Dr. Bram Govaerts is the Director General of CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center), an institution with a 50-year legacy of tackling global challenges in wheat and maize research. He leads transformative initiatives for food systems and champions science-driven, impact-oriented innovation.
He has played a critical role in advancing conservation agriculture and scaling sustainable intensification strategies, particularly for smallholder farmers. Dr. Govaerts has worked extensively across Latin America, Asia, and Africa, fostering partnerships between public institutions, private enterprises, and farmers. His expertise lies in combining high-level policy engagement with field-based innovation, promoting productivity, resource-use efficiency, and resilience.
A native of Belgium, he earned his Ph.D. in Bioscience Engineering – Soil Science from KU Leuven. He is a recipient of the Borlaug Field Award from the World Food Prize Foundation (2014) and is a fellow of multiple prestigious bodies, including the American Society of Agronomy. Dr. Govaerts’ leadership at CIMMYT is marked by a vision of inclusive, resilient agri-food systems driven by collaborative science and innovation.