Dr. Hezekiah Agwara is a seasoned agricultural and development economist, policy expert, and applied research leader with over 25 years of experience across Africa and globally. His work spans agrifood systems, entrepreneurship, innovation, and institutional development, with a strong focus on the AFOLU and agri-SME sectors.

Dr. Agwara has delivered technical support to major development organisations including FAO, IFAD, USAID, UKAid (FCDO), Farm Africa, AGRA, and CGIAR, covering program design, management, and evaluation. His research has informed key policy reforms, such as Kenya’s Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS) and Youth Agribusiness Strategy. As a senior technical consultant for USAID’s KAVES program, he led 12 agricultural value chain studies across 22 counties, applying novel analytics to inform market systems upgrading.

He has managed major research initiatives at Harvard University, George Mason University, and the UNU-MERIT, and led participatory research with agri-MSMEs in Kenya on scaling businesses for sustainable food systems. At PwC Consulting, he directed the UKAid-funded Financing High-Value Agriculture program, supporting over 12,000 farmers through SME-led innovation and market linkages.

Dr. Agwara recently contributed to the IFAD Rural Development Report 2025 and serves as a Subject Matter Expert for CGIAR’s IAES. Fluent in English, Kiswahili, Luo, and basic French, he engages effectively with governments, private sector, research centres, and development actors. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy (George Mason), MPA/ID (Harvard), and degrees in Agricultural Economics and Agriculture from the University of Nairobi.