World Sustainability Award
2025 Recipient
Dr. Abdelbagi M. Ismail
The MDPI Sustainability Foundation proudly recognizes Dr. Abdelbagi M. Ismail as the recipient of the 2025 World Sustainability Award for his outstanding contributions to advancing climate-resilient agriculture and strengthening food and income security for smallholder farmers in vulnerable environments.
Dr. Ismail is a Principal Scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) with more than 30 years of experience in research, development, and the deployment of solutions supporting smallholder farmers. He received a BSc (First Class) and MSc in Crop Sciences from the University of Khartoum, Sudan, and a PhD in Botany from the University of California, Riverside, USA.
At IRRI, Dr. Ismail has led several regional programs on the development and delivery of climate-resilient rice varieties and technologies and coordinated extensive networks of research and development partners. He has also served in senior leadership roles including Associate Deputy Director General, Interim Deputy Director General for Research, and Head of the former Genetics and Biotechnology Division. From June 2017 to December 2025, he served as IRRI’s Regional Director for Africa and subsequently continued contributing to the institute as Senior Advisor–Consultant.
His research focuses on enhancing and sustaining crop productivity in areas severely affected by drought, floods, salinity, and heat stress—constraints increasingly intensified by global climate change. His work contributed substantially to strengthening the resilience and sustainability of smallholder farming communities by reducing the impacts of worsening climatic conditions on rice-based systems and enhancing farmers’ capacity to adapt through resilient crop varieties, improved management interventions, strengthened value chains, and supportive policy environments developed in collaboration with governments.
Dr. Ismail has authored or co-authored more than 290 peer-reviewed publications, books, and book chapters and has co-supervised over 50 graduate students. He is also a member of several scientific societies, including the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and the International Society for Plant Low Oxygen Research (ISPLORE), where he has served on its Executive Committee since 2004. His contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including awards from the Governments of Vietnam and Cambodia and the David and Betty Hamburg Science Diplomacy Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2023. He is also a Foreign Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), India, and a Fellow of both the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America.
Through this distinction, the MDPI Sustainability Foundation, through the World Sustainability Award, acknowledges a distinguished career dedicated to developing sustainable agricultural solutions and improving the resilience of farming systems and rural livelihoods across Asia and Africa.
Dr. Ismail is a Principal Scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) with more than 30 years of experience in research, development, and the deployment of solutions supporting smallholder farmers. He received a BSc (First Class) and MSc in Crop Sciences from the University of Khartoum, Sudan, and a PhD in Botany from the University of California, Riverside, USA.
At IRRI, Dr. Ismail has led several regional programs on the development and delivery of climate-resilient rice varieties and technologies and coordinated extensive networks of research and development partners. He has also served in senior leadership roles including Associate Deputy Director General, Interim Deputy Director General for Research, and Head of the former Genetics and Biotechnology Division. From June 2017 to December 2025, he served as IRRI’s Regional Director for Africa and subsequently continued contributing to the institute as Senior Advisor–Consultant.
His research focuses on enhancing and sustaining crop productivity in areas severely affected by drought, floods, salinity, and heat stress—constraints increasingly intensified by global climate change. His work contributed substantially to strengthening the resilience and sustainability of smallholder farming communities by reducing the impacts of worsening climatic conditions on rice-based systems and enhancing farmers’ capacity to adapt through resilient crop varieties, improved management interventions, strengthened value chains, and supportive policy environments developed in collaboration with governments.
Dr. Ismail has authored or co-authored more than 290 peer-reviewed publications, books, and book chapters and has co-supervised over 50 graduate students. He is also a member of several scientific societies, including the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and the International Society for Plant Low Oxygen Research (ISPLORE), where he has served on its Executive Committee since 2004. His contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including awards from the Governments of Vietnam and Cambodia and the David and Betty Hamburg Science Diplomacy Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2023. He is also a Foreign Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), India, and a Fellow of both the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America.
Through this distinction, the MDPI Sustainability Foundation, through the World Sustainability Award, acknowledges a distinguished career dedicated to developing sustainable agricultural solutions and improving the resilience of farming systems and rural livelihoods across Asia and Africa.
