Elías Fereres Castiel is a world-reknown scientist with extensive expertise in directing research, designing research public policies and brings an extensive experience in government relations.

He has a doctorate in Agronomy Engineering from the Polytechnical University of Madrid, Spain and a Ph.D (Ecology) from the University of California, Davis. His professional interests are in agriculture and food production with emphasis on resource use efficiency and the sustainability of water-limited agriculture. Ten years at UC Davis (the last six as lecturer and outreach specialist in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources); currently, emeritus Professor at the University of Cordoba, Spain, and researcher, Institute for Sustainable Agriculture-CSIC. He has been President, Scientific Research Council of Spain (CSIC); Secretary of State for Universities and Research of the Government of Spain; Director, Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (CSIC, Cordoba); and he is a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering of Spain of which he has been President in two periods, 1994-2003 and 2011-2019. He has published over 150 articles in refereed, international journals on various aspects of water-limited agricultural systems that have received over 24,500 citations (h=80, GS). He has conducted numerous foreign assignments in more than 30 countries for short term consultancy in an advisory capacity, primarily for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. He was elected as member of European Academy of Engineering in 2018.