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Занятость молодежи как твердое решение проблемы голода и нищеты в Африке

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Government of Rwanda and the African Union, are co-organizing a regional conference on “Youth Employment in Agriculture as a Solid Solution to ending Hunger and Poverty in Africa: Engaging through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Entrepreneurship” on 20 and 21 August 2018, to promote an exchange among stakeholders on knowledge and good practices regarding the interface between agriculture, youth employment, entrepreneurship and ICT innovations in agriculture and rural development. The conference will focus on the following three major cross-cutting themes related to youth issues:

  • Youth and Entrepreneurship focusing on sharing experience, challenges, exploring solutions and new opportunities for youth entrepreneurship, particularly how to develop and sustain youth-led, or youth-focused, business products and services geared towards agriculture and ICTs.
  • Digital Innovation to overcome agriculture value-chain related constraints focusing on innovative solutions to support youth-related digital innovation and modern production technologies in agriculture, youth-focused networking and engagement around entrepreneurship, innovation and agriculture.
  • Future of Work in Rural Economy focusing exploring the future face of agriculture, its impacts and opportunities for youth, and how international organisations, governments, the private sector, civil society and all other development actors, can leverage expertise and contribute to the groundwork already laid out.  

For more information visit the conference website.

As part of the preparations for the conference, this online consultation is being held to collect broad views around the major thematic areas of the conference and provide an opportunity to youth engaged in agriculture and rural development across Africa, especially those who may not travel to Rwanda, to:

  • Share experiences, successes stories, lessons learned, and good practices of youth led entrepreneurship and digital innovations in agriculture;
  • Ask/raise questions on youth employment in agriculture and entrepreneurship, digital innovations and future of work in agriculture to be addressed/answered during the conference.

To contribute to the conference, we invite you to share your experience and views by replying to the following questions:

1. Experience as a Youth in the Agriculture Sector

  • How would you describe your experience as an Africa youth engaged in the agriculture sector in your country? What motivated you to engage into the agriculture sector?

2. Major Achievements and Success Stories

  • What have been your major achievements? Do you have any experience or innovative ways that have helped you in your work that you would want to share? Do you have a success story – either your own or any other that you are aware of - of youth engaged in agriculture in your country? What is the story?

3. What the Rwanda Youth Conference Should Address

  • If given an opportunity, what question would you ask the experts at the Rwanda Youth conference on each of the three sub-themes – a). Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship, b). Digital Innovation to Overcome Agriculture Value-Chain Constraints, and c). Future of Work in Rural Economy - of the conference?

We look forward to your contributions and thank you very much in advance for your time.

Bukar Tijani

Assistant Director General/Regional Representative for Africa

Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)

Regional Office for Africa (RAF)

Accra, Ghana

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION BELOW

Mon expérience en tant que jeune dans le secteur agricole

En tant jeune, j'ai déjà une expérience énorme dans le secteur agricole.

Ayant longtemps vécu en milieu rural, j'ai acquis une certaine expérience des pratiques agricoles. J'ai appris à semer, à labourer, à sarcler, à pulvériser, à récolter... en gros j'ai une parfaite connaissance des rouages du quotidien d'un paysan familial tant en saison sèche qu'en saison des pluies. Très tôt, j'ai compris que l'agriculture était une porte de sortie pour l'Afrique en cotoyant certains producteurs à succès. Mais hélas, le secteur agricole bénéficie d'une mauvaise réputation auprès des jeunes de mon pays.

Ainsi, en poursuivant mes études, je n'ai pas perdu de vue l'importance que peux avoir l'agriculture dans le développement de mon pays sachant que nous sommes à 80% paysans. Après mes études en journalisme, j'ai rejoint Agribusiness TV, une webtélé qui partageait la même vision que moi: redorer l'image de l'agriculture auprès des jeunes. En tant que journaliste, je réalise des reportages sur les jeunes agripreneurs de mon pays afin de non seulement blanchir le secteur agricole mais aussi de susciter l'envie d'entreprendre dans le secteur chez les autres. Egalement, correspondant local de Commodafrica, mes productions sont orientées secteur agricole. En un mot, j'ai embrassé avec fierté le metier de journaliste agricole.

Principales réalisations et histoires de réussites

En tant que journaliste agricole à Agribusiness TV et correpondant local de Commodafrica, certaines de mes principales réalisations sont les suivantes:

Pour ce qui concerne les histoires de réussites, il en existe dans mon pays et aussi un peu partout en Afrique que ma rédaction a suivi. Les histoires  englobent producteurs, éleveurs, transformateurs...

