About GPS

In 2012, private entities from four nations (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) created the Grupo de Países Productores del Sur – GPS – (the Southern Producing Country Group). It consists of a group of experts and entrepeneurs who willingly committed themselves to contribute to the setting of a Southamercian pole capable of meeting the new food demand in a sustainable way, as well as generating wealth, employment and capital stock in the region.

This effort is done having two premises clearly in mind. The first one, from a geopolitical point of view, is that teamwork will endow the four countries involved with a greater negotiating power than if they worked separately. The second one is that there will unquestionably be better consolidation perspectives of the region if you share a common plan of development for the food sector as a whole.

Regional Steering Committee

Alberto Morelli
Argentina
See CV

Miembro del Comité de Gestión y Coordinador del Foro Institucional Argentino de GPS, Ingeniero Agrónomo.
Administrador y consultor de empresas agroindustriales
Fue Gerente del Molino de maíz Leones de Bleek S.A.
Fue Presidente de la Cámara de Industriales de Maíz por Molienda Seca de la Argentina.
Fue Presidente de Maizar, Asociación Maíz y Sorgo Argentino, por tres mandatos .
Fue Presidente de Maizall, Alianza Internacional del Maíz, conformada por US Grains Council y National Corn Growers Association de EEUU, Abramilho de Brasil y Maizar de Argentina.

Alberto Morelli

Luiz Carlos Correia Carvalho
Brasil
See CV

Luiz Carlos Corrêa Carvalho is an Agronomist graduate from the University of São Paulo’s “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture (ESALQ/USP, 1973), with post-graduation courses in Agronomy and in Business at the USP School of Economics and Business including Vanderbilt University (USA).

Director of CANAPLAN (consulting company). Director of Group Alto Alegre Sugar and Ethanol. President of ABAG – Brazilian Agribusiness Association. Partner of Bioagência, sugar and ethanol commercialization enterprise. Member of the Board of several Companies, Member of UNICA Board – Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association. Director of UDOP – Union of Biofuel Producers. President of the National Agricultural Academy – SNA.

He has published several articles and is co-author of sectoral books in Brazil and abroad. Main awards: Bunge Foundation 2007 (Life and Realization – Agroenergy category); SAE Brasil 2008 (Agricultural Machines category); Agronomist of the Year 2011 (AEASP – Association of Agronomists of the State of São Paulo) and IAC 2013 (IAC – Agronomic Institute of Campinas, Agribusiness Personality category); STAB Award – Saccharum 2016.

Luiz Carlos Correia Carvalho

LILIAN CABRERA
Paraguay
See CV

Member of the GPS Paraguay Management Committee. Degree in Marketing and Advertising. She is currently the Manager of the Union of Trade Production (UGP). She held the position of Coordinator at the Consulting Company ARD INC (US), “A Todo Pulmón Paraguay Respira”, and of Manager at Technology Development Paraguay (T.D.P).

LILIAN CABRERA

HECTOR CRISTALDO
Paraguay
See CV

Member of the GPS Paraguay Management Committee.
Agricultural Engineer. Member of Coordinadora Agrícola Del Paraguay, CAP (Agriculture Coordinating Agency of Paraguay). President of the Union of Trade Production (UGP).

HECTOR CRISTALDO

FRANCISCO LEZAMA
Uruguay
See CV

Member of the Steering Committee of GPS Uruguay.
He is a Chemical Engineer, graduated from University of the Republic, with postgraduate studies in Agribusiness, Risk management, economic, financial and productive management of companies agroindustrial. Experience of 40 years of primary responsibility with strong action in international business, leading companies agroindustriales (joint stock companies and cooperatives) in Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and Chile. Preparation and management of various Projects Investment, R&D, Clean Development Mechanism, Carbon Footprint. Member and Director of Institutions such as Barley Entities Board Brewery, Agrarian Biotechnology Network, Oilseed Board.

