We are thrilled to announce that Guillermo Castilleja has joined the Global Alliance as a Senior Advisor. Guillermo has been generously seconded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for two years to help advance the Global Alliance’s work on true cost accounting (TCA).
True cost accounting is one of the pillars of the Global Alliance’s approach to shifting food systems toward a more sustainable future. From the inception of the Global Alliance, Guillermo and his foundation have provided decisive support to consolidate TEEBAgriFood as a means to foster a comprehensive understanding of the externalities of food systems. We, in the Global Alliance, believe that a holistic valuation of food systems, including not only how food is produced, but also how it is transported, processed, consumed, and disposed of, is essential to articulate effective policies that consider environmental, health, and social justice full costs and benefits.
Guillermo will continue as Chair of the Global Alliance’s TCA Accelerator, whose main objective is to bring this construct and its application to full fruition. He will also continue serving as Special Advisor to the China Council on International Cooperation on Environment and Development, a very relevant forum to help advance a more sustainable future of food globally.
“Food touches practically every aspect in the global agenda as well as in our immediate environments. Through true cost accounting, we can better understand the connections of this complex system and, in so doing, design effective policy and market interventions to build a more resilient future for all. I am very excited to be able to focus on this challenge and look forward to collaborating with my colleagues in the Global Alliance and our partners, and very thankful to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for giving me this opportunity.” – Guillermo Castilleja
Deep appreciation is extended to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for supporting this secondment, taking advantage of this unusual and unique circumstance given Guillermo’s history with the Global Alliance as a founding funder, Chair, and TCA Impact Area lead. Guillermo will collaborate closely with Lauren Baker (secretariat) and Urvashi Rangan (member), leads of the TCA Impact Area.
With a sense of urgency and a collective belief that we sit at an opportune moment, Guillermo’s new role will be a significant contribution to advancing TCA more rapidly toward the potential impact TCA inherently holds.