The KNUST Nutrition and Sustainable Agrifood Collaborative, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation (Nkabom Collaborative) has commenced a specialised training programme in Agrifood Value Chain Mapping and Analysis aimed at strengthening youth participation and value addition within Ghana’s agricultural sector.
The training, which brought together 50 participants from across the country, forms part of efforts to reposition agriculture as a viable, integrated, and sustainable economic pathway by exposing participants to opportunities beyond primary production.
Speaking at the programme, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Fred Nimoh, underscored the central role of agriculture in national development, noting that every resilient economy is anchored on a strong primary sector.
“Without a functional agricultural base, investments in industry risk becoming underutilized. The primary sector, particularly agriculture, is critical because it supplies raw materials, creates jobs, and supports industrial growth,” he explained.
Prof. Nimoh further linked agriculture to Ghana’s broader development priorities, including the Sustainable Development Goals, emphasising that food security, poverty reduction, and employment, especially for the youth, are closely tied to how well the agricultural sector is structured and supported.
Lead facilitator, Prof. Robert Aidoo explained that the training was deliberately designed to move beyond traditional approaches that focus mainly on farming.
“Our previous youth trainings focused largely on primary production, but many young people do not find that attractive. The value chain concept allows us to expose them to the entire range of activities, from production to processing, aggregation, trading, and distribution,” he stated.
He noted that the programme equips participants with the skills to map agrifood value chains, identify constraints, and develop business models to address gaps within the system.
“We are confident that participants will understand that success in agribusiness depends on collaboration across the chain rather than working in isolation,” he stressed,
Another facilitator, Prof. James Osei Mensah mentioned that Ghana’s continued reliance on imported food products reflects gaps in value chain development.
“As a country, we are blessed with fertile land and natural resources, yet we still import large volumes of processed food. This is largely because we have not paid enough attention to commodity value chains,” he said.
He further explained that value addition presents significant economic opportunities, particularly for young entrepreneurs, noting that relatively modest investments can support small scale processing ventures capable of meeting the needs of time constrained, high income consumers.
“There is money in agriculture, but actors will not appreciate its value if they limit themselves to producing raw commodities. Value addition is where the real reward lies,” he noted.
