Sifelani Tsiko – Agric, Environment & Innovations Editor

Professor John Derera, a renowned Zimbabwean plant breeder, has landed a top post at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (ONE-CGIAR).

He was appointed as ONE-CGIAR’s senior director plant breeding and pre-breeding.

CGIAR, now known as ONE-CGIAR, is a global research partnership of 13 international agricultural research centres.

The entity aims to build a food-secure future through transforming food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis.

Prior to his appointment, he was the head of Breeding at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

In the past, he also worked as the Global Head of Research & Development (Seed Co Group), professor in Plant Breeding (African Centre for Crop Improvement, University of KwaZulu-Natal), maize breeder (Seed Co) and as a research officer in the Department of Research & Specialist Services in Zimbabwe.