AGRA

By Alice Ruhweza

I am back in Nairobi after spending a week at the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Dakar.  I can still feel Dakar’s soundtrack humming in my ears. Part Afrobeats, part market-day hustle, part start-up pitches. This year’s AFSF wasn’t your run-of-the-mill conference; it was a live studio session where farmers, scientists, bankers, youths, and ministers laid down tracks together. And the title of the soundtrack is “agriculture is not a solitary struggle. It is a thriving, modern business with real deal flow, real technology, real jobs, and real joy.”

You could feel the joy in the Youth Dome, which fizzed like a tech festival with demo pods, rapid-fire pitches, mentorship corners, and that buzzing optimism one only gets when young people believe the future is in their hands. These young people were not just talking apps; they were building businesses from climate-smart farming to digital finance to AI tools that answer farmers’ questions in their own languages. This last one really stayed with me: a farmer snaps a photo, records a voice note, and gets advice back in Wolof. (One of the main local languages in Senegal). This is what dignity looks like in digital form. Technology that meets people where they are and lifts them up.

This year the exhibition floor gave livestock its proper spotlight. From fodder to dairy to poultry and beef, and some very colorful birds, the conversations the booths, and one very powerful all-female panel put livestock at the center of value chains that feed families, power small industries, and open export markets. When Uganda talked beef and dairy, Somalia put fodder on the table, and Ghana ran the numbers on poultry, one could see how farmers move from surviving to thriving when the entire value chain is connected.

And because business needs capital, countries put on their best suits on and went to the “Deal Room”. Senegal, Liberia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Somalia pitched investment-ready ventures collectively aiming to mobilize investments in agrifood systems worth over USD $6 billion. This is not wishful thinking; this is pipeline. Investors are always looking for bankable and scalable projects and they saw both.

Which brings me to a theme I care about deeply: insurance for women-led businesses. Missing rains, droughts, floods, price shocks, illness, one bad week can undo a year’s work.  One of the most exciting panels I attended was the one convened by AGRA to discuss women and finance. The panelists made a strong case for providing insurance to financial institutions so that they can be incentivized to lend to women owned businesses. The financing gap is still huge, around USD10 billion by recent estimates, but countries from Senegal to Ethiopia are proving that smart public policy can unlock private insurance cover and make credit cheaper and accessible down the line. Technical assistance for women-led SMEs was also a key topic of discussion. Suffice to say that these businesses must be supported to be investor-ready, including having proper records that would help them attract the kind of patient capital needed to get them to scale.

AGRA launched the Africa Food Systems Report 2025, an evolution of the long-running Africa Agriculture Status Report. Under the theme “Drivers of Change and Innovation for Food Systems in Africa”, the report marks a shift from tracking agriculture alone to taking stock of the entire food system, from production and trade to governance, nutrition, climate, and markets. The picture remains uneven, with hunger continuing to rise. The report argues that the future hinges on how countries harness innovation and change drivers, from smarter spatial planning and blended finance to stronger institutions and inclusive governance. It gives examples of how local processing can turn harvest surpluses into jobs and increased incomes, how trade corridors can connect food baskets across the continent, and how nutrition, climate resilience, and markets are inseparable in building food security. Finally, it argues, persuasively, that siloed solutions won’t cut it anymore. We need integrated approaches, backed by finance, to scale what works.

The forum was not just about events and networking. We also recognised innovators who are driving agrifood system transformation in Africa.

The Women Agripreneurs of the Year Award (WAYA) Grand Prize went to Mathildah Amollo of Kenya, whose company, Greatlakes Feeds Ltd, is rewriting the story of livestock nutrition. She was joined by a constellation of excellent innovators in their own right: Juliet Kakwerre Tumusiime (Uganda), Julienne Olawolé Agossadou (Benin), Roberta Edu-Oyedokun (Nigeria), Joyce Waithira Rugano (Kenya), and Onicca Sibanyona (South Africa), each of them proof that women’s innovation is rewriting Africa’s food future.

The Africa Food Prize (AFP), the continent’s preeminent recognition of individuals or institutions that are reshaping Africa’s food systems, was awarded to two remarkable scientists whose work is both a cultural correction and a scientific breakthrough. Professor Mary Abukutsa-Onyango from Kenya was recognized for her advocacy for indigenous crops and improved nutrition, while Dr. Mercy Diebiru-Ojo from Nigeria received recognition for her work on accelerating the production of disease-free planting materials for cassava and yam.

