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Year: 1979
Who: Melaku Worede
Where: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
What: Dr. Melaku Worede was a visionary agronomist and geneticist who dedicated his life to preserving Ethiopia’s rich crop biodiversity and ensuring that farmers were at the heart of conservation efforts. From 1979 to 1993, he led Ethiopia’s Plant Genetic Resources Center (now the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute), transforming it into one of the world’s leading crop gene banks. His groundbreaking work, known as "conservation through use," became a global model for sustainable agricultural development.
Born in Shewa province, Ethiopia, Melaku studied agronomy at Alemaya Agricultural College (now Haramaya University) and later earned a PhD in genetics and breeding from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Determined to apply his expertise to support food security in Ethiopia, he returned home and became director of the Plant Genetic Resources Center in 1976. Under his leadership, the center amassed 39,000 seed samples, including 14,000 from Ethiopia, ensuring that the country’s diverse crops—such as barley, teff, and coffee—were preserved for future generations.
Melaku championed the integration of farmers’ traditional knowledge into scientific research. He encouraged farmers to save seeds, conduct field trials, and collaborate with researchers to identify and reintroduce lost crop varieties. These efforts were instrumental in rebuilding rural livelihoods following the catastrophic 1984 drought and famine. Today, more than 50 community seed banks in Ethiopia continue his mission, working closely with the national gene bank to protect crop diversity.
A global advocate for farmers’ rights, Melaku played a pivotal role in the adoption of the FAO’s International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in 2004, which recognized farmers’ contributions to biodiversity and their right to benefit from its conservation. His contributions earned him numerous accolades, including the 1989 Right Livelihood Award.
Melaku’s legacy endures through his transformative impact on biodiversity conservation, the farmers he empowered, and the scientists he mentored worldwide. His work ensured that Ethiopia remains a global model for preserving genetic resources and supporting sustainable agriculture.
Sources:
Books and Book Chapters:
Worede, M., Tesemma, T., & Feyissa, R. (2000). Keeping diversity alive: An Ethiopian perspective. In Genes in the field: On-farm conservation of crop diversity. IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA.
Worede, M. (1991). An Ethiopian perspective on conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources. In Plant genetic resources of Ethiopia (pp. 3-19). Cambridge University Press.
Websites:
Feyissa, R., & Hodgkin, T. (2023, September 7). Melaku Worede (1936–2023): Plant geneticist who pioneered seed conservation for famine resilience and farmer livelihoods. Nature. Retrieved August 22, 2024, from https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02735-x
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