Kumbirai Ivyne Mateva is an emerging breeder and ecophysiologist dedicated to advancing crop improvement, genetic conservation, and sustainable agriculture. As the current vice president of the Zimbabwe Plant Breeders Association (ZPBA) and a fellow of the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) Young Scientists Programme, where he specialized in enhancing drought tolerance in bambara groundnut, demonstrating expertise in breeding, metabolomics, phenomics, environmental plant physiology, and controlled environment research.

With a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of Nottingham, Malaysia, complemented by an M.Sc. in Crop Breeding and a B.Sc. in Natural Resources Management and Agriculture from Midlands State University, Zimbabwe, Kumbirai’s academic journey is enriched by hands-on experiences. He began as a Research Intern at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), where he contributed to the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa project and coauthored an influential report currently driving “National Measures, Best Practices and Lessons Learned from the Realization of Farmers’ Rights”.

At the International Crops Research Institute of the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Kumbirai excelled as a Research Associate, leading breeding initiatives and regional conservation efforts for sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, chickpea, pigeon pea and groundnut. Currently, at Kutsaga Research, he spearheads groundbreaking Cannabis sativa L. breeding in Zimbabwe, emphasizing applications in textiles, food grain, and pharmaceuticals, thus bolstering the nation’s agricultural diversification initiatives.