Significantly, there were concrete signals for investors. The UK announced a GBP 5 million partnership with AGRA to strengthen intra-Africa trade, a nod to the opportunity that sits in our fields and factories if we can connect them to global markets.

AGRA unveiled a package of partnerships designed to unlock private capital including Africa100,  a catalytic initiative launched in partnership with the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), to catalyse support to the top 100 often-overlooked small and medium sized enterprises, (the “hidden middle”), that link farmers to markets, create rural jobs, and drive resilience. Other partnerships announced include the Southern Africa Poultry Initiative – transforming Poultry for Nutrition and Jobs, Poultry Feed Innovation Grand Challenge; and platforms intended to elevate the voices of Africa’s youth, partnerships with Global Citizen and Farm Radio, and the inaugural Africa Media Fellowship Award, intended to nurture the next generation of storytellers.

None of this happens at scale without policy to match the endeavor. That is why my call to action is for Governments, Private sector, Development Partners and all key stakeholders to double down on domesticating the CAADP Kampala Declaration; and putting in place the capacity, institutions and finance to achieve the CAADP targets which include: mobilizing USD100 billion, increasing agrifood output by 45 percent, cutting post-harvest losses in half, and tripling intra-African agri-trade by 2035. AGRA will continue to catalyse, facilitate, orchestrate and galvanise the entire ecosystem to work with Governments to translate these targets into bankable projects that deliver impact for small holder farmers from farm gate, to border post.

A big shout out to the hosts. Senegal rolled out their renowned “Teranga hospitality” with a side of grit. Honorable Mabouba Diagne, Senegal’s Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock took up office in February close to the same time I was joining AGRA as President. He and I made a silent pact that this AFSF would be our joint delivery. His team and the AFSF Secretariat put in 17-hour days to make sure this happened. That energy mirrored the whole week: roughly 5,600 participants from 106 countries, 149 exhibitors all pulling in the same direction. When a country works that hard to convene the continent, you leave with more than contacts; you leave with conviction.

The forum closed with a line I loved from Minister Diagne: he said the two accelerators for Africa are youth and technology. He is right. I would add a third accelerator that we saw everywhere in Dakar: belief. Belief that our food systems can feed, employ, and enrich; belief that a farmer’s photo and voice note can summon world-class agronomy advice; belief that women enterprises deserve to be insured and indemnified from risks; and belief that policy can keep pace with the hustle on our streets.

Youth aren’t waiting to be invited; they are building. Women aren’t asking for permission; they’re winning awards, running enterprises. Governments aren’t just issuing communiqués; they are pitching to investors and some are putting real money into biofortified school meals that not only boost attendance but also improve nutrition. This is what it looks like when agriculture stops being treated as charity and shows up on the balance sheet as a business.

Now, our task is to keep composing the track we started in Dakar, tighten the rhythm of policy, turn up the volume on investment, and let youth and women carry the chorus. If we do this, agriculture will not only feed Africa. It will power the world.

“Disability did not stop me. It was the YEFFA spark that lit up my field, my business and my life.” — Rehema Rashid, Singida, Tanzania

The early morning in Kaselya village, Iramba District, begins with a golden shimmer. The first light catches on thousands of sunflower heads swaying gently in the breeze. The air carries the earthy scent of soil warmed by the sun, and somewhere among the rows, a determined figure moves with practiced ease.

Her name is Rehema Rashid, and for as long as she can remember, life has been a mix of beauty and burden. Born with albinism in rural Tanzania, she has learned to live in two worlds at once, one filled with the dazzling brightness of the sunflowers she loves, and another shadowed by stigma, limited opportunities, and physical vulnerability under the relentless equatorial sun.

Before the Spark

Years ago, her farm looked different. The one-acre plot was her only source of food and income, but the harvests were meager. “I used to get only three bags of sunflower a season,” she says, her voice steady but her eyes reflecting the memory of hard years. Selling them brought in around TZS 130,000 (about USD 50) barely enough to put food on the table.

The struggle was not just financial. Every farming season felt like a battle against unpredictable weather, pests, and the constant worry of how to pay school fees for her children. The work was backbreaking, and at the end of it, there was little to show.

