Florence Wambugu

Florence Wambugu is the Founding Director and CEO of Africa Harvest since 2002. She is a plant pathologist with specialization in virology and genetic engineering. She holds a PhD from the University of Bath, UK, and has conducted postdoctoral research at the Monsanto Life Sciences Center, USA.

She has successfully provided leadership in public/private partnership and scientific consortium for the implementation of various major projects for crops and tree improvement. For over 30 years, she has dedicated her life to agricultural research where she’s made significant contributions to the improvement of sorghum, maize, pyrethrum, banana and sweet potato with significant impact on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

She holds several awards and honors from local and international institutions in recognition of her work in Africa including first place medal winner in Global Development Network Awards under science and technology category in Year 2000 for the TC banana project impact.

She participated in Key Boards including Member of DuPont Biotech Advisory Panel-USA, International Plant Genetic Research Institute, UN Millennium Development goals Hunger Task Force, The Science Board of Bill and Melinda Gates Global Health Challenge and as a Council Member of the Science Technology and Society of Japan.