From Last Resort to First Choice: Youth Redefining Agriculture in Ghana

When catastrophic flooding hit Johnson Mensah Doe’s fish farm on Lake Volta, many would have walked away from agriculture entirely. Instead, this young entrepreneur saw an opportunity not just to rebuild, but to revolutionize how fish farmers prepare for and respond to disasters.

Johnson salvaged what equipment he could and began gradually rebuilding the farm. It wasn’t until he discovered BRIDGE-in Agriculture’s loan facility that restoring the farm to its full potential began to feel possible, allowing them to rehire and support young workers across the fish farming ecosystem.

“It’s incredible to see our ponds full again,” Johnson beams. “The loan I received was a lifesaver, and I have employed 59 young people. Without it, JMD Enterprise might not have survived.”

But Johnson’s impact extends far beyond his own enterprise. Drawing from his experience and determined to prevent others from facing the same hardship, he founded an association to support other fish farmers in disaster preparedness and response, sharing practical tools to help peers build resilience against future shocks.

Likewise, Petrita Marriette, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gustav Restaurants, channels her personal experiences into a powerful force for good. After a difficult period in her life, a chance encounter with a mentor in the food industry helped her turn her passion for cooking into a purpose-driven business.

Today, her mission is clear: “My goal in life is to offer economic freedom to the girls I meet and can help.” With BRIDGE-in Agriculture’s support, Petrita has expanded her restaurant franchise, creating jobs for young women, many single mothers or from vulnerable backgrounds. She goes beyond employment by offering accommodation and mentorship, giving her team the stability and encouragement they need to flourish.

Her message to aspiring young women is:

Young entrepreneurs like Sampson Dzivor are using tech to break barriers. Living with cerebral palsy, Sampson has developed the BOAFO (“helper” in Akan) Chrome extension to make e-commerce platforms more accessible for people with visual, hearing, and motor disabilities, making online shopping more accessible.

“I co-founded Digital Drivers Technology because I didn’t want to just survive—I wanted to solve real problems for people like me,” says Sampson. “The BRIDGE-in Agriculture training gave me the tools and confidence to turn my passion into a sustainable business.” After training, Sampson entered the BRIDGE-in Agriculture third pitch competition and won second place. According to Sampson, “Placing second in the pitch competition wasn’t just about funding—it proved that people believe in our vision for an inclusive digital future.”

Meanwhile, farmers like Raymond Atsu are experiencing firsthand how improved access to financing is helping build more reliable and profitable agricultural chains. Raymond, a young farmer from Juapong, was ready to give up farming due to unpredictable sales and the struggle to make ends meet. Until, Ahodwo Farms partnered with BRIDGE-in Agriculture to expand their processing facility, enabling them to increase crop purchases from local farmers, in addition they purchased a weighing machine to make sure farmers were being paid fairly for their crops.

“They’ve gone from buying two loads of my cassava a month to ten, and they always pay on time and in full,” Raymond shares. “Now, I have a steady income—I can pay my workers, invest in pest control, and grow my farm. For the first time, I feel confident that my business will keep flourishing.”

These stories of transformation are happening against a backdrop of immense opportunity. Youth unemployment remains a significant challenge in Ghana, particularly in rural areas where underemployment and low-paying informal work are prevalent. Over 60% of youth are already involved in agriculture, but most operate at a subsistence level due to limited skills, finance, and market access.

Yet, agriculture, which contributes around 20% to Ghana’s GDP and employs nearly 40% of the population, holds immense untapped potential. With the right support, it can become a vehicle for dignified and sustainable livelihoods for youth.

That’s where BRIDGE-in Agriculture steps in to unlock opportunities across the entire agricultural value chain by bridging critical gaps in access to affordable finance, skills development, and business support. The Program is modernizing how agriculture is perceived, promoting opportunity and encouraging young Ghanaians to see it as a space where they can thrive.

Forward-thinking businesses are embedding young people into their core strategies, recognizing that young people bring energy, adaptability, and long-term potential. At GreenField, they provide smallholder cocoa farmers with sustainable access to quality inputs. Financial support from BRIDGE-in Agriculture has enabled them to scale up timely input delivery, while expanding their focus on women and young people—groups historically excluded from cocoa farming due to limited access to land. Today, two-thirds of Greenfield’s network are young farmers.

“We encourage farmers to hand over the management of their farms to the next generation, recognizing agriculture as a viable business, thus attracting more youth participation,” explains CEO Dr. Samuel Amissah, who has deliberately built their farmer base with young women farmers. “When you support women, they are honest, they invest in their family, and and they repay faster than men. After the loan, we hired five female extension officers. All my extension officers are young people These young women easily build trust with young female farmers, which strengthens our outreach.”

At Volta River Estates, this approach is central to long-term planning. “Youth employment is central to our recruitment strategy. Young people bring energy, adaptability, and long-term potential,” says Managing Director, Anthony Blay.

DoriBrown, led by entrepreneur Doris Kronzu, exemplifies how youth-focused strategies create ripple effects throughout communities. After receiving support, she worked with community leaders to recruit more youth into training and processing roles, expanding her youth employees from 5 to 10.

“I spoke to the Chief of our community and went to make an announcement at the information center that I want young women to come and work. We want to start something for people to recognize us, that we are here and we are impacting the ladies in the community,” said Doris.

BRIDGE-in Agriculture, a Mastercard Foundation initiative implemented by a consortium of local partners led by CrossBoundary Advisory, aims to reach 400,000 young people. This includes impacting 200,000 farmers, creating 120,000 sustained or improved jobs, training 60,000 youth, and generating 20,000 new jobs, all driven by the youth-led innovation demonstrated by entrepreneurs like Johnson, Petrita, and Sampson.

For young entrepreneurs and youth-impactful businesses looking to grow, BRIDGE-in Agriculture facilitates access to single-digit interest loans from partner banks. In a financial landscape where traditional loans carry high interest rates and agriculture is perceived as high-risk, this inclusive financing model removes barriers for first-time borrowers and enables young people to build viable businesses that create jobs and drive innovation.

The program also provides practical training in areas ranging from vocational trades to financial and digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and sustainable agribusiness practices. After training, participants are supported to access employment or launch their own ventures, with opportunities to secure funding through grants and pitch competition awards.

Since launching in July 2023, BRIDGE-in Agriculture has impacted over 112,000 young people, of whom 64% are women, through a system designed to support long-term change. Behind the data are personal stories of transformation.

This International Youth Day, we acknowledge the pivotal role that Ghanaian youth are playing in shaping the future of agriculture. From primary production and agro-processing to garment manufacturing and food and beverages, young people are finding new ways to build livelihoods and contribute to their communities.

By supporting youth-led innovation and embedding young people into business strategies, BRIDGE-in Agriculture is helping demonstrate how agriculture can become a first-choice career path — modern, dignified, and full of opportunities. Together with the Program partners, we continue to build a more productive and appealing agricultural sector that reflects the ambitions and potential of Ghanaian youth.