On the 21 of January, an event has been organized in Banjul to mark the official commencement of the project "Empowering youth for responsible agrifood systems transformation", which is implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Alliance Française de Banjul, Gambia Tech and Sabab Lou Foundation, with financial support from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture of the Federal Republic of Germany.

This project aims to empower young agri-entrepreneurs as a crucial step to achieve the Sustainable Development Gols and revitalize rural areas. The project will address the challenges that impede young agri-entrepreneurs thrive with their business through three main strategies. First, enhancing information on responsible investment opportunities. Second, strengthening the ecosystem for responsible agricultural investment in terms of policies, programmes and incentives, and third, providing direct technical, coaching and financial incentives to young agri-entrepreneurs.

“Barriers such as limited access to land, finance, training, and markets discourage young people from pursuing agricultural ventures, pushing many to seek opportunities in urban areas,” said Ms Moshibudi Rampedi, FAO representative in the Gambia during the event. Adding that “in light of these pressing challenges, it is imperative to foster responsible investment in agriculture and food systems, with a particular focus on engaging young people”.

The Agri-accelerator model

This project is based on an already existing model, the Agri-accelerator, which has been pilot tested by FAO in Tunisia in recent year with successuful results. Now its model will be tailored to the context and needs of the Gambia, and among other countries in Africa. More information about the activities that will be carried out in the Gambia is available here.

The Agri-accelerator presents an innovative approach underpinned by the idea that while attracting youth to invest in agriculture is key for the future of food security, it is equally important that those investments are responsible, thus generating a triple performance for people (benefit for local communities and consumers), profits (returns for the investor), and planet (environmental sustainability).

Objectives of the event

This event gathered key stakeholders such as young agri-entrepreneurs, business coaches and advisors, representatives from national institutions, representatives from FAO and the Alliance Française of Banjul, and other relevant stakeholders in the entrepreneurial environment. Its objectives are:

• To gather input from stakeholders to ensure the project is fully aligned with the current context and effectively addresses the specific needs of young agri-entrepreneurs in The Gambia.
• To validate the findings of the online survey “Understanding investment challenges and opportunities for young agri-entrepreneurs in The Gambia”  and make sure that the draft strategic planning study addresses the challenges and needs of the target group.
• To provide critical input to the strategic planning study and hence ensure results are needs-driven and purposeful.
• To collaboratively validate modules for the Learning Programme for business coaches and advisors, focusing on the Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI) approach.
• To build a network of stakeholders committed to supporting young agri-entrepreneurs and to foster collaboration among participants.
• To develop a clear strategic plan for the effective implementation of the project.

More information at:

https://www.fao.org/gambia/news/detail-events/en/c/1732212/

https://www.fao.org/gambia/news/detail-events/en/c/1732318/