Niels Christian Fold

Professor Niels Fold is a distinguished academic at the University of Copenhagen's Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management within the Faculty of Science. He has served as a Professor since 2015, following previous roles as Professor (MSO) from 2006-2015 and Associate Professor from 1997-2006. His extensive career includes significant research management experience, coordination of multi-country programs, and cross-disciplinary project leadership across numerous international collaborations.

Dr. Fold earned his PhD in Economic Geography from the University of Copenhagen in 1993, following a Master of Science in Geography (1984), Bachelor of Arts in Economics (1982), and Bachelor of Science in Geography (1979), all from the same institution. His academic journey reflects a consistent focus on the intersection of geography, economics, and development studies.

His research addresses the relationship between economic-geographic globalization processes and local responses, primarily examined through the analytical lens of global value chains (GVCs). He specializes in agro-industrial value chains connecting producers in the Global South with consumers in the Global North. His approach combines structural GVC analysis with livelihood studies to understand rural development and agrarian transformation. His work extends to mineral-based GVCs, focusing on small-scale mining in Africa and increasingly on large-scale mining and value chain segments in Europe. His regional expertise spans Africa (Ghana, Tanzania), Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Vietnam), and more recently Greenland.

His recent publications demonstrate a continued focus on GVCs, rural development, and socio-ecological systems across multiple continents. The research spans Africa (particularly Tanzania, South Africa, and Colombia), Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Malaysia), and Greenland, with increasing attention to sustainability issues, ecological infrastructure, and the intersection of tourism with natural resource exploitation. His work shows methodological sophistication in linking macro-level global processes with micro-level local impacts.

• Member of Editorial Board, Journal of Agrarian Change (2012-present)
• Member of Editorial Board, Danish Journal of Geography (2004-present)
• Director, Centre for Sustainable Artisanal Small-Scale Mining, Geocenter Denmark (2009-present)
• Coordinator, Danish University Consortium for capacity development at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania (2014-present)
• Task leader in European-African partnership for Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (2018-2022)

Professor Fold has supervised approximately 40 Bachelor's theses and 70 Master's theses, in addition to numerous PhD students whose research spans multiple continents and addresses critical development issues. His research has been supported by major funding bodies including the European Commission, Council for Development Research, Geocenter Denmark, and the Carlsberg Foundation, with total funding exceeding millions of Danish kroner and Euros across numerous projects.

His field work spans multiple continents with extensive experience in Africa (Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia), Asia (Vietnam, Malaysia, Nepal), and Latin America (Colombia). He currently leads research projects in South Africa (Socio-economic benefits of ecological infrastructure), Colombia (Aquaponics and livelihoods), Tanzania (Contract farming), and Greenland (the nexus between tourism and exploitation of natural resources), demonstrating his continued active engagement in cutting-edge research across diverse geographical contexts.