Adewale Ogunmodede

Biography 

Adewale Ogunmodede is an agricultural economist with over 12 years of experience in international development research and teaching. His work is driven by a deep passion for sustainable agriculture and the empowerment of youths and smallholder farmers. Adewale's contributions to the agriculture and food security sector are particularly notable in enhancing youth and smallholder crop productivity, food and nutrition security, and overall livelihoods.

Adewale is currently a Senior Lecturer in Business at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) in Cirencester, UK, where he is also a Visiting Associate Professor of Business at the RAU-QAU Joint Institute for Agricultural Technology at Qingdao Agricultural University, China. His teaching and research are marked by a focus on business, rural innovation, economics, youth empowerment, climate change, community development, agricultural policy and program evaluation. He has a strong background in project management, policy analysis, and evaluation, having worked with a diverse range of organizations including non-governmental organizations, government bodies, farmer organizations, the private sector, research institutes, and intergovernmental organizations.

He holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Agricultural Economics and a second Master's degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security from the RAU. Adewale was a Marshal Papworth and African Land and Food Fellowship Scholar for his MSc studies at the RAU, and he continues to be a beneficiary of various scholarships and grants. He is currently completing his Ph.D. at the Royal Agricultural University, along with a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) at Plymouth Marjon University.

Prior to joining RAU, Adewale worked as an Agricultural Economist at the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), where he led impact evaluations and economic assessments of agricultural, social, and environmental projects across Africa, the UK, and Asia. His work at CABI primarily focused on evaluating extension services, plant health, pest risk management, and digital tools for farmer advisory services. His expertise in economic and data analysis, coupled with his broad knowledge of development issues related to food, business, and agriculture, has made him a key figure in the field. Similarly, his professional journey also includes roles as a Research Fellow at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan, where he worked on the IFAD CARE Project, as well as positions with Syngenta UK Limited, Polyploid Agribusiness Company, and the Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Nigeria.

Adewale is an expert in managing international development projects and has successfully designed, developed, and overseen long-term programs, particularly those tailored for youth and smallholder farmers. His experience includes working on high-impact projects funded by organisations such as the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and USAID. These projects include the PlantwisePlus project, the Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness (CASA) program, and the Global Burden of Crop Loss project.

His main areas of interest and expertise include impact assessment, food security, sustainable agriculture, agribusiness and entrepreneurship, youth empowerment and employability, climate change resilience and adaptation, linking smallholders to high-value markets, and the adoption of agricultural technologies. He is also deeply interested in interdisciplinary research that bridges gaps between different sectors and disciplines. His research has significantly contributed to policy development and the practical application of agricultural innovations.

Research

Research areas

  • Agricultural Economics
  • Food Security
  • Sustainability in Food and Farming
  • Agribusiness
  • Program Evaluation
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Climate Change
  • Employability
  • Farming Systems

Research funding and projects

Adewale has secured significant research funding for various projects. Notable among these are:

  • Sinocampus China, TNE-China Project: Evaluating the impact of Sino-British Transnational Education Partnerships on Graduate Employability and Future Career Outcomes. Principal Investigator. Collaboration between Sinocampus China, the Royal Agricultural University (RAU), Shandong Agricultural University (SDAU), and Qingdao Agricultural University (QAU), China. Total budget £20,000.
  • IFAD CARE Project: Enhancing Capacity to Apply Research Evidence (CARE) in Policy for Youth Engagement in Agribusiness and Rural Economic Activities in Africa. Principal Investigator in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria, and IFAD. Total budget £10,000.
  • COMESA Project: Role of Technology and Innovation in MSMEs amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. Co-Investigator in collaboration with the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International, UK. Total budget £100,000.

 

Teaching

University responsibilities

  • Senior Lecturer in Business
  • Visiting Associate Professor of Business at the RAU-QAU Joint Institute for Agricultural Technology
  • Several Modules leadership
  • Supervision
  • Teaching in the UK and China

Teaching responsibilities

  • Agricultural and Food Production Science
  • Introduction to the Agri-Food Industry
  • People and Food
  • Sustainable Agricultural Intensification
  • Sustainable Management of Soil and Water
  • Integrated Organic Systems
  • Food Ethics and Governance
  • Entrepreneurship
  • As well as contributions to the business and management modules run at the RAU campus

Publications

Publications and professional service

Adewale has published extensively in leading international journals and has served as editor and peer reviewer for high-ranking journals, including:

  • Editorial Board Member: CABI Agriculture & Bioscience Journal
  • Review Editor: Sustainable Agriculture Research
  • Reviewer: International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences
  • Reviewer: Heliyon
  • Reviewer: CABI Agriculture & Bioscience Journal
  • Research Fellow: Institute for Research and Policy Integration in Africa (IRPIA)
  • Research Fellow: French Institute for Research in Africa (IFRA), Nigeria
  • Research Fellow: Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Africa Section Research Mentorship Program

