, which supports investment in agriculture to reduce poverty and improve food and nutrition – Dr. Hayward leads the GAFSP Coordination Unit’s work across a number of fronts, including the program’s forward-looking strategy for 2030, outreach and partnerships, program operations, monitoring and evaluation.

Dr. Hayward joined GAFSP as deputy program manager in 2015, after four years in the World Bank’s Indonesia office, where she co-managed a multi-donor financed, government-led facility to support implementation and innovation around Indonesia’s rural poverty reduction program, PNPM. Having joined the World Bank in 2003, Dr. Hayward has worked across the rural and local development portfolios in Africa and South and East Asia, with a focus on agriculture and rural livelihoods, community driven development (CDD) and social inclusion.

Prior to joining the Bank, she worked for the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and a number of NGOs, including overseas assignments in Vietnam, India, and Malawi. She has a degree in social anthropology and a PhD in development studies from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).