Richard Ojo Earns Agribusiness Award and Participates in Climate Week NYC

Two professional development experiences connect Kentucky State agricultural research with entrepreneurship and sustainable food systems

Fresh habanero peppers can spoil before they reach consumers, creating losses for growers. Kentucky State University research associate Richard Ojo explored one potential solution through an agribusiness concept that transforms fresh peppers into a shelf-stable product.

Richworth Dried Habanero Flakes earned Ojo third place and a $2,000 award in the Tournament of Ideas pitch competition. The competition concluded the second cohort of the 16-week Agribusiness Entrepreneurial Academy, offered through the Agriculture Business Innovation Center at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

The program provided a firm foundation for Ojo to develop key elements of the concept, including its target market, production strategy, marketing approach, and financial considerations.

“The academy helped me look at agriculture beyond production,” Ojo said. “It challenged me to think about how we can add value to agricultural products and develop solutions that meet both producer and consumer needs.”

Kentucky State is a partner in the Agriculture Business Innovation Center, alongside Alabama A&M University and West Virginia State University. Based at North Carolina A&T, the center supports agricultural entrepreneurs through education, technical assistance, business consulting, and workforce development.

At Kentucky State, Ojo works with Dr. Maheteme Gebremedhin, chair of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources and associate professor of soil science, on soil health, regenerative agriculture, and farmer engagement. Their research evaluates practices such as reduced tillage, cover cropping, and biochar under Kentucky farming conditions, with farmers actively involved throughout the research process.

In a separate professional development experience, Ojo participated in Food Day at Climate Week NYC on Sept. 23 in New York City. After he completed the Reducetarian Foundation’s Sustainable Food Systems Certificate program, the foundation selected him for full financial support to participate in Climate Week programming.

Organized by Tilt Collective, Food Day brought together participants from academia, civil society, philanthropy, policy, and the private sector. Discussions explored sustainable food production, healthy and affordable diets, food access, public health, and food policy.

“One thing that stood out to me was that improving how we produce food is only one part of building a sustainable food system,” Ojo said. “We can improve soil health, adopt regenerative agricultural practices, and increase productivity, but we also have to consider storage, distribution, affordability, and whether healthy food ultimately reaches consumers.”

Examples from Brazil and the United Kingdom offered international perspectives on food access, nutrition, and public health. Participants considered ways to make healthier foods more affordable and accessible, including creating healthier food environments for children.

Breakout discussions explored how researchers, farmers, communities, organizations, and policymakers can develop solutions with the people who will use them. For Ojo, that approach connected closely with his work with Kentucky producers.

“The emphasis on partnership and co-creation resonated strongly with the work we are doing with farmers in Kentucky,” Ojo said. “Working directly with farmers helps us develop solutions that are not only scientifically sound but also practical and relevant to the people who will use them.”

Ojo said the two experiences provided complementary perspectives on his work. The Agribusiness Entrepreneurial Academy centered on value addition, markets, and entrepreneurship. Food Day broadened the conversation to include food access, affordability, nutrition, and the connections between agricultural production and consumers.

As the Commonwealth’s 1890 land-grant university, Kentucky State connects agricultural research with the needs of farmers and the communities they feed. Ojo’s experiences demonstrate how research, entrepreneurship, and food systems engagement can help improve agriculture and food security, from production to the people and communities the food system serves.

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