Agri-Young Farmer Field School

Using Agri-Young Farmer model on practical agricultural skills and tasks to train young people (12-24 years in- and-out of school) as a profession and alternative livelihood in agriculture in their communities. This focuses on junior farmer field schools and scale-up of technologies in agribusiness practices.

The Problem

Young people are exposed to agriculture as a subject in schools or as a practice in their communities without any hands-on opportunities aimed at mentoring them. In Ghana, students at the basic, junior high and senior high school levels, are required to learn agriculture in one form or the other. However, there are no farmer field schools and technologies that allow these young-people in-school and out-of school to practice and develop specific professions in agriculture as entrepreneurs. There is no transfer of agricultural wisdom from parents to majority of young people in agricultural communities who migrate in search of other jobs. This missing link and disconnect between the teaching-learning processes to employable skills in any of the agricultural value chain activities, has implications for the country’s food security situation and increased youth unemployment rate in the Sub-Saharan region.

The Opportunity

Over 60% of Ghana’s population is youthful with huge unemployment among young people. Our (Innovations Village Seed Company) field mission (2016) reveals, it takes on average 3-5 years for a young person to find job after school and 4-6 years after migration in search of other jobs from the agriculture communities. Whiles, cassava can be cultivated within nine months, processed into products for better incomes.There is the need to train disadvantage young people (orphans, persons with disabilities, adolescents from poorer homes, students, and female head porters) aged 12-24 years into agricultural professions and alternative livelihood, based on a viable and sustainable model.

Mission

The Innovations Village Seed Company (IVSC) is an agricultural company that believes in empowering young people in-school and out-of school, to learn practical agricultural skills by doing practical agricultural tasks in an allocated plot or field in their communities.

Agriculture is taught as a subject in schools or seen as a practice in communities without any hands-on opportunities aimed at mentoring the youth. In Ghana, students at the basic, junior high and senior high school levels, are required to learn agriculture in one form or the other. There are no farmer field schools and technologies for young-people in-school and out-of school to practice and develop specific professions in agriculture as entrepreneurs. This missing link/disconnect between the teaching-learning processes to employable skills in any of the agricultural value chain activities.

Agri-Young Farmer skill training model focuses on young people(12-24 years) in- and-out of school through a farmer field school (in communities and on mobile van), agri-youth camps, skill acquisition in agricultural activities, using technologies to mentor youth to uptake professions in agribusiness and as alternative livelihood. By offering disadvantage youth with opportunities, to acquire a skill tailored on one or more professions in agricultural activities such as crop farming, livestock and aquaculture along the value chain (i.e. extension services, processing, etc.). It incorporates Junior Farmer Field and Life School (LFFLS) approaches by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN.

Significantly attract more young people into agricultural value chain activities, to increase agricultural yields, usage of agronomy practices, up-take of technologies, creation of decent jobs and youth agricultural entrepreneurs, and better incomes for youth farmers.This will benefits young people(12-24 years),orphans, persons with disabilities, adolescents from poorer homes, students & graduates from tertiary schools (in-schools and out- of school). Allocated plot/field in communities or mobile field farm van will link beneficiaries to our solution.IVSC will organize monthly agri-skills camps and annual camps to train young people

a)Track IVSC performance records, training checklist, and annual reports

Agricultural Entrepreneurs

b)Reports on IVSC’s Training checklist and Entrepreneurs records - 1)Access & Training

a)2,500,000 young people trained in at least two agricultural skills products by 2025

b)500,000 young people at the basic and junior high school reached with practical agricultural skills by 2020

a)Assess Reports on IVSC Training checklist and Entrepreneurs records

b)Monitor • IVSC’s Geographical and Labor Market information Systems on trained youth and entrepreneurs - 2)Agricultural Entrepreneurs

a)500,000 young people out-of school trained into agricultural entrepreneurs along the agri- value chain by 2020.

b)1,000,000 young people working as professionals along agricultural value chain by 2025

a) Track & Monitor IVSC operational areas and reports

b)Reports IVSC’s Technical and Financial monthly revenue records and annual audited accounts/statements - 3)Skill Products and Technology-use

a)Agri-Young Farmer School skill products for young people scale-up to 216 districts of Ghana by 2020

b)1,500,000 young people registered with IVSC’s agricultural skill products software and technologies.

The Agri-Young Farmer model for young people in-school, out-of school, is a novelty in training youth into agricultural entrepreneurs. Example, in both its skill-curriculum and structure, the model offers opportunities in which the youth learn a skill in farming cassava/ fish-farming in their communities after school hours, on holidays, during agri-camps and in partnership with schools through provision of mobile field farms for practice to students. This comes with a facilitator and a mentor attached to each learning environment of our solution. This empowers vulnerable youths, giving them livelihood options and long-term food security while minimizing their vulnerability to destitution.

Based on IVSC Youth programming and skills development approaches, the Agri-Young Farmer Field School focuses on young people in-school and out-of school living in both agricultural communities and non-agricultural communities. It provides space for various agricultural activities to be learn and practice by the youth in their communities, and during IVSC annual agri-youth camps on acquisition of skills in agricultural. The model integrate games, life skills, role-playing, dance, music and entrepreneurship using friendly technologies as part of the skill teaching-learning process.

For young people in schools, an allocated plot/field or mobile field farm van based on IVSC partnerships with schools and communities will enable them to acquire a practical skill by performing agricultural tasks based on agricultural topics such as maize farming/ fish farming, and linked to agribusiness value of the tasks assigned. And those out-of school, will be selected based on disadvantaged-youth criteria to acquire a skill, through agri-camps for the youth. IVSC will organize monthly agri-skills camps and annual camps to train young people in farming, livestock and others in the communities and on IVSC farms.

IVSC will provide all materials for farming demonstrations on the field school, and yields/produces from the farm will be sold. A fee will be charged for participation in the agri-skill camps monthly and annual programs. Also revenue will be granted from the agri-skill technology software that provides different skill products to young people as an alternative livelihood opportunity. Also, an ‘Agri-Skill Product’ will designed for adults at a fee, to acquire a skill in any agricultural activities and agribusiness as a profession and alternative livelihood business.

The following factors limit the scaling up of the Agri-Young Farmer Field School. Notably;

• Lack of funds, grants and investments  
• Low  local production of appropriate agricultural technologies due to limited funds
• Lack of mobile farmer field vans

• Lack of Digital Systems (automation, machine learning, control systems, imaging, sensor technology, big data etc.) 

http://reliefweb.int/report/ghana/supporting-women-helm-african-seed-companies

https://twitter.com/ITCnews/status/880712512013914112

https://twitter.com/IVSC_GH

Our application is informed by current youth programme and training at IVSC that, focuses on skill development in agriculture for young people. For example, in 2016, IVSC organized ‘’ Agricultural Practical Competitions in the Awutu Senya district, was keenly participated by 1,500 young people who subsequently show interest to learn a skill in agriculture. Therefore in partnership with Solve MIT and its community of industries and solvers, IVSC will benefit from opportunities such as;match-making, access to funding opportunities and platform for IVSC to share experiences.

Ministry of Food and Agriculture,Ministry of Education, Ghana
Crop Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Soil Science Department of University of Ghana ,Department of Entrepreneurship of  Ashesi University,Ghana

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