About me
A Short Story
Cornelius Adewale
I became an agricultural scientist and an entrepreneur because I believe a sustainable world is possible. A world where we end hunger and food insecurity. A world where farmers will not have to worry about feeding their family now, and their ability to do the same in the future.
My vision and work is mostly shaped by my experience growing up in Nigeria. When money was scarce, my grandmother sold her clothing, jewelry, and dishes so her family wouldn’t go hungry.
Yet my household fared better than many farming families in my Nigerian village of Ilesa. Villagers struggled to grow enough food crops on rented plots of land. The less fortunate couldn’t harvest enough to feed their family.
Planting and weeding by hand, farmers in Ilesa produced a fraction of their land’s potential. Few knew about farming methods that could yield a bigger bounty.
None have access to the education, technology, and resources needed to unleash the potential of their land. So, I decided to act and be a part of the solution to empowering farmers for economic and societal growth.
Decades later, I devised a plan to help native Nigerians fill their plate. I created a smartphone app that showed farmers how to boost crop yields, so they can keep their farms and feed more people.
On the surface, my plan involves enriching soil. But at its heart, it’s about enriching minds. All farmers need access to continuous advice and education on resilient farming systems. They must be empowered with easy to implement sustainable farming practices.
Only then can we create a world that ends hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition. Together, we can take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
My favourite writer
Meet Cornelius Adewale
More about me
Dr Cornelius Adewale is a Nigerian agricultural scientist, Research Associate at Washington State University, and agricultural entrepreneur developing solutions for a sustainable agriculture in Africa. Cornelius’ work sits at the intersection of Agriculture, Technology, and Business. He is the inventor of CornBot, coordinator of Agribusiness Masterclass, and founder of founder of Farmwella, a sustainable agricultural development company.
WHO AM I
E
Entrepreneur
Founder of Farmwella
R
Researcher
Written over six Publications
T
Teacher
Always teaching classes and conducting seminars
I
Inventor
Inventor of Cornbot
F
Farmer
My niche is organic farming
L
Leader
Board member of seven organizations
Publications
Publications
Podcasts
blogs
Recognitions
Honors and awards
Cape Town, South Africa
USAID Frontier Innovation award, Fall Armyworm Tech Prize, Nov 2018
Washington DC
Future Leaders Award, Future Leaders Forum, Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development (AIARD), June 2016
Pullman, WA
WSU President’s Award for Leadership, Center for Civic Engagement and Student Involvement, WSU, April 2015
Pullman, WA
Martin Luther King Distinguished Service Award, January 2015
Pullman, WA
Global Case Competition (1st Place $1000/team)–Captain the team, April 2012
Lagos, Nigeria
VIEMP Outstanding Ambassador, September 2009
