Signatories of a statement issued by leading thinkers in development include five World Food Prize laureates, former heads of development agencies, former Ministers of Agriculture, and heads of the world's leading alliance of agricultural research centers.
Gebisa Ejeta, Ethiopia• World Food Prize Laureate, 2009
• Distinguished Professor of Agronomy, Purdue University
Adel El-Baltegy, Egypt• Chair of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR)
• Former Director General of the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA)
Wangari Maathai, Kenya• Nobel Peace Prize, 2004
• Former Assistant Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Kenya
Chebet Maikut, Uganda• Vice-President of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF)
• Former MP (Uganda)
Paul Munyenyembe, Malawi• Head, Plant Genetic Resources Centre (SPGRC), South African Development Community
• Head of Department, Bunda Collge, University of Malawi
Zachary Kithinji Muthamia, Kenya• Head, National Genebank of Kenya
Godfrey Mwila, Zambia• Former Chair of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations
• Former Head, National Genebank, Zambia
Papa Seck, Senegal• Director General, Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice)
• Former Chair of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
Mohamed Zehni, Libya• Former Director, Plant Production and Protection Division, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations
• Former Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Libya to the UN
