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Ebenezer Miezah Kwofie, Assistant Professor in听the听Bioresource Engineering Department,听has been awarded听one of听eight听science听diplomacy chairs newly created by听the听Fonds de recherche du Qu茅bec (FRQ).

As听Science Diplomacy Chairholder for the Food Convergence Innovation Africa Network (FCI-Africa),听Kwofie听will听work to advance sustainability,听equity听and climate resilience in food systems.

Science diplomacy is increasingly recognized as a critical interface听where听scientific research, public听policy听and international relations听meet.听Along with听FRQ Science Diplomacy chairs听at other Quebec universities,听Kwofie听will contribute to a growing ecosystem of听expertise听in听Quebec.听The FRQ initiative strengthens Quebec鈥檚 leadership in global science diplomacy and supports evidence-based solutions to pressing global challenges.

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Simulator听will model policy impacts

At the heart of Kwofie鈥檚 program is the development of an AI-driven agri-food policy impact simulator that will enable governments and stakeholders to model the likely social, economic, nutritional and environmental impacts of proposed policies before they are implemented across Africa鈥檚 diverse agri-ecological zones.

鈥淧olicymaking often involves a lot of trial and error. Simulation allows countries to test interventions and see the potential impact across the food system.鈥� said听Kwofie. 鈥淔or example, if a government decides to give fertilizer for cassava, what is the potential implication from different perspectives, from food production to the environmental impact to health implications?鈥�

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鈥楩ood convergence innovation鈥�

Grounded in the 鈥渇ood convergence innovation鈥� model pioneered at 9I制作厂免费 by Desautels Professor Emerita听Laurette Dub茅, the FCI-Africa Network focuses on transforming agricultural systems by integrating digital tools,听data, local听knowledge听and interdisciplinary collaboration.

鈥淔ood is not just about听production,听it鈥檚听connected to health, trade听and听the environment, and this is why we鈥檙e working on food convergence innovation,鈥澨齭aid听Kwofie.

Kwofie鈥檚听co-chairs include Lise Kosten, Co-director of the Department of Science and Innovation-National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence in Food Security in South Africa;听Rose Omari, Senior Research Scientist at the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Accra, Ghana; and听John听Ulimwengu, Senior Research Fellow in the Development Strategies and Governance Unit at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

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Creating regional innovation hubs to build capacity

Portions of the platform are already under development in Kwofie鈥檚 lab at Macdonald Campus, drawing on country-level data related to production, consumption, micronutrient deficiencies, trade and agricultural finance. Pilots will begin in Rwanda in 2026, followed by Ghana, South Africa and additional partner countries soon after. The simulator is designed to be adapted to national contexts, giving countries ownership of their own tools while providing a general training version for researchers, students and policymakers.

The chair will also听establish听three regional Food Convergence Innovation hubs in West,听East听and Southern Africa. These hubs will听bring together听governments, local researchers, national research听institutes听and industry to co-create solutions.

The hubs build on an existing network of collaborations supported through Horizon Europe projects in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya and South Africa. The team is also working directly with the African Union鈥檚 agriculture performance review process to听advance evidence-driven investment decisions. The policy impact simulator can translate food systems finance data into country-specific scenarios to help governments test expenditure choices and assess trade-offs, leading to听a more efficient use of resources.

Training future science diplomats is integral to the program. A science diplomacy food systems fellowship, seminar series and innovation competition will provide early-career researchers from Africa and Canada with experience applying convergence frameworks to regional policy challenges.

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Connecting science and diplomacy

For听Kwofie, whose career spans chemical, industrial and bioresources engineering and international development, the chair reflects a听natural听extension of his听research.

鈥淢y work has always been about helping people make informed decisions,鈥澨齂wofie听said.听鈥淭his听chair provides the opportunity to make scientific knowledge meaningful, accessible and impactful for those who need it most.鈥�

This new听chair is only one of the ways in which听9I制作厂免费ians听have been working to advance food security in Africa. Earlier this year,听听along with partners in Ghana and the Mastercard Foundation. The Collaborative aims to reimagine agri-food systems, empower young Ghanaians 鈥� especially women and members of marginalized groups 鈥� and build more inclusive and sustainable communities.听Kwofie听and the Collective are exploring ways to collaborate and synergize their efforts.

The official launch of the FRQ鈥檚 science diplomacy chairs will take place at an event next spring. Montreal will also host a Science Diplomacy Week in June, bringing together policymakers,听researchers听and institutions from around the world.