Justin Zahra
Senior Director, EU Agriculture Program
Work
Areas of expertise:
EU Agriculture, Common Agricultural Policy, Climate-Smart Ag
Description
Justin leads EDF’s work on Climate-Smart Agriculture in the Europe Region. Our program involves:
- Policy advocacy on livestock emissions (dairy)
- Corporate engagement to raise awareness and drive solutions for methane mitigation and supply chain resilience in Europe
- Public and private financing of solutions to address ag emissions (incl CAP incentives)
- Innovation and emerging tech and solutions to help all farmers adapt and secure their livelihoods
Background
Justin Zahra leads Environmental Defense Fund Europe’s efforts on Climate-Smart Farming in Europe. A lawyer and former senior civil servant, he served for 19 years through his expertise in EU Agriculture Policy & Implementation, particularly through various reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Previously, Justin served in Malta’s Agriculture Ministry since 2003, overseeing the Paying Agency for EU Agriculture and Rural Development funds as Director-General and Director of the Agriculture Department. He represented Malta at high-level at the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) at the Council of Ministers in Brussels, and internationally at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the Governing Board of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM).