Alejandro Ortega-Beltran, a Mexican, is a Senior Plant Pathologist and Head of the Pathology and Mycotoxin/Aflasafe Unit at IITA-Ibadan. He earned his BSc in Biotechnological Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora (Mexico) in 2006 and a PhD in Plant Pathology from the University of Arizona (USA) in 2012. From 2013 to 2015, he worked as a postdoctoral scientist at the University of California, Davis, improving aflatoxin biocontrol technologies for almond and pistachio industries in California.

Since joining IITA in 2016, Alejandro has been involved in the development, testing, registration, and technology transfer of 14 of the 17 globally registered aflatoxin biocontrol products. His work focuses on scaling these technologies across Africa, helping farmers produce safer crops, improving food safety, health, and trade outcomes. Over the past nine years, his efforts have impacted hundreds of thousands of farmers and led to millions of tons of aflatoxin-reduced crops.

Alejandro collaborates with maize, cowpea, soybean, and banana breeders to combat plant diseases and promotes capacity-building by training technicians, scientists, students, and regulators across Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia. He conducts impactful research leading to practical solutions that benefit farmers, consumers, and industries.