When the World Food Prize Foundation announced its 2025 Top Agri-Food Pioneers list this June, India emerged as a leader in agricultural innovation, claiming five spots among the 39 global honorees.
These five Indian scientists and entrepreneurs stand for diverse yet interconnected approaches to solving the world’s most pressing food security challenges, ranging from soil restoration to climate-resilient crops, from seed delivery systems to carbon markets, and from emergency food relief to nutritional enhancement.
The recognition comes at a critical juncture for global food systems, which face mounting pressure from climate change, population growth, and resource scarcity.
As Mashal Husain, President of the World Food Prize Foundation, observed: “The 2025 TAP list showcases the extraordinary diversity, talent and resolve of individuals working across borders and disciplines to build a more sustainable and just global food system. In a world facing urgent and interwoven crises, these honorees are fearless changemakers driving impact where it matters most—and offering real hope for the future.”
Foundational Science: Dr. Avijit Ghosh’s Soil Revolution
A recipient of the award from India, Dr. Avijit Ghosh is a scientist at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute (IGFRI).
“I am deeply humbled and honored to share that I have been selected as the Top Agri-Food Pioneer(TAP) of 2025 by the World Food Prize Foundation.
This achievement would not have been possible without the support and opportunities provided by the ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute.” – Dr. Avijit Ghosh
His groundbreaking work on soil functionality in degraded ecosystems has provided the scientific foundation for an emerging soil carbon economy worth billions of dollars globally.
Dr. Ghosh’s research goes beyond traditional soil fertility metrics to develop a comprehensive framework for assessing soil’s role in supporting ecosystem services. His team has successfully restored community pasturelands in four Indian states, using native grasses and sustainable management systems.
More significantly, his quantification of soil organic carbon dynamics and development of advanced measurement techniques using carbon isotope analysis have become essential tools for validating carbon credit programs worldwide.
His innovations extend to practical applications: developing polymer-coated, controlled-release fertilizers for resource-poor environments, pioneering the use of waste mica as potassium fertilizer, and creating rice residue management techniques that reduce phosphorus fertilizer needs by 15%.
His research has resulted in several novel microbes registered in the global NCBI database and over 70 international publications, earning him prestigious accolades including the Japan International Award for Young Agricultural Researchers.
Read more about his work here
Global Crop Development: Dr. Boddupalli Maruthi Prasanna’s Climate-Resilient Maize
Dr. Boddupalli Maruthi Prasanna, Managing Director of the Borlaug Institute for South Asia and CIMMYT’s Regional Director for Asia, has led perhaps the most visible transformation in global agriculture.
Under his leadership of CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program, the adoption of climate-resilient maize varieties in sub-Saharan Africa expanded from 0.5 million hectares in 2010 to over 8.5 million hectares in 2024.
His systematic approach to breeding targets multiple stress tolerances – drought, heat, and low-soil fertility – while enhancing nutritional qualities including provitamin A, zinc, and quality protein. The portfolio of elite maize varieties developed under his oversight includes drought-tolerant, biofortified hybrids specifically designed for smallholder farmers across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Dr. Prasanna’s leadership proved crucial during agricultural emergencies, coordinating global responses to the devastating Maize Lethal Necrosis outbreak in eastern Africa and the invasive Fall Armyworm crisis.
His career, spanning over 250 research articles and honors including the Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Award, exemplifies the dual approach required for modern agricultural resilience: long-term breeding programs for predictable climate stresses and rapid-response capabilities for biological emergencies.
Read more about his work here
Systems Engineering: Dr. Manzoor Hussain Dar’s Seed Delivery Revolution
Another Indian honoree, Dr. Manzoor Hussain Dar, serves as Global Head of Seed Systems at ICRISAT, focusing on the critical “last mile” problem in agriculture. His career bridges the gap between scientific innovation and farmer adoption, combining a Ph.D. in Agriculture with an MBA to address the complex intersection of research and market delivery.
