Three emerging leaders and researchers join AFI’s food systems community
AFI has named three new graduate students as recipients of the 2026 Arrell Graduate Scholarships, supporting emerging leaders whose research aims to build healthier, more sustainable and more resilient food systems.
This year’s recipients are Munira Abdul-Nasir, Chinenye Marvellous Agbo and Richmore Ibeh. Their work spans agricultural economics, digital agriculture, molecular breeding and postharvest biotechnology — reflecting the interdisciplinary approaches needed to address complex food-system challenges in Canada and around the world.
The Arrell Scholarships are awarded to graduate students whose research aligns with the institute’s vision of transforming global food systems. Scholars become part of a community of researchers, practitioners and partners working to improve food security, sustainability and human and planetary health.
Abdul-Nasir will join the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics under the supervision of Dr. Getu Hailu. Originally from Accra, Ghana, she recently graduated magna cum laude from New York University Abu Dhabi with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, specializing in development economics.
Her research will examine how policies, markets and institutions influence the availability and uptake of biological crop inputs in Canada’s grain and pulse sectors. By looking at why some agricultural innovations are adopted and scaled while others are not, Abdul-Nasir hopes to identify ways to support more productive, resilient and environmentally sustainable food systems.
“I hope this work will help identify ways to scale sustainable technologies more effectively,” Abdul-Nasir says.
Agbo will study in the M.Sc. Capacity Development and Extension with International Development Studies program in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development. She will be supervised by Dr. Ataharul Chowdhury.
A Nigerian entrepreneur, researcher and agri-food innovator based in Kigali, Rwanda, Agbo is the co-founder and CEO of Lima Aja, a digital agricultural marketplace connecting smallholder farmers directly to buyers across Rwanda. She is also co-founder of Taretu Engitok Smart Farms, a women-led agritech venture supporting Maasai women farmers through smart agriculture and vertical farming in Tanzania.
Her research will examine how artificial intelligence photo recognition technology can help reduce food loss at the point of aggregation among smallholder farmers in Rwanda, using Lima Aja as a live case study. The work will explore the social and institutional conditions that shape whether digital agricultural technologies are successfully adopted and sustained by farming communities.
Agbo’s goal is to generate practical, Africa-centred evidence that can inform governments, development organizations and investors as they design technology interventions for smallholder farming systems.
Ibeh will join the Department of Plant Agriculture under the supervision of Dr. Jayasankar Subramanian. Originally from Abia State, Nigeria, he is currently a graduate research assistant in the Cassava Breeding Unit at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Ibadan.
He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Biotechnology from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, where he graduated with First Class Honours and was named the top graduating student in both his department and faculty.
Ibeh’s research will focus on molecular breeding and postharvest biotechnology to better understand the genetic and physiological factors that influence fruit quality, ripening and shelf life. His work will explore approaches to improving crop quality, reducing waste and strengthening more sustainable food systems.
As an Arrell Scholar, Ibeh hopes to advance expertise in molecular breeding and postharvest biotechnology, with a long-term goal of contributing to agricultural innovation and capacity building in Africa.
Together, the 2026 Arrell Scholars bring global perspectives and applied research experience to some of the most urgent questions facing food systems today, from reducing food loss and improving crop resilience to scaling sustainable technologies and supporting farmers.
Through their research at the University of Guelph, they will contribute to the growing community of Arrell Scholars working to create lasting impact across food systems in Canada and beyond.