Natasha Hayward is the Global Lead for Food and Nutrition Security in the Agriculture and Food Global Practice of the World Bank. Natasha has worked in Africa, South and East Asia, with a focus on agriculture and rural livelihoods, food and nutrition security, community driven development (CDD) and social inclusion. In her twenty years with the Bank, her roles have spanned social and rural development, and included program management and increasingly complex operations, including in fragile settings. Currently, she is overseeing the Global Challenge Program for Food and Nutrition Security (FNS), and leading teams delivering on a range of activities to better monitor, understand and respond to FNS trends, working in close collaboration with other Bank teams, including health and social protection. In her present role, Natasha also serves as Program Manager for the Global Program on Agriculture and Food Security (GAFSP), a global partnership and financing platform, supporting sustainable and resilient agriculture and food systems in the world’s lowest income countries.
Prior to joining the Bank, Natasha 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 PhD in Development Studies from the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).