11 Facts About Monty Jones

Monty Jones was a Sierra Leonean plant breeder and politician who served as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security.

Monty Jones served as the first Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa and was adjudged a co-winner of the 2004 World Food Prize.

Monty Jones was awarded an honorary degree in Doctor of Science by his alma mater, Birmingham University, in July 2005.

Monty Jones spent the last 32 years of his career in Africa working in international agricultural research for development institutions.

Monty Jones began his career at the Rice Research Station in Sierra Leone, where he worked as a breeder for 13 years.

In 1991, Monty Jones moved to the West Africa Rice Development Association now known as AfricaRice Centre, to become its principal breeder.

Monty Jones then disseminated NERICA through participatory approaches by working at multiple levels of associates from scientists to extension workers and farmersorganizations to governments and NGOs.

At the time he left WARDA to join FARA in July 2002, Monty Jones had held three offices, first as its Principal Rice Breeder, Rain-fed Program Leader and Deputy Director of Research.

Monty Jones is the immediate past chairperson of Global Forum on Agricultural Research.

In January 2014 Monty Jones was nominated president of EMRC, a not-for-profit Belgium-based association founded to encourage and facilitate private sector investment in Africa.

Monty Jones replaced Professor Pierre Mathijsen, professor of European Law at the University of Brussels and Managing Partner of the law firm Eurolegal EEIG, who had been at the helm of EMRC for a decade.