Senior Agronomist EngineerDakar, Senegal

DaoudaSeck.

Transforming agriculture through innovation and leadership. 4+ years in sustainable agriculture and nature restoration, guiding farmers, governments and organizations with data-driven strategy.

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UN Global Food Systems
Youth Leader
Mandela Washington
Fellow 2025
SIPSA Trophy
Winner 2024
Portrait of Daouda Seck
Food systems • Climate-smart • Africa •

5,000+

Farmers supported

Mandela Washington FellowshipPurdue UniversityFAOWorld Food ForumWageningen UniversityUN Food Systems HubGIZ SAISTOLBIIPARENSA ThièsMandela Washington FellowshipPurdue UniversityFAOWorld Food ForumWageningen UniversityUN Food Systems HubGIZ SAISTOLBIIPARENSA Thiès
01About

Growing resilient food systems, one field at a time.

Passionate about transforming agriculture through innovation, data-driven solutions and sustainable practices, for current and future generations.

With over 4+ years of experience in sustainable agriculture and nature restoration, I specialize in supporting farmers, governments, NGOs, and DFIs through data-driven strategic guidance. My expertise focuses on promoting sustainable food systems and climate-smart agriculture across Africa.

As ex Country Manager at TOLBI, I drove company growth by tripling sales and expanding the digital platform to 2,000 smallholder farmers. I also managed 40 field agents responsible for on-the-ground data collection, strengthening AI models for agricultural statistics and supporting evidence-based policy strategies. I also participated in due diligence processes during the fundraising period, which helped the company raise approximately $1 million for its expansion.

5,000+
Farmers Supported
4+
Years Experience
$1M
Funding Secured
200+
Digital Advisory Users

Major Achievements

  • 01Mandela Washington FellowSelected from 43,000+ applicants across Africa
  • 02UN Global Food Systems Youth LeaderLeading transformation in agrifood systems
  • 03SIPSA Trophy WinnerRecognized for outstanding agricultural innovation
  • 04GIZ SAIS FellowSupporting sustainable agricultural systems

Innovation

Driving technological solutions for agricultural challenges

Leadership

Empowering communities through knowledge transfer

Impact

Creating measurable change in food systems

Sustainability

Promoting climate-smart agricultural practices

02Highlights

Recent milestones

Latest achievements and professional milestones that showcase my commitment to agricultural innovation and leadership development.

Meeting with Minister of Agriculture Dr. Mabouba Diagne
Featured
This Week

Meeting with Minister of Agriculture Dr. Mabouba Diagne

The Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Mabouba Diagne, agreed to support our initiative to establish the World Food Forum (WFF/FAO) Senegal National Chapter—a national platform that will bring together young leaders, academics, students, producers, and agripreneurs to advance and promote the transformation of agri-food systems. He praised the spirit of the initiative and, above all, the commitment to making a meaningful impact for our country. The meeting was insightful, and the future looks very promising. Together for better Agri-food systems for our country🇸🇳✨

Mandela Washington Fellow 2025
01

Mandela Washington Fellow 2025

Selected from 43,000+ applicants across Africa to participate in this prestigious leadership program at Purdue University.

FAO Youth Ambassador
02

FAO Youth Ambassador

Nominated by FAO Senegal and Ghana for Africa Food Systems Forum media roundtable, representing youth leadership in agrifood transformation.

World Food Forum Certification
03

World Food Forum Certification

Completed the '4 Better Masterclass' focusing on digital technology, systems approach, and family farming systems transformation.

03Experience

From the field to the boardroom.

A journey of innovation and leadership in sustainable agriculture, from grassroots impact to strategic management, consistently delivering results that transform agricultural systems.

June 2023 - January 2025

TOLBI

Dakar, SenegalFull-time

Country Manager

Farmers Supported
5,000+
Funding Secured
$1M
Digital Advisory Users
200+
  • Increased sales threefold in Senegal in 2024, strengthening TOLBI's market presence.
  • Onboarded 2,000 smallholder farmers onto the platform, enabling access to early warning systems and weather-based agronomic advice for climate-smart farming in Southern Senegal.
  • Recruited, trained, and managed 40 field agents to support the implementation of an AI-powered platform for SONACOS, enhancing crop monitoring and generating reliable agricultural statistics.
  • Led a digital advisory project with PROVALE-CV, supporting over 200 farmers across 8 regions to drive data-informed decision-making at the farm level.
  • Streamlined data collection processes in close collaboration with the R&D department, improving coordination and data quality.

