Dr. Augusto Becerra Lopez-Lavalle

Dr. Augusto Becerra Lopez-Lavalle joined ICBA as Chief Scientist in January 2022. A senior agricultural science leader with more than 12 years of experience in the international agricultural research-for-development sector, he has served in diverse scientific leadership roles in the CGIAR System. At the CGIAR, he was an agent for science and innovation for crop improvement, co-leading under the new One CGIAR the Genetic Innovation Action Area, a strategy for enabling tools, technology, and shared services to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of the CGIAR System’s and its partners’ breeding programs.

He had been the global crop improvement lead for the research program on roots, tubers and bananas in 2012-2016, and CIAT’s cassava program leader since 2016.

Dr. Augusto Becerra Lopez-Lavalle is a trusted leader in building strong multidisciplinary teams and international scientific research networks for cooperation. He is deeply committed to fostering an environment where science, creativity and innovation pave the way for inclusion and fairness.

At CIAT, which he joined in 2009, he managed the modern cassava breeding and the cassava program in Asia and Latin America. In particular, he led the development of the crop’s global sustainability strategy to increase and diversify its value chains for improving resource-poor farmers’ livelihoods. Prior to this role, he had worked at the CSIRO since 2001 as a cotton molecular geneticist based in Canberra, Australia.

Dr. Augusto Becerra Lopez-Lavalle holds a PhD in plant molecular genetics from the University of Sydney, Australia, and an MSc in cytogenetics from Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University in Lima, Peru.