Paswel Marenya
Principal Scientist
CIMMYT
Paswel Marenya is a Principal Scientist and Economist at CIMMYT with over 15 years of experience in agricultural research for development.
His work focuses on the drivers of sustainable agricultural intensification in smallholder farming systems across Eastern and Southern Africa, including farmer decision-making, climate-smart agriculture, soil fertility and input use, innovation delivery, and investment prioritization.
His current work examines agentic extension approaches, the transition of agricultural research innovations into market-ready products, and platform innovations that connect science, enterprise, investment, and policy. He has published widely in peer-reviewed leading journals and contributed to high-level regional policy dialogues on sustainable agriculture and food systems transformation.
Between 2018 and 2019, Dr. Marenya served as Global Lead of SIMLESA, a nine-year regional initiative on sustainable maize-legume intensification in Eastern and Southern Africa. From 2023 to 2025, he served as Associate Program Director for CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems Program in Africa. He holds a PhD in Natural Resources Policy and Management from Cornell University.
Paswel Marenya is a member of the AEGIS Scientific Advisory Board.
His work focuses on the drivers of sustainable agricultural intensification in smallholder farming systems across Eastern and Southern Africa, including farmer decision-making, climate-smart agriculture, soil fertility and input use, innovation delivery, and investment prioritization.
His current work examines agentic extension approaches, the transition of agricultural research innovations into market-ready products, and platform innovations that connect science, enterprise, investment, and policy. He has published widely in peer-reviewed leading journals and contributed to high-level regional policy dialogues on sustainable agriculture and food systems transformation.
Between 2018 and 2019, Dr. Marenya served as Global Lead of SIMLESA, a nine-year regional initiative on sustainable maize-legume intensification in Eastern and Southern Africa. From 2023 to 2025, he served as Associate Program Director for CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems Program in Africa. He holds a PhD in Natural Resources Policy and Management from Cornell University.
Paswel Marenya is a member of the AEGIS Scientific Advisory Board.