Joseph Warugaba

Kenyan agricultural innovator developing drought-resistant crop varieties for East African smallholders

Joseph Warugaba (b. 1987) is a Kenyan agricultural scientist whose work has revolutionized food security in drought-prone regions. As lead researcher at African Agricultural Innovations, he developed the 'Kikuyu-3' sorghum variety that can thrive with 30% less water than traditional crops. This breakthrough, launched in 2021, has increased harvest yields by up to 40% for farmers in Kenya's arid regions (study here).

Warugaba's participatory research model involves direct collaboration with rural communities to identify crop needs, ensuring solutions are culturally appropriate. His team's open-source seed distribution program has provided over 2 million drought-resistant seeds to farmers in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. In 2023, he received the African Union's Innovation Excellence Award for his work in climate-smart agriculture.

Current projects include developing mobile apps to track crop health and soil moisture levels, which have been adopted by 15,000 farmers. His initiatives directly support UN SDG #2 (Zero Hunger) and #13 (Climate Action), demonstrating how biotechnology can empower smallholder farmers (BBC Interview).