Howarth Bouis is director of HarvestPlus, an international, interdisciplinary research program that seeks to reduce micronutrient malnutrition by breeding nutrient dense staple foods through a process known as biofortification. In this position, he coordinates a global alliance of research centers and implementing agencies to biofortify and disseminate micronutrient-dense staple food crops and to measure their impact in improving nutrition. Since 1993, Bouis has promoted biofortification activities both within the Future Harvest Centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and in the human nutrition community. His research has concentrated on understanding how economic factors affect food demand and nutrition outcomes, particularly in Asia. A U.S. citizen, Bouis received his Ph.D. from Stanford University.

Monty Jones is the executive secretary of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, an umbrella organization based in Ghana that brings together major stakeholders in agricultural research and development in Africa. In 2004, he won the World Food Prize for his breakthrough work in rice science. For nearly two decades, Jones has served in numerous capacities in the field of international agricultural research, including breeder at the Rice Research Station in Sierra Leone, coordinator of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture-U.S. Agency for International Development's Cameroon rice program, Head of the Rainfed Rice Program and principal breeder at the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA), where he developed the world-renowned "New Rice for Africa" (NERICA). His work on NERICA rice led to WARDA's receipt of the prestigious King Badouin Award of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. In 2001, Jones received the National Order of Merit of Côte d'Ivoire. A citizen of Sierra Leone, he holds a Ph.D and an honorary DSc. from the University of Birmingham (U.K.)

Hon. Ruth Oniang'o is a member of parliament of the Government of Kenya and professor of food science and nutrition at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Her research and consultation areas focus on household food and nutrition security, women's nutrition, child health, and community-level agro processing. Oniang'o is founder and editor-in-chief of the African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development. In addition, she is founder and chair of the board of trustees of the Rural Outreach Program, and has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the Poverty Eradication Commission of Kenya, HarvestPlus, International Rice Research Institute, International Fertilizer Development Center, Executive Committee of the United Nations Sub-committee on Nutrition, and the Board on Food Security and Sustainable Development of the Economic Commission for Africa. Oniang'o has recently been voted to the membership of the prestigious International Academy of Food Science and Technology. She received a Ph.D. from the University of Nairobi.