During his tenure at the International Rice Research Institute, Dr. Dar spearheaded the dissemination of stress-tolerant rice varieties to over 3 million farmers. His innovations include “Seeds Without Borders,” a policy framework streamlining cross-border variety exchange in South Asia, and “SeedCast,” a digital tool for seed demand forecasting that prevents costly supply chain inefficiencies.
His field research has quantified adoption barriers with scientific precision. A landmark study in flood-prone Orissa revealed that only 7% of farmers adopted superior flood-resistant rice varieties through existing social networks, compared to 40% when offered by door-to-door sellers. His interventions, including farmer field days and community seed fairs, increased adoption by 40%, providing evidence-based models for technology dissemination.
Here, he explains about ICRISAT’s Seed-Policy Brief Series.
Climate Technology: Aadith Moorthy’s Soil Carbon Marketplace
Representing the entrepreneurial face of agricultural innovation, Aadith Moorthy founded Boomitra, meaning “Friend of the Earth” in Sanskrit, after witnessing the tragedy of farmer suicide due to crop failure. His Stanford and Caltech background in AI and computer science enabled him to create the world’s first satellite-powered soil carbon marketplace.
Boomitra’s proprietary technology revolutionizes carbon measurement by integrating satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, and ground-truth data. The system generates soil organic carbon measurements for any plot globally with 10-meter resolution, dramatically reducing verification costs and democratizing access to carbon markets. This breakthrough, approved by international carbon standard Verra, makes participation economically viable for smallholder farmers previously excluded from climate finance.
The company now works with over 150,000 farmers across 5 million acres on four continents, facilitating the removal of over 10 million tons of CO₂ from the atmosphere. Major projects include a 4-million-acre grassland restoration initiative in Northern Mexico and the URVARA project in India, which issued the first-ever carbon credits for Indian smallholders. Recognition includes the 2023 Earthshot Prize and inclusion in TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Companies.
Read the story of about how the death of a farmer inspired him to tap technology for a better future
Humanitarian Impact: Sanjeev Kapoor’s Social Mobilization
The fifth Indian honoree, celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, demonstrates how public influence can be strategically deployed for social impact. Beyond his culinary fame and Padma Shri honor, Kapoor leverages his platform to address food insecurity and malnutrition through powerful partnerships and innovative programs.
His collaboration with World Central Kitchen and the Taj Group of Hotels created an effective disaster relief model, delivering over 1.26 million meals to frontline healthcare workers during COVID-19 and 15,000 daily meals during Maharashtra floods. As Goodwill Ambassador for the Akshaya Patra Foundation, he supports the world’s largest NGO-run mid-day meal program, feeding over 2.2 million children daily.
The Nutri-Pathshala initiative, partnered with HarvestPlus Solutions, represents his most innovative contribution. The program incorporates biofortified foods such as iron-rich pearl millet and zinc-rich wheat into school meals, reimagining popular local foods like bhakri and laddoos. In two years, it has served over 2.5 million biofortified meals to 150,000 children across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand, with ambitious plans to reach 10 million children by 2030.
Global Recognition and Future Impact
The World Food Prize Foundation’s recognition of these Indians reflects their collective representation of an integrated approach to agricultural transformation. Their work spans the essential continuum from foundational science (Ghosh) through crop development (Prasanna) and delivery systems (Dar) to market-driven solutions (Moorthy) and humanitarian action (Kapoor).
The 2025 TAP list, honoring 39 innovators from 27 countries ranging in age from 20 to 79, will be formally celebrated at the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, from October 21-23.
Other notable honorees include Jean Baptiste De La Salle Tignegre from Burkina Faso, who developed Africa’s first biotech food crop, and 20-year-old Indonesian innovator Sandi Pamungkas, who founded MooApps for livestock management.
As Hugo Campos, Chile’s honored potato researcher, said: “I am elated and deeply honored to be inducted as a Top Agri-food Pioneer by the World Food Prize Foundation, a global beacon in food security and better livelihoods for farmers. This recognition fuels my personal zeal to collaborate with the Foundation and others in advancing Dr. Norman Borlaug’s legacy — through extending the Green Revolution to more crops and solving the wicked problem of food and climate security for the benefit of farmers and urban communities.”
