Hugo Campos, Deputy Director General for Science and Innovation of CIP, Named 2025 Top Agri-Food Pioneer by World Food Prize Foundation

The International Potato Center (CIP) has announced that Dr. Hugo Campos, Deputy Director General for Science and Innovation of CIP, has been selected as a 2025 Top Agri-Food Pioneer (TAP) by the World Food Prize Foundation. 

This prestigious recognition highlights Dr. Campos’ global leadership in agricultural innovation and his passionate advocacy for a new Green Revolution through root, tuber and banana crops. 

Dr. Campos is among a distinguished group of ten global changemakers selected this year for their trailblazing work in transforming food systems and improving livelihoods. 

The TAP award is part of the World Food Prize Foundation’s efforts to spotlight rising and established leaders who are driving impactful solutions to the world’s most urgent food and nutrition challenges. 

Simon Heck, Director General of CIP:

"This honor not only recognizes Dr. Campos’ exceptional contributions to science and innovation but also underscores CIP’s commitment to reshaping agri-food systems through sustainable, inclusive, and climate-smart approaches."

"Hugo’s vision and leadership continue to inspire our global team to innovate boldly and deliver results and impact that matter to farmers, consumers, and future generations."

At CIP, Dr. Campos has been a central figure in expanding the reach and relevance of root and tuber crops, such as potato, sweetpotato, yam, taro and cassava, among others, positioning them as engines of growth, nutrition, and resilience across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. His work bridges cutting-edge science with farmer-centered solutions, accelerating the delivery of improved crop varieties, strengthening seed systems, and mainstreaming gender and youth engagement in agricultural research for development. 

The 2025 TAP award is the latest in a series of prestigious honors recognizing Dr. Campos’ contributions to global agricultural innovation. 

Earlier this year, he was recognized by the International Society for Tropical Root and Tuber Crops – Africa Branch (ISTRC-AB) for his outstanding contributions to the development and promotion of root, tuber, and banana (RTB) crops in Africa and selected as a Foreign Fellow of India’s National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), marking a year of extraordinary distinction.