Marcel van Asseldonk

Marcel van Asseldonk is a Researcher at Wageningen University & Research, affiliated with Wageningen Economic Research (WASS). He holds the title dr.ir. and serves as Project Leader for 25 initiatives, including the active LWV20182 Climate Resilient Agro Sourcing in Africa (2025). His role centers on Transition Risk & Innovation Governance, with 289 research outputs spanning articles, reports, and conference papers. He is frequently engaged by policymakers and international bodies like the World Bank's Global Index Insurance Facility.

His research fingerprint reveals dominant expertise in Smallholder Economics (100%), Finance Economics (64%), and Credit (52%), alongside Risk Management (44%), Climate Smart Agriculture (44%), and Pig farming (44%). He specializes in quantitative risk assessment for agricultural systems, focusing on economic resilience for smallholders, livestock sector impacts, and climate adaptation. His work consistently bridges econometric modeling with practical policy solutions for rural development.

Recent 2025 publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward integrated risk tools (e.g., L'ORA for zoonotic diseases), economic impact analysis of animal welfare policies, and agricultural insurance design. These outputs emphasize data-driven approaches to quantify financial exposure in farming, particularly for climate shocks and market volatility. The Dutch livestock sector and African smallholder contexts remain central to his applied research.

Van Asseldonk has supervised 4 formal works and leads projects funded by EU/LVNN frameworks like MEF4CAP and Add_Uitwerking bedrijfstypen duurzame landbouw. His collaborations span international consortia addressing food safety in African urban markets (2021-2024) and sensor-based monitoring for sustainable development. Media engagements include Dutch press on animal welfare costs (2025) and expert commentary on harvest failure risks (2019).

As a core member of Wageningen Economic Research, he operates within interdisciplinary teams developing risk governance frameworks. His current focus includes the L'ORA tool for zoonotic disease assessment and climate-resilient sourcing models in Africa, leveraging partnerships with entities like the World Bank to translate research into policy instruments.