2025 TOP AGRI-FOOD PIONEERS:
- Wale Adekunle | Nigeria | President and CEO | Commonwealth Association for Agricultural Research and Development
- Zeinab Ahmad Al Momany | Jordan | The Head of the Specific Union of Women Farmers in Jordan
- Abdul Awal | Bangladesh | Chairman and CEO | Lal Teer Seed Ltd. and Lal Teer Livestock Development, Ltd.
- Michael Barron | USA | Global Technology Strategy and Innovation Lead, Ecosystem Services | Bayer Crop Science
- Hugo Campos | Chile | Deputy Director General, Science and Innovation | International Potato Center
- Neal Carter | Canada | CEO | Okanagan Specialty Fruits
- Phindi Cebukhulu Mosomi | South Africa | Group CEO | Hazile Group, Ltd.
- Evangelista Chekera | Zimbabwe | Founder and Managing Director; Lead Innovator | Passion Poultry
- Jason Cope | USA | Founder and CIPO | PowerPollen
- Magdi Elsayed | Egypt | Visiting Scholar | Prairie View A&M University
- Catherine Feuillet | France | Chief Scientific Officer | Inari
- Rikin Gandhi | USA | CEO | Digital Green
- Avijit Ghosh | India | Scientist | ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute
- Peter Alastair Hicks | Australia & UK | Honorary Elected Fellow | International Academy of Food Science and Technology
- Manzoor Hussain Dar | India | Global Head – Seed Systems, Principal Scientist | International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
- Inga Jacobs-Mata | South Africa | Deputy Director | Scaling for Impact Program and Director of Water-Growth and Inclusion | CGIAR International Water Management Institute
- Nawa Joe Silishebo | Zambia | Co-Founder and Projects Director | Young Emerging Farmers Initiative
- Sanjeev Kapoor | India | Culinary Icon, Humanitarian and Entrepreneur
- Ermias Kebreab | Eritrea | Distinguished Professor, Associate Dean; Director, World Food Center | University of California, Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
- Linda Kinkel | USA | Founder and Chief Science Officer | Jord BioScience
- Wassima Lakhdari | Algeria | Research Director | National Institute of Agronomic Research of Algeria
- Jim Leape | USA | Co-director | Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions
- Stephen Long | United Kingdom | Ikenberry Endowed Chair Emeritus of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Glindys Virginia Luciano | Dominican Republic & USA | Project Manager, International and Strategic Relations | European Institute of Innovation & Technology Food
- Robyn Camille Mijares | Philippines | Founder and Executive Director | GROW SCHOOL
- Aadith Moorthy | India | Founder and CEO | Boomitra
- Editha Mshiu | Tanzania | CEO and co-founder | Freshpack Technologies
- Sandi Pamungkas | Indonesia | Founder | MooApps.id
- Viviana Perego | Italy and Uruguay | Senior Agriculture Economist | World Bank
- Ilenys Perez-Diaz | Puerto Rico | Microbiologist | United States Department of Agriculture
- Boddupalli Maruthi Prasanna | India | Distinguished Scientist and Regional Director for Asia | CIMMYT
- Joyce Rugano | Kenya | Founder and CEO | Ecorich Solutions Limited
- Mo Segad | Sweden | Chair, CEO and CSO | Waffle Forest & 3N BioTech
- Richard Seshie | Cote d’Ivoire | Founder | Association 3535
- Christine Sprunger | Haiti | Associate Professor of Soil Health, Michigan State University
- Jean Baptiste De La Salle Tignegre | Burkina Faso | Manager of the Pod Borer Resistant Cowpea Project; Representative West Africa, Nigeria Office | African Agricultural Technology Foundation
- Emily Weeks | USA | Senior Policy Advisor | USAID
- Patricia Wolff | USA | Founder, Board Member, Medical Advisor | Meds & Food for Kids
- Jianchu Xu | China | Distinguished Professor, Kunming Institute of Botany | Chinese Academy of Sciences
Read World Food Prize Foundation’s press release here.
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