Nufarmer Africa
The Yara Prize honors leadership
for the future of farming
The Yara Prize 2014 is being awarded
to Professor Tekalign Mamo Assefa.
Currently state minister and adviser to
the Ethiopian Minister of Agriculture,
Professor Mamo has long been a key
contributor to the country’s food security, soil health and natural resources
programs.
F
or 2014, the Yara Prize Committee has focused on the future of farming in Africa.
Special attention has been given to food and
nutrition security and the twin challenges of
employment and income generation.
“As a laureate, Professor Mamo stands out for
his remarkable effort across levels, but always
rooted in a profound understanding of how
transformation must always include the farmer.
As a scientist, leader and practitioner, Professor
Mamo’s innovative and inclusive efforts have
been instrumental in lifting millions of farmers’
income,” says Jørgen Ole Haslestad, President
and CEO of Yara and Chairman of the Yara Prize
Committee.
Over the past three decades, Professor Mamo
has endeavored to improve the livelihoods
of Ethiopian farmers, leveraging his scientific
knowledge and exhibiting leadership. Developing targeted interventions for management
of waterlogged soils, rehabilitating acidic soils
and degraded landscapes, winning farmer acceptance of technologies and modernizing
Ethiopia’s fertilizer advisory service are important hallmarks of his engagement.
“By awarding the Yara Prize, we salute the
champions of sustainable agricultural development. I wish to extend my personal congratulations to Professor Mamo,” says Haslestad.
The laureate will be celebrated during the
Yara Prize Ceremony in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,
on 2 September in connection with the African
Green Revolution Forum 2014.
About the Yara Prize laureate
Born in 1956 in Lekemt, Ethiopia, Professor
Mamo graduated as Ph.D. in Soil chemistry and
fertility at Aberdeen University, Scotland. From
a strong academic basis, Professor Mamo has
expanded beyond a purely academic role. In
1985, he and a team of experts launched a national project to improve the country’s vast clay
soils, especially those that get waterlogged
and impair crop productivity. The results have
benefited millions of farmers to date.
In 2005, he led the work on a watershed development strategy, focusing on community
ownership and the use of proven technologies.
Using this approach, Ethiopia reversed degradation on about 13 million hectares of land,
and turned them into productive assets. The
rehabilitated watersheds are now being legally
transferred to landless and jobless rural youth,
who can use it to generate income while preserving the environment.
He has also engaged in several initiatives on
soil fertility, addressing both acidic soils and
nutrient deficiencies. Through his recommendations and leadership, a new conceptual and
operational framework for fertilizers has been
developed. A national mappin