Key ways to address youth unemployment through agricultural transformations.
Cases of youth frustration due to unemployment are common in Africa as seen in the case of a 33 years old Nigerian graduate who recently set his certificates on fire after failed attempts to secure a job. According to the UN-HABITAT (2013), African youths constitute 60% of urban dwellers, with rural-urban migration in search for better economic opportunities contributing to this dynamic. However, a study by the African Development Bank Group reported that only 3 million jobs are created in Africa despite 10 to 12 million youths joining the workforce annually. The situation has been made worse by COVID 19 pandemic which has led to a loss of 1.7 million jobs in Kenya alone in less than one year, based on the Kenya National Bureau’s 2020 second quarter report.
Among potential solutions to unemployment, transforming the agricultural sector is the most promising with a possibility to create 40 million jobs in Africa within the next decade (ADBG, 2016). However, agricultural practices are predominant in rural areas, which are experiencing labor force exit to non-farm employment according to a recent FAO report. Reversing urban sprawl by incentivising the youth to migrate back to the rural areas and contribute to agriculture and rural development is therefore key in attaining sustainable development goals. This has been a prominent topic among diverse stakeholders as the youth present the potential to transform the sector through their rich technological know-how and provision of innovative workforce based on a (Government of Kenya study. Thus, this article highlights 5 key ways through which youths can be incentivized to actively engage in agricultural development and mitigate adverse effects of unemployment:
Practical linkages of prioritized technical knowledge to agricultural production
According to a study in Ethiopia, Agricultural occupations are often considered as a last resort and often not an option by the youth since it is not associated with prestige and status in the society. However, little attempt has been made to link coveted and relevant academic or professional courses such as ICT, economics and finance, business studies, engineering and medicine to agricultural production. In cases where such linkages exist, emphasis is made on academics rather than practical, innovative experiences (FAO, 2014). There is therefore a gap in linking academic knowledge with their practical applications to agricultural innovation and development. To fill this gap, successful case studies have been implemented by the Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture where students are connected to agricultural labor markets to develop practical skills and arouse their interest in becoming future employers in agricultural field.
Academic internships are hosted by established farmers and entrepreneurs to impart context-based knowledge and offer the students an opportunity to demonstrate their gained knowledge in real-life problem-solving skills. This boosts their confidence and hope in becoming successful and contented in the agricultural sectors post-academic life.
Value addition and establishment of reliable and controlled markets for agricultural produce
Findings of a survey by the Development Innovations in School Cultivations project in Uganda concludes that Young people perceive agriculture as a profession of intense labor, not profitable and unable to support their livelihood compared to white collar job offers. Similarly, an empirical study in Nigeria attributes this position to lack of sustainable markets leading to exploitation of farmers by middlemen who have direct access to the market. Unless the youths’ perceptions of farmers are transformed based on fair compensation of farmers’ efforts (Figures 1 & 2), it will be impossible for them to prioritize agriculture as a fulfilling, full-time employment opportunity.
Figure 1: A poor, hardworking farmer detached from civilization Source
Figure 2: The rich civilized farmer. Source
In Kampala, an innovative program by Makerere University that established students’ managed fruit gardens in a number of schools provided resources for juice processing as well as linking the schools to stable juice markets in neighboring hotels, markets and restaurants. Such practices, when scaled up and replicated in other agricultural produce, will definitely attract youth participation due to guaranteed income and reward for their labor.
Youth responsive land tenure reforms
Tenure rights provides guidelines for access, utilization and management of land, hence fundamental for youth engagement in agriculture according to a FAO report . This has informed transitions to transformative youth responsive land reforms. However, processes of formulating such strategies rarely incorporate the views of the youth, thereby fails to address their prioritized needs and limiting their ownership. The framework below informs future reforms that will enhance youth participation in tenure reforms, promote their engagement in agricultural development and reverse the rural-urban migration trajectory (Figure 3).
Figure 3: A framework illustrating the implications of effective youth engagement in land reforms on rural-urban migration.
Access to start-up capital
Driven by the theme “ The future of Africa’s Agriculture rests on the youths”, a special call by FAO encourages stakeholders to invest in empowering the youth by creating innovation hubs which link the youth to investors and promote innovative agricultural practices. An empirical case study in Trans Nzoia, Kenya by Nyale, confirmed that establishment of formal youth groups that enhance their capacity to access start-up capital, invest and gain returns, is a key determinant of youth participation in agribusiness. According to the Kenya Youth Empowerment Program, KYEP, youth development funds should be easily accessible and equitably distributed.
The Youth Café is committed to empower the youth through innovative agricultural transformations and context-based programs. For your involvement, support or queries, please contact us.
Beatrice Adoyo is a research intern at The Youth Café, passionate about transformative research. She is also a research associate at CETRAD and her work is premised in the woody weeds project which aims at integrating local stakeholders in reclaiming invaded rangelands for rural development.