By Juliet ETEFE ([email protected])
Country Director of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Dr. Betty Annan, has stressed the importance of empowering youths and small to medium-scale enterprises in agriculture to build a resilient food system in Africa, particularly in Ghana.
“We must actively support our youths and small-scale entrepreneurs by providing them with the tools, resources and opportunities they need to succeed in an increasingly challenging and highly competitive environment.
“This means investing in climate-smart technologies, advocating for innovative financing mechanisms that reach those most in need, and creating more efficient and inclusive markets that empower all players in the agricultural value chain,” she stressed.
Currently, the sector is pivotal in the economy, supporting the livelihood of about 35 percent of the population – with a significant portion being youth.
She added that with the country’s population projected to increase by 20 million, reaching about 53 million people by 2050, the role of agriculture in providing employment and sustaining livelihoods will become even more crucial.
She was speaking at the 2024 Agriculture Innovation for Africa (AIA) Conference held in Accra, spearheaded by the Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC). It was themed ‘Empowering youth start-ups and agri-MSMEs in Africa: climate change, innovative financing, market efficiency, and gender mainstreaming for sustainable food systems’.
In a keynote address, Dr. Annan noted that empowering youth start-ups and agri-MSMEs in Ghana is not just about economic growth; it is also about building a resilient, inclusive and sustainable future driven by the right leadership.
She also holds strongly that addressing the challenges of climate change, leveraging innovative financing, enhancing market efficiency and ensuring gender equity, the agricultural sector can be transformed into a powerhouse of opportunity and sustainability.
Climate change
She points out the impact of the recent El Niño crisis on Ghana’s cocoa sector – a vital economic and social backbone, saying erratic weather patterns have led to significant crop failures, impacting millions of smallholder farmers.
“This August, several regions – including the Upper East, North-east, Northern, Savannah, parts of Bono East, and Oti Regions – are experiencing severe crises due to unexpected dry spells. The consequences of these dry spells have been and will be devastating in the near future. Smallholder farmers, who primarily cultivate food to feed their families and only sell the excess, have seen their investments and livelihoods crumble.
“The drought situation has forced farmers to abandon their fields because of significant crop failures, significantly impacting agricultural productivity, food security and the livelihoods of millions of the people of Ghana, and most especially our youth and women,” she points out.
Innovative financing and market efficiency
To mitigate these challenges, Dr. Annan called for innovative financing mechanisms, including access to affordable credit and climate-focused investment funds to support the farmers, youth start-ups and agri-MSMEs in adopting sustainable practices.
On market efficiency and access, she noted that improving market linkages, investing in digital platforms and enhancing logistical support can ensure fair pricing and add value across the supply chain.
Gender mainstreaming
With women in agriculture facing significant barriers, including lower yields and business profitability compared to their male counterparts, she advocated for more targeted investments in women-led farms and businesses, highlighting AGRA’s VALUE4HER programme, which aims to empower women entrepreneurs across Africa by improving market access, financing and networking opportunities.
She said women across the continent experience lower employment in agriculture and 20-30 percent lower yields than men. In addition, women-led agri-SMEs experience 20-34 percent lower business profitability versus male-led agri-SMEs.
“Let us seize this moment to take bold actions that will not only benefit Ghana, but also serve as a model for the rest of Africa. Together, we can create a future where our youths thrive, our markets flourish and our food systems are resilient to the challenges ahead,” she urged.
Sustained participation and intentionality
Mr. Benjamin Gyan-Kesse, Executive Director of KIC, maintained that the sustained participation of youths is vital for the sector’s growth in Ghana and across the continent.
“The youths are ready to get into agriculture, production and bring innovations,” he asserted, calling for robust policies to provide the necessary resources for youth participation, citing KIC’s engagement with over 10,000 young people across 16 universities and thousands more from junior and senior high schools.
Mr. Gyan-Kesse underscored the significance of addressing infrastructure, funding and technology to empower youth start-ups, saying that with the right support structures, youths can significantly reduce Ghana’s food import bill and create sustainable jobs.
He also cautioned: “If we do not take advantage of technology to improve information to our farmers on climate change and sustainable food production, we risk facing dire consequences”.
Echoing these sentiments, Joe Mensah, Chairman of KIC and the AIA Conference, expressed optimism about the future of agriculture in Africa, urging collaboration and diversity in the sector.
He noted that the continent has vast potential in agriculture, which can be realised through intentional and inclusive strategies.
Mr. Mensah called on stakeholders to support youths and women in agriculture, fostering a vibrant and sustainable agricultural landscape that can drive economic growth and food security across Africa.
The conference, which saw an estimated 1,200 participants – both in-person and online, served as a platform for discussing key challenges and exploring solutions to advance youth-led agricultural innovation.