The Turning Point

Everything began to change when she joined the Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) program.

She learned and trained on how to select the right seeds, prepare the soil for maximum yield, and handle her harvest to reduce losses. She received quality agricultural inputs, including improved sunflower seeds that could thrive even in a tough season.

That year, when the rains came and the fields came alive, Rehema worked differently. She spaced her plants carefully, managed weeds before they took over, and applied her new post-harvest handling skills. By harvest time, she stood in awe: 12 heavy bags of sunflower seeds four times more than before.

 Adding Value, Multiplying Gains

For most farmers in her village, the next step would be selling the seeds raw to middlemen. But YEFFA had taught her another way on value addition. She began processing her own sunflower oil and using the byproduct, mashudu, as animal feed.

This shift changed everything. After paying her workers and covering processing costs, she now makes no less than TZS 260,000 (around USD 96) per harvest. It’s not just the numbers that make her proud but it’s the independence. “You can see the change in my life,” she says with a laugh. “Even my skin glows now — I can afford the good and expensive skin products!”

From Farmer to Leader

Agriculture for Rehema is no longer just survival, it’s business. She employs more than six casual workers, creating livelihoods for others. And she has a bigger dream: together with other YEFFA beneficiaries, she is leading plans for a community-owned sunflower oil factory in Kaselya. The goal? Keep more of the profits in the village, create more jobs, and ensure the value chain benefits the people who grow the crops.

Her role as a leader is as important to her as the crops she grows. “When we succeed as a group, the whole village wins,” she says. She envisions a future where no young person in Kaselya has to leave for the city just to find work.

A Life Transformed, Attending the Africa Food Systems Summit 2025 (AFSS25)

Rehema’s journey is more than an agricultural success story; it’s proof of what can happen when opportunity meets determination. She has turned what some saw as a limitation into a source of strength. She is set to showcase, and being one of the panelists on AFSS25 – Dakar, Senegal, she will bless the global leaders on what transformation looks like.

“Disability did not stop me. It was the YEFFA spark that lit up my field, my business and my life.”

Beyond farming, Rehema has now branched into another business tailoring. In the evenings, the gentle hum of her sewing machine fills her home as she transforms vibrant fabrics into dresses, school uniforms, and headscarves. This side venture not only adds to her income but also allows her to teach sewing skills to other women in her community, further spreading the spirit of self-reliance that YEFFA ignited in her

Today, the sunflowers in Kaselya do more than feed families, they tell a story of resilience, leadership, and a woman whose glow comes from both the sun and the pride of building a future on her own terms.

The midday sun beats down on the red earth of Mgaza village, Katerero in Bukoba Tanzania. In the middle of the field, Allen Fedrick works with steady hands, his fingers pressing soil. Beside him, his wife moves in rhythm, her hoe slicing the ground with quiet determination. To an outsider, this is just another farming couple tending their crops but the journey that brought Allen here is one of extraordinary grit and reinvention.

A few years ago, Allen’s life took a devastating turn. A horrific accident left him with severe injuries and ultimately cost him his leg after a very bad road accident. The doctors told him amputation was the only option. “When they said they had to remove my leg, it felt like my whole future had been cut away too,” Allen recalls. “For a while, I didn’t know where to begin again.”

But quitting was never in Allen’s nature. After months of recovery, he decided to restart life with what he had – his hands, his determination, and his will to survive. He began small, selling pineapples by the roadside, learning the market and building relationships with customers.

It was during this time that Allen crossed paths with the YEFFA program under AGRA—an initiative aimed at empowering youth in agriculture. The program trained him in modern farming methods, provided quality seedlings, market linkage and equipped him with essential farming inputs. For Allen, this was more than training, it was a second chance.

Armed with new skills, he transitioned from a simple pineapple vendor to a grower and distributor. He now cultivates his own pineapples and, thanks to the transport link between Kagera and Mwanza, he regularly sends his produce to Mwanza. This isn’t about massive cargo it’s just small but he makes the journey about three times a month, ensuring that his pineapples reach markets while they’re still fresh.

On average, each trip yields him a net profit of 100,000 to 200,000 Tanzanian shillings after paying workers and covering transport. In a good month, that amounts to roughly 300,000 shillings from Mwanza sales alone, plus an extra 10,000 shillings daily from local sales in his own community.