FRANCISCO LEZAMA

Coordinating group

MARCELO REGUNAGA
General Coordinator
See CV

GPS General Coordinator. Agricultural Engineer. He received the Magíster Scientiae in Agricultural Economics and completed the Third Cycle of the Doctorate Course at the University of Paris – Sorbonne. He is Academic Director and Professor of the Graduate Agribusiness Course at the Centro de Educación Empresaria of Universidad de San Andrés. He is Professor of the Master’s Course on Agribusiness and Food at FAUBA. and Academic Director of the Grain Exchange Training Program. He was Scientific Advisor of Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (National Council for Scientific and Technical Research) –CONICET and Alternate Member of the Managing Committee of the School of Agriculture of the University of Buenos Aires. He has acted as consultant to Argentine and international organizations (UNDP, OAS, ECLAC, IICA, IDB, WORLD BANK, IFAD, the European Commission, FAO, USAID, CIMMYT and CIAT). He was manager of agricultural companies. He also held the position of Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Argentina on two occasions, as well as of Secretary of Industry, Trade and Mining. He was Argentina’s Alternate Negotiator at the Uruguay Round of GATT. He is a member of Consejo Argentino para las Relaciones Internacionales (Argentine Council for International Relations) and of the Scientific Council of the FARM Foundation in Paris- France. He has served as Vice Chair of the International Food and Agricultural Trade Policy Council (IPC-Washington DC). He was Chairman of Asociación Argentina de Economía Agraria (Argentine Association for Agricultural Economics) and Chairman of Asociación de Latinoamérica y el Caribe de Economistas Agrícolas (Association of Agricultural Economists of Latin America and the Caribbean). He has authored more than 60 papers published in local and international media; 12 of which are part of books specializing in Food Security, Economic History, Biotechnology, Bioeconomics, Agricultural Economics, Technological Policy, Policy on Science and Agricultural Technology, Livestock, Agroindustrial Systems, Investments and Grain Trade.

MARCELO REGUNAGA

NELSON ILLESCAS
Coordinador de Estrategia y Contenido
See CV

Member of the technical support team of GPS Argentina. Lawyer specializing in international law and agro-industrial and environmental negotiations. Currently, he is the Director of the Institute for International Agricultural Negotiations Foundation (INAI).
He has written articles and papers for national and international publications on issues related to agro-industrial trade, negotiations, dispute resolution, sustainable development, food security, among others. He has worked as a consultant for international institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the World Bank, and such as the Provincial Agricultural Services Program (PROSAP) and the Institute for the Promotion of Argentine Beef (IPCVA).
He is a professor at the Austral University (Legal Regime of Agribusiness), at the National University of La Plata (International Trade) and the University of Tres de Febrero (Geographical Indications). He has been a speaker at various conferences and conferences (Bolsa de Cereales, IFPRI, ACSOJA, MAIZAR, CARI) and visiting professor at various universities (UBA, UNTREF, UNLP, UCA, UNLPam).
He is a Consultant member of the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI), member of the Forum of Lawyers for International Trade of Argentina (FACIA) and president of the Environment and Energy Commission of ICC Argentina.
He has a Law Degree (UNLP), a Master's Degree in International Relations (Thesis pending) from the Institute of International Relations (IRI, UNLP) and is currently studying a Master's Degree in Law and Economics (UTDT).

NELSON ILLESCAS

PALOMA OCHOA
See CV

Magister in International Trade Relations (UNTREF), Degree in International Relations and Political Sciences (USAL). Currently works as consultant, trainer, researcher and professor in the areas of business development, international trade, economic and production integration, global value chains and competitive intelligence. She is in charge of the Research area and of the Virtual Library of the ICBC Foundation. She gained her experience in the public and private sectors and in academia.
She is Thesis Coordinator in the Master’s Course in International Business at UCES and in the Master’s Course in International Trade Relations at Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero, in charge of the Thesis Workshop at the Master’s Course in International Business (UCES) and professor in charge of professional relations activities. She is professor at the Bi-national UCES-FH Master’s Course in Mainz (Germany). Professor of Internationalization of Companies at the Master’s Course in International Trade (UNQ) and Professor of International Relations Systems and of the Thesis Workshop at the Master’s Course in International Relations (Universidad del Salvador). She is also an amateur actress. She is married and has two children.

PALOMA OCHOA

Alicia Chávez
See CV

Part of the Coordination Team, she is in charge of the production and dissemination of content through GPS social media. She is a Social Communicator specialized in marketing and audiovisual production. In Venezuela, she worked as a producer and scriptwriter for television media such as Globovisión and Vive TV. She was a columnist for cultural and social interest in the digital magazine Guayoyo en Letras, over time she specialized in writing and proofreading academic and creative texts, collaborating with other digital media. In Buenos Aires, Argentina, she worked at the regional agricultural source writing articles for digital media such as Reporte Brasil, and collaborated as a consultant in the IICA communication team. She is a writer and published her first fiction novel in 2021. She is married and has a son.

Alicia Chávez

Carla Antonelli
See CV

She is currently a member of the Coordination Team as Executive Assistant to the General Coordinator of the Group of Producing Countries of the Southern Cone (GPS). She held the position of Executive Assistant in the Private Banking and Global Risk Management Solutions areas at the following institutions, respectively: ABN AMRO Bank, Representative Office of American Express Bank Intl. in Argentina, Wextork Finance, and Waterhouse Coopers. She received her bilingual high school degree at St. Mark’s College and her Certificate of Basic Knowledge of Portuguese from the Center of Brazilian Studies (CEB). She also took the following courses: Socratic Selling (COMMUNISPOND INC), People Skills & Style (AMACOM – American Management Association) and Situational leadership course (The Ken Blanchard Companies). She is married and has two children.

