A young Ghanaian soil scientist-in-training is gaining international recognition for her groundbreaking work in sustainable cocoa farming. Ms. Nancy Korkor Tetteh, a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) student at the University of Ghana, has been named one of only ten finalists for the 2025 African Plant Nutrition Scholar Award, an initiative that spotlights the most promising agricultural researchers on the continent.
The prestigious award, organized by the African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI) in partnership with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) and OCP Group, celebrates exceptional students whose research is advancing the science of crop nutrition and nutrient management. Each recipient receives $2,000 to support their academic work.
For Nancy, the recognition is more than just a personal achievement—it’s a validation of her commitment to transforming agricultural systems in Ghana and beyond. Her research focuses on quantifying and characterizing soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions in cocoa farms across Ghana’s semi-deciduous and moist evergreen zones. Specifically, she is comparing agroforestry-based cocoa systems with monoculture farms to understand how different farming approaches affect soil health and carbon storage.
Her work involves examining various forms of carbon in the soil—such as dissolved organic carbon, soil microbial biomass carbon, particulate organic carbon, and potassium oxidizable carbon—to assess their contribution to soil fertility. The results could directly influence land management practices in Ghana’s cocoa sector, a key pillar of the country’s economy.
Since its launch in 2020, the African Plant Nutrition Scholar Award has supported 60 graduate students across Africa with a total of $120,000 in funding. This year’s finalists span ten African countries, but Nancy’s achievement stands out as a homegrown success story for Ghana’s academic and agricultural sectors.
Looking ahead, Nancy is determined to continue her academic journey by pursuing a Ph.D. in soil science. Her ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between scientific research and practical farming, ensuring that the insights from her work translate into tangible benefits for farmers.
With her passion, expertise, and now international recognition, Ms. Nancy Korkor Tetteh is well on her way to becoming one of Africa’s leading voices in sustainable agriculture and soil carbon management.
