Africa has the world’s youngest population with 60% being under 35 years old. There are 420 million youth aged 15-35 and this segment of the population is expected to double to 840 million by 2040.
Millions of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in rural areas dominate African agriculture. In order to unfold their potential as suppliers, investors and employers, and to manage risks, they need entrepreneurial knowledge and skills. However, inclusive and affordable advisory services and training courses on business management and business models for farmers and other micro or small rural entrepreneurs are rare, especially for women.
Young farmers, particularly women, are the future of our continent
It’s almost impossible for young female farmers to do well in agriculture, especially if they were to do things the same way as their mothers and grandmothers. We can’t expect women to do very well when they’re still using manual tools to do their work. However, with technology, they will be able to increase productivity amidst the effects of climate change and sometimes the pest invasion they experience as farmers today.
Opportunities
There are huge opportunities for engaging African youth in agribusiness services and logistical sectors in key off-farm activities such as transportation, packaging, ICT and other technology development and light infrastructure – that adds value to on-farm productivity and efficiency, in ways that could not be envisioned before.
The whole idea of connecting farms to markets, particularly rising urban and regional markets, is where Africa needs to plug in this bulging youth population.
We can change the image of our continent, we can feed the world
We support major efforts needed to provide young Africans with new business opportunities, modern and practical skills, access to new technologies, land, equipment and finance that will allow them to transition from subsistence livelihood into higher-paying work, whether these are on or off the farm.