By Eunice Hilda A. Mensah
Accra, Aug. 30, GNA – Dr Betty Annan, the Country Director, AGRA, has called on government and stakeholders in the agricultural value-chain, to harness the potential of the youth and small to medium-scale enterprises to drive sustainable development.
She said the potential could also help to build resilience against climate change and create more equitable and efficient markets across the continent to promote food security.
Dr Annan made the call at the second “Agricultural Innovation for Africa (AIA) Conference” by Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) in Accra on the theme: “Empowering Youth Startups and Agri-MSMEs in Africa: Advancing Food Security through Innovation and Collaboration.”
In Ghana, she said agriculture was not just an economic activity; but a way of life for at least 35 per cent of the population, with a significant portion being youth.
“This demographic is pivotal to the future of our food systems. Yet, we are acutely aware that the potential of our youth is often stifled by a lack of access to resources, markets, and opportunities,” she said.
With Ghana’s population projected to increase by 20 million, reaching about 53 million people by 2050, she said the role of agriculture in providing employment and sustaining livelihoods would become even more crucial.
Dr Annan noted that climate change greatly threatened yields, especially for smallholder farmers.
Business as usual, she said, would not be enough for climate change adaptation and neither countries nor farmers were prepared, adding: “We need a widespread commitment to preparation, protection, and restoration.”
Cocoa, often referred to as the “golden bean” of Ghana, she said was not just a major export; but the lifeblood of many rural communities.
However, erratic weather patterns, prolonged droughts, and unseasonal rains had disrupted cocoa production, leading to reduced yields and threatening the livelihoods of millions of farmers, she said.
“This August, several regions, including the Upper East, Northeast, 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,” Dr Annan said.
The drought situation had forced farmers to abandon their fields because of significant crop failures, significantly impacting agricultural productivity, food security, and the livelihoods of millions of citizens most especially youth and women, she noted.
Lack of credit in the agriculture sector also prevented the ability of market actors to invest and grow.
Addressing such challenges, Dr Annan said required innovative financing mechanisms to build climate resilience among youth startups and agri-MSMEs.
She also stated that access to blended’ finance models, climate-focused affordable credit, investment funds to enable enterprises to adopt sustainable practices, investment in climate-smart technologies, and enhancement of productivity were also crucial.
Mr Benjamin Gyan-Kesse, the Executive Director of KIC, said the conference aimed at influencing policy to get actionable moves to change the lives of youth in the agriculture value chain.
They were also optimistic about imparting knowledge to the youth to enable them to navigate challenges in the sector for opportunities to contribute to food security.
The KIC through its AIA Conference, he said had engaged thousands of youth, who shared their readiness to get into agriculture and its productions, bringing in more innovations.
What they required, Mr Gyan-Kesse said was policies, resources and investments, adding that a reduction in the food import bill by 50 to 60 per cent in the next five to 10 years would also enhance the sector and its yields to boost the economy.
“The youth are very innovative and can develop innovative machinery when given the right infrastructure, funding and support. This will enable them to create jobs for themselves and others to reduce food insecurity,” he said.
The KIC’s Executive Director advised that Ghana took advantage of technology to educate farmers on climate change and how food production could be sustainable with innovations, considering more women in the value chain to safeguard the country’s food systems and reduce the current risks of food insecurity.
“Women are mostly adding more value to the value chain, bringing their traditional knowledge on preserving food, and creating jobs for all and need more attention,” he added.
GNA