About Us

Dr. Isaac Mpanga, Founder, Circular Planet Institute

I grew up on a farm in Ghana—a place where soil wasn’t just dirt, it was life. Farming shaped my worldview. It taught me that agriculture is more than production; it’s stewardship, resilience, and community.My journey from farm boy to founder of Circular Planet Institute has been driven by science, purpose, and a deep desire to transform food systems from linearity to circularity. It’s been a long road—from classroom teacher to scientist to executive—but every step has been worth it, and I’m deeply grateful for the lessons I’ve gathered across continents.I earned my associate degree in education from the University of Cape Coast and a bachelor’s in agricultural science education from the University of Education in Ghana. I then moved to Germany, where I benefited from free higher education and completed my MS in Crop Sciences and PhD in Agronomy at the University of Hohenheim. My research there focused on nutrient cycling, microbial bio-effectors, and phosphorus solubilization, resulting in five peer-reviewed publications and the beginning of my scientific career.In the final months of my PhD, I accepted a faculty position at the University of Arizona, where I launched the Commercial Horticulture and Small Acreage Extension and Research Program. As Principal Investigator, I led two major USDA-funded projects—one under the NIFA Organic Transition Grant and another through the NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant for on-farm soil health demonstrations.I’ve since worked with global leaders like PepsiCo and Yara North America, applying scientific insights to real-world agricultural systems. My focus has been on helping food companies and their growers implement regenerative agriculture across North America. These roles gave me firsthand experience in scaling sustainability across supply chains and embedding regenerative principles into corporate strategy.As they say, “once a teacher, always a teacher.” I continue to engage with higher education and currently teach a graduate-level course on Food System Transformation at Unity Environmental University. This course equips future leaders to rethink agriculture through the lenses of circular economics, climate resilience, and equity.Over the years, I’ve authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in journals such as Microorganisms, Agronomy, Water, Horticulture, Agronomy Journal, etc. My work has been cited hundreds of times, with an h-index of 11 and an i10-index of 11—reflecting its influence in soil science, plant nutrition, and sustainable agriculture.I founded Circular Planet Institute because, after transitioning from academia to industry, I realized I missed the scientist in me. I needed a platform to bridge the gap between academic research and practical impact. My wife, Sabrina, was also interested in pursuing government contracts, and together we launched CPI in 2022. It’s been a journey of building, learning, and growing ever since.Our work is grounded in the principles I laid out in my book, Circular Agriculture, and inspired by the soil I first tilled as a child. Circular Planet Institute is where my personal story meets global purpose—a place where science, community, and innovation come together to regenerate the future of food.