Nepal's Khem Bahadur Pathak re-elected to WFO board

KATHMANDU: Khem Bahadur Pathak of Nepal has been elected for a second term to the Board of Directors of the World Farmers' Organisation (WFO), representing Asian countries.

Pathak was unanimously elected for a two-year term during elections held at the WFO General Assembly and annual meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, from June 8 to 11, 2026. Members from Asia cited his contributions to rural economic and social change in Nepal, efforts to reduce poverty, and advocacy for the rights and welfare of small farmers.

The General Assembly also elected a new executive committee for the next two years. Dr Daniel Mwendah M'Mailutha of Kenya was elected president, and Fiona Simson of Australia was elected vice president.

Other board members announced at the meeting include Gunsham Seeborun of Mauritius for Africa, Pieter Verhelst of Belgium for Europe, Rob Larew of West Virginia, the US, for North America, and Eloisa Frederking for Latin America.

Pathak was previously elected to the WFO board in 2024. He is the founding chairman and current chief advisor of Nepal Agricultural Cooperative Central Federation (NACCFL), chairman of Sana Kisan Bikas Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha (SKBBL), and vice-chairperson of National Cooperative Federation of Nepal. He is a prominent leader in Nepal’s cooperative movement.

His recognitions include the 'Prabal Janasewa Shree Chaturtha' and the 'Cooperative Award' from the Government of Nepal, the 'Inspirational Cooperative Leader' award from the International Co-operative Alliance Asia-Pacific, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Partnership Award received by the Agricultural Central Federation in Rome in 2023.

More than 1,000 farmer leaders, policymakers and agricultural experts from over 90 countries attended the meeting in Nairobi.