Allen’s progress has been more than financial. Within a short period, he has married, built his own home, and established a respected name in his village. While he hires laborers for heavy tasks, he still chooses to work on the farm himself, moving along the rows with the help of a crutch. His presence in the field sends a message that disability does not mean inability.

“People think that when you have a disability, your life slows down or you are supposed to start begging,” Allen says, brushing dust from his palms. “For me, it pushed me to move faster towards my dreams.”

Allen’s has moved from point zero to one point, his story is more than a tale of survival, it is a blueprint for turning hardship into opportunity. With the right training, resources, and unwavering willpower, he has transformed a moment of deep loss into a life of growth, purpose, and abundance. In every pineapple he sells, there is a piece of his resilience and a reminder that no obstacle is too great to overcome.

As global leaders, innovators, and changemakers converge in Dakar September for the Africa Food Systems Summit 2025 (AFSS25), Rwanda’s Niyitanga Grace will be among 17 youth agri-preneurs chosen to showcase how young Africans are transforming agriculture from the ground up. Her story—rooted in resilience, innovation, and purpose—is not just a personal success; it’s a beacon for the continent’s agricultural future.

When Niyitanga Grace stepped off the bus in the rural fields of Nzige Sector, Rwamagana District in early 2023, she wasn’t just leaving behind the bright lights of Kigali, Rwanda’s capital—she was stepping into a bold new chapter. With just 1.5 million Rwandan francs (about $1,000 USD) and a vision seeded by a visit to a friend’s thriving farm, she decided to pursue agriculture full time.

“I tried different businesses in Kigali, but nothing seemed to work,” she recalls. “The day I visited my friend’s farm, I saw something I had never seen before—potential, growth, life. That was the turning point.”

Armed with a passion for building something meaningful and a determination to succeed, Grace moved to Rwamagana and began farming on rented land, benefiting from an irrigation scheme developed by the government in collaboration with the SAIP (Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Project). The results were immediate—and transformational.

A Seed of Opportunity that Sprouted Success

Her first season’s investment of 1.5 million RWF yielded a staggering 7 million RWF. Encouraged by this breakthrough, she reinvested her earnings to acquire her own land and shift from traditional open-field farming to greenhouse agriculture—a climate-resilient solution offering higher yields, quality produce, and year-round production.

Her first greenhouse alone generated 8 million RWF per season. Today, she owns four greenhouses, each built with a cost-effective combination of local and imported materials—cutting construction costs from 20 million to 5 million RWF per unit.

“I realized that relying only on rain-fed farming was limiting,” she says. “Greenhouses gave me consistency, quality, and the ability to control my environment. That’s how I started scaling.”

Chili Peppers, Market Savvy, and a Growing Enterprise

Grace’s flagship crop is chili peppers—a lucrative export product with growing demand across Africa and beyond. Through training and mentorship provided by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), she was equipped with critical skills in value chain development, market research, and marketing strategy.

“AGRA didn’t just teach me how to grow chili—they taught me how to understand markets and operate like a businesswoman,” she says.

She has since diversified into tomatoes, bell peppers, and green beans, ensuring steady supply for both local and regional markets. Her business, now valued at over 30 million RWF, is a testament to how quickly a small idea can grow with the right support.

A Champion for Youth in Agribusiness

Beyond her own success, Grace has become a mentor and role model for others. As an active member of the Rwanda Youth in Agribusiness Forum (RYAF), she represents greenhouse farmers at national platforms and works to mobilize young people into agriculture.

“I always tell young people: Agriculture is not a last resort—it’s a first-class opportunity,” she says. “With the right mindset and tools, it can be more profitable than you ever imagined.”

So far, she has helped friends launch farms and created jobs for young people in her community, contributing directly to youth employment and rural economic empowerment.

Looking Ahead: A Vision That Reaches Across Borders

Now preparing to represent Rwanda at Africa Food Systems Summit 2025, Grace sees the event as a powerful platform to connect with fellow young innovators and international partners.

