Medhanie Mehari Arefe is agricultural researcher and potato agronomy specialist with over 13 years of experience in horticultural research, crop variety development, and agricultural project management at the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Agricultural Research Institute of Eritrea (NARI). Medhanie work has focused on building a stronger, more resilient food system with the potato at the centre of it.

Over the course of his career, Medhanie has contributed to raising Eritrea’s national average potato yield from 13 to 16 tonnes per hectare through the introduction of improved varieties, better agronomic practices, and farmer training. Medhanie has been involved in the release of five crop varieties, which are two potato varieties, two tomato varieties, and one pepper.

In 2022, Medhanie had the honour of chairing the First Inaugural National Potato Conference of Eritrea, a milestone event that brought together researchers, policymakers, and local and international development partners to chart a national vision for the potato sector. That same year, Medhanie led a team to represent Eritrea at the World Potato Congress in Dublin, Ireland. And later at the World Potato Congress in Adelaide, Australia.

Medhanie currently coordinate the MCHIPS Project, a €1 million EU-funded initiative aimed at transforming Eritrea’s entire potato value chain, from tissue culture to certified farm-level seed multiplication — including the establishment of a national Potato Innovation Centre. At the same time, Medhanie is conducting a research PhD study in Potato Pathology at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Kenya.