Rajendra Adhikari

Dr. Rajendra Adhikari is a Senior Lecturer in Agribusiness at the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland, Gatton campus. He earned his PhD in Agribusiness from The University of Queensland in 2013 with the thesis titled 'Developing agri-food industry in Nepal: a value chain management perspective,' and a Master of Agribusiness in 2006 with the thesis 'Evaluation of agricultural policies in Nepal: a rice industry perspective.' He also holds a B.Sc. in Agriculture. With more than 25 years of professional experience, his career encompasses agribusiness value chain research, agricultural project planning, management and evaluation, agribusiness teaching, and agrifood policy formulation. Previously, he worked as Research Associate at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania from 2015 to 2018, and served as Joint Secretary and Chief of the Policy and International Cooperation Coordination Division at the Ministry of Agricultural Development in Nepal.

Dr. Adhikari's research interests center on agribusiness value chain analysis, modelling and development, co-innovation and entrepreneurship, agricultural policy and strategy, and behavioural research, with fieldwork experience in Vietnam, Pakistan, Nepal, and Australia. He currently leads Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) projects, including 'Developing competitive and inclusive value chains of pulses in Pakistan' (2019–2026) and 'Improving smallholder well-being through participation in modern value chains: sustaining future growth in the Pakistan citrus industry' (2021–2027). Other projects include 'Intensification of beef cattle production in upland cropping systems in North West Vietnam' (2018–2022). He supervises 12 PhD and Master's students and has completed supervision of 8 others on topics such as enabling competitive value chains for pulses in Pakistan and women's empowerment through contract farming. His scholarly output includes 37 works from 2006 to 2026, with key publications such as 'Impact of government support policies on entrepreneurial orientation and SME performance' (2024, International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal), 'Agriculture development through multi-stakeholder partnerships in developing countries: a systematic literature review' (2024, Agricultural Systems), 'The carbon footprint of fruits: a systematic review from a life cycle perspective' (2024, Sustainable Production and Consumption), 'Consumers' insight and behaviour towards mango quality and safety attributes: implications for integrated value chain development' (2023, British Food Journal), 'Women and plant entanglements: pulses commercialization and care relations in Punjab, Pakistan' (2023, Oxford Development Studies), and the book chapter 'Urban agriculture as a wellbeing approach and policy agenda for Nepal' (2022).

Professional Email: r.adhikari@uq.edu.au