Prof. Dr. Dietrich Darr

As a professional and as an academic Prof. Dietrich Darr’s main focus has been on the promotion of regional economic cycles. Over the past years, the production, processing and marketing of agricultural and forestry products has been at the centre of his work.

Prof. Dietrich Darr studied forestry and tropical forestry at the University of Applied Sciences Schwarzburg and at TU Dresden. He conducted research projects on sustainable land use in Ethiopia, Kenya and Laos. At Moi University in Kenya Prof. Darr held a teaching position in rural extension. He received his doctorate from TU Dresden with a dissertation on the promotion of agro-forestry innovations in East Africa.

A close cooperation between the university and local businesses in research and teaching are a priority for Prof. Dietrich Darr. Prior to being appointed Professor of Agribusiness at Rhine-Waal University on the 1st April 2012, Prof. Darr worked for a leading international management consultancy. His responsibilities included market and competitor analyses, support in strategy development and optimization of business processes for agribusiness companies and other industry clients.

His research interests and priorities include

• Strategy and management in agribusiness     
• Socio-economics of smallholder agriculture, including agro-forestry in the tropics and subtropics
• Contribution of underutilised non-timber forest products to smallholder livelihoods
• Value chains for products of agriculture, forestry and food industry
• Analysis of smallholders’ land use-related decision-making in the Global South
• Innovation systems, diffusion of innovations and rural advisory services

In addition to his teaching and research activities Prof. Dietrich Darr provides consulting services to companies and organizations in the agro-food sector and other clients. Prof. Darr regularly publishes in his area of ​​expertise. He is married and has three children.