Matty Demont, PhD, is Principal Scientist for Market & Food Systems Research at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines, where he leads the Inclusive Markets & Value Chains Research Unit. With over two decades of experience across Europe, Africa, and Asia, he specializes in food system transformation and market-driven innovation. As CGIAR’s Lead for Market Intelligence, he steers the global Genetic Innovation portfolio, ensuring inclusive and high-impact R&D through strategic product design and prioritization. From 2007 to 2013, Matty pioneered policy research on rice value chain modernization at the Africa Rice Center in Senegal, gaining extensive field experience through surveys, value chain analyses, and behavioral experiments with stakeholders across the food system. His contributions earned him the Louis Malassis International Scientific Prize (Agropolis Fondation, France) and the T.W. Schultz Award (International Association of Agricultural Economists) in 2012. He holds a PhD from KU Leuven, Belgium, where he also conducted postdoctoral research on European biotechnology policy. Matty serves on the Editorial Board of Global Food Security, has published widely in academic and popular outlets, and is a frequent speaker at international conferences.