International Development Sector Executive and former Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development at African Development Bank Group

Dr. Beth Dunford, a national of the United States, is an internationally recognized development sector professional who most recently served as the African Development Bank Group’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development. In that role, Dr. Dunford was responsible for the Bank’s strategy, lending and other activities in the agriculture, water and sanitation, human capital, education and health sectors. She also covered Bank-wide work on employment, civil society and gender equity.

Dr. Dunford’s Bank portfolio, averaging approximately $2.5 billion in lending annually, included overseeing implementation of the Dakar 2 Summit Food and Agriculture Delivery Compacts designed to unlock Africa’s food production potential. She also managed implementation of the $1.5 billion African Emergency Food Production Facility that supports 20 million African smallholder farmers to produce more food in the wake of recent global food supply disruptions.

Dr. Dunford also led the massive scale up of the Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa: currently disbursing financing in 45 African countries and partnered with 185 financial institutions, the initiative on track to unlock $5 billion in funding for 30,000 women-owned and led businesses by 2026.

Prior to the Bank, Dr. Dunford worked as Assistant to the Administrator in the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, and as Deputy Coordinator for Development for “Feed the Future,” the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative.

She has held senior-level leadership positions in the U.S. government where she managed large programs working with the private sector, civil society and multilateral institutions, including USAID Mission Director for Nepal and Senior Development Advisor, Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.