Dr. Agnes Kalibata

Dr. Agnes Kalibata has been the President of AGRA since 2014, leading efforts to achieve a food-secure and prosperous Africa by driving sustainable agricultural growth and improving the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. From 2019 to 2021, she served as the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the 2021 Food Systems Summit, launching a global effort to transform food systems in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement. 

Before joining AGRA, Dr. Kalibata was Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) from 2008 to 2014, where she spearheaded initiatives that led to Rwanda’s transition from food insecurity to becoming a model of agricultural transformation. An accomplished agricultural scientist and policymaker, Dr. Kalibata holds a PhD in Entomology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She sits on numerous boards and commissions, including the Global Commission on Adaptation, the Global Panel for Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, and the Malabo-Montpellier Panel. 

Dr. Kalibata has received several prestigious awards, such as the Yara Prize (now the Africa Food Prize), honorary doctorates from the University of Liège and McGill University, and the Public Welfare Medal from the National Academy of Sciences. In 2023, she was appointed to the Advisory Committee of COP28, where she contributes to global climate change strategies. Her leadership continues to shape agricultural policy, food security, and climate action across Africa and globally.