Questions que la conférence de la jeunesse rwandaise devrait aborder

  • Entreprenariat agricole des jeunes, ultime recours pour assurer la sécurité alimentaire, créer des emplois et réduire la pauvreté
  • Utilisation des drones et pratiques agricoles
  • Actions des décideurs politiques en faveur du secteur agricole

My experience as a young person in the agricultural sector

Being a young person, I already have a lot of experience in the agricultural sector.

As I have lived in rural areas for a long time, I have gained some experience in farming practices. I learned how to sow, plough, weed, spray, harvest... basically I have a perfect knowledge of the daily routine of a family farmer both in the dry season and in the rainy season. I understood very early that agriculture was a way out for Africa by working alongside some successful producers. Unfortunately, however, the agricultural sector has a bad reputation among young people in my country.

Thus, while pursuing my studies, I have not forgotten the importance of agriculture in the development of my country knowing that we are about 80 % farmers. After graduating in journalism, I joined Agribusiness TV, a web TV channel that shared my vision: to restore the image of agriculture among young people. In my capacity as a journalist, I report on young farmers in my country in order not only to clear the agricultural sector but also to inspire others to be entrepreneurial in the sector. Also, as a local correspondent of Commodafrica, my productions are oriented towards the agricultural sector. In a nutshell, I proudly embraced the job of agricultural journalist

 

Key Achievements and Success Stories

As an agricultural journalist with Agribusiness TV and local correspondent for Commodafrica, some of my main achievements are as follows:

With regard to success stories, I followed some in my country and also throughout Africa.

 

Issues that should be addressed at the Rwandan Youth Conference

  • Youth agricultural entrepreneurship as a last resort to ensure food security, create jobs and reduce poverty
  • Use of drones and agricultural practices
  • Actions by policy makers in favour of the agricultural sector

 

I am Isaac Woja from South Sudan.

I love farming because it gives me some pride in seeing that people get satisfied and become happy of my work. This is what motivates me more than the monetary benefits. My experience as a youth farmer in South Sudan is both bitter and sweet. Bitter in that there are huge challenges for one to succeed in farming as a business. There is poor technology right from the varieties, and execution of the production processes which are commonly done manually. The infrastructure in terms of roads and telecommunication network is poor across the country, making it difficult to access the market or even inputs. Of course the wars that have caused massive displacements making it insecure to access some of the potential production sites. Nontheless the sweet version is that, there are huge resources to tap in and make money out of it; land is available in plenty, the market once accessed is too big to satisfy.

My major achievements are that I have pioneered hydroponic fodder for feeding improved breeds of pigs (landraces, Largewhite, camborough and duroc). Now planning to establish a better unit for production of the fodder and also import wheat, being the best compared to maize and sorghum. I have also succeeded in drip irrigation for dry season vegetable production both in a greenhouse and in the open. I did it during the last dry season and am now strategising for the coming season (Dec - April) for the Juba market when vegetables will be fewer in the market.

If given a chance, I would ask these;

a) How would you bring on board youths that are jobless and are more interested in work that pays them instantly, not like farming that takes months. For example they are more interested in charcoal burning.

b) How would you change the minds of armed youths into farming as a business instead of robberies or raiding livestock

c) In a country like south Sudan where telecommunication and internet is yet underdeveloped, how would you still make good use of the limited available resources

d) How would you make employment through farming as a business sustainable in the rural areas where there are poor infrastructure and lack of financial credit services for financing production activities. 

My name is Placidius Rwechungura from Tanzania.

I once took loan from the bank and I went to invest into farming after hearing from my friends that agriculture pays a lot. I am sorry to say that my money went for nothing and i ended up paying the loan without getting any yields from my farm.

What I want to say here is that, I invested in farm without having any knowledge in the crops i invested. I was supposed to have knowledge and then invest while learning.

Now I have come up with an idea that can help many African youths to engage into farming by using technology. I have developed a mobile app that is also a web based system and does the following.

Help farmers to adapt Climate Smart Agriculture by providing real time personalized crop advisory based on current & forecast weather.

GreenApp (www.greenapp.co.tz) provides accurate weather forecast (Temperature, Humidity, Wind Speed & Direction, and Rainfall etc.) and is unique app as it is user friendly.

It can be viewed, read, and it can herd. By doing so, GreenApp aims to tackle three main objectives:

Sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; adapting and building resilience to climate change and Reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emissions, where possible.

GreenApp is strong software as it has videos that are collected from successful farmers and farm experts explaining step by step procedures on how to apply farm inputs and how to go about a certain crop.

