Isaac Gershon Kodwo Ansah
Senior Lecturer/Researcher
Tamale, GH.About
Highly accomplished Agricultural Economist with over 12 years of experience driving impactful food security research, policy development, and strategic project management in Ghana's agricultural sector. Expert in staple crop economics, northern Ghanaian agricultural systems, and household resilience, successfully leading multi-stakeholder initiatives and managing projects exceeding $5 million to enhance food security and rural livelihoods.
Work
Tamale, Ghana, Ghana
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Summary
Leads economic research and academic programs within the School of Economics, focusing on food security, agricultural policy, and sustainable development in Ghana.
Highlights
Appointed Head of Department, Applied Economics, School of Economics, Nyankpala Campus, effective April 2025, demonstrating leadership progression.
Supervise 5 PhD candidates and 28 MPhil candidates in Agricultural Economics and Economic Development Policy, guiding advanced research on food security, climate-smart agriculture, and livelihood diversification.
Contributed to 7 major research projects (May 2024 - Oct 2024), including sustainable intensification practices in Africa, a $5M EU Horizon 2020 project on Integrated and Circular Technologies for Sustainable City Region Food Systems, and several IITA-commissioned studies on maize mechanization and agricultural intensification.
Presented 7 research papers at the Ghana Association of Agricultural Economists (GAAE) Conference in 2024, addressing critical issues like agroecological practices, household resilience, and economic viability of OFSP production.
Serve as Associate Editor for Frontiers in Agricultural Economics (since Nov 2022) and Frontiers in Insect Science (since Feb 2022), evaluating and shaping high-impact research.
Tamale, Ghana, Ghana
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Summary
Conducted advanced research, taught economics, and contributed to departmental administration, specializing in applied economics and management sciences.
Highlights
Served as Senior Hall Tutor for Jeddah Hall and Postgraduate Halls from June 2021 to March 2025, overseeing student welfare and academic environment.
Managed examination processes as Examinations Officer for the School of Applied Economics and Management Sciences from July 2021 to June 2022.
Published 10+ journal articles in leading academic journals (2022-2023), including Ecological Economics, PLOS ONE, and International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, advancing knowledge in food security and agricultural resilience.
Supervised 12 MPhil students to completion in 2022-2023, with research topics spanning livelihood vulnerability, climate change adaptation, and economic efficiency in soybean production.
Participated in a 2-week travelling school (June 2024) to foster collaborative research and teaching programs with Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
Tamale, Ghana, Ghana
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Summary
Delivered comprehensive instruction in agricultural and resource economics, engaged in significant research, and provided academic guidance.
Highlights
Supervised 15 MPhil students to completion (2016-2021) across diverse topics like climate-resilient agricultural practices, market participation, and agricultural financing.
Contributed to PhD research on modeling household resilience to food security shocks (Nov 2016 – Jun 2021), leading to a PhD in Economics & Policy from Wageningen University.
Managed the Agricultural Technology Transfer (ATT) Exceptional Students' Scholarship as Students Coordinator from July 2017 to December 2018.
Published 15+ journal articles (2017-2021) in journals such as Food Security, Climate and Development, and Environment, Development and Sustainability, impacting agricultural policy discourse.
Conducted project evaluations for major initiatives like the ATT Project ($25,000) and SIIC-SR Project (€10,500 for MPhil theses), assessing effectiveness and technology uptake.
Tamale, Ghana, Ghana
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Summary
Supported academic programs and research initiatives in agricultural economics, contributing to curriculum development and student mentorship.
Highlights
Served as Examinations Officer for the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics from Sept 2015 to Aug 2020, ensuring academic integrity and efficient processes.
Coordinated postgraduate studies as Department Postgraduate Coordinator from Sept 2017 to Aug 2020, enhancing program quality and student support.
Initiated and presented counselling seminars on department choice for 3rd Agribusiness students in March-April 2015 and 2016, improving student academic planning.
Contributed to a committee for establishing a Basic School on Nyankpala campus (May 2014-2016), enhancing community educational infrastructure.
Authored or co-authored 5+ journal articles (2014-2015) focusing on microfinance, climate variability, and agricultural technology adoption.
Agona Ahanta, Ghana, Ghana
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Summary
Provided foundational education in science subjects, fostering academic development and preparing students for higher education.
Highlights
Educated and mentored high school students in science, contributing to their academic growth and preparation for university studies.
Developed and implemented engaging lesson plans to improve student comprehension and performance in scientific disciplines.
Contributed to a positive learning environment, encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving skills among students.
Education
Awards
Consultancy Contract: Sustainable Intensification Practices
Awarded By
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Awarded a 6-month consultancy contract valued at $12,000 for research on the adoption and dis-adoption of sustainable intensification practices in Africa south of the Sahara.
