Professor Hans Dobson is a pest and vector management specialist. He has worked for NRI for 34 years and prior to that worked for 2 years as an Agricultural Science teacher and school farm manager in northern Zambia for Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). He has extensive experience in project management, research, consultancy and training for poverty reduction, including: IPM in vegetables, tree crops, cotton and cereals; food safety and regulatory compliance; control of locusts, tsetse flies, mosquitoes and blackflies; multi-level participatory training strategies; institutional analysis; project and programme design; and project review. He has been seconded in the past to FCDO (formerly DFID) and FAO, and currently to Imperial College London. He has worked in 35 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Good French and a little Danish.

• ROUTLEDGE, I., WALKER, M., CHEKE, R.A., BHATT, S., NKOT, P.B, MATTHEWS, G.A., BALEGUEL, D., DOBSON, H.M., WILES, T.L. and BASAÑEZ, M., 2018. Modelling the impact of larviciding on the population dynamics and biting rates of Simulium damnosum (s.l.): implications for vector control as a complementary strategy for onchocerciasis elimination in Africa. Parasites & Vectors, 201811:316.
• BENNETT, B., COOPER, J., AND DOBSON, H. (2010). We know where the shoe pinches: a case study-based analysis of the social benefits of pesticides. Outlook on Agriculture, Vol 39, No 2, pp 79–87
• COOPER, J., AND DOBSON, H. (2007). The benefits of pesticides to mankind and the environment. Crop Protection 26 (2007) 1337–1348
• NYAMBO, B., SIEF, A., VARELA, M., LOHR, B., COOPER, J., DOBSON, H. Private extension service provision for smallholder horticultural producers in Kenya: an approach. Development in Practice, Volume 19, Number 1, February 2009.
• DOBSON, H.M., MATTHEWS, G.A., and WILES, T. L., 2003. Pesticide Safety and Application Equipment – an Instructors’ Manual. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.
• DOBSON, H. M., MATTHEWS, G. A., OLEMBO, S., BALEGUEL, P., WILES, T. L. 2004. Application challenges for small-scale African farmers: a training initiative in Cameroon. Aspects of Applied Biology 71, 2004.
• DOBSON, H.M. and LOWE, J.C. Effective Training – a practical guide for agricultural trainers.
• DOBSON, H.M., MATTHEWS, G.A., and WILES, T. L., 2003. Pesticide Safety and Application Equipment – an Instructors’ Manual. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.
• DOBSON, H.M., COOPER, J.F., 2003. Passion Fruit Production Protocol – a document prepared in consultation with passion fruit growers and exporters in Kenya. COLEACP.
• COOPER, J.F., DOBSON, H.M., 2003. Avocado Production Protocol – a document prepared in consultation with avocado growers and exporters in Kenya. COLEACP.
• MATTHEWS, G.A., DOBSON, H.M., WILES T.L. and WARBURTON H. 2002. The impact of pesticide application equipment and its use in developing countries, with particular reference to residues in food, environmental effects and human safety. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.
• DOBSON, H.M., COOPER, J.F., MANYANGARIRWA, W., KARUMA, J., CHIIMBA, W. (2001). Integrated Vegetable Pest Management; safe and sustainable protection of smallholder brassicas and tomatoes – a handbook for extension staff and trainers in Zimbabwe. ISBN 0 85954 536 9. See http://bit.ly/2AUh3Pa
• DOBSON, H M, (2002). FAO Desert Locust Control Guidelines -. ISBN: 92-5-104626-3. See https://bit.ly/2JcZqyu
• DOBSON, H. M., MATTHEWS, G. A., OLEMBO, S., BALEGUEL, P., WILES, T. L. 2004. Application challenges for small-scale African farmers: a training initiative in Cameroon. Aspects of Applied Biology 71, 2004
• DOBSON, H. M. and COOPER, J. F. 2003. A dissemination strategy for products of CPP-funded vegetable IPM research in east and southern Africa. Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich.
• DOBSON, H.M., MATTHEWS, G.A., and WILES, T. L., 2003. Pesticide Safety and Application Equipment – an Instructors’ Manual. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy
• MATTHEWS, G., WILES, T., DOBSON, H., FRIEDRICH, T. (2002) Implementation of FAO Guidelines on Minimum Requirements for Pesticide Application Equipment: a case study in Cameroon.  Proceedings of the BCPC Conference on Pests and Diseases, pp 995 - 1002, ISBN 1901396622.
• COOPER, J.F. and DOBSON, H.M., (2002). Pesticides in the third world - changing role and a need for new thinking. Proceedings of the BCPC Conference on Pests and Diseases, pp 979-986, ISBN 1901396622.
• SIMONS, S., ODUOR, G., KIBATA, G., COOPER, J.F. and DOBSON, H.M. 2002. Better practices for smallholder vegetable farmers. A wall calendar of cartoon images for farmers. CABI ARC, Nairobi, Kenya.
• DOBSON, H.M. (2002). Pesticide application: mastering and monitoring. In: Ecological monitoring methods for the assessment of pesticide impact in the tropics, Editors Grant, I.F. and Tingle, C.C.D. Natural Resources Institute, UK. ISBN: 085954543-1
• VERKERK, R.H.J., D.J. WRIGHT, S.Z. SITHOLE, T. SIBANDA, T. WESILE, G.N. KIBATA, J. ONG’ARO, P. SAMSON, G. ODUOR, P. KARANJA, S. SIMONS, S. MUSIYANDAKA, R. HODZI, F. NYAKANDA, S.L.J. PAGE, A. LITTLE, S. WILLIAMSON & H. DOBSON  (1999) Important Natural Enemies of Vegetable Pests in Kenya and Zimbabwe: Recognition and Conservation (Final Draft), Imperial College, London, pp. 49.
• SIBANDA, T., DOBSON, H.M., COOPER, J.F.,  MANYANGARIRWA, W. and CHIIMBA, W. 2000. Pest management challenges for smallholder vegetable farmers in Zimbabwe. Crop Protection Vol 19, nos 8-10, pp 807-816.
• DOBSON, H.M. and MAGOR J.I. (1999). Ancient plagues and modern solutions: locust management in the new millennium. BCPC pre-conference symposium, Brighton.
• DOBSON, H M (1999). Advances in locust spraying technology. Insect Science and its Application Vol 19, No 4, pp 335-368.
• COOPER, J. F., SMITH, D.N. & DOBSON, H.M.  (1996)  An evaluation of two field samplers for monitoring spray drift. Crop Protection, 15 (3), 249-257
• DOBSON, H.M., COOPER, J. & SCHERER, R. (1995)  Economics and practicalities of migratory locust hopper band control using barriers of insect growth regulator. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Strategies in Locust Control, Bamako, Mali, April 1995.  pp 433-442
• RITCHIE, J.M. & DOBSON, H.M. (1995). Desert locust control operations and their environmental impact. Natural Resources Institute Bulletin No. 67, 1995, ISBN: 0-85954-417-9, ISSN: 0952 8245
• SYMMONS, P M; Dobson, H M and Sissoko, M, 1991. Pesticide drop size and efficacy; a series of trials against grasshoppers. Crop Protection, 10, 136-144.
• SUTHERLAND, J A; KING, W J; DOBSON, H M; INGRAM, W R; ATTIQUE, M R and SANJRANI, W, 1990. Effect of application volume and method on spray operator contamination by insecticide during cotton spraying. Crop Protection, 9, 343-350.
• JOHNSTONE, D R; ALLSOPP, R; COOPER, J F and DOBSON, H M, 1988. Predicted and observed spray droplet deposition on tsetse flies Glossina morsitans following aerosol application from aircraft. Pesticide Science, 72, 107-121.
• COOPER, J F; DOBSON, H M and JOHNSTONE, D R, 1987. The availability and fallout of an insecticidal aerosol dispersed from aircraft during operations for control of tsetse fly in Zimbabwe. Atmospheric Environment, 21, (11), 2311-2321.