June 2021 - May 2023

TOLBI

Dakar, SenegalFull-time

Chief Agronomist Officer

Farmers Digitized
20+
Partnership
FAO
Climate-Smart Focus
100%
  • Co-led the Digital Village Initiative in partnership with FAO and ANCAR, advancing the digitization of agricultural services for smallholder farmers.
  • Contributed to the COVID-19 Resilience Program funded by COMCEC, developing a digital platform that connected farmers with buyers during pandemic restrictions.
  • Worked with the entire team on designing strategies for large-scale testing and deployment of innovative agricultural solutions at the sub-regional level.
  • Ensured operational alignment with climate-smart agriculture principles, promoting sustainability and resilience in farming systems.

December 2020 - May 2021

IPAR

Dakar, SenegalContract

Assistant Project Manager

Farmers' Unions
4
Project Completion
100%
Assessment
Impact
  • Designed and developed field data collection tools and surveys for smallholder farmers
  • Evaluated impact of local cereal development projects for 4 farmers' unions
  • Delivered comprehensive findings and recommendations from impact study
  • Supported rural development initiatives in the peanut basin region
05Education

A lifelong student of the land.

Continuous learning and professional development through prestigious institutions and international programs, building expertise in agricultural innovation and leadership.

  • June 2025 - July 2025

    Current

    Leadership in Business

    Purdue University

    International Programs in AgricultureIndiana, United States

    Mandela Washington Fellowship focusing on Business and Entrepreneurship, Food Science, Leadership, Agronomy, and Food Systems.

    Business and EntrepreneurshipFood ScienceLeadershipAgronomyFood Systems

  • April 2024 - April 2024

    Completed

    UN Global Food Systems Youth Leadership Program

    Wageningen University

    Youth Leadership DevelopmentAccra, Ghana

    Selected from over 3,000 applicants to participate in prestigious UN program co-organized by FAO and UN Food Systems Coordination Hub.

    Policy AdvocacyPolicy and PracticeCommunication and Storytelling for ImpactScience and Evidence-Based Decision-MakingGovernance Systems

  • January 2019 - December 2022

    Completed

    Master Value Chain Development and Food Processing

    Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agriculture (ENSA)

    Agricultural EngineeringThiès, Senegal

    Advanced studies in agricultural value chains, food processing technologies, and sustainable agricultural development with focus on business model innovation.

    Value Chain DevelopmentMarketingFinancial ManagementBusiness ModelBusiness PlanLeadership and Self-Management

  • March 2015 - December 2018

    Completed

    Agricultural Engineering Diploma

    Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agriculture (ENSA)

    Agricultural EngineeringThiès, Senegal

    Comprehensive agricultural engineering education with focus on sustainable farming practices, rural development, and agricultural innovation.

    AgronomySociologyEnglishPlanificationAcademic InternshipsBusiness ModelOutreach Strategy
World Food Forum '4 Better Masterclass' Certificate
Recent certification · July 2025

World Food Forum '4 Better Masterclass'

World Food Forum - Global Youth Action Initiative

Completed comprehensive learning series on agrifood systems transformation focusing on digital technology, systems approach, food loss & waste, and family farming systems.

Digital TechnologySystems ApproachFood Loss & WasteFamily Farming Systems

Core Competencies

Technical Skills

SPSSExcelWordPowerPointGoogle WorkspaceJiraTrelloKobotoolboxODK Collect

Soft Skills

Problem-solvingStrategic PlanningHuman-centered DesignLeadershipCritical ThinkingEmotional IntelligencePublic SpeakingDesign Thinking

Languages

Fluent in EnglishAdvanced FrenchNative WolofBasic Arabic
06Contact

Let's grow
something together.

Daouda Seck

Recruiter, collaborator or fellow agricultural innovator, I'd love to hear from you and build sustainable solutions for our food systems.