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Research Support

(i) Wageningen International     

The College signed a co-operation agreement with Wageningen International, Netherlands, in October 2009 to run an international course on Adaptive Management Tools and Methods for Sustainable Natural Resource Management at Miklin Hotel, Kumasi.

(ii) The Nuffic Funded Project on Institutionalization of Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM)

Background

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) since 2005 has been involved in the implementation of a Nuffic-funded Project on Institutionalization of Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM)–NPT/GHA/278, under the Netherlands Programme for Institutional Strengthening of Post-Secondary Education and Training Capacity. NPT/GHA/278 (Phase 2) is an extension of NPT/GHA/088 (Phase 1). CANR is implementing this project in collaboration with 4 Dutch institutions namely; DHO-University of Amsterdam, Tropenbos International (TBI), International Centre for Development-oriented Research in Agriculture (ICRA) and Centre for Development Innovations (CDD)-Wageningen University. The funding support for the project is €1,600,000.00.

Achievement

As a result of the two short courses project the College runs for professionals in the areas of Adaptive Management in Natural Resources and Governance in Natural Resource Management and also the Trans-disciplinary Students’ Platform Approach (TSPA), which is an annual research programme organized for Graduates of KNUST and universities in the Netherlands, through which the students solve problems related to sustainable development.

CANR through the project has been able to create awareness for a change in mind-sets of college members and staff regarding the use of holistic approach to problem solving, engage stakeholders (especially the employers of graduates) in the design of teaching and research programmes.  Currently, two college staff under the project are pursuing PhD programmes in the Netherlands.

  • Finatrade Model Farm

We reported two years ago that Finatrade Foundation had donated an amount of GH¢50,000.00 to the CANR to establish a model farm in the Faculty of Agriculture to offer much needed practical and hands-on training to students of Agriculture. During the academic year 2009/2010, the Departments of Animal Science, Horticulture and Crop and Soil Sciences made a significant start and progress. The Department of Animal Science raised 2,500 broilers for sale to the University community; the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences cultivated 4 hectares of maize and harvested 150 mini bags of maize that were sold to the Department of Animal Science for the feeding of animals; the Department of Horticulture established a turf grass nursery as well nurseries for ornamental plants and fruit crops including avocado and mango. Students were actively involved in all aspects of the production and management. We wish to state that model farm has taken a tremendous shape.

  • West African Network of Organic Agriculture Research and Training (WANOART)

The College/Faculty of Agriculture became a founding member of a consortium of five West African Universities and Coventry University, U.K., in the formation of this network aimed at building capacity in Organic Agriculture in the West African Region through a EU-ACP Edulink program grant of almost EUR 500,000. Other members are the University of Cape Coast, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria, University d’Abomey-Calavi, Benin and Njala University, Sierra Leone. The Faculty has been selected to host the first WANOART training of trainers workshop in Organic Agriculture in West Africa in July-August 2010.

  • Agro-forestry Practices to Enhance Resource-Poor Livelihoods Project

The Contribution Agreement between the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the University of Guelph for the “Agro-Forestry Practices for Resource-Poor Livelihoods Project” (S063440) was signed on August 25, 2006 under the auspices of CIDA's "University Partnerships in Cooperation and Development" (UPCD) funding mechanism.  The CIDA contribution is $3,000,000 and is scheduled to terminate on November 30, 2013.

The lead Canadian partner institution is the University of Guelph, Department of Environmental Biology. The lead Ghanaian partner institution is the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST), Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources (FRNR) in Kumasi, Ghana. The project aims to enhance livelihoods in resource-poor communities by increasing environmental, social and economic capital, including improved gender equality, which will lead to increased income and improved food security. 

The project is aimed at strengthening KNUST in particular, Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources (FRNR and Faculty of Forest Resources Technology (FFRT) in the hope of KNUST becoming West Africa's centre of excellence in agro-forestry solutions to sustainable natural resource management.