Carla Antonelli

Advisory council

HORACIO SANCHEZ CABALLERO
Head of the Advisory Council
See CV

Licenciado en Psicología graduado en la Universidad del Salvador – Cursos sobre Dirección General y Dirección Comercial en la Universidad Católica Argentina. Se desempeñó desde 1977 hasta 1996 en la empresa energética argentina ASTRA, formando parte del grupo controlante y del directorio de dicha firma hasta la venta de la Compañía a Repsol en 1996. En la actualidad es miembro y consejero del Consejo Argentino de Relaciones Internacionales (CARI) se dedica a los Agro negocios y negocios inmobiliarios. Es miembro de la Bolsa de Cereales de Buenos Aires, Bolsa de Comercio de Buenos Aires, Aapresid, Canning House(U.K), Royal Automobile Club ( UK), Naval and Military Club (UK).

HORACIO SANCHEZ CABALLERO

SERGIO ABREU
See CV

He is a Doctor in Law and Social Sciences – UDELAR and has a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Finance from the University of Southern California. He took courses at Southwestern Legal Foundation, University of Texas, Dallas; Center for International and Comparative Law and The Hague Academy of International Law. He served as Director of Administration and Finance at Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración (ALADI), as Foreign Affairs Minister, Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining and Senator of Argentina (1989-1995), (2004-2010), (2010-2015), Chairman of the Uruguay Round of GATT and Chairman of Consejo Uruguayo para las Relaciones Internacionales (CURI) (Uruguayan Council for International Relations). He is Professor of the Master’s course in International Relations – Universidad de Montevideo, Professor of the Master’s Course in International Relations – UDELAR, Member of the Inter-American Federation of Lawyers, of Consejo Argentino de Relaciones Internacionales (Argentine Council of International Relations) (CARI) and of the National Academy of Economics. He has authored several books and publications.

SERGIO ABREU

LUIS BAMEULE
See CV

Degree in Business Administration (UCA). Chairman of Agritur San Luis S.A. (an agricultural and cattle-breeding undertaking under irrigation in the province of San Luis). Heads agricultural enterprises and real-estate developments in Uruguay. Former chairman of Quickfood SA (a company established by his father – leading brands: Paty and Patyviena). Former chairman of the Asociación Cristiana de Dirigentes de Empresa (ACDE) (Christian Enterprise Managers’ Association). He is currently a member of the Boards of Fundación Producir Conservando, Fundación Libertad y Progreso, Fundación Carlos Pellegrini and Banco de Alimentos (Food Bank). Member of the Board of Directors of Sociedad Rural Argentina. Member of the Buenos Aires Rotary Club. 69 years old, 6 children and 12 grandchildren.

LUIS BAMEULE

CIRO ECHESORTU
See CV

He recently put an end to a 30-year career with the Louis Dreyfus group. He is Executive Director of TLG, an investment fund manager with interests in the Energy, Pharmaceutical, Financial and Real Estate sectors, and of Ceibos-Group, with agricultural operations in Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia. He is the founder of Irradia, an NGO that promotes development initiatives in Latin America, Member of the GPS Support Committee in Argentina and the Region, Director of Pearson College UWC of the Pacific in Canada and member of the Support Committee of the School of Biomedical Sciences of Universidad Austral and the Austral Hospital. He has established several online start-ups. Ciro has held the positions of director in charge of strategy at the Louis Dreyfus Group, CEO of the Louis Dreyfus Commodities Group, Chairman and COO of the Group, Regional CEO for Southern Latin America, CEO for Argentina and Responsible for Oilseeds at the global level at Louis Dreyfus Commodities. He has worked at Cresud (Soros/IRSA), where he was in charge of development and markets, and as a consultant with Deloitte. He was President of the Grain Exporters Center (CED) and of the Oil Industry Trade Association (CIARA), as well as chairman of the Argentine Committee of United World Colleges. He holds at degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Guelph, in Canada. He is married, and has four children.

CIRO ECHESORTU

MARTIN PIÑEIRO
See CV

Agronomist, University of Buenos Aires, Master of Science (Agronomy), Iowa State University and Ph.D. (Agricultural Economics), University of California, USA. Presently: Director GrupoCeo, Chair of the Committee on Agriculture of the Argentine Council of International Relations (CARI), Argentina. Member of the GPS and Special advicer to FAOs Director General. Formerly: Undersecretary, for Agriculture, Argentina. Director General of the Interamerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). Member of the International Commission for the Recovery and Development of Central America (Sanford Commission). Member of the Council of Higher Education, Government of Argentina. Member Board of Trustees and Chair of Program Committee of the International Service for Agricultural Research (ISNAR). Member Board of Trustees and Chair of the Board International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Consultant to the World Bank, BID, FAO, FIDA, the Interamerican Foundation, CGIAR and the Ford Foundation. He has published 10 books and more than 100 papers about development, agricultural policies, and institutional development.

