Dr. Augusto Becerra Lopez-Lavalle joined the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) as Deputy Director General - Research in December 2024. A senior agricultural scientist and research leader with over 15 years of extensive experience in international agricultural research-for-development, Dr. Becerra has held diverse scientific and strategic leadership positions across globally recognized institutions, including CGIAR, CIAT, CSIRO, and ICBA.
Before joining ICARDA, Dr. Becerra served as Chief Scientist at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), where he spearheaded strategic initiatives focused on climate-smart agriculture, innovative genetic resource management, water management solutions, and sustainable development for marginal environments. Under his leadership, ICBA strengthened its global collaborations and enhanced its capacity to deliver impactful agricultural innovations addressing food security and environmental challenges in arid and semi-arid regions.
Previously within the CGIAR system, Dr. Becerra co-led the "Genetic Innovation Action Area" under the One CGIAR initiative, championing the adoption of advanced enabling tools, technologies, and shared services to improve breeding efficiency and effectiveness across CGIAR and partner organizations. From 2012 to 2022, he was the global crop improvement lead for the CGIAR research program on roots, tubers, and bananas, and subsequently led CIAT’s global cassava breeding program from 2016 until his transition to ICBA.
Dr. Becerra’s scientific contributions are well-documented, with a prolific publication record and substantial impact on crop genetics, genomics, breeding innovation, and biotechnology. His research has notably advanced knowledge in cassava genomics, genetic improvement, resilience traits, and sustainability of crop production systems, significantly influencing international breeding programs and agricultural policies.
As a recognized leader, Dr. Becerra is widely known for building multidisciplinary teams, fostering vibrant scientific collaboration networks, and promoting a culture of innovation, creativity, inclusion, and equity within international agricultural research. His leadership at CIAT from 2009 involved directing modern breeding approaches for cassava improvement across Asia and Latin America, developing comprehensive global sustainability strategies to diversify cassava value chains and improve livelihoods for resource-poor farmers.
Prior to joining CIAT, Dr. Becerra worked as a cotton molecular geneticist at CSIRO, based in Canberra, Australia, from 2001 to 2009.
Dr. Augusto Becerra holds a PhD in plant molecular genetics from the University of Sydney, Australia, and an MSc in cytogenetics from Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University in Lima, Peru.
In his role at ICARDA, Dr. Becerra is dedicated to strengthening the institution’s research agenda, fostering innovative scientific thinking aligned with ICARDA’s Research and Innovation Strategy 2030.