THE ADOPTION OF THE YOUTH MANIFESTO OF GHANA BY THE SAVANNAH YOUNG FARMERS NETWORK

The relevance of Ghana’s Youth Manifesto

The youth Manifesto of Ghana is a comprehensive compilation of youth policy options and proposals that seek to project the issues and perspectives of the youth in order to ensure the formulation and implementation of strategic youth development policies for a holistic development of the Ghanaian youth. This will ensure that the youth of Ghana becomes integral stakeholders in influencing and propelling the nation’s developmental agenda.

Ghana’s youth manifesto provides an innovative and concrete alternative policy options on decision making relevant in equipping policy makers with the core aspirations and perspectives of the Ghanaian youth. This will serve as a guide in the formulation of demand driven youth development policies to facilitate the development of their capacities and to harness their rich talents and skills for accelerated national development.

The youth manifesto of Ghana is therefore a concerted and coordinated effort at addressing the critical issues affecting the development of the Ghanaian youth. Furthermore, Ghana’s youth manifesto is a rallying point for the youth and youth organizations to collectively advocate for a greater commitment by all unsandry to address the challenges militating against the development of the Ghanaian youth.

The development of Ghana’s youth manifesto

Following series of consultative meetings with youth groups across the country, the youth Manifesto Coalition was formed as an umbrella body through which the processes of developing the youth Manifesto was coordinated for a successful development of the Youth Manifesto Document.

In a bid to strengthen the capacity of the Youth Manifesto Coalition, series of capacity building and training workshops were conducted. They included capacity building and training programs on: youth advocacy and active citizenship, youth media skills and advocacy, peace building and conflict prevention and participatory community radio production.

Owing to the capacity development received by youth advocates across the country, they were engaged in collecting inputs from youth and stakeholders at the community, district and regional levels using mediums such as: community forums, symposiums, community radio, social media, the project’s website etc.

Based on the inputs received, drafts documents of the youth Manifesto were prepared by the writing and coordination taskforce for series of technical reviews by leaders of civil society organizations, Agencies of the United Nations, Research and Academic institutions etc.

These technical reviews and validation processes have resulted in the development of the Youth Manifesto of Ghana that seeks among others to place the issues of the youth more prominently in the national development agenda. This is to ensure the effective development of the capacities of the youth in order to harness their rich talents and skills for accelerated national development.

The youth manifesto of Ghana is therefore the product of a year - long collaborative effort by young people under the voices of youth project, implemented by the Youth Empowerment Synergy (YES-Ghana) in partnership with key stakeholders including: representatives of civil society organizations, international development agencies under the United Nations, the academia, governmental agencies and the media.

The adoption of Ghana’s youth manifesto

The adoption of the youth manifesto of Ghana is essential in ensuring that the perspectives and concerns of the Ghanaian youth are effectively considered and addressed in order to harness their ingenuity for national development.

It is in this regard that the Savannah Young Farmers Network (SavaNet), a non-governmental organization committed to promoting sustainable Agricultural and Environmental development across the Savannah Ecological belt of Ghana and the country at large has adopted the Youth Manifesto of Ghana and is thus actively engaged in the formulation and implementation of innovative developmental initiatives.

This is aimed at promoting entrepreneurship across the Agricultural value chain and the provision of demand driven Agricultural Advisory services to farmers across the Savannah Ecological zone of Ghana. Among the actions adopted for Implementation are:

The need to enhance access to Agricultural Advisory services for increased Agricultural Productivity; Owing to the important role that Agricultural Extension services play in equipping farmers with the needed technical skills to ensure increased productivity, the Savannah Young Farmers Network (SavaNet) have been committed in the development of innovative ICT driven methodologies for the provision of participatory and  demand driven  Agricultural Extension services to farmers in the Northern region of Ghana. This is aimed at increasing farmer’s productivity for improved food security.

These initiatives by the SavaNet have significantly contributed to the active engagement of the youth in to Agriculture and the development of Agri-enterprises across the Agricultural value chain. This has significantly contributed in curbing the rising youth unemployment in the country.

Promoting the provision of Agricultural Credit Schemes; following the important role that funding play across the production cycle the Savannah Young Farmers Network (SavaNet) have been actively engaged in developing and strengthening Agricultural value chains across the north of Ghana.

This is aimed at facilitating the development and management of efficient Agricultural credit schemes to promote Agricultural productivity across the Agricultural value chain for increased food security.

Promoting the active engagement of the youth in to Agriculture; the Savannah Young Farmers Network (SavaNet) a youth led non-governmental organization in Ghana champions the active engagement of the youth in Agriculture through the implementation of innovative and impact oriented Agricultural development projects.

These interventions are facilitating the engagement of the youth across the Agricultural value chain with the establishment of various Agri-enterprises to curtail the increasing level of youth unemployment in Ghana.

The Savannah Young Farmers Network (SavaNet) therefore calls on all development professionals, governmental and non-governmental organizations to adopt the youth manifesto of Ghana to ensure the active engagement of the youth in nation building.

A MOBILE PHONE APPLICATION IMPROVES UPON THE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY OF SMALL HOLDER FARMERS IN NORTHERN GHANA.

INTRODUCTION

With mobile market penetration in Africa expected to reach 60% among the continents one million people in 2012; and with the significant rise in Ghana’s tele-density (88.6%), it is important that the continent’s governmental and Non-governmental organizations promotes the utilization of mobile phones and it’s diverse applications to propel the continent’s strives at achieving its Millennium development goals (MDG’s).

Mobile phones improves access
to Agricultural Information

In a bite to augment the contributions made towards the development of the Agricultural Industry in Ghana, the Savannah Young Farmers Network (SavaNet), a farmer based Non-governmental organization has formulated and is in to the implementation of the Audio Conferencing for Agricultural Extension (ACE) service in some farming communities in Northern Ghana to provide small holder farmers with participatory, demand driven and market oriented Agricultural Extension service.

STRUCTURE OF THE TECHNOLOGY

The initiative employs the services of Audio conferencing (a VoIP application) to network farmers with Agricultural extension officers, researchers, agronomist, veterinary officers etc. These technical officers provide the much needed Agricultural extension services to farmers and other Agricultural value chain actors to enhance agricultural productivity. As a mobile application, Audio conferencing is setup for Agricultural extension services with the aid of a mobile phone, a mobile network service, the activation of an audio conferencing system and a portable loud speaker to enhance the communication flow.

As an ICT driven methodology for the provision of participatory and demand driven Agricultural Extension service, this unique extension delivery approach is facilitated by Community Agricultural Information (CAI) officers  who provide diverse technical support to farmers and Agricultural technical support officers to promote capacity development and knowledge transfer .

This ICT driven approach to Agricultural Extension Service delivery is  therefore a private –public partnership approach in enhancing the provision of  demand driven and Market oriented Agricultural Extension Services to equip farmers and other Agricultural value chain actors with the desired capacity development to increase productivity for an enhanced household and national food security.

Farmers through the initiative receive technical guidance on: good agronomic and animal husbandry practices, post-harvest management, climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives, Agribusiness planning and Management, Market access etc.

IMPACT OF THE TECHNOLOGY ON FARMERS PRODUCTIVITY

Owing to the provision of these technical Agricultural Advisory Service, the yields of the commodities produced by the farmers has increased significantly with an average yield of 1.83 Mt/Ha for Maize, 2.71Mt/Ha for Rice and 1.90Mt/Ha for Soybeans which has immensely increased the profitability levels of farmers. This has increased the household and national food security; as witnessed in the proliferation of Buffer stock facilities dotted across northern Ghana.

Following the increase in crop yield, it has culminated in to an increase in the farming population with many youth taking to Agriculture as a livelihood due to the immense technical support offered to farmers and other Agricultural value chain actors.

Furthermore, the Audio conferencing for Agricultural Extension (ACE) services by the SavaNet has resulted in to the development and strengthening of Agricultural value chains as  various Agricultural value chain actors are been provided with a wide range of Agricultural Advisory services aimed at developing and strengthening Agricultural value chain relationships.

As a result of this capacity development, farmer’s productivity has been enhanced as they have timely access to the production resources needed to enable them increase productivity. The Agricultural Extension Services provided via Audio Conferencing has also provided farmers and other value chain actors the opportunity to interact with a wide range of Agricultural value chain facilitators and specialist who offer them valuable capacity development to boost their Agricultural productivity.

The provision of Market Oriented Agricultural Extension services to farmers and other Agricultural value chain actors has resulted in to improved market access as farmers receive up to date market information on various Agricultural commodities. It has also provided other value chain actors e.g: input dealers, mechanized service providers etc the enabling environment to improve upon their market access; owing to the enhanced value chain relationships established by the activities of the initiative.

Following the delivery of demand driven Agricultural extension services via Audio Conferencing, many farmers under the Savannah Young Farmers Network (SavaNet) are now able to plan and manage their Agribusinesses; thus enhancing their ability to take to Agriculture as a business. With this capacity development, they are able to establish many more enterprises across the Agricultural value chain. The intervention made by the initiative has therefore nurtured entrepreneurs and created jobs for the larger masses.

