Michael Kwame Nkonu

Michael Kwame Nkonu is the Head of Portfolio for Agricultural Livelihoods for the IKEA Foundation, where he leads the foundation’s work on building global food systems that are fair, resilient, and equitable. His work involves designing and programming for planet-positive agricultural systems and practices that restore biodiversity, rebuild soil fertility, and minimise waste across the food system.

Michael’s career spans over 20 years, focusing on sustainability including ecosystems management, trade and climate justice, and the application of mobile technology to drive sustainable practices. Michael was the founding Executive Director of Fairtrade Africa, an organisation championing trade and environmental justice for smallholder farmers and workers across 30 African countries. Prior to joining the IKEA Foundation, Michael led the Food Systems work for the Open Society Foundation and helped established the Climate Justice Programme for OSF.

Michael holds Master of Science Degrees in Sustainability Leadership (Cambridge University) and Agricultural Science and Natural Resources Management (University of Hohenheim, Germany), and a BSc in Agricultural Science from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.