Dr. Achim Dobermann is the Chief Scientist of the International Fertilizer Association (IFA), providing scientific advice to IFA, its members and its stakeholders on promoting responsible plant nutrition and nutrient stewardship.
Before joining IFA in early 2020, Achim served as Director & Chief Executive of Rothamsted Research in the UK (2014-2019), Deputy Director General of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI, 2008-2014), Professor of Soil Science and Nutrient Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA (2000-2007), and Soil Scientist at IRRI (1992-2000). He has over 30 years of field experience working in every world region, leading numerous research programs on novel solutions for the sustainable management of agricultural systems.
He received his MSc in Tropical Agriculture and PhD in Soil Science from the University of Leipzig in Germany and has authored or co-authored over 110 journal papers, several books, and numerous other technical and outreach publications. He is an Editor of the international journal Global Food Security and a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy, the Soil Science Society of America and the Crop Science Societies of the Philippines. As a member of the Leadership Council of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) he leads a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Feeding a Hungry Planet.