I have an interest in the post-harvest management of beverage, cereal and horticulture crops, with a focus on research, advisory and training projects covering the supply chain with support to farmers, traders and support services. Considerable experience in research project formulation, administration, management and appraisal. NRI Currently supervising PhD students in the following research areas:

• Structuring Client Voice in Microfinance Institutions in Kenya.
• Evaluating the Impact of Climate Change on Post-Harvest Quality of Perishables.
• Optimising the production of biofuels from algae.
• Reasons for multiple loans in microfinance and their effect on the repayment performance.
• Consumers' perception of food safety in the supply chain.

Yam Improvement for Income and Food Security (2012-16): Current role - Project leader.

This project, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is located in Ghana and Nigeria, and aims over the next 5 years to (a) increase yam productivity (yield and net output) by 40% for 200,000 small-holder yam farmers (90% with less than 2 acres) in Ghana and Nigeria; and (b) deliver key global good research products that will contribute to the longer term vision of improving yam productivity and livelihoods of yam dependent farmers. The project will adopt a value chain approach and will build the capacity of farmers and farmers' organizations and their service providers (e.g. NARS, NGOs, input suppliers, etc.) to ensure that technical innovations as well as access to improved yam markets will sustainably benefit small-holder yam producers. This capacity strengthening of key service providers in national extension and advisory services and NGOs, and support to cascade training, will ensure that not only significant numbers of beneficiaries are reached, but it will provide the opportunity for future sustainability and scalability. Gender and diversity analyses will be built into value chain and scoping studies to ensure that project activities are designed to specifically benefit women and small-scale farmers groups.

Strengthening Capacity for Agricultural Research and Development in Africa (SCARDA) (2008-12).

Team member of DFID-funded project to build the capacity of senior managers in developing country research organisations and universities in East Africa in order to improve their management and policy development skills. Main role to conduct participatory institutional analyses of national agricultural research organisations and universities to determine capacity strengthening needs and to develop capacity building programmes. This included the development of training material and methods to support capacity building which has include the development of change management programmes and action plans strengthening the capacity of research and teaching staff at all levels.

Contrasting Value Chains: A Benchmarking Study of Rice in Ghana, Senegal and Thailand (2012).

Team member of a World Bank-funded project to understand the cost structures in the national rice industries in individual countries against the overseas suppliers in order to indicate where improvements can be focused to achieve efficiencies and savings in the African supply chain. The research entailed a survey of rice in Senegal and Ghana to benchmark the value chains against a key supplier, Thailand. The study was based on a review of existing surveys and literature together with a selective sample of interviews in the main production centres, supplemented with further data from government agencies, donor partners and key players as well as some questionnaire surveys.

• John Orchard, Tim Chancellor, Roy Denton, Amadou Abdoulaye Fall, and Peter Jaeger (2013). Growing Africa - Unlocking the potential of agribusiness. Annex 1: The Rice Value Chain (World Bank report). http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2013/03/13/000350881_20130313160910/Rendered/PDF/756630v20Box374353B00PUBLIC0.pdf
• Kleih, Ulrich, Linton, John, Marr, Ana, Mactaggart, Murdoch, Naziri, Diego and Orchard, John E. (2013) Financial services for small and medium-scale aquaculture and fisheries producers. Marine Policy, 37. pp. 106-114. ISSN 0308-597X (doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2012.04.006)
• Tortoe, Charles, John Orchard and Anthony Beezer. (2011) Multilinear Regression Approach in Predicting Osmo-Dehydration Processes of Apple, Banana and Potato. J Food Processing Technology 2:122. doi:10.4172/2157-7110.1000122
• Tortoe, C., Orchard, J., Beezer, A. and Tetteh, J. (2011) Application of radial basis function network with a Gaussian function of artificial neural networks in osmo-dehydration of plant materials. Journal of Artificial Intelligence, 4 (4). pp. 233-244. ISSN 1994-5450 (Print), 2077-2173 (Online) (doi:10.3923/jai.2011.233.244)
• Antonidaki-Giatromanolaki, Anna, Orchard, John, Papadimitriou, Michel, Dragassaki, Magdalena and Vlahos, Ioannis (2010) Propagation of Ptilostemon chamaepeuce (L.) less through tissue culture. Journal of Biological Research-Thessaloniki, 13. pp. 105-111. ISSN 1790-045 X (print)
• Tortoe, C., Orchard, J. and Beezer, A. (2009) Effect of agitation and antagonism between sucrose and sodium chloride on mass transfer during osmo-dehydration in plant materials. International Food Research Journal, 16. pp. 521-530. ISSN 1985-4668 (Print), 2231-7546 (Online)
• Tortoe, Charles, Orchard, John and Beezer, Anthony (2008) Artificial cell studies in simulated apple and potato starch cell complex during osmotic dehydration. Journal of Food Quality, 31 (5). pp. 559-570. ISSN 1745-4557 (online) (doi:10.1111/j.1745-***************.x)

As Director of Research and Enterprise, the main responsibility is to take a central role in providing leadership to facilitate the growth and support of the strongest possible suite of research programmes to underpin the Institute's research and enterprise activities. This includes: support to NRI research group leaders to develop strong sustainable research programmes support staff in making high quality, properly costed bids to external funding agencies; mentor and support less experienced colleagues as they develop their research and enterprise activities; oversee MPhil/PhD student portfolio to ensure increased contribution of post-graduate research; interact with research students and staff to ensure their environment is appropriate so that they may be effectively supervised and mentored by research staff.

• Member of Tropical Association of Agriculture