Lorna Ahadi

Pioneer in sustainable agriculture through solar-powered irrigation technology in sub-Saharan Africa

Lorna Ahadi is a Kenyan agricultural engineer and entrepreneur whose innovative work with SunCulture Systems has revolutionized farming practices across East Africa. Through her company's solar-powered irrigation solutions, she has enabled over 50,000 smallholder farmers to triple their crop yields while reducing water usage by 60%. This MIT Solve Prize winner's SunCulture system uses IoT sensors and mobile payment integration to create affordable climate-resilient farming systems. Her 2021 TED Talk 'How solar irrigation is saving Africa's food future' has been viewed over 2 million times. Ahadi's work directly addresses UN SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger) and 7 (Affordable Energy), with operations expanding to Uganda and Tanzania since 2020. She was named one of Forbes Africa's Top 30 Under 30 in 2022.