Agriculture and the Global Food Crisis Plenary Session: Sir Bob Geldof in conversation with Khalid Bomba
Keynote address from musician, activist and founder of Live Aid, Sir Bob Geldof
Speakers
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Sir Bob GeldofMusician, Entrepreneur and Political ActivistSir Bob Geldof
Musician, Entrepreneur and Political Activist
Sir Bob Geldof, born in 1951, is a celebrated icon whose multifaceted talents and boundless passion have made him an inspiring figure across continents. With a career spanning business, music, activism, and philanthropy, he has become an international leader and global luminary, leaving a profound impact on culture and society.
He first rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Boomtown Rats during the 70s punk rock movement, with chart-topping hits like “Rat Trap,” “I Don’t Like Mondays,” and “Like Clockwork.” After success with the band, he pursued a remarkable solo career, leaving an indelible mark on music.
In 1984, a news report on the Ethiopian famine became the catalyst for his humanitarian work. He co-wrote the iconic “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and launched the Band Aid project, raising over three million record sales. This led to the historic Live Aid concert, which drew 1.6 billion people worldwide and raised more than $200 million for famine relief.
Beyond music, Sir Bob is an entrepreneurial leader and renowned keynote speaker. Drawing on his personal experiences, he inspires audiences across the world, weaving together stories of his artistic and philanthropic journey with insights into politics, humanitarian issues, and human rights.
His dedication to global betterment has earned him prestigious honours. Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize eight times, he is the most nominated living individual. Knighted by HM Queen Elizabeth II, he has also received the Nobel Man of Peace award from Mikhail Gorbachev, the North-South Human Rights Award in Portugal, and the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France.
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Khalid BombaChief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Development Sovereignty GroupKhalid Bomba
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Development Sovereignty Group
Khalid Bomba is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Development Sovereignty Group (DSG) a social enterprise which designs and implements contextualized major programs in Africa’s agricultural sector. Previously, Khalid spent nearly 15 years developing, implementing, and replicating the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) model, as an adaptation of the Nodal Agency concept from Asia. From 2010 to 2020, Khalid served as the Founding CEO of the Ethiopian ATA, the initial application of the Nodal Agency model in Africa, which an FAO impact assessment calculated to have contributed USD $1.7 billion to the Ethiopian economy, a more than 10x return on funds invested. During his tenure at the Ethiopian ATA, Khalid concurrently undertook academic studies to document the learnings from Ethiopia and explore the replicability of the model to other countries and contexts, earning an MSc from Oxford University and a PhD from University College London. In 2021 – 2023, Khalid supported the Governments of Sudan and Togo in establishing similar Transformation Agencies as part of the World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Khalid has also worked at the Mastercard Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he advised and designed programs intended to catalyze agrifood system transformation in Africa. Earlier in his career, Khalid held senior level and executive positions in other public and private sector institutions and began his career at JP Morgan, where he spent ten years as an investment banker working on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and sovereign debt issues in New York and London. In addition to his advanced degrees from Oxford University and University College London, Khalid earned an MSc from the London School of Economics in Development Studies and a BA in Economics and Political Science from Swarthmore College.