Owing to the growing threat by climate change to Agricultural productivity, the Audio conferencing for Agricultural extension service has developed the capacity of farmers on the production and use of Biochar as an organic fertilizer to reduce the increasing use of inorganic fertilizers; which continue to weaken the ability of the soil to support plant growth. This intervention has led to farmers adapting climate change sensitive approaches to Agricultural production; thus promoting the mitigation of the effects of climate change on Agriculture and the environment at large.

LESSONS LEARNT

In the execution of this initiative, the following are the valuable lessons that have been learnt which will be of relevance to other farmer organizations as well as the delivery of Agricultural Advisory Services in Ghana and Africa at large:

The mobile phone with its diverse applications can be a unique methodology to enhance Agricultural extension service delivery for the benefit of the increasing farmer population in Ghana to enable it meet the Millennium Development Goal of improving access to information for the enhancement of the incomes of farmers and SME’s.

Also, with the provision of Market Oriented Agricultural Advisory Services to the 70% to 90% of small holder farmers in Ghana, they will be able to increase their productivity and take to Agriculture as a business.

Furthermore, many farmers are very much willing to contribute in financing the cost of Agricultural extension services to enhance the efficiency of the service delivery in order to equip them with the requisite knowledge and skills to increase their productivity. Finally, many farmers are very much interested in Participatory and demand driven Agricultural Extension services; which they consider relevant in increasing their productivity.

CHALLENGES ADDRESSED

In the course of implementing the initiative, it has been faced with the challenge of: inadequate volunteers to serve as Community Agricultural Information (CAI) officers, periodic poor mobile network connectivity and inadequate Agricultural extension officers to meet the increasing demand for Agricultural Advisory services.

These challenges have been addressed through the use of National service personnel as CAI officers, the use of MTN mobile network which has quality service and Networking with Agricultural officers from various organizations to offer farmers with the desired Agricultural advisory service.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the interventions made by the Audio Conferencing for Agricultural Extension (ACE) services has re-echoed the need for the promotion of public-private partnership in utilizing ICT tools/  methodologies for the delivery of participatory, demand driven and Market oriented Agricultural Advisory services in order to propel Agricultural development  in Ghana and Africa at large.

ICT AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN GHANA

The prevailing revolution in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) presents us with a unique opportunity to harness its diverse innovations in developing the capacity of the nation’s human resource to enable them effectively lead and influence Ghana’s accelerated development.

Undoubtedly, the youth have become trailblazers in the Information and Communication Technology sector owing to their ability to swiftly adapt to current and emerging information and communication innovations. Their ingenuity and dexterity in ICT presents Ghana with bright prospects in becoming a pacesetter in the utilization of Information and Communication Technology for development (ICT4D).

Following the significant role that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) play in youth development, the youth manifesto of Ghana has proposed series of results oriented actions relevant in promoting youth and ICT development in Ghana. These actions include:

Utilizing ICT to enhance education and youth employment: in the view of the youth manifesto of Ghana, a careful review of the current integration approach of ICT in to the nation’s educational curricula will ensure that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is not only presented to students as a new subject, but also a platform to harness and develop the ingenuity and dexterity of the youth in creating and utilizing ICT applications to address societal challenges.

Furthermore, the youth manifesto of Ghana recommends that all educational institutions in Ghana should be  equipped with well resourced Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities that provides every student with hands on practical training under the instruction of well experienced instructors in order to enable them acquire the best of skills training in ICT.

The youth manifesto of Ghana also points out to the need to institute the requisite mechanisms that ensure improved and widespread access to Information and Communication Technology in rural communities of Ghana.

In its view, improving access to ICT’s in rural areas will provide the rural youth the opportunity to receive distance education via various e-learning platforms in order to develop their capacities with quality education that is comparable to the standards at the disposal of the urban youth.

This will also contribute significantly in making education widely accessible as well as reduce the huge infrastructure demands in our educational institutions for the provision of quality education.

Instituting the needed mechanisms to improve the access and use of ICT in rural areas will also equip rural schools with wide range of educational books via e-libraries to facilitate the provision of quality education; that is able to better position the rural youth in leading and influencing national development.These interventions will to a large extend reduce the rate of rural-urban migration which is mostly influenced by the disparities in resource allocation between rural and urban sectors of the country.

In its quest to present innovative and  alternative actions to improve upon youth employment in Ghana, the youth manifesto of Ghana further recommends for the development of the country’s e-commence sector in order to enable it harness the diverse ICT innovations to enhance youth employment.

