
ANNA CANTAFORA
Program Developer & Coordinator
ABOUT ME
I am an expert in tropical animal husbandry and production in sub-Saharan Africa. My specific interest lies in the milk chain development in urban and peri-urban contexts since my doctoral thesis, carried out in Cameroon.
I have been working on improving sustainable food systems and natural resources management in several Sahelian countries, first as a university researcher and then as a senior consultant for Italian and foreign NGOs and Foundations.
My professional experience and my passion for philosophy and psychology, lead me to intertwine scientific and humanistic culture as halves of a whole: scientists have the future in their blood by nature, humanists have their eyes turned to the past. For this reason, I have always placed great interest in ethics and ethology with a particular focus on the relationship between humans and animals, first in nomadic and transhumant realities of the Sahel farmers, currently in the Western context.
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« A toutes les époques et sous tous les climats, il n'est pas d'homme, si démuni fût-il, qui n'ait trouvé un animal pour l'aider à vivre. Ainsi se sont formés des couples de misère où les deux associés se liaient par un contrat qui leur permettait de s'entraider, de partager l'hostilité du monde, aussi bien parmi les glaces du pôle que dans les sables du désert »
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Philippe Diolé - Les animaux malades de l'homme, 1974
WORK EXPERIENCES
SENIOR CONSULTANT
2013Â -
Birdnest Garden Lodge - Gambia, Italy and Switzerland
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In charge of developing a training centre project in the hospitality sector in order to promote collaborations between business and charity activity.
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Fundraising activity with NGOs, foundations and private philanthropy in Switzerland and Italy.
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FarmStrong Foundation - Ivory Coast and Switzerland
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Responsible for negotiating and managing foundation's research activities by liaising with Swiss and Ivorian research centres/universities to improve the quality of nutrition of the cocoa farmers by introducing an integrated farming system which produced animal proteins through the re-cycling process of agriculture by-products and kitchen waste.
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Edited FSF project with the monetary value of 750.000 CHF for State Secretariat/Swiss Economic Affairs SECO.
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Veterinarians Without Borders NGO - Italy and Sahrawi Refugee Camp
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Developed and expanded nutritional programs for Sahrawi refugees by organising a dairy unit and laboratory for 300 litres/day of camel milk.
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Slow Food Foundation - Morocco, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda
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Responsible for providing technical assistance and vocational training on animal husbandry management to optimise Slow Food Presidia protocol of N’dama and Molo sheep, Ogyek honey chain and Longhorn Ankole cattle in accordance with scientific based evidence.
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Terre Solidali NGO - Niger
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Studied nutritional quality of animal feed available on the market in a renewable energy project.
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COOPI NGO - Chad
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In charge of leading resolution of critical conflicts/natural resource management related issues by performing several surveys, participative, and inclusive processes as well as recommending accurate practical recommendations to governmental ministries in Chad.
PROJECT
MANAGER
2014Â - 2016
​Tecnoalimenti - Italy
Directed negotiating and managing activities of industrial/academic research and development programs for authentic food-tech project designing, strategic management, and evaluation.
Obtained funds for several projects from national (Ministry, Regional Authorities) and international bodies (Framework Programmes of the European Commission, H2020 strategy).
Established agri-food corporate through start-up proposals and advanced business modelling.
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER
2007Â - 2013
​Università degli Studi di Milano - Niger, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Uruguay and Italy
Achieved cooperation between university and NGOs by establishing three dairy units: two in Niger and one in Cameroon and developing a number of lessons for university and vocational training courses.
Connected University with African and Italian enterprises in the agro-food sector to develop and stabilise economic estates of local entrepreneurship.
Responsible for improving the growth of the milk value chain from production to sale by identifying a sustainable economic model and risk-based food safety/quality control system.
Led cross-functional teams numbering from two to ten African employees and oversaw African and Italian six PhD students in order to build and promote work capabilities amongst the youth.
In charge of negotiating a wide range of major projects from inception to completion within time constraints with multiple budgets of 65.000 € to 1M €.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Sep 2015 - Apr 2016
HIGH TRAINING IN INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND AGRO-FOOD PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Università degli Studi di Milano
Italy
Nov 2003 - Jan 2007
DOCTORATE IN ANIMAL SCIENCE
Università degli Studi di Milano
Italy
Oct 1997 - Oct 2003
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN ANIMAL SCIENCE (SUMMA CUM LAUDE)
Università degli Studi di Milano
Italy
MAIN PUBLICATIONS
2021
Cantàfora A.F.A.
"De l'objet à l'être sensible: une vérité à enseigner"
Savoir Animal, Numéro 2, Etre Sensible
2018
Cantà fora A.F.A., Stella S., De Monte F., Kader A., Corti I., Crimella C.
"Hygienic evaluation of cow milk production in rural area of Say (Niger)"
International Journal of Food and Nutritional Sciences 7(1): 23-30
2013
Cantà fora A. F.A., De Monte F., Stella S., Zecchini M., Crimella C.
"Milk and dairy products supply to urban and periurban market in Niger by the creation of a cooperative dairy unit"
III Congresso scientifico CUCS
2011
Barbieri S., Brisacani C., Cantà fora A.F.A., Ferrante V., Grosso L.
"El bienestar animal: principio fundamental de la crìa agroecoligica"
Revista Argentina de Producction Animal 31(2): 165-170
2010
Grosso L., Barbieri S., Cantà fora A.F.A., Brisacani C., Ferrante V.
"L’utilizzo di piante medicinali negli allevamenti biologici famigliari in Uruguay"
ISBN 9788890347542
2010
Zecchini M. e Cantà fora A.F.A.
"Produrre latte in Africa sub sahariana"
ISBN 978-88-90427701
2009
Pistocchini E., Stella S., Belli P., Cantà fora A.F.A., Turini J., Zecchini M., Crimella C.
"Dairy production in periurban area of Niamey: milk quality and microbial contamination"
Tropical Animal Health and Production. Volume 41, 145-147. Number 2 / February, 2009
2007
Cantà fora A.F.A., Barbieri S., Crimella C.
"Dairy production in urban and periurban area of Extrême-Nord in Cameroon: milk yeld and microbial contamination"
Italian Journal of Animal Science, Volume 6 (Suppl. 1)
2007
Cantà fora A.F.A., Barbieri S., Martino P.A., Crimella C.
"The effect of a training course on milking hygiene in periurban area of Maroua, Cameroon"
The 12th International Conference of The Association of Institutions for Tropical VeterinaryMedicine
2005
Cantà fora A.F.A., Zecchini M., Vias G., Ilou I., Crimella C.
""Development of the milk chain in the periurban area of Niamey (Niger)"
Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development, Volume 99, n. 3/4
2005
Crimella C., Cantà fora A., Cefis A., Zecchini M.
"Periurban livestock for milk production in Africa. Niamey (Niger): a town study"
Italian Journal of Animal Science,Volume 4 (Suppl.2)
PHOTO GALLERY

























