Enock Chikava
Deputy Director, Ag. Development, Global Growth & Opportunity at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Enock Chikava is Deputy Director, Agricultural Development, Global Growth & Opportunity, at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) based in Seattle, USA. He heads up the IDEAS (Innovations that Drive Effective Agricultural Systems) team. The team develops innovative tools, solutions, and business models that could more cost-effectively deliver products, services, and practices in seed systems, soil health, agronomy, and fertilizer enabled by digital and finance to reach Smallholder farmers at scale.
Enock trained in Agricultural Economics and Business Strategy, with 25-years’ experience in Agriculture. His career spurns from Farmer Organizations, Private sector Seed Industry; Agribusiness and Food Processing and now Philanthropy. Enock Chikava was in the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) board for 8 years and is the past President of AFSTA for the period, 2010-2012.
Enock was raised on a smallholder farm (4ha) in a family of eleven and has dedicated his life to work towards the success of smallholder farmers as they use technology to raise productivity, incomes, nutrition and economically empower themselves.