Boost-To-Bloom Project To Achieve Inclusive Agribusiness In Northern Ghana

 

Agrihouse Foundation, with catalytic support from AGRA and the Mastercard Foundation under the Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) Programme, has launched the Boost-To-Bloom project to unlock the commercial potential tomatoes, pepper, and onions in the five northern regions of Ghana, particularly Upper East, Upper West, Savannah, North East, and Northern region.

At its core, the initiative aims to create a pipeline of 20,000 skilled, business-minded youth – including young women and persons with disabilities – between 2025 and 2028. These beneficiaries receive targeted training, coaching, and startup support to establish agribusinesses that span production, processing, and input distribution.

“We are not just growing vegetables. We are growing the next generation of agri-entrepreneurs who can compete, add value, and transform communities,” said Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation.

She added that youth unemployment remains a pressing challenge in Ghana’s northern belt, where agriculture remains the mainstay of rural livelihoods but offers limited economic mobility due to fragmentation, market barriers, and post-harvest losses. At the same time, Ghana’s vegetable value chains present untapped growth potential—particularly in processed products like tomato paste, dried onions, and pepper powder.

Boost-To-Bloom Project responds to this opportunity with a comprehensive agribusiness roadmap that goes beyond production to address market access, input supply, and financial literacy, with an eye on both domestic and export markets.

Madam Alberta further stated that the project places a deliberate focus on young women and persons with disabilities, recognizing the systemic barriers they face in accessing land, finance, and leadership opportunities.

This approach, she indicated, aligns with AGRA’s commitment to inclusive agricultural transformation, ensuring that no demographic is left behind as Ghana’s agri-food economy evolves.

She noted that a unique feature of the initiative is the formation of Boost-To-Bloom Project Networks – localized agribusiness clusters that promote shared infrastructure, collective bargaining, and market linkages and connecting beneficiaries to buyers, exporters, processors, and public-private partners.

“With the backing of Mastercard Foundation and AGRA, the initiative signals a shift toward youth-led, inclusive, and commercially viable agriculture, establishing and creating meaningful, dignified and life transforming jobs, for the youth in northern Ghana” she stated.

“We are focused on building systems, not silos. Through these networks, we are connecting youth-led businesses to markets, finance, and policymaking spaces,” said Dr. Betty Annan, Country Director, AGRA Ghana.

Additionally, she added the project will strengthen cross-regional peer learning, facilitate access to transport and storage facilities, and enable shared use of processing equipment to reduce cost and improve competitiveness.

AGRA’s involvement ensures that the initiative is also connected to national and regional policy dialogues, offering evidence that can inform inclusive agribusiness development strategies across the continent.

By Prince Fiifi Yorke

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