In Ghana’s Eastern Region, the fertile lands yield an abundance of mangoes, pineapples, and papayas. Between 1990 and 2004, pineapple exports grew from virtually nonexistent to 68,000 tons, becoming Ghana’s leading horticultural export. Despite this rich agricultural output, many fruits never reach the market, leading to substantial post-harvest losses. Studies estimate that in Ghana, post-harvest losses for fruits can range between 20% and 50%. This imbalance is a frustrating reality worth solving for Yvette Tetteh.
The wastage affects farmers’ incomes and contributes to food insecurity. Concurrently, Ghana imports a considerable amount of processed foods despite its potential for local processing. The country still faces challenges in processing other fruits like mangoes and papayas, leading to reliance on imports for processed fruit products.
Thus, after graduating from Stanford University, Yvette Tetteh co-founded Pure and Just Company, trading under the Yvaya Farm brand. Her mission is to transform Ghana’s fresh fruit into world-class dried fruit products while creating jobs, supporting farmers, and putting African agribusiness on a global scale.
Reclaiming value in Ghana’s agribusiness sector
Pure and Just Company is an agro-processing company that transforms fresh fruits from local farmers into all-natural dried fruit products, such as dried mangoes and pineapples. This process adds value to agricultural produce and helps reduce food waste, addressing a critical issue in the supply chain.
In 2018, Yvette and her team started small with three employees. That number has grown to 18, with 14 women under 35. Pure and Just has changed the game for local farmers, boosting their incomes by 40% and reducing post-harvest losses by 50%. Additionally, over 1,500 farmers benefit from the company’s partnerships, which support black women, young people, and rural communities. The company’s production capacity is 144 metric tons of dried fruit annually, sold domestically and abroad, generating approximately $1,811,870 annually.
The company recently received $440,000 in funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to help scale its business impact. Tetteh has also raised over $750,000 in personal and business awards and grants from over 3000 applications. She was also selected in the Top 12 for the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize 2022.
Tetteh, the environmentalist
Away from business, Yvette Tetteh is also a die-hard environmentalist. As she grew her business, she encountered a significant issue unrelated to fruit that demanded her attention. Textile waste suffocated Ghana’s waterways, and unsellable imported second-hand clothing polluted rivers, lakes, and communities. This hidden crisis, often called waste colonialism, is seldom discussed, yet its impact is devastating. Tetteh was determined to change that, so she took to swimming to raise awareness.
In March 2023, she travelled 450 kilometres across the Volta River over 40 days as part of the Agbesi Living Water Expedition organised by The Or Foundation. During her journey, she collected water samples, engaged with local communities, and raised awareness about the environmental impact of discarded fast fashion. This expedition gained global attention.
