Africa’s agricultural potential remains untapped. The World Bank estimates that agriculture employs nearly half the rural population of the entire continent of Africa. It is the backbone of the economy in many African countries and has the potential to empower young people. However, the sector needs a makeover to lure the youthful population of Africa.
Agriculture is perceived as a low-income, labour-intensive and unprofitable practice by young Africans. This is in large part because subsistence farming is the most widely used method of agricultural farming in sub-Saharan Africa.
Subsistence farming is when a farmer, family, or group grows only enough to feed themselves. It is the practice of growing crops and raising livestock sufficient only for one’s use, without any surplus for trade. African farm systems also continue to be the least mechanized across all continents which further makes farming a back-breaking and time-consuming endeavour.
According to the United Nations, Africa has the youngest population in the world, with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30. Yet, the average age of a farmer in Africa is 60 years. The youth and women in Africa have a pivotal role to play in improving food security if the continent is to come out of hunger. The future of Africa’s Agriculture rests with the youth.
Farming can be a profitable business venture and is quite lucrative. Those few young Africans that have invested their time, resources, and energy in the agricultural sector have become millionaires and broken new barriers in the agribusiness value chain.
The agricultural sector in Africa requires transformation and the perception of agriculture needs to be changed for youthful Africans to see farming as an appealing career path and an alternative to urban life. With the unprecedented unemployment rates in Africa, agribusiness should not be ignored.
Young people have the potential to introduce innovative technologies into the continent’s agricultural sector and its value chain, helping to make agriculture more appealing to that demographic. The future of agriculture on the continent is promising.
Agribusiness Enthusiast