The United States Government has collaborated with the Government of Ghana’s Youth Employment Agency (YEA) to host a Youth Forum to commemorate International Youth Day in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale, which attracted over 200 attendees, including young agricultural practitioners and students, youth groups and leaders, government and non-governmental organizations supporting youth, community leaders, agribusinesses, transaction advisors, financial institutions, representatives of academia/research institutions, and development partners.
The Youth Forum, themed “Youth Using Digital Innovation and Platforms for Sustainable Food Systems,” recognized young people’s contribution to society and showcased youth-led digital innovations in sustainable agriculture. It also provided valuable information and engaged the attendees in discussions on USAID’s transformative and inclusive initiatives.
These initiatives, implemented in partnership with government agencies, aim to create opportunities for youth participation in agricultural decision-making processes, value chain activities, and contributions to food security, employment, and income.
The event, organized through USAID/Ghana’s Implementing Partners (IPs) under the Feed the Future Initiative– Mobilizing Finance in Agriculture (MFA), Policy LINK, Market Systems Resilience (MSR), Ghana Trade and Investment (GTI), Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Platform – featured plenary presentations, breakout sessions/stakeholder consultations, a panel discussion, the sharing of success stories, and an exhibition of agricultural products.
In his address on government policies, initiatives and resources to support youth-led digital innovations for sustainable food systems, Iddrisu Aminu, Northern Regional Deputy Director (Operations) of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) said, “The Agency has moved beyond its traditional roles and is now training youth in agriculture for sustainable food systems. YEA will engage 20,000 youth under phase two of the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs program, in partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.”
Nana Opoku Agyeman-Prempeh, a young agripreneur and Chief Executive Officer of GrowForMe, gave a presentation on bridging the digital divide among youth agripreneurs and the use of digital platforms to increase agricultural production for food security.
Agyeman-Prempeh led participants through his company’s mobile micro-agribusiness platform—a scalable digital tool designed for trading in agricultural produce, accessing finance, warehousing, and purchasing insurance and inputs. He encouraged the youth attendees to explore the platform, identify agricultural VC activities they could engage in early, and work towards success.
There is opportunity along the chain and with digitalization, you can trade everywhere with minimum overhead costs,” he explained.
International Youth Day, celebrated annually since August 12, 2000, is designated by the United Nations (UN) to draw attention to cultural and legal issues affecting youth and to promote their engagement in global issues. This year’s global theme: “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development,” reflects the world’s transition into a digital era where innovative technologies are being employed to enhance productivity and efficiency in daily activities.
However, the digital divide between rural and urban areas is a pressing global challenge threatening efforts to reduce poverty, hunger, and food insecurity and to promote gender equality and well-being under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
About Feed the Future
Feed the Future is the U.S. Government’s initiative to end global hunger. Led by USAID and driven by collaborative partnerships across public and private sectors, including 11 U.S. Government agencies, Feed the Future addresses the root causes of poverty and hunger by promoting inclusive agriculture-led economic growth, resilience, and nutrition in countries with great need and opportunity for improvement.
