Liberia Agricultural and Environmental Journalists Network (LAEJN) Promote informed journalism and public engagement on agricultural and environmental nalists Network (LAEJN)
By Emmanuel Degleh
Kakata, Margibi County – In Liberia’s evolving agricultural landscape, the rise of small-scale, innovative farming practices, such as backyard aquaculture, signals a shift in how young entrepreneurs are reimagining food production and achieving economic self-reliance. At the center of this shift in Kakata is Franklin Workor, a zoology graduate turned farmer, whose grassroots fish farming initiative is offering an alternative to traditional livelihood models in a region historically dominated by rubber production.
Workor’s entry into agriculture illustrates a growing trend among educated youth who are repurposing academic knowledge for practical application in rural development. His initiative, Global Crops and Animals Management (GCAM), serves as a vehicle for promoting local job creation, sustainable farming, and poverty reduction—key components of Liberia’s broader food security and economic diversification agenda.
Operating from a modest compound in Gortumu Town, Kakata, Workor’s aquaculture venture is strategically positioned near urban markets yet designed to be replicable in rural settings. His fish pond, though small (5m x 9m with a depth of 2.5m), exemplifies a scalable model for backyard aquaculture—a method well-suited to Liberia’s limited infrastructure and growing demand for affordable protein sources.
At the core of Workor’s practice is catfish production, a species valued for its adaptability and market potential. By raising fingerlings to a marketable weight within 4 to 6 months and offering breeding stock to other farmers, he not only contributes to the local food economy but also facilitates knowledge transfer within emerging aquaculture networks.
However, the sustainability of such ventures remains contingent on structural support. As Workor points out, the initial investment and ongoing operational costs pose barriers to scale, particularly in the absence of government subsidies, extension services, or access to credit. His call for support from the Ministry of Agriculture and private sector actors reflects a common challenge among agri-entrepreneurs—access to enabling environments and policy frameworks that recognize and invest in smallholder innovation.
Workor’s establishment of a cooperative is a critical step toward formalizing his operations and building collective capacity. It also aligns with national development goals that emphasize agricultural commercialization and youth empowerment as pathways out of poverty and underemployment.
Beyond fish farming, his experimental cultivation of high-yield cocoa introduces a layer of agroforestry diversification, positioning GCAM as a microcosm of integrated, climate-resilient agriculture. Such diversification not only spreads risk but also enhances environmental sustainability and income stability—an imperative in a region vulnerable to climate shocks and market fluctuations.
In a county where rubber monopolizes land and labor, Workor’s approach introduces a disruptive but constructive alternative. His work challenges the narrative that large-scale monoculture is the only viable agricultural model and instead promotes decentralized, backyard-based systems that empower individuals and communities.
As Liberia continues its post-conflict journey toward inclusive growth, Franklin Workor’s venture underscores the untapped potential of youth-led agribusiness to drive bottom-up development. His experience calls for policy reflection on how to institutionalize support for grassroots innovation, particularly in under-resourced urban and peri-urban areas.
Ultimately, the significance of Workor’s efforts lies not just in the fish he produces but in the questions his journey raises about how agricultural transformation can be locally led, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable.
