Kenyan feted among 2026 top agri-food pioneers

Dr Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg, Managing Director for Africa at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, during the award ceremony in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. [Courtesy]

Kenyan academic and executive Dr Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg has been named one of the World Food Prize Foundation’s 2026 Top Agri-food Pioneers (TAP).

The announcement was made during the 2026 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, a landmark event that coincided with the Foundation’s 40th anniversary.

Dr Wanjiru joined a select global cohort of 40 innovators recognised for deploying high-impact solutions to combat global food and nutrition insecurity.

As the Managing Director for Africa at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT—a member of the global CGIAR research partnership—Dr Wanjiru has built a career centred on a critical question: who gets to lead the transformation of Africa's food systems?

Her selection to the TAP list honours her distinct approach to answering that question, which blends rigorous scientific research with policy, philanthropy, and grassroots empowerment.

Dr Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg, Managing Director for Africa at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. [Courtesy]

“Transforming food systems requires more than scientific breakthroughs. It requires investing in people, strengthening institutions, and ensuring that innovation responds to the realities of the communities it is intended to serve,” she said.

The World Food Prize Foundation particularly highlighted her extensive capacity-building work, especially her efforts to champion and elevate African women scientists.

By expanding opportunities for women to shape research priorities and secure leadership roles, her initiatives ensure that agricultural innovation on the continent is both rigorous and socially inclusive.

Reflecting on the honour, Dr Wanjiru emphasised that technology alone cannot solve the continent's climate and hunger crises. She noted that true transformation requires moving beyond mere scientific breakthroughs to invest deeply in human capital, strengthen local institutions, and ensure that innovations directly respond to the daily realities of the farming communities they are designed to serve.

Dr Wanjiru expressed her gratitude for the recognition and optimism about the exchanges and outcomes of the dialogue, which brought together scientists, policymakers, investors and practitioners working on global food and nutrition security.