Opening address
We welcome Jakob Granit, director-general at Sida as opening speaker at Agri4D 2025.
Daniel Liljeberg is currently State Secretary to Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren at the Ministry of Rural Affairs and Infrastructure. A member of the Christian Democrats, he has over 20 years of experience in economic policy and political advisory roles.
Daniel Liljeberg began his career in 2000 as a Political Adviser at the Christian Democrats Parliamentary Secretariat, later serving in advisory roles at the Ministries of Finance and Health and Social Affairs. He has also held senior economic positions at the Swedish Homeowners Association and Svensk Dagligvaruhandel.
From 2022 onward, he has served as State Secretary in three ministries: Enterprise and Innovation, Climate and Enterprise, and now Rural Affairs and Infrastructure. He holds a degree in Economics and Business Administration from Lund University.
Jakob Granit, Director-General, Sida
Dr Jakob Granit is the Director-General of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) since September 2023.
Prior to taking on this position, Dr Granit was the Director-General at the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, the Swedish national government agency responsible for delivering on the blue economy in the areas of water, ocean- and fisheries management, for seven years.
Dr Granit is an experienced leader, manager and researcher in the area of sustainable development. He has 30 years of global experience working with freshwater and ocean management issues from the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility Scientific and Technical Panel (STAP) and Sida including applied research, policy and management experience at the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Stockholm International Water Management Institute. Dr Granit was appointed Chair of the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
Dr Granit holds a Ph.D. in Physical Geography, from Stockholm University. He has published over 50 research papers and reports spanning a broad range of topics in the area of sustainable development. He has a strong interest in innovation, business development and digitalization to support sustainable development, green and blue growth.
Dr Granit has extensive work experience from Sweden, Europe, Eastern & Southern Africa, the Middle East and the U.S and regionally in the Southern Oceans and the Baltic Sea. He has worked and lived abroad in Singapore, Zimbabwe, USA and Belgium.