Paramu Mafongoya

Paramu Mafongoya is a Zimbabwean professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa, where he specialises in agriculture, earth and environmental sciences. He serves as the South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Agronomy and Rural Development at UKZN. He is affiliated with the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences (ZAS). His work in agricultural research, development, education, and integrated natural resources management extends over three decades. He has authored more than 290 publications, including 190 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 49 chapters in peer-reviewed books, and 2 books. His research areas include agronomy, climate science, soil science, and agroforestry.

Early life and education Born on 23 October 1961 in Zimbabwe, Mafongoya completed his BSc (Hons) in Agriculture at the University of Zimbabwe in 1984. He then studied in the United Kingdom, earning his MSc in Applied Plant Sciences and his MSc in Agricultural Development from Wye College, University of London, in 1988 and 1990, respectively. He later earned his PhD in Agroforestry from the University of Florida in the United States in 1995.

Career and research After earning his PhD, Mafongoya worked as a senior lecturer and head of the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Zimbabwe from 1995 to 1999. He then joined the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) as a principal scientist and regional coordinator for Southern Africa from 1999 to 2007. He also held positions at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

In 2007, Mafongoya joined UKZN as a professor of agriculture, earth and environmental sciences. Since 2015, he has served as the SARChI chair in agronomy and rural development. He leads a research group that focuses on tropical resources, ecology, environment and climate, crop-livestock integration, and sustainable agriculture. He has mentored over 100 postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows. He has collaborated with various national and international institutions and networks, including the AAS, the ZAS, the InterAcademy Partnership, the Network of African Science Academies, and the African Union.

Selected publications Mafongoya has authored over 290 works, including 190 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 49 chapters in peer-reviewed books, and 2 books.

Awards and honours Paramu Mafongoya has received several recognitions for his contributions to science and society. He was named a Fellow of the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences in 2013 and the African Academy of Sciences in 2018. He served as the vice-president of the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences from 2017 to 2019. He was the president of the Soil Science Society of South Africa from 2015 to 2017, and its vice-president from 2013 to 2015. He became a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa in 2012, The World Academy of Sciences in 2010, the International Union of Soil Sciences in 2008, the Soil Science Society of America in 2007, and the American Society of Agronomy in 2007.