Africa Agriculture Status Report 2015: Youth in Agriculture
Africa Agriculture Status Report 2015: Youth in Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa launched on September 30 during the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Lusaka, Zambia. This third volume of the publication focuses on youth in agriculture, providing an in-depth analysis of barriers and challenges youth face to gaining secure and sustainable employment or self-employment in the agricultural sector. It also provides insight into opportunities, experiences, good practices and emerging innovations and concludes with forward-looking recommendations.
The report contributes to the growing body of knowledge on youth employment in agriculture with a specific focus on agricultural productivity, entrepreneurship, inclusive finance, information and communications technology (ICT), capacity building and policy.
The MasterCard Foundation has a strong focus on youth employment and entrepreneurship in agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. We have committed more than US$164 million in 11 countries in Africa to improve the capacity of young men and women to transition to jobs or create businesses in the agricultural sector. We take a holistic approach to this work, combining market-relevant skills training, mentorship and appropriate financial services.
The MasterCard Foundation engaged in the development of the report as part of the Technical Advisory Board and reviewed various chapters. Two Foundation partners, SNV Netherlands Development Organization and TechnoServe, are featured prominently as best practice examples in Chapter 3, on youth entrepreneurship in agriculture.
SNV’s Opportunities for Youth Employment (OYE) program is featured as an example of deepening the value chain by addressing unmet market demands through skill development and linking with private sector and financial service providers.
The TechnoServe Strengthening Rural Youth Development through Enterprise (STRYDE) project is featured as a model that is being adapted by government ministries, technical vocational institutes and community-based organizations. This report brings forward the most recent and relevant issues and solutions in supporting young people in the agricultural sector.