Peer review publications

  • Ahmed, Md.S., Chaudhary, M., Kadzamira, M.A.T.J., Ishii-Adajar, H. and Ogunmodede, A. (2024) Strengthening the system for invasive species preparedness and management: Bangladesh. CABI Working Paper 33, 25 pp. https://dx.doi.org/10.1079CABICOMM-62-8179
  • Constantine KL, Makale F, Mugambi I, Chacha D, Rware H, Muvea A, Kipngetich VK, Tambo J, Ogunmodede A, Djeddour D, Pratt CF. (2024). Assessment of the Socio-Economic Impacts Associated with the Arrival of Apple Snail (Pomacea canaliculata) in Mwea Irrigation Scheme, Kenya. Plant Health Cases, (2024), phcs20240002.
  • Kadzamira, M. A., Ogunmodede, A., Duah, S., Romney, D., Clottey, V. A., & Williams, F. (2023). African agri-entrepreneurship in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. CABI Agric Biosci, 4(1), 1-9.
  • Kadzamira, M., Charles, L., Hevi, W., Kasoma, C., Ogunmodede, A., & Williams, F. (2023). Assessment of the use of CABI’s decision support tools for biosecurity–Pest Risk Analysis Tool and Horizon Scanning Tool. CABI Working Paper 31, 26 pp.
  • Constantine KL, Makale F, Mugambi I, Chacha D, Rware H, Muvea A, Kipngetich VK, Tambo J, Ogunmodede A, Djeddour D, Pratt CF. (2023). Assessment of the socio‐economic impacts associated with the arrival of apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) in Mwea irrigation scheme, Kenya. Pest Management Science, 79(11), 4343-4356.
  • Eschen, R., Kadzamira, M., Stutz, S., Ogunmodede, A., Djeddour, D., Shaw, R., ... & Williams, F. (2023). An updated assessment of the direct costs of invasive non-native species to the United Kingdom. Biological Invasions, 25(10), 3265-3276.
  • Li, H., Kadzamira, M. A., Ogunmodede, A., Finch, E., Zhu, J., Romney, D., & Luke, B. (2023). Lessons Learned and Challenges of Biopesticide Usage for Locust Management—The Case of China. Sustainability, 15(7), 6193.
  • Ogunmodede, A.M., Tambo, J. A., Adeleke, A. T., Gulak, D. M., & Ogunsanwo, M. O. (2022). Farmers’ willingness to pay towards the sustainability of plant clinics: exhibits from Bangladesh, Rwanda, and Zambia. Int. Journal of Agr Sus, 1-13.
  • Kadzamira, M., Ogunmodede, A., Iqbal, M., Williams, F., Hill, S. and Curry, C. (2022) Assessment of the use and benefits of the Plantwise Knowledge Bank. CABI Working Paper 30, 36 pp.
  • Eschen, R., Beale, T., Bonnin, J.M., Constantine, K.L., Duah, S., Finch, E.A., Makale, F.,    Nunda, W., Ogunmodede, A.M., Pratt, C.F., Thompson, E., Williams, F., Witt, A., & Taylor, B. (2021). Towards estimating the economic cost of invasive alien species to African crop and livestock production. CABI Agric Biosci 2:18, 1-18.
  • Musebe, R., & Ogunmodede, A.M., (2021). Do farmers adopt advice on good pesticide practices? A case study of plant doctors recommended pesticide use in maize and tomato production. CABICOMM, Study Brief: Impact. 1-10
  • Hague, M., Kadzamira, M., Casey, J., Terefe, B., Abrahams, P., Ogunmodede, A., and Constantine, K. (2021). Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness Programme Portfolio Review 2020.LINK
  • Ogunmodede, A.M., Ogunsanwo, M.O., & Manyong, V. (2020). Unlocking the Potential of Agribusiness in Africa through Youth Participation: An Impact Evaluation of N-Power Agro Empowerment Program in Nigeria. Sustainability, 12(14), 5737, 1-18.
  • Ogunmodede A.M. (2020). Conservation Agriculture: An Agroecological Approach to Adapting and Mitigating Climate Change Impacts on Malawi’s Agriculture. International Journal of World Policy and Development Studies, 6(7):88-96.
  • Ogunmodede, A.M., & Awotide, D.O. (2020). Profitability and technical efficiency of leafy vegetable production: a stochastic frontier product. International Journal of Vegetable Science, 26(1):1-7 
  • Ogunmodede, A.M., & Omonona, B.T. (2020). Food as Medicine: Food Consumption Patterns and Reported Illnesses among Households. Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics. XXIII (2), 81-91 
  • Ogunmodede, A.M. (2019) The past, present and future contributions of small-scale and local food supply systems to Nigeria.’ Royal Agricultural University, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3977192 

Conference contributions

  • Ogunmodede, A. M., Tambo, J.A., Gulak, D.M., Adeleke, A.T., & Ogunsanwo, M.O. (2021). Assessment of Farmers’ Willingness to Pay Towards the Sustainability of Plant Clinics: Exhibits from Bangladesh, Rwanda, and Zambia. In Proceedings of the 31st Triennial International Conference of Agricultural Economists. 17-31, 2021, (No. 315074) https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.315074 

Authored books/monograph

  • Ogunmodede, A.M., (2021) “Finding farmers of the future: Impact evaluation of N-power programme.” Ibadan: IITA Monograph. LINK 
  • Ogunmodede, A.M. (2020). Female Education in the Solomon Islands: A tool for reducing gender inequality and malnutrition. A Policy Brief, The School of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Royal Agricultural University, 1-5.  
  • Ogunmodede Adewale, Sophia Lingham, Alan Peter, Amanda Moshi, Ahmed Maden, Kellie Hummuel, and Janis Faltman. (2019). Integrated Rural Development Matters: Soil and Food Security Magazine. School of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Royal Agricultural University. LINK  

Media contributions

  • Ogunmodede, A.M., (2020) Enabling access to FAIR and open agricultural data: CABI’s Action on Invasives takes the lead. CABI Invasive Blog. Link