To advance the inclusion of young women, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ghana’s agrifood system, the Nkabom Collaborative at the University of Ghana convened a full-day stakeholder workshop to explore ways of increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in Ghana’s agri-food system.

The one-day workshop brought together about 40 stakeholders, including women groups, disability associations, NGOs, market queens, queen mothers, UN agencies, and organisations working with internally displaced persons.

Themed “Reaching Out: Leveraging Opportunities for Inclusivity,” the forum provided a platform for identifying opportunities and challenges affecting the participation of young women, persons with disabilities, migrants and internally displaced persons in Ghana’s agrifood system.

The workshop follows data from the first year of the Collaborative's programme implementation, revealing a significant participation gap among underrepresented groups, despite efforts to promote inclusion.

The Team Lead, Prof. Richard Nii Okai Aryeetey, noted that the programme aims to create opportunities for young people aged 18 to 35 but acknowledged that many face barriers that limit access to training and business development opportunities.

"Our primary approach is to create opportunities for young people, especially young women, to transform food systems through entrepreneurship and innovation. We are here to learn from stakeholders and understand how we can become more intentional about reaching young women, persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons, groups that we recognise we have not reached sufficiently,” he said.

He cited socio-cultural challenges, caregiving responsibilities, and limited financial resources as some of the obstacles affecting young women in particular.

Professor Aryeetey added that the initiative has introduced support measures such as childcare services during training sessions to help women participate fully. He added that the programme is linking young entrepreneurs to established businesses and mentors to help them grow sustainable enterprises.

The Nkabom Collaborative at UG is also working to reduce food waste in the agri-food sector and create opportunities for young people to develop innovative businesses that can transform Ghana’s food system.

The initiative aims to establish a Sustainable Food Systems Centre at the University of Ghana to continue training and supporting young people beyond the lifespan of the programme.

The session concluded with participants collaboratively developing solutions to promote inclusion of underrepresented groups within the agrifood system.