The app will also allow people as individuals and registered companies to own online shops which will give them access to sell their products and people will have an option to buy and sell by using Visa, MasterCard and Mobile transfer known as MPESA.

There will also be agro shops which will be selling farm inputs like seeds, fertilizers, chemicals location wise.

There will be live market prices that will be displayed according to the location.

Each and every government will benefit for the information obtained from the App as it is having an AI (Artificial Intelligence) that will be running behind the app by collecting data and doing analysis.

The GreenApp AI will be able to predict the nature of disease affecting the crops and animals by scanning and mapping the available pictures and data and thereafter advise the type of pesticides to be applied and where to get it from.

It will be able to predict that by the coming year a certain country will be in need of buying a certain amount of farm inputs like fertilizers, it will also be able to predict the type of diseases that affects the animals and plants by just taking a photo and submit to the application.

The GreenApp AI will be able to predict the quality of products, the quantity, the market analysis and demand.

GreenApp will link farmers in a nearby location cultivating the same crops to share ideas on how to tackle some challenges and share success.

It will have a social media part whereby farmers will follow successful people and get some updates and learn from them, comment and share the success.

GreenApp will bring together all farm experts online to assist some farmers in case they need assistance and it will link some farmers and herders with insurance companies, banks for financial assistance and insurance companies and law firms.

The application will link farmers and herders with legal advisors location wise for the purpose of helping especially widows ho have a challenge in owning land and any farmer and herder land conflicts.

The App will be used by Banks and Insurance companies to manage and get daily reports from small farmers, middle farmers and nuclear farmers.

The farm is the perfect place for troubled or poor young people. Not only does it make modern logical perfect sense for the under privileged to grow their own food, but it is in nature where one can heal and it is nature where the dynamics exist to empower, the un-empowered.

For many poor youth, they don't trust the modern world, and the modern world does not trust them. In light of the new unstoppable information that is coming out and to the front lines of life, regarding modern agriculture and it's cancer and sickness causing chemicals, that are killing our most precious of pollinators, micro organisms, and misileums crucial to the planet and all biological life's survival; we need this large army of poor people to go out onto whatever land of whatever ownership, and do permaculture, as the rightful living examples to the next era of human life that moves forward in harmony with the nature in which we come from.

I unofficially adopted for a little over a year an indigenous boy of 13-16 years of age that was completely abandoned by his parents on the Caribbean Island of Colon, Bocas del Toro, Panama, back in 2016. I simply doubled the cost of my food purchases, and gave him space in the house to sleep. The famous community criminal, had a new hope, he had some love, some nice shelter, a situation worth keeping, a leader worth respecting and without being asked, he started jumping in on the work. After that year he knew basic building trade, cement, and was proud of some pretty descent farm work.

I wish I could have done more for him. No doubt he will be a tough guy to learn from in his latter years if he can keep his moral compass pointed right.

Permaculture idealism and depth is truly and continuously amazing. To take under privileged young person onto a farm, is a hugely valuable karmic act for the sponsor, a true miracle to the child, and a miracle for the of health and life of our cycle of life. It is a growing field given the information and law suits regarding GMO's, Glyphosates which are advancing into realms of common knowledge. Permacultures are going to be in a steadily increasing demand. A Permaculturist has endless positions of employment in sites across the globe. A great field for young persons to get involved and become experts in.

Structured right with an intelligent well though out rite of passage, young people can cultivate with a with an unstoppable set of empowerment's on the farm if:

More than fair share is given. In respects to the existing written doctrine of “permaculture” specifically, a very well conceived social culture with core principles is written. An essential principle of permaculture is known as “fair share,” and that is the long awaited revelation from when we though slavery ended and we would actually give one another sufficient credit for their achievements and part in the end result to give the workers a real fair piece of the take and of the land. I would like to push that idea into a principle titled “more than fair share.” This is likely to be embodied in actuality if the permaculture is done on public land. Permaculture is perfect for public land and can be added to existing forest without any cutting or clearing. Imagine not only sponsoring a youth with a small increase in food cost, and sacrifice of space but allowing him to earn his own land if even ever so small. It will be difficult to sign away the promised take to someone who earned it through clear requirements discussed and contracted ahead of time. If the initial requirements are oriented to see that the apprentice meets certain moral character milestones, the sponsor has surely acquired, a loyal, appreciative and experienced counterpar4t in that area for security, neighborship, occasional assistance and community.

Balanced access to the internet with capable computers and software is available daily for a few hours. Getting away from addictive use of technology. The limit of 3 or four hours per day is important.

Nutritional Diversity diet is administered in the permaculture. A good diet is often not available to youths in urban settings, working on farms is an opportunity to eat a highly nutritious diet.

