ENSA’s Uta Paszkowski named 2026 Top Agri-food Pioneer

Professor Uta Paszkowski, co-director of ENSA and a University of Cambridge plant scientist, has been named a 2026 Top Agri-food Pioneer by the World Food Prize Foundation. The recognition highlights her research on beneficial plant-fungal relationships and its potential to support more sustainable crop nutrition and farming systems. Why it matters: - The recognition spotlights research that could help crops get more nutrients from soil and reduce reliance on synthetic fertilisers. - The award also highlights science aimed at improving farming systems for smallholder farmers. - ENSA’s work sits at the intersection of plant science, sustainability and crop innovation. What happened: - ENSA and Gates Agricultural Innovations (Gates Ag One) announced that Professor Uta Paszkowski has been named a 2026 Top Agri-food Pioneer by the World Food Prize Foundation. - Paszkowski is ENSA co-director and professor of plant sciences at the University of Cambridge. - The announcement was made in Cambridge, United Kingdom, on June 17, 2026. - The 2026 Top Agri-food Pioneers will be recognised during the Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, this October. The details: - The Top Agri-food Pioneers initiative recognises global innovators advancing agriculture and food systems through science-driven solutions, practical impact and collaborative leadership. - Paszkowski is known for research into arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses, the beneficial relationships between plants and soil fungi. - These ancient partnerships help crops access nutrients from the soil and have potential to support more sustainable agriculture. - Her work has focused on how rice and maize communicate with beneficial fungi and exchange nutrients. - The research has identified molecular mechanisms that enable plant-fungal interactions. - Rice and maize have become model systems for studying these symbioses. - As co-director of ENSA, Paszkowski helps lead an international research effort to improve and expand the use of beneficial microorganisms in crop nutrition. - ENSA’s goal is to reduce dependence on synthetic fertilisers and support more sustainable and equitable farming systems worldwide. - Gates Ag One supports ENSA as part of its effort to translate scientific discoveries into crop innovations that can reach smallholder farmers. - Paszkowski said she was deeply honoured by the recognition and credited students, researchers and collaborators for the work. - Paszkowski said the research offers exciting opportunities to support more sustainable agriculture. Between the lines: - The award signals growing interest in biological and nature-inspired approaches to agriculture, not just chemical inputs. - Gates Ag One’s support suggests a push to move fundamental plant science toward practical use in fields that matter most for food security. - The recognition links basic research on plant-fungal symbiosis to broader goals around resilience, sustainability and equity. - Joe Cornelius, chief executive officer of Gates Agricultural Innovations, said the honour reflects both Paszkowski’s individual achievement and the need for crop innovation that serves smallholder farmers. - Cornelius said Paszkowski’s leadership is improving understanding of how crops can work with beneficial soil microorganisms to improve nutrition, resilience and sustainability. What’s next: - Paszkowski will be recognised with other 2026 Top Agri-food Pioneers at the Borlaug Dialogue in October. - ENSA and Gates Ag One are likely to continue positioning the research as a pathway to crop systems that use fewer synthetic fertilisers. - The recognition may help increase attention on plant-microbe research as a tool for building more resilient food systems. The bottom line: - The award puts a spotlight on a line of plant science that could reshape how crops get nutrients and how sustainable agriculture scales for farmers worldwide.