Emmanuel Olatunbosun Benjamin | Urban Agriculture | Research Excellence Award

Dr. Emmanuel Olatunbosun Benjamin | Urban Agriculture | Research Excellence Award

Technical Advisor | Aglobe Development Center | Nigeria

Emmanuel Olatunbosun Benjamin is a researcher specializing in Agricultural and Resource Economics with strong expertise in Development Economics, currently affiliated with the Technical University of Munich. His research focuses on the economics of sustainable agriculture, agroforestry systems, Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES), climate policy, and smallholder livelihood resilience, with emerging interests in gender equity, environmental incentives, and climate-smart food systems. He has held key academic and research roles through international collaborations addressing sustainability challenges in Africa and developing economies. His major contributions include influential empirical evidence on PES effectiveness, agroforestry adoption, women’s economic empowerment, and policy-relevant analyses of climate and energy transitions. Through interdisciplinary and impact-driven research, his work informs evidence-based policymaking, supports sustainable land-use strategies, and advances inclusive economic development. His impact vision centers on bridging environmental conservation with poverty alleviation by translating rigorous economic research into scalable solutions for global sustainability and climate resilience.

Featured Publications 

  1. Benjamin, E. O., Ola, O., Menapace, L., & Lang, H. (2019). Determinants of the environmental conservation and poverty alleviation objectives of payments for ecosystem services programs. Ecosystem Services, 35, 52–66.

  2. Benjamin, E. O., Ola, O., & Buchenrieder, G. (2018). Does an agroforestry scheme with payment for ecosystem services economically empower women in sub-Saharan Africa? Ecosystem Services, 31, 1–11.

  3. Benjamin, E. O., & Sauer, J. (2018). The cost effectiveness of payments for ecosystem services—Smallholders and agroforestry in Africa. Land Use Policy, 71, 293–302.

  4. Guo, Q., Ola, O., & Benjamin, E. O. (2020). Determinants of the adoption of sustainable intensification in southern African farming systems: A meta-analysis. Sustainability, 12(8), 3276.

  5. Ola, O., & Benjamin, E. O. (2019). Preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services in West African forest, watersheds, and wetlands: A review of incentives. Forests, 10(6), 479.

Amit Kesarwani | Climate Change | Editorial Board Member

Assist. Prof. Dr. Amit Kesarwani | Climate Change | Editorial Board Member

Assistant Professor | Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology | India

Dr. Amit Kesarwani is a distinguished researcher specializing in agronomy, with core expertise in soil and plant nutrition, nitrogen-use efficiency, organic farming, and wheat agronomy. His research focuses on optimizing nutrient management systems, advancing sustainable crop production strategies, and enhancing the biochemical and physiological quality of cereals through improved farming practices. Emerging interests in biofortification, soil microbial dynamics, and climate-resilient agronomic interventions further expand the scope of his scientific contributions. Over his career, Dr. Kesarwani has served in pivotal academic roles, including Assistant Professor of Agronomy at GBPUAT, Pantnagar, and Visiting Fellow at Western Sydney University, Australia, where he actively engaged in collaborative research on plant nutrition and sustainable production systems. His key contributions span influential studies on nutrient management strategies, organic farming impacts, and rice and wheat quality enhancement, reflected in widely cited works on microbial-function-based nutrient strategies, integrated nutrient management, antioxidant properties of cereals, and long-term fertilizer impacts on soil microbiology. His research has advanced practical innovations for improving nitrogen-use efficiency, reducing nitrate toxicity through decision-support tools, and strengthening soil health under intensive cultivation, offering valuable insights for modern agricultural policy and sustainable farming frameworks. Dr. Kesarwani’s work also contributes to understanding genotype–environment interactions for quality traits in cereal crops, supporting industry efforts toward healthier and more resilient food systems. His scientific output, including high-impact publications in agricultural productivity, plant biochemistry, and soil science, demonstrates continued commitment to improving crop performance while minimizing environmental degradation. Guided by a vision to strengthen global food security, he aims to drive innovations that foster climate-smart agriculture, empower farmers through evidence-based nutrient-management solutions, and enhance the sustainability of cereal-based cropping systems. Through his leadership in research, collaborative initiatives, and knowledge dissemination, Dr. Kesarwani continues to contribute meaningfully to agricultural science, ensuring that sustainable agronomic practices remain central to meeting the world’s growing food and environmental challenges.

Profile: Google Scholar

Featured Publications

1. Mehta, C. M., Emmanuel, B., Kesarwani, A., Sirari, K., & Sharma, A. K. (2016). Nutrient management strategies based on microbial functions. In Microbial Inoculants in Sustainable Agricultural Productivity (Vol. 2).

2. Wailare, A. T., & Kesarwani, A. (2017). Effect of integrated nutrient management on growth and yield parameters of maize (Zea mays L.) as well as soil physico-chemical properties. Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research, 1(2), 294–299.

3. Kesarwani, A., Chiang, P. Y., & Chen, S. S. (2016). Rapid Visco Analyzer measurements of japonica rice cultivars to study interrelationship between pasting properties and farming system. International Journal of Agronomy, 2016(1), 3595326.

4. Saini, R. K., Khan, M. I., Shang, X., Kumar, V., Kumari, V., Kesarwani, A., & Ko, E. Y. (2024). Dietary sources, stabilization, health benefits, and industrial application of anthocyanins—A review. Foods, 13(8), 1227.

5. Kesarwani, A., Chiang, P. Y., & Chen, S. S. (2014). Distribution of phenolic compounds and antioxidative activities of rice kernel and their relationships with agronomic practice. The Scientific World Journal, 2014(1), 620171.