MARTIN PIÑEIRO

ROBERTO RODRIGUES
See CV

Agronomist graduated from ESALQ ‑ USP. Coordinator of the Agribusiness Center at Fundação Getúlio Vargas, he has hundreds of published works on agriculture, cooperatives and rural economy. Author of ten books and co-author of several others. Doctor Honoris Causa from UNESP. He is a member of the Advisory Board of FECAP, President of the Advisory Board of ESALQSHOW, a member of the Advisory Board of ESALQ, a member of the Advisory Board of Japan House and a Member of the Brazil / Japan Entrepreneurs Group – Wise Men Group. He received the Paulista Medal of Scientific and Technological Merit, the Commendation of the National Order of Scientific Merit, was decorated by the Agronomic Institute of Campinas and by the Biological Institute of São Paulo. He was elected by AEASP as Agronomist Engineer of the year in 1987 and Agronomist Engineer of the decade, in 2004. He received the Diploma of Agronomic Merit from the Confederation of Federations of Agronomists – CONFAEAB, in 2001 and the “Luiz de Queiroz” Medal, from ESALQ, in 2004. He was a rural entrepreneur in São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Maranhão. He was Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (January 2003 to June 2006). He was President of the Brazilian Agribusiness Association – ABAG, of the Brazilian Rural Society – SRB and of the Superior Agribusiness Council of FIESP – COSAG. He is currently a member of different boards of companies and institutions directly or indirectly linked to agro.

ROBERTO RODRIGUES

GUILLERMO V. GALMES
See CV

Ambassador Guillermo Valles Galmes (1955) is a career diplomat with over 40 years of professional experience; Mr. Valles has served in Japan, Argentina and China, European Union, Belgium, Luxembourg and U.N. and WTO in Geneva. He has held several relevant political positions, including Deputy and Acting Foreign Minister of Uruguay. He served for the U.N. as Director of Division of International Trade (UNCTAD).Mr. Valles has participated in numerous bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations, including those leading to the establishment of Mercosur, the conclusion of the Uruguay Round and the launching of the Mercosur-EU trade talks and the Doha Round. He chaired negotiations on WTO Rules for six years and is a frequent panel member in the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism. He graduated from the School of Law of the Universidad de la República in Uruguay with the title of Doctor in Diplomacy and has received decorations from Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Italy , and recognition for services from the Russian Federation and WWF.

GUILLERMO V. GALMES

CAROLA B. RAMÓN
See CV

PhD & Master en Economía Latinoamericana e Integración Regional de la Universidad de Londres; Master en Economía de la Universidad del CEMA y Licenciada en Economía por la USAL. También asistió a varios cursos especializados en Bélgica, China e Inglaterra.
Vivió diez años en Londres y tres en Hong Kong, donde trabajó en el Asia Case Research Center de la Universidad de Hong Kong y estudió chino mandarín.
En 2008 regresó a Argentina, y se unió al CARI (Consejo Argentino de Relaciones Internacionales), donde se desempeñó como Tesorera, Miembro del Comité Ejecutivo, Directora y Miembro del Comité de Estudios Latinoamericanos, Miembro del Comité de Asuntos Corporativos Internacionales, Miembro del Comité de Asuntos Asiáticos, y Miembro y Coordinadora del Grupo de Trabajo de China.
Profesora a nivel de Maestría, Postgrado y Postgrado en numerosas universidades; también participa regularmente en conferencias, seminarios, publicaciones y entrevistas en diversos medios, tanto en Argentina como en el exterior.
La Dra. Ramón habla inglés nativo, francés con fluidez y tiene un nivel intermedio de chino mandarín, portugués y conocimientos de holandés.
Fue Subsecretaria de Negociaciones Económicas Multilaterales y Bilaterales en el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Internacional y Culto de Argentina desde diciembre de 2019 hasta agosto de 2022, cuando ingresó al Ministerio de Economía como Subsecretaria de Planificación Federal, cargo que desempeño hasta fines de abril de 2023.
Ha sido elegida por el Comité Ejecutivo del CARI como vicepresidenta para el periodo 2023-2026 – cargo que ocupa desde octubre de 2023. Carola es la primera mujer en 45 años en ocupar este cargo dentro del CARI.

CAROLA B. RAMÓN