Date: July 15, 2021
Description: Notwithstanding the gradual shift in Africa’s labor force from on-farm to off-farm employment, farming will continue to constitute the main source of livelihood for most young Africans for at least the next decade. Moreover, evidence shows that the pace of agricultural productivity growth in Africa will influence the pace of employment growth for youth both in farming and off the farm, through the strong linkages between agriculture and the rest of the economy. This convening takes stock of research evidence about effective and not-so-effective approaches for improving youth employment and livelihoods in farming, and then seek consensus on priority actions by African governments, African development organizations, private agribusiness firms, and international development partners to expand opportunities for youth engagement in on-farm production and value addition in ways that raise their living standards and contribute to improved living standards more generally.
Goals of the Convening
- To refine our understanding of effective approaches for expanding profitable opportunities for youth engagement in farming;
- Toward a refined understanding of concrete actions by governments, development partners, and the private sector to expand profitable opportunities for youth engagement in farming
Panelist:
- Thomas Jayne, University Foundation Professor, University of Michigan
- Louise Fox, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institute
- Prof. Kevin Chika Urama, FAAS, Senior Director, African Development Institute / OIC Chief Economist and Vice President, Economic Governance and Knowledge Management Complex (ECVP), African Development Bank Group
- Natasha Santos, Head of Global Stakeholders Strategy and Affairs, Vice President, Bayer AG
- Tony Milanzi, Alliance for African Partnership / Malawi
- Felix Kwame Yeboah, Assistant Professor, Michigan State University