Julius Adewopo is a Senior Data Innovation Consultant in the Development Data Group at the World Bank. He has acquired 14 years multidisciplinary research experience in geodata analytics, agricultural systems management, and emerging technologies for decision-support at scale. Through various roles in top-tier institutions (including Mercy Corps and Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research - CGIAR), he has successfully led multi-country initiatives, including the co-development of digital tools and field-testing of technologies in humanitarian and agricultural development contexts.
Julius' research portfolio encompasses data crowdsourcing (including prices, diet quality, and yields) for near-real-time intelligence on food systems, human-centered design and deployment of tools for surveillance of crop disease and early warning, and assessment of cropland/production dynamics in smallholder farming systems.
He earned his Ph.D in Soil Science (with concentration on GeoAnalytics) from the University of Florida; M.Sc. in Forestry from the University of Arkansas-Monticello; and a Bachelor's degree from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria.
His vision is to advance agile data systems and generate actionable insights in fragile environments. So far, his research endeavors have earned him significant recognitions, including the award for excellence from the International Union of Forestry Research Organization (IUFRO) in Vienna, The Future Africa Award (TFAA) for Agriculture in Nigeria, and the Louis Malassis Laureate award from the Agropolis Foundation in Montpellier, France. He has published his research outputs in reputable Journals, including Nature Scientific Data and Global Food Security, and World Development, and contributes to science by serving as reviewer for high impact grants, scientific Journals, and global initiatives for agricultural development.