AGRA has announced Alice Ruhweza as its next president, effective March 1. Ruhweza, currently the senior director for policy influence and engagement at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF International), will take over from Agnes Kalibata, who is concluding a decade-long tenure.
AGRA, founded in 2006 and formerly known as the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, is an African-led organization dedicated to improving agriculture across the continent. Over the years, it has garnered more than $1 billion in funding from major philanthropic organizations such as the Gates Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation, as well as the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom.
The announcement was made Friday as African leaders gathered in Kampala, Uganda, for the African Union’s Extraordinary Summit, in which they’re due to adopt a new 10-year strategy and action plan to drive economic growth through agriculture, enhance food security on the continent, improve livelihoods, and address the impacts of climate change. AGRA has been at the forefront of implementing the previous 10-year plan and played a huge role in shaping the plan African leaders are considering this week.
About the author
Ayenat Mersie
Ayenat Mersie is a Global Development Reporter for Devex. Previously, she worked as a freelance journalist for publications such as National Geographic and Foreign Policy and as an East Africa correspondent for Reuters.