On the farm, away from modern influence, judgment and poverty (as a construct of the modern city), a poor person almost ceases to be poor, and after a few weeks they all begin to believe in doing amazing things. The idealism includes a very well conceived social culture as well including the essential article of “fair share.” It is the antithesis of slavery and mandates fair credit to all from the end product for their achievement in its production.

It was in permaculture-like settings such as African and Native American tribal encampments where doctrinal factors such as communal size efficiency of 90 people was the limit for genial, sustainable the tribe at community. In the case of the more documented African policy, the encampment would split at a population size of 180. The would split in half there generations, elder, near elder, apprentice elders, adolescents, young and very young. A lesson which brings my thoughts to point out that, farm recruitment should be just as diverse. For every young person recruited, and older should be and median older next so that work and experience, light and spirit can interchange to balance and support the nurturing of all. Fortunately for this purpose there are plenty of poor people in all age groups.

Permacultures across the globe today are a conclusive scientific result that more nutritious, less toxic food is produced on them v.s. the centrally distributed supermarket store products of today. More valuable, applicable and naturally correct guidance is given on a farm then in modern education. In nature a dynamic education is administered, and one that instills in it's students a very real and responsible duty to nature, whereas seeds are not thrown away, the earth is not polluted, but instead intensely respected and whole new meaning is given to the word morality. Another item now a days largely missing from modern society, especially in the cities.

Police and crime is a big issue especially for the poor person. These Native American, African and other smaller sized communities can offer very effective, tested and alternatives on disciplining or loving the community members, such as 89 gather around 1 and one by one naming out the beautiful things they have seen that person do, realizing mistakes are made and supporting the guidance back to who they truly are.

To work for the cycle of life, rather than self, could effectiously better our products, into better products because we want the best for our communities, and the profit system, wants to have the best profit often times reducing the product quality.

Farmers are inherently dynamic and farm experience much more than the military can be a character benefit to individual poor person that is recommended, should be farming. The problem lies expertise's and specialties. The farmer is a jack of all trades, who can work on a still, electrical, tool repair, plumbing, small motors, big motors, fiberglass, sheet metal, etc. This jack of all trades concept is a doctrinal factor in permaculture, even for plant selections in that multiple use and application elections are best. Maybe everyone in humanity can do every job, or a naturally inclined spectrum of jobs and while doing that job can express a full peak of added benefits for everyone. Everyone for Everyone is clearly a step ahead in the evolutionary wait.

While looking at a few surviving wise man texts, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, The Holy Bible, The Art of War or simply a broad enough spectrum of experiential diversity we are warned of our ego growth as a direct pathway to powerful and grievous downfall. We are a deceived and misguided science culture in the mainstream today infatuated with our own missiles and automobiles, and blind to the far more advanced organic science in which we belong. Is ego to blame? Lack of nutrition, or better said, lack of Nutritional Diversity to blame? Is social culture or modern education mis-directing us from our god given riches of a natural and happy life? Each of the issues, quietly and peacefully retreats as time in the rhythm of permaculture and nature unifies with any age of soul. Healing and sanity – even a new crystal clarity replace sickness and confusion in the permaculture setting.

The ultimate permaculture will function optimally when done to public lands or lands unknown. The poor can do this starting with chickens, animals and vegetables today.

The ultimate human condition I believe is nomadic, and is inherently growing experiential and geographical and nutritional, diversity spectrum's much more than the “Pueblo Indian,” although there is an equally important experience about staying in one place a time. What joy would it be to horse back across the continents, with the knowledge of wild foods and the skills to catch wild beast, in the ultimate adventure of freedom.

All youth should spend as much time as possible in nature during their developing years.

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE AS A SOLID SOLUTION TO ENDING HUNGER AND POVERTY IN AFRICA.

