Professor Rony Swennen on a banana field.
For millions of people across Africa, a healthy bunch of bananas on the farm or a bag of aflatoxin-free maize at the market may seem like ordinary sights. Yet behind these everyday realities are decades of scientific research, innovation, and partnerships dedicated to making food systems more productive, safer, and resilient.
That commitment to transforming agriculture has earned two scientists from IITA–CGIAR global recognition.
Professor Rony Swennen, IITA Banana Crop Lead, and Dr Alejandro Ortega-Beltran, Senior Plant Pathologist, have been named members of the 2026 Top Agri-food Pioneers (TAP) cohort by the World Food Prize (WFP) Foundation. The recognition forms part of the Foundation’s 40th anniversary celebrations and honors 40 exceptional individuals from 30 countries whose work is shaping the future of global food systems.
Although their scientific journeys have focused on different challenges, Professor Swennen and Dr Ortega-Beltran share a common goal: ensuring that farmers produce more, consumers eat safer food, and agricultural systems become more resilient in the face of growing global challenges.
Dr Alejandro Ortega-Beltran showing an Aflatoxin infected maize cob.
Banana research
For more than four decades, Professor Swennen has been at the forefront of banana and plantain research in Africa. Joining IITA in 1979, he built the plantain program from scratch and achieved what was once deemed impossible: breeding disease-resistant, high-yielding plantain hybrids in the 1980s.
At KU Leuven, he developed the first biotech bananas and led the transfer of the university’s banana collection into a CGIAR mandate collection, creating a living genebank that now supports research in 103 countries. Returning to IITA as Banana Crop Lead in 2013, he modernized the breeding pipeline, shrinking variety development from 35 years to just 10. His work enabled the release of Fusarium- and Sigatoka-resistant cooking bananas in Tanzania and Uganda.
Professor Rony Swennen pollinating banana flowers.
Swennen’s impact reaches beyond the lab. In Tanzania’s Kagera region, his varieties helped farmers produce 15% more bananas and generate an estimated $7 million in additional annual income.
“This prestigious recognition celebrates outstanding contributions to transforming food systems worldwide,” Professor Swennen said after his selection. “This achievement is due to devoted banana teamwork and support by IITA, services. Therefore, I want to thank you all for the past years and excellent work. We will celebrate this soon.”
His words reflect the collaborative spirit that defines IITA’s research model—bringing together breeders, molecular scientists, plant health experts, data specialists, technicians, extension partners, national agricultural research systems, farmers and supportive staff to deliver solutions that reach farmers.
Safer food
While Professor Swennen has focused on improving crop productivity, Dr Ortega-Beltran has dedicated his career to ensuring that the food reaching consumers is safe.
Dr Ortega-Beltran is a Senior Plant Pathologist at IITA-CGIAR, Ibadan, Nigeria. His research focuses on the control of diseases affecting economically important crops, with particular emphasis on aflatoxin management, plant pathology, food safety, and biological control technologies.
Following his PhD, Dr Ortega-Beltran worked as a postdoctoral scientist at the University of California, Davis (2013–2015), where he contributed to improving aflatoxin biocontrol technologies for California’s almond and pistachio industries.
Since joining IITA in 2016, he has played a leading role in the development, testing, registration, and transfer of Aflasafe®, a biological control technology designed to reduce aflatoxin contamination in crops such as maize and groundnut—These naturally occurring toxins pose serious health risks to humans and livestock while also limiting farmers’ access to premium markets.
Dr Alejandro Ortega-Beltran during a presentation on Aflasafe scaling impact.
He has contributed to 14 of the 17 aflatoxin biocontrol products registered globally and has helped scale their use across Africa.
This advanced innovative biological control technology has helped improve food safety, public health, and market access for farmers while strengthening food safety systems and protecting livelihoods in Africa.
His research demonstrates that improving food systems is not only about producing more food, but also about ensuring that the food produced is safe, nutritious, and marketable.
Recognition of science with impact
Congratulating both scientists, IITA Director General and CGIAR Continental Director for Africa, Dr Simeon Ehui described the recognition as a reflection of scientific excellence and the institute’s enduring commitment to agricultural transformation.
“Their selection is a testament to their scientific excellence, dedication, and the impact of their work on agricultural development and food security. It is also a recognition of the quality of science and innovation that IITA-CGIAR brings to Africa and the world.”
The recognition comes at a time when agriculture faces unprecedented challenges—from climate change and emerging pests and diseases to food safety concerns and growing pressure to feed an expanding global population sustainably.
The work of both scientists illustrates how agricultural research must increasingly address multiple dimensions of food systems simultaneously: improving productivity, strengthening resilience, protecting natural resources, safeguarding public health, and creating economic opportunities for farming communities.
As a member of CGIAR, IITA has spent nearly six decades developing scientific solutions that improve livelihoods across Africa and beyond. From crop improvement and integrated pest management to digital agriculture and sustainable farming systems, the institute continues to invest in research that delivers measurable impact where it matters most—on farmers’ fields and in people’s lives.
The selection of Professor Swennen and Dr Ortega-Beltran among the 2026 Top Agri-food Pioneers is therefore more than an individual honor. It recognizes the power of long-term scientific investment, multidisciplinary collaboration, and partnerships that translate research into real-world impact.
Their achievements also reinforce IITA-CGIAR’s vision of a food-secure Africa driven by agricultural innovation, where science continues to provide practical solutions to some of humanity’s greatest challenges.
As the World Food Prize Foundation celebrates four decades of recognizing excellence in agriculture, the inclusion of two IITA scientists among the world’s leading agri-food innovators serves as a powerful reminder that transformative science knows no borders, and that research conducted in Africa continues to shape the future of global food systems.
Congratulations to Professor Rony Swennen and Dr Alejandro Ortega-Beltran on this well-deserved global recognition.
Contributed by ‘Timilehin Osunde and Moureen Awori
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