Okuonzia Tomma Judith is a Pedologist with 10+ years of professional experience in Adaptive Research, Soil characterization, soil mapping, soil water conservation, Climate change mitigation and adaptation, agroforestry, Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration, Natural Resources Management, Partnership Management and Participatory Integrated Planning.

She has worked with NARO, Gulu and Busitema Universities in the research and academic fields and Netherlands Development Cooperation (SNV), CARE international and World Vision International in Humanitarian and Development nexus. Therefore, she has extensive experience in adaptive Research, Academia, Humanitarian and Development nexus using gender transformative approaches for rural empowerment. She has undertaken research in Sustainable land Management (SLM), Agroforestry and soil fertility management, Soil mapping and classification, soil erosion and sedimentation management across the Eastern region (Tanzania, South Sudan and Uganda).

Okuonzia Tomma Judith hold a Master of Science in Physical Land Resources (Soil Science) from Ghent University Belgium and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Land Use and Management from Makerere University.

Dr Sarah E. Edewor has a PhD in Agricultural Economics. She is an Agricultural Consultant with experience of over 12 years. She is a Structural Transformation of African and Asian Agriculture and Rural Spaces (STAAARS+) program Fellow of the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University USA and an AWARD One Planet Laureate Candidate. Her passion for research has fueled her contribution to various national and international projects such as the EDULINK II ECIATA – Enhancing of Capacities on International Trade Agreements for Development of Regional Agriculture and Food Market, Cassava: Adding Value to Africa (CAVA II) Project Evaluation Survey, Country-Led Situational Analysis and Economic Impact of Aflatoxins in Nigeria for Partnership for Aflatoxin Control and the RAAF-PASANAO Project on  Incentivising Adoption of Climate Smart Practices in Cereals Production in Nigeria: A Sociocultural and Economic Diagnosis” {Funded by Regional Agency for Agriculture (RAAF) and the Support Programme for Food and Nutrition Security in West Africa. She has been a consultant to Climate Check Corporation, Canada, Global Program Green Innovation Centre for the Agriculture and Food Sector (GIAE) Nigeria, and African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), amongst others. Her expertise encompasses international trade, development studies, poverty, climate change, food security, innovation, land tenure welfare and gender studies. She is multidisciplinary research-oriented with proficiency in both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Her vision is to see the number of people living below the poverty line reduce especially in Africa where traditional farming systems, poverty and food insecurity remains very high.

I have experience in basic and applied scientific research in agriculture, i.e., over 10 years at the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR). I hold a Bachelor of Science Degree in Horticulture from Ambo University and a Master of Science Degree in Crop Protection (Plant Pathology) from Hawassa University in Ethiopia. I have been working at EIAR as an Associate Researcher and currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Crop Protection (Specialization-Phytopathology) at Selcuk University, Turkey.

I am an energetic and proactive young researcher, a highly dependable person, and able to work in a group environment, in multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams in different circumstances by being on good terms with my subordinates and management staff. I am also a self-motivated, dynamic, innovative, and hard-working person, working under pressure with smallholder farmers with experience in research communication, project development, proposal writing, collecting, managing, manipulating, analyzing, and interpreting data in scientific research reporting. I have advanced knowledge and skills in plant protection in general and particularly phytopathology (plant health-related research), plant disease diagnosis and management, integrated pest management, biocontrol of phytopathogens, and biopesticide development.

My passion is helping smallholder farmers and contributing to sustainable agriculture by developing viable pest management options through scientific research. I’m also passionate about applying practicable, cutting-edge science in agriculture to improve the four pillars of food security: access, availability, utilization, and stability—by implementing suitable climate-smart practices.

Elizabeth is an agricultural and rural development professional with over a decade ofwork experience. She works at Makerere University as the project manager for the Gender-responsive Researchers Equipped for Agricultural Transformation (GREAT) project, and as an Assistant lecturer (part-time). She also supports the Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (UFAAS) in Communication and Knowledge Management. Before joining the GREAT, Elizabeth worked as a Research Assistant on various projects including International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Uganda Policy Action for Sustainable Intensification of Cropping Systems (PASIC) Project, Makerere – IDRC Engendering Agricultural research project. Previously she worked in the Private sector as a sales agronomist of an agro inputs importing and distributing company.

In her various roles in agricultural research and development, Elizabeth’s professional expertise and interest includes participatory community engagement, social and gender research employing qualitative and quantitative approaches, grant writing, contract management, communications strategy development and implementation, and knowledge management. She is particularly passionate about the innovative potential of ICTs for Agriculture, food and nutrition security, and adult learning. With her unyielding dedication and charisma, Elizabeth is excellent at inspiring teams to deliver tasks. Her hobbies include photo/videography and gardening.