  • It is one of the important aspects to boost the agriculture and food production to meet the food security, Nutritional security of developing country like Africa. Agriculture is a hard working and scientific time oriented occupation, so youth involvement is one of the most important points to make profit out of this.
  • To make a bright future in agro-entrepreneur and improving and investing in the latest crop production, food processing technologies through intensive agriculture practices & sustainable production systems. One of the initiatives is the use of renewable energy to maximum extent. Reduce, Recycling, Reuse concept will be boosting the farm income regularly. In which a youth plays an important role to achieve this concept to greater extent. Besides this the youth involved in working on the root level in rural areas, as directly with farmers in rural communities, it will make challenges easy to farmer to tackle technically by scientific knowledge related to agriculture and allied sciences.
  • Our main objective is to create Youth Entrepreneurs in rural areas using scientific food production and processing techniques. By encouraging the youth to come forward to get involved in one or more entrepreneurships will really help youths to make their future career as progressive.
  • Train the youth with respect to Capacity building activities like training, workshops, brainstorming sessions, field visits, demonstration, awareness programs, exposure visits, farmers-scientists interactions, animal health camps etc.  Related to agriculture sector, in addition to this they should be trained for following new approaches to fight against climate change related problems to tackle and make some contingency planning to increase the crop production in dry areas. The youth should be involved in new approaches like Village climate risk management committee (VCRMC) in this process we have to identify few of the youth’s as a village leader in each village’s and in VCRMC there are many components are involved like; SEED BANK, FODDER BANK, COUSTAM HIRING (Farm Machineries & Equipments) etc.
  • VCRMC are involved in reducing the risk of climate change & its impacts on crop production in dry areas and also help to boost the production & increases income of the farmers per unit area with low input costs. The role of youths in this approach is to transfer the technologies related to agriculture like: Timely sowing operations, Precision farming, recycling of crop residue, mulching with crop residues, rain water harvesting (In-situ & Ex-situ), Use of précised fertilizer/Pesticides, Organic farming with LEISA techniques and demonstrate them to other farmers of the villages.
  • Youths of the Africa should Practice Integrated Farming System approach: It play a vital role in minimizing the risk of crop failure due to aberrant weather conditions. Cultivation of crops along with different components like Agro-Forestry, Dairy Farming, Goat/Sheep Farming, Poultry Farming, Aquaculture, Duck Farming, Sericulture and Honey Bee Farming will be a great source of generating continuous income per unit area, which will be a prominent in Youth Employment in Agriculture as a Solid Solution to ending Hunger and Poverty in Africa.
  • Government sector & NGO'S should promote and encourage the Rural Employment Guarantee programs in agriculture sector which should give a minimum of 100 days daily wages in a year to farming community so that they earn money for their daily needs along with farming, which will be promising in Youth Employment in Agriculture as a Solid Solution to ending Hunger and Poverty in Africa.
  • Promote, encourage the cottage & small scale industries in rural areas which is a huge income generating source in rural areas for eradicating extreme poverty. Examples of Small Scale industries in village level: Bamboo hand crafts, Sericulture (Silk Production), Small Scale Textile industries, Small Scale Fruit pulp manufacturing, dehydrated & frozen vegetables manufacturing, Pickle industry, Dry fruit processing industry, cheese making, Paneer making, ghee & butter making, Ice-cream making, Spices & condiments processing industry, manufacturing Soaps & detergents, manufacturing herbal hair oil, manufacturing handmade chocolates, cookies & biscuits, manufacturing, candles & waxes manufacturing, Pulses processing industries, Disposable plates manufacturing, wooden furniture, Arboriculture etc.
  • Climate Resilient Agriculture Practices are adopted to reduce the impact of climate change on agriculture crop production by various measures like: a) Rain water harvesting. b) Development of Micro catchment Area (15-20 sqm) for water harvesting. c) Runoff collection. d) Contour bunding, Graded bunding, compartmental bunding for preventing runoff. e) Inter-cropping & mixed cropping. f) Mulching with crop residues to avoid Evapo-Transpiration losses. g) Spraying of Anti-Transpirants. h) Practicing Broad-Bed-Furrow irrigation & Furrow irrigated raised bed systems for water conservation. i) Planting Shelter-belts / wind break trees species around the field on bunds to prevent the high speed, hot & desiccating winds which destroy the crops to maximum extents. j) Prevent wind and water erosion & Plant the erosion restricting crops like Vitever grass. k) Practice Minimum tillage, Zero tillage & conservation tillage for moisture conservation in dry land areas.
  •  As the African have huge youth population and have very less opportunity of jobs so self entrepreneurship is one of the excellent solutions to fight against the poverty and reducing the hunger. Food Revolution should take place in Africa to tackle hunger & poverty, for this the youth must be trained for self sustainable & also to produce much more for the rest of the people.
  • Government Organizations, Agriculture universities, Research intuitions and NGO should help youth individuals by finding the best solution to tackle the problems & obstacle occur in the following process, such as market facilities for selling their produce to fetch good price, food processing techniques for fruits, vegetables and spices etc using fermentation & heat and good packaging methods.
  • Youth play major role they can drive growth & development in the agriculture sector in Africa. Since many of them are unaware of engage in agriculture activates. The challenge is that they look agriculture only as 'farming', which they seem to be labor & hard work.
  • Agriculture educational will also help to shape this perception to greater extent. Further, Agriculture research plays a key role to discover and monitor these perceptions. As it is important to invest in socio-economic research on youth and agriculture and support their engagement in different value chains.
  • There are more opportunities in Africa, than the challenges as we focus on. Youth should engage in the agriculture sector as a commercial farmer and as a young professional. As a farmer looking at its potential in generating incomes and its significant contribution to wealth creation.
  • Youth engage in agriculture as a professional working to help smallholder farmers in rural parts of the country increase their production capacities and improve food security as well as their livelihoods.

