Winnyfred Amongi

Dr. Winnyfred Amongi is a plant breeder who is passionate about developing climate-resilient, nutritious, and market-preferred common bean varieties for smallholder farmers in Africa. She holds a PhD in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, a Master of Science degree in Plant Breeding and Seed Systems, and a Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture, all from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Since joining the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in 2013 under the Pan African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), Winnyfred has contributed greatly to common bean improvement programs across Africa. Her work integrates conventional breeding, with modern tools to develop bean varieties that are resilient to climate stress, rich in iron and zinc, quick cooking, and aligned with consumer and market preferences.

Over the years, she has played a key role in regional breeding activities, data management, and collaborative research across multiple African countries. Her research interests include genomic prediction, biofortification, cooking and canning quality, disease resistance, and breeding for adaptation to drought and heat stress.

Winnyfred is an alumna of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) program and was a recipient of the CGIAR Borlaug Fellowship Program (2017–2019). Through this fellowship, she received advanced mentorship at Michigan State University on strategies to accelerate genetic gain in common bean breeding programs.

She is a published scientist, an active reviewer for international scientific journals, and a strong advocate for collaborative research, mentorship, and capacity building in agricultural science across Africa.