Elizabeth holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Extension Education from Makerere University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management from the Uganda Management Institute, a Bachelor’s degree in Vocational Agriculture from Kyambogo University, and a Certificate in Knowledge Management for Sustainable Development from the KM4AgDChallenge 2021 (FARA, AFAAS, ASARECA, CORAF, CCARDESA, K4DP).

Contact email: alizeff@yahoo.com

Rokiatou Traoré is a green entrepreneur committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals with a focus on Mali. Rokiatou is very involved in development issues related to poverty, especially among women and youth, climate change, desertification and soil erosion, malnutrition of children and lactating women and food insecurity in general. She advocates for the empowerment of women and youth in rural Africa. She has founded Herou Alliance with her late husband with an objective of creating economic, environmental and social impacts in Mali via an inclusive value chain around agroforestry products such as Moringa.

This social entreprise aims to develop an inclusive value chain of Moringa integrating women and youth in the process. By 2030, she plans to create a network of millions of women Moringa producers, plant 10 million Moringa trees, and export Moringa-based products to the national, regional and international markets. Today, it has nearly a hundred trained women Moringa producers, more than 20,000 Moringa trees in the Koulikoro region and exports 100% organic Moringa teas, powders, oils, soaps, spices and baby food to more than seven countries. In 2023, she produced a seedling of  150,000 Moringa trees for 5000 women and young farmers. According to her, “Nothing is impossible to achieve with an unwavering will”. She continues to build strategic partnerships around the world to achieve her sustainability goals.

She received many international and national awards and distinctions such as theUNCCD L land accelerator, world economic forum’s one trillion trees programme , the Desertech innovation, access agriculture’s entrepreneur for rural areas, the US department’s flagship program Mandela Washington fellowship, one planet fellowship and africa innovation fellowship .

Patrick Omony holds a Master of Science in Agroecology, a Bachelor of Science in Organic Agriculture, and a Diploma in Animal Production and Management. He brings a wealth of experience in agricultural development, particularly within Uganda’s agroecological market systems. Patrick’s career spans various roles, including Program Manager, Value Chain Specialist, and Project Coordinator, where he has demonstrated a strong ability to design, implement, and manage projects that enhance crop productivity, market linkages, and sustainable farming practices.

Currently, Patrick is pursuing a PhD in Agricultural and Rural Innovation at Makerere University, where he continues to build on his expertise in agroecology, research, and community engagement. His deep understanding of farming systems, livelihood analysis, and climate risk reduction, combined with his proven track record in capacity building for farmer groups, positions him as an invaluable asset to any agroecological initiative.

Désiré Hakizimana is an East African from Burundi,  an agribusiness specialist with over 14 years of experience in agribusiness market research, value chain analysis, and project evaluation. He has worked extensively in the agricultural sector at the EAC level, focusing on program design, evaluation, and market research. He is a skilled data analyst with over 10 years of experience handling socio-economic data. Désiré holds an MBA in Agribusiness from South Carolina State University, a Master’s in Monitoring and Evaluation from Uganda Management and Technology University, and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Ngozi-Burundi University. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Agriculture and Rural Innovation from Makerere University.

Désiré Hakizimana is married and a father of three boys. He has recently developed a hobby of applying robotics and artificial intelligence to the agricultural sector.

RUN-TOWARD-THE-FIRE EXECUTIVE- Dedicated, hard-working and self-motivated professional with over twelve years of agricultural operations and Project management experience. Very articulate, confident team player who can motivate and communicate towards achieving exceptional Business results.

Quickly identifies untapped opportunities that enable stunning organisational turnarounds. Respected for stopping ineffective practices and progressing teams beyond their comfort zones to achieve unprecedented results. Highly ethical and passionate about creating success for all stakeholders through deliberative decision-making. Valued for building and coaching top-performing teams with a clear vision and a servant-leader mentality. Providing accessible leadership to multi-disciplinary teams (remote and in-person) with a flare of identifying and nurturing talent.

Experienced Rural and Agriculture Development Expert, with a special focus in managing Agriculture investment portfolios, including in conflict and post-conflict contexts. Demonstrated skills in structuring catalytic funds that leverage investment financing from commercial banks. Dynamic Strategic Lead. Skilled in policy analysis, management, and supervision with a strong focus on results and risk mitigation. Strong business development with solid results in initiating and coordinating corporate, Regional, country and portfolio-level partnerships.