Interests include natural pest regulatory mechanisms in IPM, communication of the sometimes complex information required for successful operation of IPM in pest-susceptible crops and the integration where necessary of appropriate pesticides, with delivery mechanisms and dosing to achieve specificity in targetting the pests. With a Applied Zoology first degree and an Agricultural Engineering Masters degree, he is interested in the interface between biology and engineering and how these can complement each other for developing world benefit.

Capacity Development for Agricultural Innovation Systems (2015 – 2019)

Professor Dobson was international manager for Rwanda on this EU-funded project which covered 8 countries across Africa, Latin America and Asia. The focus was on systems for agricultural innovation, rather than technologies, and it strengthened the capacity of innovation partnerships involving public, private and civil society stakeholders in ‘functional capacities’. Those included conflict resolution, advocacy, coaching, communication, inclusive management that allowed the partnerships to work more effectively together and collectively solve their problems and improve livelihoods.

Programme Manager for CropLife International’s obsolete pesticides activities

For the last 8 years Professor Dobson has been Programme Manager for Croplife International’s obsolete pesticides activities – a USD 30 million industry investment in a USD 250 million collaboration with FAO, the World Bank, NGOs and national governments from 13 countries to rid Africa of stockpiles of old and unusable pesticides. This has involved developing innovative systems and practices as well as modes of partnering with stakeholders who have widely differing agendas. By mid-2017 around 5,000 tonnes of pesticides had been repackaged, exported from Africa and disposed of in an environmentally responsible way – by high temperature incineration in specialist facilities in Europe – and this is expected to rise to 9,000 tonnes by end of 2020, with substantial beneficial environmental, social and economic impacts.

Adviser to UK’s Health and Safety Executive (2004 – 2016)

This was an advisory role on application of pesticides and their fate in the environment – reviewing ideas and concepts, making recommendations on research funding and tracking/steering progress on research projects.

Yaounde Initiative Foundation (2005 – 2019) (yaoundefoundation.org)

This was an international NGO set up to continue the work started with an FAO project on integrated pest and vector management in Cameroon. It works with national government and the private sector to find innovative solutions to tackle vectors of malaria and sleeping sickness as well as agricultural pests and diseases. It is now a self-sustaining national organisation with occasional international inputs.