WFF Ghana Youth Chapter advances youth policy action at Ghana's national youth dialogue on agrifood systems

The World Food Forum (WFF) Ghana Youth Chapter actively participated in the National Youth Dialogue on Agrifood Systems, organized by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Country Office in Ghana. Held from 6 to 8 July, the three-day dialogue convened young agripreneurs, policymakers, development partners, private sector representatives and other key stakeholders to strengthen youth participation in agrifood systems through the adoption of the African Union (AU) Africa Agribusiness Youth Strategy (AAYS) and the Youth in Agrifood Systems Performance Index (YAPI) into national laws.

Under the theme "Bridging policy to practice for youth participation in regional and continental markets", the dialogue provided a platform for young people to engage directly with policymakers on the opportunities, challenges and reforms needed to unlock youth potential in agribusiness. Discussions explored pathways to strengthen youth entrepreneurship, expand decent employment opportunities, foster innovation and enhance meaningful youth participation in agrifood policymaking.

A key outcome of the dialogue was the development and presentation of a youth-led policy position paper to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, led by its Chairman, Hon. Godfred Seidu Jasaw. The paper outlined recommendations to strengthen the policy environment for youth entrepreneurship, investment and leadership across the country's agrifood systems.

Throughout the dialogue, participants emphasized the need to address persistent barriers limiting youth participation, including limited access to land, finance, technology, digital solutions, technical training and market opportunities. Discussions also underscored the importance of ensuring that persons with disabilities are meaningfully included in agricultural policies, programmes and investment initiatives.

The Chapter contributed by highlighting the challenges facing youth-led agribusinesses, including limited production capacity, inconsistent product quality, weak market intelligence and insufficient investment in innovation and value addition. Chapter members also emphasized the importance of building stronger entrepreneurial ecosystems that connect young agripreneurs with mentorship, technical assistance, financing, strategic partnerships and market opportunities.

Through its participation, the Chapter strengthened collaboration with national stakeholders while reinforcing its role as a platform for youth engagement in agrifood policy dialogue. This also created new opportunities to ensure that youth perspectives continue to inform national discussions on more inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems in Ghana.