CANR-KNUST hosts FEAHLC delegation to deepen research partnerships

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has hosted members of the Land and Investments Sustainability Science Cluster of Future Earth Africa Hub Learning Centre (FEAHLC) as part of its 2026 annual engagement with partner institutions across the continent.

The cluster brings together researchers from several African universities and research institutions, including Rhodes University in South Africa, the Rural Development Institute in Burkina Faso, the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta University in Kenya, the Mzumbe University in Tanzania, the University of Education, Winneba in Ghana, and KNUST in Kumasi.

As part of its rotational hosting arrangement, the cluster selected KNUST as the co-host institution for its 2026 annual visit. The engagement forms part of a broader regional initiative aimed at strengthening research leadership, promoting sustainable environmental and agri-food systems, and enhancing knowledge exchange between academia and public-sector stakeholders across Africa.

During the visit, the delegation embarked on a series of field engagements to better understand key environmental and agricultural issues in Ghana. The team visited the Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant to examine innovative approaches to waste management and how organic waste is converted into reusable resources.

The delegation also assessed the environmental implications of illegal small-scale mining activities at Mankranso, as well as visit a cocoa farm in the Adugyaman Municipality to explore the importance of cocoa to Ghana’s economy and examine the growing impact of climate variability on production.

Representing KNUST at the engagement were the Provost of CANR, Prof. Dadson Awunyo-Vitor; former Dean of the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources and Director at the Ghana Fisheries Commission, Prof. Benjamin Campion; and Lecturer at the Department of Agroforestry, Dr. John Tennyson Afele.

The visit is expected to further strengthen collaboration among participating institutions while advancing research and policy conversations around sustainable land use, environmental protection, and resilient agri-food systems across the region.