EU Horizon 2020 Project: Integrated and Circular Technologies for Sustainable City Region Food Systems in Africa (INCiTiS-FOOD)
Awarded By
EU Horizon 2020
Secured a 48-month project implementation and evaluation role for a $5 million EU Horizon 2020 project focused on sustainable city region food systems in Ghana.
Consultancy Contract: Sustainable Intensification of Mixed Farming Systems (SI-MFS)
Awarded By
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
Provided Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Impact Assessment (MELIA) support for the baseline survey of the SI-MFS Initiative in northern Ghana, valued at $9,990 over 6 months.
Consultancy Contract: Smallholder Maize Shelling Mechanization
Awarded By
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
Awarded a 3-month consultancy contract valued at $3,300 to enhance smallholder maize shelling mechanization through collective business models in northern Ghana.
Consultancy Contract: Modelling Agricultural Intensification and Food Security
Awarded By
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
Secured a 6-month consultancy contract valued at $9,000 to model the nexus between sustainable agricultural intensification, resilience, and food security among smallholder farmers in Ghana.
Project Evaluation: Child Marriage & HIV/AIDS Reduction
Awarded By
Youth Alive
Conducted an end-of-project evaluation for a national consultancy contract focused on abolishing child marriage and reducing HIV/AIDS through adolescent sexual & reproductive health education, valued at $5,000 over 4 months.
Preparatory Workshop Grant and Pre-Proposal Award
Awarded By
A Volkswagen Stiftung
Awarded a grant of €10,000 over 8 months for a preparatory workshop and pre-proposal development on social differentiation in West African food systems.
Project Evaluation Grant: Agricultural Technology Transfer Project (ATT)
Awarded By
International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
Secured a 3-month project evaluation grant valued at $25,000 for the final performance evaluation of the Agricultural Technology Transfer Project.
Project Evaluation Grant: ATT Starter Pack Distribution Effectiveness
Awarded By
International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
Awarded a 3-month project evaluation grant valued at $20,000 to assess the effectiveness of ATT starter pack distribution on agricultural technology uptake in Northern Ghana.
National Assignment Grant: Ghana Census of Agriculture Survey Monitoring
Awarded By
Ghana Statistical Service
Participated in a 1-month national assignment, receiving GHC5,000, to monitor Ghana Census of Agriculture Survey activities in the Northern Region.
PhD Study Grant: Modelling Household Resilience to Food Security Shocks
Awarded By
Wageningen School of Social Sciences
Received a PhD study grant of €60,000 over 4.5 years to model the resilience of Ghanaian food systems to multiple shocks.
UrbanFoodPlus Partial Funding for MPhil Theses
Awarded By
UrbanFoodPlus
Secured €10,500 in partial funding over 1 year to support seven (7) MPhil theses focused on sustainable agricultural intensification.
Project Evaluation Grant: Sustainable Intensification of Integrated Crops-Small Ruminant (SIIC-SR) Project
Awarded By
Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
Awarded a 1-month project evaluation grant valued at GHC6,000 for the evaluation of the SIIC-SR project in West Africa.
Publications
Skills
Agricultural Economics & Policy
Food Security Policy Development, Strategic Planning, Staple Crops Economics, Agricultural Value Chain Analysis, Household Resilience, Income Generation Strategies, Livelihood Diversification, Poverty Analysis, Northern Ghana Agricultural Systems, Market Dynamics, Agricultural Policy Evaluation.
Sustainable Agriculture & Development
Gender and Social Inclusion, Food Loss and Waste Management, Agricultural Technology Innovation, Climate-Smart Agriculture, Sustainable Intensification.
Research & Analytics
Quantitative Modeling, Impact Assessment, Project Evaluation, Strategic Document Development, Econometrics, Data Analysis, Research Design, Academic Supervision, Peer Review.
Project Management & Leadership
Project Management, Team Leadership, Program Coordination, Stakeholder Engagement, Curriculum Development, Mentorship, Administrative Oversight.
Professional Affiliations
International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE), Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA), Ghana Association of Agricultural Economists (GAAE), Wageningen School of Social Sciences Interest Group on African Development (WASS Africa).
Interests
Sports
Football / Soccer, Playing Draft.
Arts & Culture
Reading, Listening to Gospel Music.
Projects
Modelling Nexus between Sustainable Agricultural Intensification, Resilience and Food Security
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Summary
An international consultancy contract commissioned by IITA to model the interconnections between sustainable agricultural intensification, resilience, and food security among smallholder farmers in Ghana.
Assessment of ATT Starter Pack Distribution on Agricultural Technology Uptake
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Summary
A study commissioned by the Agricultural Technology Transfer project and International Fertilizer Development Center to assess the effectiveness of ATT starter pack distribution on agricultural technology uptake in Northern Ghana.