Mengistu Dejene Kassahun

Dejene Kassahun Mengistu (PhD) is a Scientist II at the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He is an agricultural scientist specializing in plant breeding, crop improvement, seed systems, agrobiodiversity conservation and use, climate resilience, and genetic resources management. He has extensive experience leading multidisciplinary research and development initiatives across Africa in collaboration with national agricultural research systems, universities, government institutions, development partners, and farming communities.
His research focuses on the conservation, characterization, and utilization of crop genetic resources to strengthen adaptation to climate variability, drought, diseases, and other agricultural challenges. He has contributed to numerous national, regional, and international projects aimed at improving agricultural productivity, biodiversity conservation, food and nutrition security, and farmer resilience through science-based solutions.
Dejene's work supports resilient seed systems, wider deployment of climate-adapted crop varieties, and the conservation and sustainable use of neglected and underutilized species. He possesses strong expertise in project design and management, resource mobilization, stakeholder engagement, capacity development, and multi-stakeholder partnerships. He has coordinated and contributed to multi-country initiatives across Africa, advancing research, training, and institutional strengthening in plant breeding, genetic resources conservation, and climate-smart agriculture. He is committed to mentoring young scientists, supporting farmer learning, and promoting participatory innovation approaches.
An accomplished researcher, Dejene has authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, conference papers, and technical reports covering plant breeding, participatory breeding, crop genetic resources, seed systems, climate adaptation, agricultural biodiversity, and sustainable agricultural development. His publications have received more than 2,200 citations, with an h-index of 23 and an i10-index of 30, reflecting the impact and influence of his scientific contributions.
He also serves as a reviewer for international scientific journals and contributes to research proposals, technical working groups, and policy processes related to biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, and food systems transformation. Through scientific excellence, collaborative leadership, and a commitment to research-for-development, Dejene continues to advance resilient, biodiversity-based agricultural systems in Ethiopia and beyond, promoting the use of genetic diversity, innovative breeding approaches, and digital technologies to support sustainable food systems and improved livelihoods.