The government has renewed its commitment to building a more inclusive agricultural economy by prioritising programmes that expand access to finance, markets, training, and innovation for women and youth.
Speaking at the ELIGREEN Women and Youth Agribusiness Exhibition Summit (EWAYES 2025) in Accra, the Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness, Dr. Peter Boamah Otukunor, said the country’s agricultural transformation agenda must place women and youth at its core if Ghana is to achieve food security and sustainable growth.
He noted that despite their critical role in food production and rural livelihoods, women and youth remain “on the margins of opportunity.”
“Many are full of ideas but lack the capital to grow; others produce diligently but struggle to find markets, while cultural and institutional barriers continue to limit their access to training,” Dr. Otukunor said.
He underscored that such systemic challenges require bold and pragmatic interventions to create equal access to resources, build resilience, and unlock the sector’s full potential.
“As such, pragmatic policies and systems are needed to break these barriers to empower and promote socio-economic development,” he added.
The government’s approach, Dr. Otukunor explained, is to design agricultural programmes that are not only production-driven but also socially inclusive and economically sustainable.
These will include targeted financing schemes, capacity-building initiatives, and value chain linkages tailored to the needs of women and youth.
He stressed that inclusive agriculture goes beyond increasing yields, it is about transforming livelihoods, empowering communities, and creating business opportunities across the agricultural ecosystem.
“Our vision is for women and young people to move from being mere participants to becoming leaders, innovators, and investors in agribusiness,” he said.
The two-day EWAYES 2025 Summit, themed “Breaking Barriers: Securing Market Access for Women and Youth in Agribusiness,” convened farmers, researchers, producers, processors, and financial institutions to discuss practical strategies for improving market access, financing, and innovation in Ghana’s agricultural sector.
The summit also provided a networking platform for emerging agripreneurs and stakeholders to explore new partnerships and technologies that can drive competitiveness and inclusion.
Organisers described the event as a “turning point” in advancing Ghana’s goal of building a modern agricultural sector that leaves no one behind.
Nonetheless, agriculture remains the backbone of Ghana’s economy, employing nearly half of the workforce, yet women and youth continue to face structural and financial barriers that limit their full participation.
Experts say removing these barriers will be key to unlocking Ghana’s potential for food self-sufficiency, rural development, and export growth.
Dr. Otukunor reaffirmed government’s determination to ensure that policy frameworks and flagship programmes deliver tangible benefits to these critical groups.
“If we want a resilient agricultural future, then women and youth must not just be included but they must be empowered,” he added.