A developed e-commence sector will provide young entrepreneurs with enormous opportunities in building up viable enterprises that are able to compete favorably at  national, regional and  international levels and thus provide the much needed jobs and job opportunities to curtail the surging youth unemployment in Ghana.

In the same vein, developing Ghana’s e-commence sector will greatly open up commence across the country to promote the growth of the private sector with many more youth business enterprises; thereby  widening up the tax net for increased national revenue to propel the nations growth and development.

Facilitating the use of ICT to promote youth participation in national development; Information and Communication Technology (ICT) continues to drive a paradigm shift in the way the citizenry are mainstreamed in to national development. It is therefore in this regard that the youth manifesto of Ghana champions the innovative use of ICT’s in promoting the active participation of the youth in national development.

The youth manifesto of Ghana therefore recommends for the institution of e-governance systems that provides the youth the opportunity to make inputs in to local and national governance processes. This will ensure that national development policies and programs are formulated to better address the challenges militating against youth development and the development of the nation at large.

Also, the institution of e-governance systems will provide young entrepreneurs the opportunity to establish the needed private-public partnerships to develop their enterprises for the creation of jobs and job opportunities to augment efforts by the public sector in curtailing the rising levels of youth unemployment in the country.

Furthermore, the institution of well structured e-governance systems will serve as a capacity development platform for the youth to learn about the nation’s governance systems in order to acquire the requisite skills and knowledge in governance to enable them provide efficient leadership for accelerated national development.

The operation of efficient e-governance systems will provide up to date online information on government resources to better inform and engage the youth in national development; as it will enable youth and youth development organizations come up with innovative development programs that propels the nation’s growth and development.

Undoubtedly, strengthening e-governance systems in the country will enhance the nation’s strives at fighting bribery and corruption; as the youth will play watch dog roles in ensuring that Ghana’s rich resources are well managed to promote the country’s  development.

The engagement of the youth in fighting bribery and corruption through various e-governance systems will also contribute greatly in developing young leaders of high integrity to promote good governance for national growth and development.

The youth manifesto of Ghana therefore calls for the support and commitment of government and its development partner’s as well as the private sector and all unsandry to champion Ghana’s youth and ICT development agenda in order to harness the ingenuity and dexterity of the Ghanaian youth in ICT for national growth and development.

          

THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS IN DEVELOPING A VIBRANT YOUTH IN AGRICULTURE SECTOR IN GHANA

INTRODUCTION

Agricultural value chains are well structured and coordinated relationships/networks between actors in the Agricultural industry that strengthens the needed structures for accelerated Agricultural development.

Agriculture value chains therefore play a vital role in Agriculture development as they  ensure  healthy Public Private Partnerships for the development of Agricultural value chains that ensure improved access to Agricultural inputs and services for increased Agricultural production.

Undeveloped Agriculture value chains in Ghana is therefore a major challenge to the development of successful Agribusinesses by young Agricultural entrepreneurs, as they are not able to effectively partner  with other Agriculture value chain actors to enable them access the needed inputs and  services for efficient Agribusiness development.

Effective public-private partnerships in Ghana’s Agriculture sector will therefore contribute significantly in developing efficient Agricultural value chain systems that promotes the development of a vibrant youth in Agriculture sector to improve Ghana’s  Agricultural production as it addresses the nation’s challenge of an aging farmer population.

This article therefore discusses the role that Agricultural value chains play in developing a vibrant youth in Agriculture sector in Ghana. These roles include:

Improve Access to Agricultural Extension Service and Research Innovations: the establishment of well structured Agricultural value chain systems improves access to demand driven Agricultural extension service and research innovations, as these Agricultural value chains establishes the needed partnerships between farmers and relevant Agricultural organizations and Research institutes in order to equip farmers and other Agricultural value chain actors with the requisite knowledge and skills to develop viable Agribusinesses.

Improving access to Agricultural extension service and research innovations will therefore promote the active engagement of the youth in Agriculture as they will be equipped with the requisite knowledge and skills to enable them develop sustainable Agribusinesses across the Agricultural value chain.

Agricultural Extension Service
helps young farmers increase
Their Agricultural Production
and Reduce post harvest losses.

To further enhance the engagement of the youth in Agriculture, Agricultural value chains ensures the development of Agricultural extension content that provides farmers with tailor made Agricultural extension service to develop their capacity on: Agricultural value chain development, Agribusiness development, Agricultural financing, Agricultural marketing etc.

