Paul Nicholson

Paul Nicholson is Head of Rice Research and Sustainability at Olam Agri, where he leads the company’s sustainable rice programmes across Asia, including key rice-producing markets such as Thailand, India and Vietnam. He works closely with public and private sector partners to advance sustainable agricultural practices, strengthen farmer livelihoods and drive positive environmental and social impact across rice-growing communities.

He also oversees outgrower programmes involving more than 28,000 farmers across Asia, supporting farmer capacity building, improved agricultural productivity and more resilient supply chains.

With extensive experience in global commodity markets, Paul began his career at the International Monetary Fund as a Senior Commodities Analyst before serving as Executive Director of the Texas Pension Review Board, overseeing 400 pension plans valued at US$200 billion. He subsequently joined Kraft Foods (including Mondelez), where he headed Global Commodity Research, supporting price forecasting and procurement strategies for US$17 billion in commodities.

Paul has served on the Board of the Sustainable Rice Platform and contributed to various carbon advisory committees, including Verra’s Scope 3 transformation initiative. He also leads Olam Agri’s engagement with AtSource, the company’s sustainability insights platform.