Husker AI: KNUST Students’ Innovation Transforms Cocoa Waste into Economic Opportunity
The College of Science proudly celebrates the outstanding achievement of two of its students, Frank Agyare and Caleb Antwi of the Department of Computer Science, KNUST, who, together with Wilhelmina Adjah of Business Administration, emerged as runners-up at the Ghana AI Innovation Challenge with their innovative solution, Husker AI.
Husker AI is an artificial intelligence-powered platform designed to address the growing challenge of cocoa pod husk waste across Ghana and the West African cocoa belt.
The solution enables cocoa farmers to use a smartphone to scan piles of cocoa pod husks, after which the AI counts the husks, assesses their quality, estimates their market value in local currency, and connects farmers directly with buyers.
By grading cocoa husks for uses such as livestock feed, organic fertiliser, and biochar production, the platform transforms what is traditionally treated as waste into a valuable resource.
The innovation has the potential to increase farmers' incomes while promoting sustainable agriculture and reducing carbon emissions from agricultural waste.
The success of Husker AI reflects the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together expertise in computer science and business to develop practical, technology-driven solutions for real-world challenges.
The Husker AI team presented the award to the Provost of the College of Science, Prof. Philip Antwi-Agyei, and was accompanied by the Head of the Department of Computer Science, Prof. Michael Asante
The Provost congratulated the team on their remarkable achievement and commended them for applying artificial intelligence to develop solutions with the potential to advance sustainability, innovation and economic development.
The College of Science congratulates Frank Agyare and Caleb Antwi and extends its congratulations to Wilhelmina Adjah and the entire Husker AI team on this significant achievement.