Mithare Prasad

Assistant Professor (Agronomy), Department of ILFC, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Science University, Bidar, Karnataka (India).

 

My contribution is to transform youth dreams into reality.

My name is SHYAKA Fraterne , Chinese name is 林冲同. I’m graduated this year in agriculture and trained by Dot Rwanda about social innovation and how they can apply our resources (like skills, technologies, CT etc..) into agriculture profitable business project for changing our community so as to fight against unemployment , poverty ,keep our food security and ending hunger in our community then combining my Passion and value says that " richness is in your hand so never give up" I come out with idea of identifying my project called SOCAF-Project (project which is located in Musanze district/Rwanda with the aim of raising cabbage shelf life by reducing cabbage harvesting loss through the process of fermentation then produce sauerkraut (as it is one of our product).

Sola Adeniyi is an agro-entrepreneur promoting the involvement of youth in agricultural enterprises in the Ogun State in Nigeria. He plants watermelons, cucumbers, plantain seeds and moringa. These are further processed to produce various products. There is also a 50-acre farm producing pineapples. His passion for farming inspires African youth as he has sacrificed the office for the outdoors, which offers better financial rewards.

According to him, this agriculture can be used to catapult youth out of poverty. The future looks bright for this agro-entrepreneur as he has his sights set on improving and investing in the latest food processing technologies through sustainable production systems. One of the initiatives is the use of renewable energy which is solar energy.

One critical area affecting animal production systems is the production or procurement of quality feed for one’s animals. Adeniyi intends to invest in animal feed processing. The possibility of him working with African Food Revolutions’ feed specialist Prince Chisoro is slowly being cemented. The rewards have not come easy for the farmer. He has had to encounter saline soils, poor understanding of the nutritional requirements of his crops, improper irrigation techniques, disease management and varietal selectional of pineapples. He has worked tirelessly on improving the soil and improving farm management systems.

The farmers’ strategy is to provide safe use of pesticides, hygienic practices and effective marketing. Adeniyi also runs an organisation which is heavily involved in youth farming by running a model farm where skills are delivered to enthusiastic future farmers. One of Adenyis’ projects which is the Highhill Agribusiness Development and Incubation Centre (HABDEC) offers free training on agricultural production to empower Nigerians between 18 and 50. Participants are trained in 4 major crops that are pineapples, potatoes, paw paw and plantains. HABDEC aims to empower both youth and women. The company intends to release 600 agricultural consultants, producers and advocates. The centre also intends to transform the agribusiness centre into a pre-university were students can do their programs and get themselves certificates. Friends, family and partners have funded the project and through his GoGreen Project, Adeniyi is helping more people to break out of the cycle of poverty, to create better livelihoods.

Natural Nutrient Limited is one of Nigeria ’s private initiatives that incubates rural entrepreneurship by radically redefining agro entrepreneurship. The benefits include exposing business opportunities to youths and retirees, boosting economic benefits for farmers, bringing technology that is bridging the urban-rural divide, and helping reverse urban migration. He is also bringing new resources and valuable networks to agricultural entrepreneurs.

He recently won the Agro Ambassador Award for his involvement in the agro-industry. As the African Food Revolution, we salute the achievements of Adeniyi and as an organisation are helping youth engage and be involved in food production. Together with Sola Adeniyi we hope to work in unison in creating agro-entrepreneurs.

My experience as a youth in the agriculture sector

Working with a Non-Governmental Organisation in the agriculture sector has given me a great feeling of fulfilment, seeing how I am directly contributing to the livelihoods of communities and the country’s development. However, working on the grassroots, engaging directly with farmers in rural communities, in the sector also makes me feel sad and challenged comparing the current development status of the country with how it was supposed to be looking at the resources that it has and the development potential that the country holds. There are more opportunities in Malawi than the challenges we focus on.

I am engaged in the agriculture sector mainly in two ways; as a commercial farmer and as a young water professional. I was motivated to go into agriculture as a farmer looking at its potential in generating incomes and its significant contribution to wealth creation. As I was contemplating of joining the agricultural sector, whilst evaluating other investment options, I was fascinated by how prominent business people like Steve Masiiwa and many other business tycoons in Malawi highly regard agriculture. Many high profile individuals in the country, including all the country’s presidents, also engage in agriculture as a personal pursuit to financial freedom. This shows the potential that the sector has in creating wealth and improving micro and macro-economic environments.

