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James Boafo is a Lecturer in Sustainability in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Murdoch University, Australia, and serves as a Research Fellow at the Indo-Pacific Research Centre. He holds a PhD in Environment and Development from the University of Queensland. Prior to his appointment at Murdoch University, Boafo was a lecturer in the Department of Geography and Rural Development at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, where he conducted research on African food systems, land access, and environmental changes.
Boafo's research specializes in sustainability transitions, focusing on energy transitions, critical minerals, just transitions, food systems, resource extraction, and environmental governance. Drawing on his background in human geography and political ecology, he employs political ecology and political economy frameworks to explore human-environment interactions, particularly in the Global South. His prolific publication record includes key works such as 'Energy transition diplomacy: The EU's pursuit of Africa's critical minerals for renewable energy at whose expense?' (2025, co-authored with Senyo Dotsey and Rochelle Spencer), 'International Aid and Its Role in Shaping Agriculture Policy Narratives in Ghana' (2025), 'The Geopolitical Race for Critical Minerals in Africa' (2025), 'The race for critical minerals in Africa: a blessing or another resource curse?' (2024, co-authored with Jacob Obodai, Eric Stemn, and Philip Nti Nkrumah), 'A political ecology of farmers' exposure to pesticides in Ghana' (2023, co-authored with Kristen Lyons), 'Understanding ecological grief as a response to climate change in northern Ghana' (2024), and 'Sustainability transition paradox' (2025, co-authored with Francis Arthur-Holmes). These publications appear in leading journals including Resources Policy, Africa Spectrum, and Geo: Geography and Environment, with his work cited over 509 times on Google Scholar.
Boafo actively bridges academia and public discourse through contributions to The Conversation, reaching over 100,000 readers since 2019, and by delivering guest lectures on topics like energy transition realities in undergraduate sustainability courses at Murdoch University.
