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Quick Money and Power: Tomatoes and Livelihood Building in Rural Brong Ahafo, Ghana

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  • Christine Okali
  • James Sumberg

Abstract

This article uses the example of small‐scale, labour‐intensive tomato production in Brong Ahafo, Ghana to explore some prospects of young people's engagement with the agri‐food sector in Africa. Although tomatoes were produced by men and women of all ages, a significant proportion of young men specialised entirely in tomato production, growing three crops per year. Tomato production met short‐term capital needs for home‐building, marriage, business development and adventure. Young women also engaged in tomato production, although rarely as ‘3‐croppers’. A return visit examined the role agriculture played in enabling young people to achieve their earlier life and work objectives. A social‐relational approach was adopted, focusing on interdependency and linked lives. Life course analysis highlights shifts that have implications for the changing way people engage in agriculture, rather than assuming that ‘one size fits all at all times’.

Suggested Citation

  • Christine Okali & James Sumberg, 2012. "Quick Money and Power: Tomatoes and Livelihood Building in Rural Brong Ahafo, Ghana," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(6), pages 44-57, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:idsxxx:v:43:y:2012:i:6:p:44-57
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/idsb.2012.43.issue-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Marina Temudo & Manuel Abrantes, 2015. "The Pen and the Plough: Balanta Young Men in Guinea-Bissau," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 46(3), pages 464-485, May.
    2. Scheiterle, Lilli & Birner, Regina, 2021. "The Myth of the Market Queens: a Case Study of Women and Power in Ghanaian Markets," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315924, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. James Sumberg & Thomas Yeboah & Justin Flynn & Nana Akua Anyidoho, 2017. "Young people’s perspectives on farming in Ghana: a Q study," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(1), pages 151-161, February.
    4. Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, 2021. "Empowerment of Rural Young People in Informal Farm Entrepreneurship: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria’s Oil Producing Communities," Working Papers 21/033, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    5. Trent Brown, 2020. "Pathways to Agricultural Skill Development in the Indian Himalayas," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 15(2), pages 270-292, August.
    6. Frederick Amon-Armah & Nana Akua Anyidoho & Isaac Alvin Amoah & Sander Muilerman, 2023. "A Typology of Young Cocoa Farmers: Attitudes, Motivations and Aspirations," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 35(4), pages 770-793, August.
    7. James Sumberg & Nana Akua Anyidoho & Michael Chasukwa & Blessings Chinsinga & Jennifer Leavy & Getnet Tadele & Stephen Whitfield & Joseph Yaro, 2014. "Young People, Agriculture, and Employment in Rural Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2014-080, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    8. Petit, Olivier & Kuper, Marcel & Ameur, Fatah, 2018. "From worker to peasant and then to entrepreneur? Land reform and agrarian change in the Saïss (Morocco)," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 119-131.
    9. Joseph Kwaku Kidido & Monica Lengoiboni, 2019. "Household Land Allocations and the Youth Land Access Nexus: Evidence from the Techiman Area of Ghana," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-19, December.
    10. Kadzamira, Mariam & Kazembe, Cynthia, 2015. "Youth engagement in Agricultural Policy Processes in Malawi," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 211821, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, 2021. "Empowerment of Rural Young People in Informal Farm Entrepreneurship: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria’s Oil Producing Communities," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 21/033, African Governance and Development Institute..
    12. Scheiterle, Lilli & Birner, Regina, 2018. "Gender, knowledge and power: A case study of Market Queens in Ghana," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 274125, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    13. Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, 2021. "Empowerment of Rural Young People in Informal Farm Entrepreneurship: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria’s Oil Producing Communities," Research Africa Network Working Papers 21/033, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    14. Grace Muthoni Mwaura, 2017. "Just Farming? Neoliberal Subjectivities and Agricultural Livelihoods among Educated Youth in Kenya," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 48(6), pages 1310-1335, November.
    15. Roy Huijsmans & Aprilia Ambarwati & Charina Chazali & M. Vijayabaskar, 2021. "Farming, Gender and Aspirations Across Young People’s Life Course: Attempting to Keep Things Open While Becoming a Farmer," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(1), pages 71-88, February.
    16. Mapila, Mariam A. T. J., 2014. "Agricultural policy processes and the youth in Malawi:," IFPRI discussion papers 1335, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

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