Paramu Mafongoya
Paramu Mafongoya is a Zimbabwean professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, where he specialises in agriculture, earth and environmental sciences. He serves as the South African Research Chair in Agronomy and Rural Development at UKZN. He is affiliated with the African Academy of Sciences and the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences. His work in agricultural research, development, education, and integrated natural resources management extends over three decades. He has authored more than 290 publications, including 190 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 49 chapters in peer-reviewed books, and 2 books. His research areas include agronomy, climate science, soil science, and agroforestry.
Early life and education
Born on 23 October 1961 in Zimbabwe, Mafongoya completed his BSc in Agriculture at the University of Zimbabwe in 1984. He then studied in the United Kingdom, earning his MSc in Applied Plant Sciences and his MSc in Agricultural Development from Wye College, University of London, in 1988 and 1990, respectively. He later earned his PhD in Agroforestry from the University of Florida in the United States in 1995.Career and research
After earning his PhD, Mafongoya worked as a senior lecturer and head of the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Zimbabwe from 1995 to 1999. He then joined the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry as a principal scientist and regional coordinator for Southern Africa from 1999 to 2007. He also held positions at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.In 2007, Mafongoya joined UKZN as a professor of agriculture, earth and environmental sciences. Since 2015, he has served as the SARChI chair in agronomy and rural development. He leads a research group that focuses on tropical resources, ecology, environment and climate, crop-livestock integration, and sustainable agriculture. He has mentored over 100 postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows. He has collaborated with various national and international institutions and networks, including the AAS, the ZAS, the InterAcademy Partnership, the Network of African Science Academies, and the African Union.
Selected publications
Mafongoya has authored over 290 works, including 190 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 49 chapters in peer-reviewed books, and 2 books. Some of his most cited works include:*