Dr. Swati Nayak is a scientist with CGIAR International Rice Research Institute. She is also the 2023 Borlaug Field Award Winner from World Food Prize Foundation. Dr Nayak currently working as South Asia Lead for Seed systems, with International Rice Research Institute. She is also global lead for cereal seed systems under CGIAR initiative Seed Equal. She is part of IRRI’s Rice Breeding Innovation Platform and works in the domain of scaling, mainstreaming multiple promising, climate resilient, high yielding, nutrition rich varieties/ germplasm across multiple market segments keeping in mind farmer preference, value chain stakeholder and consumer demand. She works towards ensuring that genetic gain is delivered in farmer field and seed markets are developed and quality seeds are available for farmers and their preferred varieties. She is an experienced professional who has expertise around leading and driving Programmes around Scaling Innovations, Delivery systems, Technology Transfer and extensive Public Private Partnership strategies that focus on accelerating impact and scale of agriculture technology. She has extensive experience around engagement of women and community, in technology scaling and targeting programmes. She has academic background Agriculture extension (technology transfer), rural management and Agriculture science and have experience on evaluating diverse extension methodology including the usage of disruptive technology for accelerated impact.
