Mozambique | Biological inputs for vegetable crops

2026 Top Agri-food Pioneers: Lourena Arone Maxwell

Lourena Arone Maxwell is an innovative plant pathologist and consortium architect advancing global crop protection and food security. As Founder and Project Lead of the WorldVeg–Biologicals Consortium, she unites researchers, industry leaders, policymakers and farmers to scale sustainable biological solutions across diverse farming systems. Through the consortium, Maxwell built a collaborative model that strengthens public-private partnerships to accelerate the development, validation and adoption of biological solutions, reducing pesticide dependence and improving farmer resilience. At the World Vegetable Center, she advances next-generation plant protection by integrating biological innovation, diagnostics and systems-based management. Her work combines biochar and biocontrol to improve soil and plant health. In Mozambique, she established the country’s first Plantwise plant clinics and supported the registration of its first biopesticide. A respected mentor, Maxwell continuously strengthens global plant health systems through sustainable biological crop protection.