Dr. Melaku Worede is an Ethiopian plant scientist and internationally renowned for his pioneering work in plant genetic research and his role in restoring Ethiopia’s food security

After obtaining a PhD in Agronomy (Genetics and Breeding) from the University of Nebraska, USA, he returned to Ethiopia and became involved in the planning of the Plant Genetic Resources Centre in Addis Ababa, of which he became Director between 1979-1993.He set about on the stage of his career which has perhaps had the most significant impact on Ethiopia’s genetic legacy and food sovereignty. He established the Plant Genetic Resource Center (PGRC) in Addis Ababa. This was the first gene bank in Africa; the first time that Africa was asserting its own rights to its genetic wealth. Now known as the Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (IBC), the centre still serves thousands of farmers, communities and scientists as a hub of exchange, activity and preservation of Ethiopia’s seed diversity. Dr. Melaku Worede was the recipient of Right Livelihood Award”…for preserving Ethiopia’s genetic wealth by building one of the finest seed conservation centers in the world.” In the process he established not only Africa’s finest facility of its kind but one of the world’s premier genetic conservation systems. Worede built this institution exclusively with Ethiopian staff, training a whole new generation of plant breeders and geneticists in his home country. Worede was also the first Chair of the African Committee for Plant and Genetic Resources and has been instrumental in the setting up of the African Biodiversity Network. He has served as Chair of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Commission on Plant Genetic Resources and is currently a Board member of (among others) the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) and the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI). In 2008 the National Green Award Foundation, headed by the Ethiopian president, gave Worede the Outstanding International Contribution Award.