“I’m eager to share my journey—but more importantly, to learn from others,” she says. “Africa is full of young farmers doing amazing things. If we join forces, we can transform the continent’s food systems. “

Her future plans include:

• Acquiring more farmland
• Expanding greenhouse infrastructure
• Launching chili value-addition units (e.g., sauces and powders)
• Tapping into export markets and strengthening brand presence

Why Investors and Donors Should Take Note

Grace’s story is not just inspiring—it’s investable. She represents the kind of climate-smart, youth-led agricultural enterprise that can drive Africa’s food security, employment, and economic transformation. With strategic investment and support, her model can be scaled across regions, benefiting more farmers, creating jobs, and boosting local economies.

She is currently open to partnerships that can support:

• Expansion of greenhouse farming systems
• Establishment of chili processing and packaging facilities
• Access to regional and international markets
• Training programs for youth and women in modern agribusiness

A Final Word from the Farm

Standing beside rows of vibrant chili plants under the morning sun, she reflects on the road she’s traveled.

“My journey started with failure. But I turned it into fuel,” she says. “Today, I farm with purpose—not just for profit, but to feed, employ, and inspire.”

Bekelech’s Journey and the Future of Women Farmers

 In the quiet highlands of Darga Kebele, deep in Kembata Zone, in the Central Ethiopia Regional State, Wro Bekelech Anitu has worked her land with enduring strength and persistent hope. A widow and mother of seven, she has long cultivated her two hectares not for profit, but for survival. For years, her carefully gathered harvests were lost to fire, consumed by rodents, or sold hastily at low prices to meet urgent household needs.

But on 24 June 2025, Bekelech stood before a national audience at Addis Ababa’s Skylight Hotel—honored as a model farmer and recognized as the voice of a new chapter in Ethiopia’s agricultural transformation. She was celebrated at the “She Stores – She Gains” workshop, a national platform promoting the Warehouse Receipt System (WRS) as a tool to unlock finance, improve storage, and empower smallholder women farmers across the country.

Through the WRS, Bekelech now stores her grain in a certified warehouse, preserves its market value, and accesses short-term credit using her harvest as collateral—a financial mechanism she once believed was never meant for someone like her.

“Now I can store my harvest. I can wait. I sell when prices are fair. And I have hope again,” she shared. “I now have a TIN number, a land certificate, and all the documents banks ask for. But still—there are long procedures, delays, and too many steps. We do everything we’re told, but the system isn’t moving fast enough for women like me.”

Her story drew heartfelt applause—not only for its honesty, but for what it symbolized. Bekelech’s journey embodies the rationale behind Ethiopia’s scale-up of the WRS, in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration (MoTRI), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and AGRA: to modernize rural markets, improve livelihoods, and close the gender gap in agricultural finance.

At the event, Mr Tarekegne Shibeshi, Head of Market Infrastructure and Marketing Facility Desk at MoTRI, emphasized the system’s alignment with Ethiopia’s Ten-Year Development Plan, which aims to strengthen value chains and drive inclusive rural growth.

“Over 2.2 billion Birr in loans have already been accessed through the WRS by actors across the agricultural value chain,” he stated. “This is not just a financing tool for women—it’s a pathway to economic prosperity, especially for women whose labor has long been undervalued.”

Yet Bekelech remains an exception. Today, few WRS loan recipients are women. The barriers they face are systemic and deeply embedded—rooted in restrictive gender norms, institutional blind spots, and structural exclusion.

In many communities, social norms often constrain women’s financial decision-making power. Banking systems continue to favor conventional, asset-heavy collateral requirements—rendering women ineligible due to limited access to immovable assets. Even when eligible, women face gaps in awareness, outreach, and financial services that rarely communicate through channels accessible to them.

“No one explained that I could use my crops as collateral,” Bekelech said. “No one came—until recently. We only heard about it through neighbors.”

There is also a persistent capacity gap. Most women lack training in financial literacy, loan negotiation, and business planning—skills essential to navigating the WRS, managing repayment timelines, and building long-term creditworthiness. Even with documentation and eligibility, many lack proximity, confidence, or timely support.

Dr Yihenew Zewdie, AGRA Ethiopia Country Director, emphasized that systems must go beyond providing access—they must be intentionally redesigned to include those long left out.

“This system puts real economic power into the hands of producers,” he said. “But if it’s to work for women, our banks, cooperatives, and extension agents must unlearn the rules that kept women out for so long.”

