Aylin Çağlayan Özcan

Working at the intersection of climate policy, sustainable food systems and international development finance. With over 30 years of experience in engineering, public policy and international cooperation, I have worked at the intersection of climate policy, sustainable agriculture, water resources management and international finance. As Director General for EU and Foreign Relations at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Türkiye, I led international cooperation across agriculture, food systems, biodiversity, forestry and water resources sectors, coordinating partnerships with more than 50 international organizations and over 90 countries. My work has focused on translating global climate and sustainability frameworks into concrete policies and investments in agriculture and rural development. Key milestones include: ▪ Serving as National Convenor for Türkiye for the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS), coordinating national consultations and stakeholder engagement for the transformation of food systems. ▪ Leading negotiations with the World Bank for the $341 million Climate Smart and Competitive Agricultural Growth Project, supporting climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable rural development. ▪ Coordinating the Ministry’s work on the European Green Deal, particularly in relation to agriculture, food systems and sustainability policies. ▪ I have also contributed to global sustainability initiatives addressing food loss and waste, including international awareness campaigns carried out in cooperation with FAO, which received two Guinness World Records and CSR Turkey Awards. As Director of Sectoral Policies Department at the Ministry for EU Affairs, I coordinated all harmonization efforts for the membership of Turkey to EU mainly for the Chapters regarding; Environment and Climate Change, Energy and Transport Policy. And also I participated the negotiations in UNFCCC COP. Today, I continue to work on advancing international cooperation in climate policy, supporting strategic initiatives that connect cities, international organizations and finance institutions. Global Engagement Experience working with international organizations including: ◦ FAO ◦ World Bank ◦ IFAD ◦ UNDP ◦ EBRD ◦ GEF ◦ European Union institutions and coordinating international partnerships with more than 90 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.