Grace Kao

Agricultural scientist and innovator who revolutionized food security in sub-Saharan Africa through her work with drought-resistant crops

Grace Kao is a Malawian-born agricultural scientist whose groundbreaking research in plant genetics has profoundly impacted food security across sub-Saharan Africa. Born in 1978 to a family of peasant farmers, Kao's early exposure to crop failures during the 1990s Malawi famine ignited her passion for agricultural science. She earned her PhD in Plant Breeding from the University of California, Davis in 2005, and returned to Africa to establish the African Crop Improvement Network (ACIN) in 2007.

Through ACIN, Kao pioneered the development of drought-tolerant maize varieties that increased crop yields by up to 40% in arid regions. Her innovative participatory breeding methods involve direct collaboration with smallholder farmers, ensuring solutions are culturally appropriate and economically viable. The World Food Prize committee highlighted her work in their 2018 annual report, stating her techniques have lifted over 2 million farming families out of chronic food insecurity.

Kao's 2013 breakthrough with the 'Golden Maize' variant - fortified with vitamin A - has become a cornerstone of the UN's Zero Hunger initiative. Her TED Talk How We Grew a New Kind of Maize has over 3 million views and inspired global agricultural partnerships. In 2019, she launched the Mobile Seed Lab initiative, providing solar-powered mobile laboratories to remote farming communities. This innovative approach has already reached 12 countries across the continent.

Her work intersects with climate change adaptation, gender equity (training over 500 female agronomists), and sustainable agriculture practices. Kao's methodologies are now being adopted by the African Union's continental food security strategy. Her recent collaboration with NASA's Earth Observatory uses satellite data to predict crop stress patterns, marking a new frontier in precision agriculture.