Prof. Edward Ebo Onumah
Agricultural Economist - Member of the Steering Committee
Edward Ebo Onumah is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the University of Ghana, with a distinguished academic and consultancy career spanning more than two decades. He holds a BSc and MSc in Agricultural Economics from KNUST and a PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Göttingen, Germany, specializing in production economics and applied econometrics.
His research interests include productivity and efficiency analysis, agricultural production risk and uncertainty, food security and poverty analysis, microfinance, aquaculture and fisheries economics, and agricultural trade and market systems. With over 70 peer-reviewed publications, Prof. Onumah has contributed significantly to advancing knowledge on food systems resilience, value chain analysis, gender and innovation in agriculture, and sustainable farming under climate change. His recent works include studies on post-harvest fish systems and food security (2024), COVID-19’s impact on value chains (2024), and non-tariff measures affecting cereal farmers and household welfare (2023).
Alongside his academic contributions, Prof. Onumah has provided policy and consultancy expertise to Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Technoserve Ghana, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), WorldFish, GIZ, USAID, IDS (University of Sussex), and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). Since 2013, he has been a lead resource person at Ghana’s Annual Post-Budget Workshops for Members of Parliament, where he advises on agricultural productivity, trade, and food security policy.
As Chair of the AFDEG Agribusiness, Food Security & Climate Resilience Track, Prof. Onumah will lead discussions on how Africa can leverage digital agriculture, vertical farming systems such as hydroponics, artificial intelligence for food systems forecasting, and blockchain for agricultural traceability to enhance productivity, reduce waste, and strengthen food security. Under his leadership, the track will explore innovative agribusiness models, climate-smart practices, and technology-driven value chain transparency as pathways to achieve Africa’s agricultural transformation goals.
Prof. Onumah’s blend of academic rigor, policy engagement, and practical innovation makes him a pivotal contributor to AFDEG’s agenda, ensuring that its agricultural outputs are not only evidence-based but also technologically forward-looking and implementable across Africa.