Dr Nana Afranaa Kwapong

Dr Nana Afranaa Kwapong holds a PhD in Agricultural Science and MSc in Integrated Natural Resource Management from Humboldt University Berlin, Germany. Her broad research areas focus on knowledge exchange, sustainable agriculture, food systems, climate change and natural resource management. Her research is centered around understanding the complexities in the adoption of innovations in agri-food systems.

She joined Aberystwyth University from the University of Ghana, Department of Agricultural Extension, where she teaches postgraduate, undergraduate students, and development practitioners’ courses in communication and extension methods, rural development, development sociology, farmer-based organizations management, NGO management and development. Prior to joining academia in 2018, she worked with and provided consultancy services for various national and international organizations including the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR).

In her line of work, she has mostly been involved in conducting research to generate evidence to inform policy decision making, coordinating and managing projects, packaging information and research outcomes to communicate to academic and practitioner audiences, organizing and facilitating workshops, conferences and platforms for dialoguing among stakeholders from government, private sector, civil societies and academia to address issues on agricultural and rural development.

She has wide experience in rural community engagements, facilitating trainings and providing extension advisory services in rural communities. She uses adult learning approaches and participatory methods to engage farmers and other actors in research process, incorporating indigenous knowledge and experiences in co-creation of knowledge and dissemination of research outcomes.

Dr. Nana Afranaa Kwapong is currently a Knowledge Exchange Fellow with the Biomass Connect project, the Biomass Innovation and Information Platform which aims at supporting the development of the UK biomass industry by driving uptake and innovations in the UK biomass feedstock sector.