In a greater way, I engage in agriculture as a water professional working to help smallholder farmers in rural parts of the country increase their production capacities and improve food security as well as their livelihoods. It is quite unjust that more people in the country live in dire poverty and several more go to bed hungry in this land of plenty, full of human and natural resources to take the country from its current state to a better one.

When it comes to the involvement of the youth in agriculture and other development works, there are two conflicting perspectives, which all hold some truth. The first one is where the youths see themselves as vulnerable, unsupported with so many barriers around them that they cannot contribute much to the country’s development. At the same time, elders, and some youths of course, see the untapped and underutilized potential of the youths and their capacity to positively impact the country’s development, primarily agriculture.  In Malawi, the youth make more than 73% of its population, and if as youths we would feel responsible and challenged that our parents and elders’ food will be produced by us, we would make great strides towards food security. At the same time, empowering, supporting and involving this large youth population in policy processes, which is normally characterized by energy, creativity and zeal to build a great future, will help the country optimize the demographic dividend and accelerate its efforts towards achieving food security.

My experience engaging with fellow youths in entrepreneurial circles and in the agricultural sector has shown me that fewer youths are courageous enough to pioneer investments in agriculture and their value chains as they focus more on the challenges they are likely to face due to the country’s business environment and economic situation. The ones that are daring to establish investments in agriculture, face several challenges including challenges in securing finances due to the higher risks associated with agriculture. Youths from rural communities are virtually disconnected and usually lack timely access to market information and complete information on modernized production and value addition technologies.

However, the better part of the story is that there are still some who carry on the entrepreneurial path and with patience and tenacity, they register successes. One of the youths who has been successful is Clara Kamlomo, a social entrepreneur who uses her horticultural skills to train farmers in rural areas on mushroom seed making and cultivation. She also extends the training to other interested individuals who are not able to participate in physical trainings through social media like the whatsapp platform. Through the trainings, she has reached 450 farmers who are now able to produce mushroom seed and cultivate mushrooms, providing their households with protein and mineral rich food. Some participants of the trainings have already scaled up production and are able to supply local markets. Apart from being able to produce mushroom for herself and for sale, Clara has been able to purchase 2.5 acres of land where she will integrate animal husbandry and horticultural production. She is already working on scaling up seed production and cultivation as well as using modern technologies to process and preserve the mushrooms.

Another success story is of Victon, a young man in his early twenties from one of the remote areas in Lilongwe, who upon receiving a training in modern and sustainable agricultural practices at Saint Paul’s Agriculture Training Centre and support from technicians at the school was able to produce high quality onions for the first time. From the marketing skills gained at the training centre, he managed to secure markets in the countries local markets and some chain stores and got his first One million kwacha. He has been able to increase his landholding and upscale production and he is a model amongst many youths within his community.

Some parts of the stories of these youths are quite common; they are all fruits of incubations, workshops and agricultural fairs. I have participated in several of these and my experience is that there is a great inspiration that results from these gatherings.

Despite the wide accepted potential that technological innovations have in transforming the links in the food value chains, very little and slow advancements are being made. Save for a few digital technologies, most technologies are used on advanced commercial farming systems. Development of new digital innovations in agriculture in Malawi is still staggering possibly due to poor collaboration between IT and agriculture experts. Malawi, through its universities and colleges, graduates a lot of youths having various skills in agriculture, information technology and other related disciplines. Having platforms that would integrate various skill sets would improve the situation.

Increased access to cellphones and smart phones has led to improvements in other activities like marketing produce, online trainings on various crop production practices. However, adoption and usage of most other digital innovations in smallholder farming systems are limited by financial constraints, limited network coverage, low computer literacy, limited access to regular internet services and inadequate communication and electricity infrastructure.

 

Major achievements and success stories

In the agricultural sector, some of my main professional achievements include adding a valuable experience in commercial horticultural production as well as aquaculture farm development skills on top of my water resources engineering skills.

In my first job after college, at Saint Paul’s Agriculture Training Centre, I also launched irrigated agriculture through my skills in irrigation investments planning, and irrigation and drainage systems design and installation and established the project’s fish farm and led it into integrated agriculture. These enhanced the school’s credibility in offering trainings in sustainable agriculture as prior to this, only theoretical trainings were offered.

