Climate Smart Agriculture Technologies and Youth Employment in Ghana

This report analyzes the nexus between Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technology and youth employment in Ghana. While Ghana has a large youth population and various green policy frameworks, the report finds a severe disconnect between policy intent and the practical realities of start-ups. Key barriers include low awareness of the National Green Jobs Strategy, burdensome business registration, high employee attrition, and significant funding gaps. Despite these challenges, the report highlights the strong integration of Indigenous Knowledge in local innovations and recommends urgent policy updates, simplified tax incentives, and targeted support for women in the sector.

• There is a significant disconnect between Ghana's policy frameworks and the operational reality of CSA tech start-ups. Many entrepreneurs are unaware of relevant policies and report having never participated in policymaking, while public actors claim consultation is integral to policy formulation.
• The National Green Jobs Strategy is identified as the most comprehensive framework for linking CSA tech with youth employment, but it is ineffective due to extremely low awareness among start-ups, accelerators, and even relevant government ministries. Key commitments, such as tax reliefs, remain unoperationalised as the strategy nears expiry.
• Access to capital is the primary constraint for CSA start-ups. While private grants from accelerators and donors are essential, they are highly competitive. Debt financing is largely avoided due to high interest rates and collateral requirements, and state financial support is marginal.
• Regulatory hurdles, specifically business registration and intellectual property (IP) protection, hinder growth. Registration is perceived as slow and frustrating, often requiring agents to expedite. IP protection is rare due to high costs and complex procedures.
• Market adoption is unstable because interest in pilots and demonstrations by smallholder farmers does not consistently translate into a willingness to pay. This is driven by affordability constraints and competition from larger established firms.
• Women's participation in CSA tech entrepreneurship is limited, particularly in leadership. The study found no female-led companies in its sample, attributing this to discriminatory norms, reduced access to finance, and domestic responsibilities.
• Indigenous Knowledge (IK) is deeply integrated into the design of local CSA technologies—with an average of 69% local content in products—but it remains poorly documented and excluded from the National Green Jobs Strategy.
• CSA start-ups face high employee attrition, with many trained youth leaving within a year for better-paying roles. This creates a cycle where companies lose the benefit of their training investments due to limited cash flow and low margins.

APA

Nortey, B. O., & Prempeh, S. (2026). Climate Smart Agriculture Technologies and Youth Employment in Ghana. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/climate-smart-agriculture-technologies-and-youth-employment-in-ghana

Chicago

Nortey, Bismark Owusu, and Serwah Prempeh. Climate Smart Agriculture Technologies and Youth Employment in Ghana. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2026. https://afripoli.org/climate-smart-agriculture-technologies-and-youth-employment-in-ghana.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nortey |first1=Bismark Owusu |last2=Prempeh |first2=Serwah |title=Climate Smart Agriculture Technologies and Youth Employment in Ghana |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=5 March 2026 |url=https://afripoli.org/climate-smart-agriculture-technologies-and-youth-employment-in-ghana |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nortey2026climate, author = {Nortey, Bismark Owusu and Prempeh, Serwah}, title = {{Climate Smart Agriculture Technologies and Youth Employment in Ghana}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://afripoli.org/climate-smart-agriculture-technologies-and-youth-employment-in-ghana}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }