In December 2020, Peter Gubbels – a Canadian living and working in northern Ghana – was selected by the Prolinnova Country Platforms (CPs) in West & Central Africa to take the seat for this subregion in the Prolinnova Oversight Group. He was nominated by the CP in northern Ghana.
Peter is the Director for Action Learning and Advocacy for West Africa with Groundswell International, a global partnership that strengthens rural communities to build healthy farming and food systems. He has many years of experience in rural development, including three decades living and working in West Africa. Peter provides support to action research and advocacy activities of Groundswell West Africa’s network members to build equitable and ecologically sound local economies and to engage in wider coalitions for transforming farming and food systems through agroecology. Peter represents Groundswell West Africa in various networks and alliances, including: Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), Alliance for Agroecology in West Africa (3AO), Global Evergreening Alliance (GEA), Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) and the 4 per 1000 soil initiative.
He was raised on a farm in Ontario, Canada, and holds a college diploma in Agricultural Production and Management, a BA Honours degree in History (University of Western Ontario) and a Masters in Rural Development (University of East Anglia, UK). Before co-founding Groundswell, Peter was Vice President of International Programs with World Neighbors. He is the author or co-author of numerous publications, articles and opinion pieces.