As the workshop concluded, Mrs Meskerem Bahiru, Chief Executive Officer of Export Promotion and Market Facility at MoTRI, reinforced the government’s commitment to making the system work for all.

“This initiative is part of Ethiopia’s Ten-Year Development Plan—and we will implement it with synergy,” she affirmed. “Government, partners, cooperatives, and financial institutions must work together so that farmers like Wro. Bekelech are no longer the exception, but the norm.”

If Ethiopia’s Warehouse Receipt System is to fulfill its promise, it must do more than modernize infrastructure—it must unlock national productivity. Reaching rural women farmers is not merely a matter of equity; it is an economic necessity. When women gain secure access to certified storage and tailored finance, the impact is measurable: reduced post-harvest losses, improved price realization, greater resilience, and stronger participation in formal markets. Enabling women to store, plan, and trade effectively increases household incomes, stabilizes rural economies, and drives inclusive GDP growth.

This is not social spending—it is a high-return investment in Ethiopia’s economic transformation.

She stores.

She gains.

And through her, Ethiopia grows.

In the heart of Ethiopia’s verdant highlands lies Jimma — a region celebrated not only for the savour of its coffee but as a living symbol of ecological richness and cultural heritage. For centuries, Jimma and Bunno Bedele Zones in Oromia Regional State have sustained communities, nourished livelihoods, and fostered a harmonious relationship between people, food, and nature. Today, these fertile landscapes are witnessing a new agricultural awakening — one driven not by the aroma of coffee, but by the resolve of young farmers determined to redefine the future of Ethiopian agriculture.

Across rural Ethiopia, young people are reclaiming their rightful place in agriculture. In the rolling valleys of Jimma and Bunno Bedele, amid the mounting pressures of climate change, economic uncertainty, and rural inequality, a new generation of farmers is rising — not merely to till the soil, but to rebuild the crucial connection between the environment, livelihoods, and national development. Yet, the ecological balance that has sustained these communities for generations is under threat. Erratic rainfall, soil degradation, and limited access to modern agricultural technologies continue to erode productivity and resilience.

Recognising these challenges, the Government of Ethiopia, in collaboration with the AGRA, has launched a youth and women-centered agricultural transformation agenda to tackle systemic barriers and unlock the potential of young and women small holders farmers (Government of Ethiopia, 2020–2030; Ministry of Agriculture Ethiopia, 2023; AGRA, 2023).

Subtle yet meaningful changes are unfolding in these rural towns, driven by young people who are actively embracing their role in shaping the future. Rehima Gena, Project Coordinator at Lersha, is working to bridge the gap between youth unemployment and digital agriculture. “Many young people in these communities complete their education only to return home with no clear job prospects,” Rehima explains.

Through Lersha’s program, young graduates are being trained and equipped as Lersha Agents — essential connectors between smallholder farmers and digital agricultural services. “These young people are no longer waiting,” she stresses. “They are becoming part of the solution.”

The initiative does not stop at employment. It opens pathways to financial services, agribusiness opportunities, and technology-enabled advisory services. To date, 20 young people have completed the training, with an additional 50 preparing to follow — building on the success of 60 others who completed the program last year. Full-scale service delivery is expected to begin in April, marking an important step towards transforming the rural economy and empowering youth and farmers alike.

At the heart of this agricultural shift are young farmers like Saliya Aba Jihad, a 21-year-old from Nedi Gibe Woreda. “Agriculture changed my life,” she says. “But without proper training, access to inputs, or reliable markets, it is an uphill battle.” Miftahi Aba Maccaa, a

27-year-old from Dacha Nadhii wereda, echoes this sentiment. Farming has enabled him to build a livelihood, but he stresses the pressing need for greater recognition, resources, and skills. These young farmers are not passive recipients of aid; they are custodians of Ethiopia’s agricultural heritage and catalysts for rural economic development.

 However, their ambition is constrained by systemic challenges. Young farmers continue to face limited access to credit, quality seeds, fertilizers, machinery, and market information. Environmental shocks — droughts, floods, and pest outbreaks — further erode their progress. Development practitioners and agricultural economists alike observe that societal perceptions still frame farming as a career of last resort, deterring many young people from pursuing agriculture. In Ethiopia, over 28% of the youth population is unemployed, and only 13% of young people are engaged in agriculture as a primary occupation (FAO, 2022; Mastercard Foundation, 2024).

