Unpacking Solidaridad’s start-up models for youth in cocoa

Solidaridad’s youth in cocoa programme in Ghana has challenged the notion that young people have no interest in cocoa farming. 

After five years of empowering over 9,500 rural youth to go into cocoa farming and its related businesses as viable career opportunities, Solidaridad shares insights from implementing the Mastercard-funded programme.

The Next Generation Cocoa Youth Programme (MASO) was implemented using two startup models known as the cocoa and business academies. The programme trained and mentored young people across six cocoa regions in Ghana to appreciate the business case of cocoa farming in their communities. This led to the prevention of 8,058 youth migration to urban cities in search of employment.

Solidaridad in this publication details the approaches employed in implementing these models, successes achieved, factors that contributed to these successes, and some lessons learned.

Beneficiaries of the programme also share their experiences on how the programme has impacted their lives.