Dr. Gebisa Ejeta
Chair
Laureate Selection Committe
Dr. Gebisa Ejeta is a Distinguished Professor of Agronomy at Purdue University. He received the 2009 World Food Prize for his sorghum hybrids that are resistant to drought and the devastating weed Striga. His work dramatically increased the production and availability of the food supply for hundreds of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa. Combined with his persistent efforts to foster economic development and the empowerment of subsistence farmers through the creation of agricultural enterprises in rural Africa, he has had profound impacts on lives and livelihoods on a broader scale across the African continent.