/africa-agrifood-collaborative/ en /africa-agrifood-collaborative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/africa-agrifood-collaborative/article/public-health-agriculture-how-uhas-fnbsph-taking-bold-steps-vegetable-farming%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E At the University of Health and Allied Sciences, training future health professionals extends beyond the classrooms and lecture halls. Through the Nkabom Collaborative, the university is exploring innovative ways to connect food systems, agriculture and health. The Fred Newton Binka School of Public Health is breaking new ground in crop production and has established its first student-led climate-smart vegetable farm, which has recently achieved its first successful cultivation and harvest. While the harvest is an important milestone, the school farm represents something even more significant Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:19:27 -0400 UHAS Nkabom 51 /africa-agrifood-collaborative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/africa-agrifood-collaborative/article/feeding-two-futures-books-and-grains-better-tomorrow%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E Paulina Mwinwele, a young woman in her fourth year pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health Nutrition, distinguishes herself from her peers through her strong entrepreneurial spirit. Unlike other students her age, Paulina has chosen to plant her ambitions quite literally in the soil of Kwasi Fante, a quiet farming community nestled in the Afram Plains of Ghana's Eastern Region. There, she owns and manages a maize farm, a venture that is as much a lesson in resilience as it is in agriculture. She started small, with just an acre of land. Her mother made the first step possible by providing Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:20:35 -0400 Nkabom at UHAS 50 /africa-agrifood-collaborative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/africa-agrifood-collaborative/article/uesds-eastside-sankofa-industries-team-presented-nkabom-africa-case-competition-prize%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E Winners of the Nkabom Africa Case Competition 2026 have received their prizes at a ceremony held at the Auditorium, Multi-Purpose Building on the campus of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), Somanya, Eastern Region. The event brought together members of the University community, partners of the Nkabom Collaborative, representatives from ���������Թ�, and industry stakeholders. The overall winners, Eastside Sankofa Industries Ghana, emerged with an innovative agribusiness solution aimed at reducing post-harvest mango waste by processing surplus mangoes into Wed, 13 May 2026 11:09:39 -0400 uesd nkabom 49 /africa-agrifood-collaborative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/africa-agrifood-collaborative/article/nkabom-collaborative-empowers-youth-through-fish-processing-technology-training-uesd%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E Persons in agribusiness, entrepreneurship, youth and student groups, workers in aquaculture and fisheries, fish processors, and extension officers are undergoing a short course in Fish Processing Technology at the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD, Somanya, Eastern Region). The five-day intensive training programme, is being organised by the Nkabom Collaborative-UESD in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and ���������Թ�. The initiative seeks to equip young people between 18 and 35 years with practical skills in fish processing, preservation, branding Wed, 13 May 2026 10:10:18 -0400 uesd Nkabom 48 /africa-agrifood-collaborative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/africa-agrifood-collaborative/article/strengthening-market-access-and-digital-capabilities-agri-food-businesses-ghana%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has successfully delivered a two-city Market Access, Sales, and Digital Marketing training programme in Accra and Kumasi, aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of businesses within Ghana’s agri-food sector. Held in March 2026, the initiative brought together entrepreneurs and industry players to build practical skills in market expansion, customer acquisition, and the effective use of digital tools for business growth in an evolving economic landscape. The programme was designed to equip participants with practical market access strategies for Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:58:36 -0400 Marie Antoinette Kosiba 47 /africa-agrifood-collaborative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/africa-agrifood-collaborative/article/nkabom-collaborative-ug-positions-youth-led-agri-food-ventures-sustainable-market%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E “I had relied on technical language, making it difficult to identify real buyers or sell existing products. Now I appreciate the value in shifting from an ‘everyone is my customer’ mindset to a one priority-focused segment mindset. This has helped me develop a small market-test plan focused on customers I can realistically reach.” This reflection captures more than personal growth — it suggests a foundational shift in the business thinking of Elpidio Tossu, whose agri-tech start-up, Feathery-Care, provides digital solutions to make poultry farming and other food systems more attractive and Wed, 25 Mar 2026 09:07:24 -0400 Enid Asamoah 46 /africa-agrifood-collaborative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/africa-agrifood-collaborative/article/milk-market-youth-and-pwds-build-enterprise-skills-koforidua%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E The Nkabom Collaborative at Koforidua Technical University organized a 3-day experiential entrepreneurship training on fresh yoghurt production for the youth at the Koforidua Technical University. Participants attended the training with enthusiasm and curiosity as they did not know how fresh yoghurt is made. On the final afternoon of the training, trays were displayed with freshly set yoghurt, and participants leaned in to check the texture and consistency of their products. They tasted the yoghurt with quiet pride as this was the first time many of them had turned a simple raw material into a Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:55:21 -0500 Emmanuel Gamor 44 /africa-agrifood-collaborative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/africa-agrifood-collaborative/article/nkabom-collaborative-knust-launches-second-cohort-agribusiness-trainers%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E The Nutrition and Sustainable Agri-food Collaborative at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation (Nkabom Collaborative), has begun training the second cohort of facilitators under its Entrepreneurship Empowerment (A2Es) Training of Tutors (ToT) programme. The intensive 10-day programme has brought together 30 facilitators from agricultural colleges across Ghana to equip them with practical skills in agribusiness, business plan development and pitching techniques. Participants are expected to cascade the training to Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:22:59 -0500 KNUST 42 /africa-agrifood-collaborative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/africa-agrifood-collaborative/article/nkabom-collaborative-knust-shortlists-30-youth-ventures-funding-pitch%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi Nutrition and Sustainable Agri-food Collaborative, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation (Nkabom Collaborative), has shortlisted 30 youth-led business ideas for a funding pitch, opening a new pathway for unemployed and underemployed young people to access start-up support. The opportunity was extended to beneficiaries who had participated in training programmes organised by the project. Following a competitive call, more than 90 applications were received, with 30 ventures selected to advance to the pitching stage Tue, 20 Jan 2026 13:35:31 -0500 Michael Kwawu 41 /africa-agrifood-collaborative/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/africa-agrifood-collaborative/article/training-enterprise-deepening-skills-sustainable-vegetable-production%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E The Education Pillar of the Nkabom Collaborative at UG has hosted the fourth in a series of short courses intended to equip a select number of youth in vegetable farming, agri-business, and sustainable agriculture. The two-week intensive training, held at the University of Ghana, successfully empowered 43 young Ghanaians with modern skills for a transformative agri-food landscape. The participants included 21 males and 22 females. Opening the session, the Pillar lead, Dr. Hayford Ayerakwa, highlighted the introduction of a critical component which would equip the participants with practical Mon, 05 Jan 2026 09:39:41 -0500 Nkabom Collaborative 40