These tailor made capacity development trainings will contribute immensely in developing a vibrant youth in Agriculture sector in Ghana, as it will equip young Agricultural entrepreneurs with the knowledge required to effectively engage in Agricultural value chain processes for the development of viable Agribusinesses  that creates jobs and job opportunities to address Ghana’s surging youth unemployment.

Improve Agricultural Market Access: the challenge of the Ghanaian farmer in accessing good market for their Agricultural produce continues to affect their ability to invest in developing large scale Agribusinesses for increased Agricultural production.

 The challenge of poor market access has over the years resulted in the collapse of many Agribusinesses by young Agricultural entrepreneurs; thus affecting the interest of the Ghanaian youth in actively engaging in Agriculture as a sustainable livelihood for the creation of jobs and job opportunities to address the increasing level of youth unemployment in Ghana.

Effective Agricultural value chain
systems improves upon the
transportation of farmers produce.

The development of well structured Agricultural value chains is therefore essential in addressing the challenge of poor market access as they establish the needed Agricultural value chain systems to promote Agricultural market access.

Developed Agricultural value chains also ensure Agricultural market access as they promote investment by Agricultural value chain actors in farming ventures to provide farmers with reliable access to markets and funding to develop their Agribusinesses.

The essential role that Agricultural value chains play in improving market access will therefore contribute significantly in developing a vibrant youth in Agriculture sector in Ghana as the Ghanaian young farmer will be able to profitably market their Agricultural produce to enable them effectively invest in developing viable Agribusinesses to promote Ghana’s accelerated Agricultural development.

Agricultural value chains helps
young farmers
access profitable markets.

Ghana’s efforts in developing a vibrant youth in Agriculture sector should therefore work towards developing well structured Agricultural value chain systems that provide the youth with reliable and profitable market access to enable them take to Agriculture as a sustainable livelihood.

Improve Access to Agricultural Financing: the challenge by many young Agricultural entrepreneurs in Ghana in accessing the needed funding to adequately finance their Agribusinesses continues to militate against the ability of the Ghanaian youth to actively engage in Agriculture as a sustainable livelihood.

As a result of this challenge, many innovative Agribusiness initiatives that have the potential of transforming Ghana’s Agricultural sector are not implemented; thus retarding the development of Ghana’s Agricultural sector.

Access to Agribusiness
Development funding helps
young farmers actively
engage in Agriculture.

Agricultural value chains improves upon Agricultural financing as they establish good business relationships between financial institutions and other Agricultural value chain actors in order to enable financial institutions better understand the financial need of their clients in the Agricultural sector.

A fair  understanding of Agribusiness financing by the financial institutions will enable them develop special banking products that provides Agricultural value chain actors with innovative Agribusiness finance packages, that better suits their financial requirement for the development of sustainable Agribusinesses.

Developed Agricultural value chains also promotes Agricultural financing by other Agricultural value chain actors, thereby increasing access to Agricultural financing to augment the strives made by financial institutions in investing in Ghana’s Agriculture sector for increased Agricultural production.

Agricultural value chains therefore play a significant role in developing a vibrant youth in Agriculture sector, as they provide young Agricultural entrepreneurs with wide range of funding opportunities to enable them develop sustainable Agribusinesses that propel Ghana’s Agricultural development.

Improve Access to Agro Inputs and Agricultural Mechanization services: Agricultural value chains improves upon farmers access to Agro Inputs and Agricultural mechanization services as they establish the needed relationships between farmers, Agro input companies and Agricultural mechanization service providers to promote the exchange of services for increased Agricultural production.

Access to Agro Inputs
helps young farmers
develop viable farming
enterprises.

The establishment of good Agricultural value chain relationships will ensure investment by Agro input companies, mechanization service providers etc in farming ventures to further promote farmers access to production inputs and services for the development of viable farming enterprises.

The operation of efficient Agricultural value chains are therefore essential in developing a vibrant youth in Agriculture sector in Ghana, as the Ghanaian youth will be able to access the needed Agro inputs and Mechanization services to  enable them actively engage in Agriculture as a business for increased Agricultural production.

The engagement of the Ghanaian youth in Agriculture will offer the nation with a new generation of farmers who are able to effectively utilize the nation’s vast and fertile Agricultural land to develop large scale commercial farms that offer jobs and job opportunities to address Ghana’s challenge of youth unemployment.

CONCLUSION

The development of efficient Agricultural value chains systems in Ghana’s Agriculture sector is therefore essential in developing a vibrant youth in Agriculture sector, as these Agricultural value chains will provide the Ghanaian youth with the needed partnerships to access production inputs and services for the development of  viable Agribusinesses that promotes Ghana’s accelerated Agricultural development.