Mind-Nature Institute is a multiple-level impact, environmental research, training, capacity development and collaborating institution and organisation in Africa.
Over 70% of our region and nations land is under some form of Agriculture. It is mostly small holder, and scale farming system. As such, any environmental conservation effort need to ensure we have a pro-nature or environment food and agricultural system. We are proud to support pro-nature food and agricultural systems. Engaging in research, capacity development, shaping dialogues and policies, mobilising others.
But, it is just one of the paths.
Welcome to exploring our work, aspirations and contributions. Please note our holistic and specialty programs, the networks and hubs of collaboration, and the upcoming events.
Our region and its ability to conserve, supply water, or feed people is continuously challenging. It is a challenge that requires increased capabilities, cooperation, ideas, and skills to achieve a better wellbeing while not causing further harm to the environment at large.
We envision a capable, resilient, and thriving people, institutions, and nature in a time of climate change and other crises.
Our mission therefore, is to improve the capabilities and sustainably use, govern, and manage the environment; (a) for improved well-being, social equity and justice; (by) having the needed knowledge, data, and evidence, skills, mindset, and power.
Our simple theory of change is ; if we get a society and region prospering with all the stakeholders, especially the women and young people contributing effectively following built capacity, informed decisions, and if we create opportunities, we shall achieve improved environmental conservation and resource development outcomes.
Our core work is research, training/ skills development and capacity building, advisory and networking.
Research and Knowledge Development and Management
We are engaged in technical, applied, and policy research.
Are facilitating participation in knowledge development and co-creation.
Building research dissemination and connection platforms.
Developing and disseminating various innovations, models, and approaches.
Supporting foresight, monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and learning, to establish robust systems, learning organizations, and be result oriented.
Training and Capacity Development
Building appropriate ‘green’ or environmental management and governance skills and knowledge across sectors.
Up for ‘green’ jobs, businesses, entrepreneurship, policies and practices.
Influencing a mindset that values nature as a resource for transformation.
Facilitating learning and exposure.
Through seminars, mentorship programs, courses, training sessions, exchange programs, fellowships, scholarships, model farms, field schools, symposiums, exhibitions, libraries, summer camps and schools among others.
Networking and Partnerships Building
Growing our level of influence and experience. through networks, hubs, contact or coordination desk.
Forming partnerships within the local communities, non-profit sector, private companies, academic and research institutions, Think Tanks, and government agencies with relatable objectives.
Mobilising individuals across sectors, disciplines, continents, genders and experiences.
Strengthening linkages to additional resources, including financial and human resources.
We approach our work with both an integrated and scaled view for depth and interconnection working around five thematic areas of;
Facilitating regional and transboundary resources management, governance, conservation and sustainability.
Advancing pro-nature food and agricultural systems, and purposively developing the plants and plants-based sectors.
Innovatively growing the environmental studies, practices and professions into vocations, business, investment and finance portfolios.
Data, tech and innovations, that include a “green’ Ai .
Enabling green economies and transitions, carbon development, climate mitigation and adaptation.
Enabling a collective agency among the women, youth and other special interest groups for nature and sustainability.
Our Approach to the Challenge
To achieve the broader themes, we are rooting deeply into specialty topics of:
Water, Wetlands and Sanitation
Land
Energy
Food and Agriculture
Climate and Carbon
Wildlife and Rangelands
Mining and Minerals
Forests, Plants and Biodiversity
Infrastructure, Cities and Homes
Markets and trade
Regional, continental, global integration
Waste
Finance
To achieve greater and targeted results we engage with areas considerably crosscutting such as gender, women, youth or young people, peace and security, ecohealth, culture and psychology, education and learning.
Our target audiences and collaborators include regional interstate blocks and agencies such as the EAC, governments, development agencies, academic and research institutions, civil society organizations, public and private sector players.
Our approach centers a landscape, systems thinking, sustainability, foresight and collaborative values that are achieved at:
a holistic level through the thematic areas, and specialty level,
at the multi-partner collaborative level through the Hubs and Network,
at contract service provision level through the Mind-Nature Consult and TVET .
Events to Join Us
Events to Join Us
We cordially invite you to our webinar on the topic “ Reinforcing Foresight Practice at the Climate Change COPs (Conference of Parties); Opportunities for Climate COP 30 in Brazil”
The webinar will take place on the 4th November, 2025 via Zoom from 2:00 04:00 PM (NAIROBI Time)
Please find the Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81965673481?pwd=DYAsJybbpl8crbLIuC3c2PXimf8xbm.1
Meeting ID: 819 6567 3481
Passcode: 157137
The COP is a central event on climate change annually, and it is a negotiation space for both immediate and long term interventions and action. Regardless, it is short of applying foresight and this webinar aims to strengthen the conversation.
We would therefore explore how foresight is needed for the COPs, build participants capacity to utilize foresight to influence and negotiate, and share relevant data and techniques.
You are warmly welcome to this conference session organized by Mind-Nature Institute in partnership with the Agroecology Transformative Partnerships Platform (ATPP) at CIFOR-ICRAF. In the session we are demystifying sustainability in ‘transitional and transformational” resource models; a case of the agroecology model in the food and agricultural systems discourse.
The session is based on the background and need to strengthen and sustain transformative approaches and resource use, management and development models, such as agroecology. But, also presenting the models as a possible pathway to achieve sustainability in general, following experience observed globally, and from the global south in particular. Agroecology is one of the transitional and transformational approaches being implemented by a range of institutions and organizations to transform the food and agricultural system around the world. Agroecology is also defined, or so viewed variably but touching points as a science, practice and movement for an agricultural and farming model that is in tune with the prevailing ecology or ecosystem- while at the same time achieving the pillars of sustainability as embedded in the 10 Elements or 13 Principles of Agroecology.
