Harnessing Elderly Wisdom for Sustainable Agribusiness: CoDesigning Intx ergenerational Business Incubation Models

This study explores the strategic integration of elder wisdom into intergenerational agribusiness incubation models, offering a novel framework for sustainable entrepreneurship in rural African communities. As ageing populations in agrarian regions face marginalization from contemporary economic systems, their lived experience and indigenous knowledge remain an untapped asset in building resilient and inclusive agribusiness ecosystems. The paper investigates how mentorship models, co-designed across generational lines, can bridge skill, culture, and value-chain gaps in the agribusiness sector. Drawing on a qualitative multi-case research design, data were gathered from three rural districts in Ghana through key informant interviews, co-creation workshops, and participatory observation involving elders, youth agripreneurs, and cooperative managers. The methodology incorporated Appreciative Inquiry and grounded theory to identify success factors in elder-young enterprise synergies. Findings reveal that co-designed incubation models leveraging elderly narratives, traditional ecological knowledge, and social capital significantly improved entrepreneurial confidence, cooperative productivity, and value retention in post-harvest systems. These intergenerational incubators also fostered relational continuity, reducing agebased exclusion and enhancing gender-equitable participation. The paper contributes a replicable toolkit for policymakers and agribusiness support organizations seeking to link sustainability, cultural heritage, and entrepreneurship education. By reframing elderly wisdom as an innovation resource, the study offers a pragmatic pathway to close generational gaps and improve agribusiness performance across Africa’s rural economies.