Simone Sala
Leading international expert in the application of digital technologies for agriculture and sustainability.
Dr. Simone Sala is a leading international expert in the application of digital technologies for agriculture and sustainability. With extensive expertise at the intersection of digital technologies and sustainable development, he has advised governments, business companies, and civil society organizations across 20 countries spanning Europe, the Americas, Asia, and SubSaharan Africa. Originally trained in computer science at the University of Milan, Dr. Sala earned his Ph.D. from its Faculty of Agriculture, focusing on the application of ICT to food security and climate adaptation. He carried out postdoctoral research at Columbia University’s Center for International Conflict Resolution, the NewMinE Lab at Università della Svizzera italiana, and back at the University of Milan.
Dr. Sala designed and implemented information systems to support agricultural and environmental policy-making as well as digital solutions to provide advisory services to smallholder farmers and rural people in several countries. He provided strategic support to FAO and IFAD to develop their corporate digital strategies, pilot the implementation of new initiatives in this space, and formulate investments in the area of digital agriculture with partner Development Banks. He advised European Union delegates in the area of digital agriculture, supporting the development of digital agricultural strategies in Sri Lanka and Guatemala.
Since 2021, Dr. Simone Sala has been a director at Yara, where he was part of a unit tasked to
develop solutions for farm- and field-level data exchange. In 2022, this initiative evolved into Varda, a standalone company, where he led the design and development of SoilHive, an innovative platform that enables the global discovery, comparison, and exchange of soil data. In 2025 he became the Executive Director of the Varda Foundation, following its transformation into a technology nonprofit organization committed to advancing open, interoperable data systems for agriculture and the environment.
Simone Sala
Leading international expert in the application of digital technologies for agriculture and sustainability.
Dr. Simone Sala is a leading international expert in the application of digital technologies for agriculture and sustainability. With extensive expertise at the intersection of digital technologies and sustainable development, he has advised governments, business companies, and civil society organizations across 20 countries spanning Europe, the Americas, Asia, and SubSaharan Africa. Originally trained in computer science at the University of Milan, Dr. Sala earned his Ph.D. from its Faculty of Agriculture, focusing on the application of ICT to food security and climate adaptation. He carried out postdoctoral research at Columbia University’s Center for International Conflict Resolution, the NewMinE Lab at Università della Svizzera italiana, and back at the University of Milan.
Dr. Sala designed and implemented information systems to support agricultural and environmental policy-making as well as digital solutions to provide advisory services to smallholder farmers and rural people in several countries. He provided strategic support to FAO and IFAD to develop their corporate digital strategies, pilot the implementation of new initiatives in this space, and formulate investments in the area of digital agriculture with partner Development Banks. He advised European Union delegates in the area of digital agriculture, supporting the development of digital agricultural strategies in Sri Lanka and Guatemala.
Since 2021, Dr. Simone Sala has been a director at Yara, where he was part of a unit tasked to
develop solutions for farm- and field-level data exchange. In 2022, this initiative evolved into Varda, a standalone company, where he led the design and development of SoilHive, an innovative platform that enables the global discovery, comparison, and exchange of soil data. In 2025 he became the Executive Director of the Varda Foundation, following its transformation into a technology nonprofit organization committed to advancing open, interoperable data systems for agriculture and the environment.
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