Tectonic Shifts in Agrifood Research & Innovation for Development: What is Next?

Spring 2026 Harry ’51 and Joshua ’49 Tsujimoto Perspectives in Global Development Seminar Series

About the speaker

Bram Govaerts is Director General (Secretary General and CEO), of CIMMYT.

Govaerts is renowned for pioneering, implementing, and inspiring transformational changes for farmers and consumers in meeting the sustainable development challenges. He brings together multi-disciplinary science and development teams to integrate sustainable, multi-stakeholder, and sector strategies that generate innovation and change in the agri-food systems. His initiatives, excellence in science for impact, and the partnerships he inspired have resulted in improved nutrition, nature conservation, and national and international resilience and food security globally. Govaerts' work at CIMMYT is crucial for national security as it addresses food security, which is a fundamental aspect of national stability as is highlighted through his participations in security for a like the Munich Security Conference. He has served as member of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Kellogg Company Science Advisory Board and as board member of food and agro companies. Bram is currently an A.D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University. In 2020, Govaerts was elected as Fellow by The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and has been awarded the Norman Borlaug Field Award 2014 of the World Food Prize), the Christoffel Plantyn prijs, a prestigious Belgian civilian prize with support of the Belgian Diplomacy that recognizes significant contributions to cultural, artistic, or scientific activities, The Glenn Anderson award (2023) and Premio Tecnoagro (2018). He received an Honorary Doctorate from Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology (CSA), Kanpur, India (2024). It was because of his transformational work that in 2025 His Excellency the King of Belgium appointed Bram as Commander of the Order of the Crown of the Kingdom of Belgium—one of the country’s most prestigious honors recognizing exceptional service to the nation and humanity. 

CIMMYT is a cutting-edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow's problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science. CIMMYT's work enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries. 

This talk is co-sponsored by the A.D. White Professors-at-Large Program.

About the seminar series

The Harry ’51 & Joshua ’49 Tsujimoto Perspectives in Global Development Seminar Series showcases innovative approaches to development with experts from around the globe. Each year, the series attracts online registrants from over 45 countries and more than 350 organizations. 

Seminars are held Wednesdays from 12:20-1:10 p.m. Eastern time during the semester in 175 Warren Hall. Students, faculty and the general public are welcome to attend in-person or via Zoom. Note: this seminar will be held in 401 Warren Hall. Take the elevator to the 4th floor, and walk to the end of the hall to find room 401.

The series is co-sponsored by the Sections of Global Development and Natural Resources and the Environment and the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management as part of courses GDEV 4961, AEM 4961, NTRES 4961, GDEV 6960, AEM 6960, and NTRES 6960.