Tonle Franck

Dr. Franck Tonle is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, where he integrates artificial intelligence, geospatial analysis, and agroecological modeling to develop intelligent decision support systems aimed at enhancing the resilience of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.

He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science through a collaborative program between the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) and the University of Dschang, Cameroon. His dissertation focused on designing complex systems analogies to improve Integrated Pest Management (IPM) delivery through computational tools.

Dr. Tonle led the development of Kilimo DSS, a decision support platform adopted by the African Union's Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (AU-IAPSC) for training plant protection officers across Africa on digital surveillance and early warning systems. His innovative work has been recognized with several distinctions, including an Elsevier Foundation travel grant and leading the winning team of the 2024 International Potato Center AI-griculture Challenge Hackathon. Currently, at the Alliance, he is involved in projects that expand agroclimatic and ecological modeling frameworks to provide context-specific advisories for farmers, contributing to improved agricultural planning and resilience.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Franck enjoys hiking and reading manga, drawing inspiration from both nature and storytelling as he continues to explore creative approaches to agricultural innovation.