Oscar Ortiz
Director of the CGIAR Sustainable Farming Program
Director, Sustainable Farming Science Program Lima, Peru
With over two decades of experience in research leadership, Dr. Oscar Ortiz has managed multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural teams at the International Potato Center (CIP) and CGIAR. His past roles include Division Leader, Deputy Director General for Research and Development, and Interim Director General at CIP, plus Senior Director of Crop-Based Systems in CGIAR's Resilient Agrifood Systems (RAFS) Global Science Group. He led the 2024 writing team for the Sustainable Farming Science Program (SFP) proposal across 12 CGIAR Centers and was the Interim Director of the Program between January and July 2025 and started his role as Director of SFP in August 2025.
Oscar brings deep expertise in agronomy, systems thinking, innovation management, digital and AI-related strategies, and participatory methods in agricultural research. A champion of collaborative science, he creates enabling environments for innovation and passionately mentors the next generation of scientists. For over 20 years, he has taught as a visiting lecturer at Peru’s National Agrarian University in graduate programs on innovation and sustainable agriculture.
When not advancing sustainable farming, Oscar enjoys painting, playing tennis, cycling, gardening, and experimenting with Peruvian recipes.
