Global population is expected to increase to 9 billion by 2050, with youth (aged 15–24) accounting for about 14 percent of this total. While the world’s youth cohort is expected to grow, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for youth – particularly those living in developing countries’ are stagnant as revealed by World Bank in 2019.

In rural Ghana the situation is no different as many youths remain limited with the challenges that come with venturing into agriculture. Even though Food and Agriculture Organization FAO, stipulates agricultural potential will serve as a source of livelihood opportunities for rural youth, and make them self –reliant.

While these challenges are complex and interwoven, a number of key conclusions can be drawn from the myriad of studies available. But this can only be a reality for Ghanaian youths if the challenges in Agriculture could be addressed.

Experts enumerated that ensuring that youth have access to the right information is crucial with integrated training approaches that respond to the needs of modern agricultural sector. As modern information and communications technologies offer great potential and there is a distinct need to organize and bring youth together to improve their capacities for youth specific projects and programmes.

Agribusiness, Agrisolve’s GreenconnectY is professing solution to the challenges the sector is fraught with and evoking interest of many youths in rural Ghana to farm. The program through its mentorship and resource driven approaches is offering technical expertise in agronomy practices, access to input for production, and an agri-tech to 4000 youths in rural Ghana. The project since its inception in 2018 is effective in providing youth with the extra push needed to enter the agricultural sector with an integrated response needed from policymakers and development practitioners alike.

Sharif Abdul Ganiyu a 32 year –old building Engineer, with 50 acres of soya bean plantation at Karaga district in the Northern Region is one of the benefactors of GreenconnetY program. For the trained building engineer turned farmer, the program is an opportunity he has ever hoped for. I have always been in the farm with my grandpa as a kid.  Though I studied building technology I didn’t see farming lucrative at the time due to the challenges that exist. But with Agrisolve’s intervention I am back to the farm.”

Speaking to the Executive Director of Agrisolve, Elorm Goh says the GreenconnectY program offers youths in rural Ghana the avenue of a modernized service to farm within their catchment areas. The starters have access to a range of digital agricultural-value chain platform that allows the young farmers to access inputs, seeds for production, mechanization services, access to e-extension services on good agronomy practices and market price regulation.

In the absence of all these services, are the challenges preventing youth participation in Agriculture. Indeed, a coordinated response to increase youth’s involvement in the agricultural sector is more important than ever, she said

“As the global population is rising and there is an increase decrease in agricultural productivity gains it means that youth must play a pivotal role in ensuring a food-secure future for themselves