On my role I have also significantly contributed to the improvement in the participation of communities in long and short trainings in agriculture and their value chains by using my community mobilization skills. 

Being part of the team that trains farmers in entrepreneurial focused agricultural production, I have had my share in improving livelihoods of several farmers within the 27 farmers that participated in the 2017 training at Saint Paul’s Agriculture Training Centre.

 

Questions I would ask the experts at the Rwanda Youth Conference on:

  • Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship

Most job openings in private companies and government departments require prior working experience in sectors relevant to the roles, usually to secure individuals competent enough to carry out the tasks required and reduce the probability of risks in investments that come due to incompetency, what strategies does FAO put in place to ensure a good balance between assured competency through some hands on work experience and ensuring employment opportunities for the youths?

What opportunities and platforms are there for young leaders leading startups and spearheading innovative projects to engage more youths and other stakeholders in agriculture, food security and nutrition? What support does FAO provide?

In most developed countries innovation hubs and incubators have proved very useful in promoting entrepreneurial development and innovation, what is FAO’s perspective on this? If it supports the idea of incubators and innovation hubs, how would FAO support the establishment of these in the region?

  • Digital innovation to overcome agriculture value chain constraints

New is not always better. How does FAO work on ensuring that the various innovations in agriculture do not end up being a dead-end to progress in the areas the innovations are designed to improve?

One of the constraints to progress in the agriculture sector usually is low adoption to various innovations that come, often due to low cost effectiveness, unwillingness to try out new technologies due to the risks associated and sometimes mere resistance to change. Since most digital innovations are considered costly and their operation complex how best can we ensure that smallholder farmers in the rural areas who produce most of our food have access and easily adopt these new technologies?

Seeing that food is mostly produced in remote areas with limited network coverage, poor computer literacy, and inadequate communication and electricity infrastructure, how does FAO intend to solve implementation challenges in such areas?

In most developing economies like Malawi’s, careers in agriculture are opportunity driven and those youths who happen to get job opportunities usually hold on to their jobs for security although they are usually experienced, exposed and more connected than their counterparts who haven’t been well engaged after their studies. What opportunities and support mechanisms are there for those youths with innovative solutions in engaging other youths to promote the development of agricultural digital innovations but are afraid to quit their jobs and pursue those dreams?

  • Future of work in rural economy
See the attachments:

Dr Justin Chisenga

We are currently involved in a hydroponics project in Angola and designing the project using everyday products like PVC pipes. We will also be collaborating with a German group which intends to fix water problems in Sudan in January 2019. We are also in the process of engaging with various universities to help solve the food situation in Africa. Our main objective is to create Youth Rural Entrepreneurs using basic food production and processing techniques. We are pushing really hard to help youths. We have talked to a young man from Sudan who had a bumper harvest of onions and failed to sell his produce to the market due to various reasons. As the African Food Revolution, we help such individuals by finding the best solution to such an obstacle such as market research, food processing techniques using fermentation & heat and alternative packaging methods. I hope you will have an idea of what we are working on.

Kind regards

Makhosi Mahlangu

Г-н Paschal Nchunda

Tanzania Agricultural Modernization Association (TAMA)
Объединенная Республика Танзания

My contribution will look at my experience as youth in agriculture. I decided to engage in agriculture even before I completed my first degree, late 2006 - over 12 years ago when I founded a non-profit making organization, Tanzania Agricultural Modernization Association (TAMA), www.tama.or.tz. My impression was to help smallholder farmers have access to good agricultural practices so that they can improve productivity. Many youth whom I motivated to join my journey left me alone. In 2012 I decided to recruit new members in my organization and we started engaging youth in small scale commercial horticulture farming in Bukoba, Tanzania. We managed to have 5 big greenhouses and I managed to draw back the demotivated youth to re-engage in agriculture. Due to weather changes, strong wind completely distorted the greenhouses and we remained with naked farms. Because we had no financial support from any organization, we decided to start from the scratch and jumped to sweet potato production. We have managed to organize more youth in groups and registered them as legal entities. They are now actively engaged in orange fleshed sweet potato production. Recently we have formed a farmer’s owned private company, Wakulima Agri-Food Company Limited whose roles will be to collect sweet potato, process and market the value added products. The challenges facing youth is capital. No banks are ready to lend youth because they lack collaterals. Youth don’t own any fixed assets. They are not targeted by financial institutions. Due to this, youth get despaired to actively engage in agriculture. The good example is, we need to have high quality sweet potato processing machine to process sweet potato into biscuits and chocolates but the capacity to purchase such machines is meagre. Youth are ready to engage in agriculture when there is clear processing and value addition strategies for their farm produce.