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Both agriculture and youth are high on African development agendas. African governments, through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) have agreed to commit at least 10% of their budgets to agriculture with the goal of a 6% growth in the sector. Greater attention on agriculture is also reflected in aid policies with an underlying rational to increase productivity across agro-industries so that agriculture can play again its historic role as an engine of economic growth in a transition to more industrialised economies. Interest in agriculture has been further heightened by the food, fuel, and financial crises which had negative impacts on both rural producers and consumers. There are also increased concerns about the impacts of the crises on youth, and in African policy agendas this is reflected in increased attention to high rates of youth unemployment and underemployment.

In the coming years the agrifood sector in Africa will undergo significant transformation that will result in both challenges and opportunities for young people and the agrifood sector could potentially become an increasingly important source of formal employment for young people, with a significant expansion of employment opportunities in food marketing, processing, retail, catering, research, input sales etc.

It is within this context that the Future Agricultures Consortium jointly with theInstitute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana, in partnerships with the New Partnership for Africa's Development  (NEPAD) and the CAADP, have organized the international conference: Young People, Farming and Food in Accra, Ghana.

Speakers at the conference included Hon. Kwesi Ahwoi, Ghana's Minister for Food and Agriculture; Rev. Dr. Sam Asuming Brempong, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, University of Ghana, Future Agricultures Consortium and CAADP Coordinator in Ghana, Dr. Namanga Ngongi, President of the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA); and Professor Ramatu Al-Hassan from the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, University of Ghana.

Hon. Kwesi Ahwoi, Ghana's Minister for Food and Agriculture, stressed that making agriculture attractive to the youth, through modernisation remains a top priority of the Government. As part of the efforts to achieve this, the government is setting up Agricultural Mechanisation Centers to help young farmers without capital, who might need expensive tools such as tractors, which they may not be able to afford. Mr. Ahwoi also said that agriculture had been included in the export development fund, which made it possible for farmers to access loans at a repayment rate of 12% interest, instead of the usual 20 to 25% interest. He further highlighted that the national service scheme engaged young national service personnel in agricultural activities, a major means of encouraging the youth into agriculture.

Dr. Namanga Ngongi, President of the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) during the conference stressed that the poor participation of young people in farming and the agricultural economy directly threatens the future of Africa's agriculture and rural economic transformation, he has therefore tasked leaders in agricultural development, policy makers and professionals to articulate new interest and aspirations of young people in agriculture. “Lack of support to improve productivity and bring innovation into the sector has in many ways pushed our people away from business opportunities in agriculture and into more attractive sectors like information and communication technology (ICT) or finance”, stated Dr. Ngongi. He observed that despite agriculture being the backbone of sub-Saharan Africa's rural economies, the vast majority of the continent's human assets and capital remain locked out of the economic sector across the entire agric value chain. To make agriculture attractive to the youth, Dr. Ngongi calls for investments in education at all levels, support for agricultural innovation, building of market infrastructure and improving the business environment in ways that will raise incomes and expand the agriculture value chain.

FAO has been invited to give a presentation within the entrepreneurship and employment session during the conference. Francesca Dalla Valle, Youth Employment and Institutional Partnerships Specialist from the Decent Rural Employment Team in FAO presented the issue paper titled Exploring opportunities and constraints for young agro entrepreneurs in Africa. The presentation and connected paper offered an analytical review of opportunities and constraints faced by youth wishing to become agro entrepreneurs while giving some examples and suggestions as to how governments and national stakeholders might approach the development and implementation of youth employment strategies and programmes in Africa and increase their participation in the agriculture sector. Further emphasize has been given to ongoing regional initiatives where young people should be systematically included like the CAADP, SAGCOT, BAGCT etc.

To download the FAO presentation click here. 

To download all the conference papers click here.

For more information:

Contact in FAO HQ: Francesca Dalla Valle, Youth Employment and Institutional Partnerships Specialist ([email protected])

Contact in FAO Regional Office for Africa, Ghana: Athifa Ali, Rural Employment Junior Professional Officer ([email protected])