UG Nkabom Collaborative

The UG Nkabom Collaborative is an innovative, interdisciplinary initiative at the University of Ghana that brings together academia, industry, policymakers, and community stakeholders to co-create solutions for sustainable development challenges. With a strong emphasis on collaboration (“nkabom,” meaning togetherness), the initiative is designed to foster impactful research, capacity building, and knowledge exchange across sectors.

Within the context of food systems, the Nkabom Collaborative plays a critical role in advancing the goals of the Department of Food Science and related disciplines. By supporting cutting-edge research and training in sustainable food systems, the initiative strengthens efforts to address food security, nutrition, and environmental sustainability in Ghana and beyond.

Through strategic partnerships and targeted programs, the Collaborative contributes to:

• Strengthening interdisciplinary training for graduate students and researchers in food science, nutrition, agriculture, and related fields;
• Promoting research that integrates food production, processing, safety, and nutrition with sustainability principles;
• Enhancing collaboration between academic researchers and non-academic stakeholders, including industry and community organizations;
• Supporting innovation in food systems to improve livelihoods, resilience, and public health outcomes.

A key example of this work is the Collaborative’s engagement in doctoral-level training and workshops focused on sustainable food systems, where scholars are equipped with advanced research skills and exposed to global best practices. These initiatives align closely with the mission of the NRTC to serve as a regional hub for research, training, and policy-relevant innovation in nutrition and food science.

The UG Nkabom Collaborative focuses on the following thematic areas:

• Sustainable Food Systems and Nutrition
• Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Processing
• Food Safety, Quality, and Value Addition
• Policy, Governance, and Food Systems Transformation

By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and strengthening research capacity, the Nkabom Collaborative enhances the ability of institutions like the NRTC to translate research into practice. It also expands opportunities for scholars and practitioners to engage in transformative work that addresses pressing challenges in food systems across Ghana and the wider West African region.

Through its commitment to partnership, innovation, and capacity building, the UG Nkabom Collaborative continues to contribute to the development of resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems for the future.