As agricultural experts and development specialists, we have witnessed first-hand that while young farmers demonstrate extraordinary resilience and ingenuity, their success cannot depend on individual effort alone. Meaningful progress requires coordinated, systemic change — a collective commitment by government institutions, the private sector, financial actors, and development partners to create an enabling environment. This sentiment is echoed by Ewunetu Hirko, agricultural expert in Oromia Regional State, who works with over 23,000 farmers in Jimma Zone. “Young farmers are adapting,” he says. “But without targeted training, tailored financial services, and strong support systems, their progress will remain limited.”

Unlocking the full potential of Ethiopia’s young farmers demands deliberate and strategic action. Youth-friendly financial services must be established. Access to affordable agricultural credit and quality inputs must be scaled up. Capacity development programs should equip young farmers with practical skills in climate-smart, market-oriented agriculture. Strengthening rural infrastructure and value chains is essential to enhance market access and competitiveness. Equally important, digital platforms and advisory services must connect young farmers to timely information, technology, and innovation. Above all, a concerted effort is needed to shift societal perceptions — positioning agriculture as a dignified, modern, and profitable career for Ethiopia’s youth.

The improvement unfolding in Jimma and Bunno Bedele Zones is not merely an agricultural project; it is an ecological, economic, and social awakening. These young farmers are reimagining their communities, blending ancestral knowledge with modern technologies, and laying the foundations for sustainable food systems. The Ethiopian Government’s Ten-Year Agricultural Development Plan (2020–2030), AGRA’s Ethiopia Strategic Plan (2023–2027), and a growing network of development partnerships provide a strong platform for this transformation. However, sustaining this momentum requires long-term investment, collaboration, and shared responsibility.

In places like Jimma and Bunno Bedele, something inspiring is taking root. A new generation of young farmers is stepping forward — bringing fresh ideas to the land while staying deeply connected to their communities. Youth-led innovations and cooperatives are gaining strength, and young women and men are beginning to speak up about their hopes for the future. Bit by bit, they are helping to reshape how farming is seen — not just as a tradition but as a pathway filled with promise and purpose.

Their ambition is not small. It is to build a future where farming is not a fallback option, but a respected, sustainable, and rewarding profession. It is to prove that agriculture can deliver prosperity without compromising the environment, and that rural communities can thrive when young people are empowered with the tools, resources, and recognition they deserve. From the highlands to the farmlands, a new agricultural future is taking root in Ethiopia — powered not only by policy but by the energy, ingenuity, and vision of young farmers like Saliya Aab Jihad and Miftahi Aba Maccaa. With determination and purpose, they cultivate more than crops; they nurture dignity, prosperity, and the seeds of lasting change. It calls for concerted action — to recognize, support, and invest in the young minds shaping Ethiopia’s tomorrow.

It began with a handshake—deliberate, optimistic, and quietly historic. Inside Nairobi’s PrideInn Azure Hotel, a quiet but transformative shift in East African trade was taking root. Across rows of negotiation tables, Ethiopian exporters and Kenyan pulses buyers engaged in structured, face-to-face talks. By day’s end, contracts worth more than USD 12.8 million had been signed on June 18, 2025. What unfolded was not just a business transaction—but a demonstration of what it means to bridge borders through beans.

The high-level Stakeholders Validation Workshop and Business-to-Business (B2B) Forum, convened by the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) and strategically supported by AGRA, aimed to advance regional pulses trade between Ethiopia and Kenya. But its deeper ambition was more profound: to connect smallholder producers with formal markets, shift fragmented trade toward structure and transparency, and build commercial trust between neighboring economies.

Kenya’s Ministry of Trade, represented by Deputy County Commissioner Benson Kagunda, opened the forum with a message that captured the spirit of the occasion.

What we are witnessing here today is not just trade—it is trust,‖ she said. ―Borderlines should no longer divide markets, but connect opportunity.‖ Her words set the tone for two days of focused exchange where business cards were exchanged as eagerly as ideas, and contracts signed not as symbolic gestures, but as actionable commitments.

The economic logic was clear. Kenya faces an annual shortfall of over 200,000 metric tons of pulses, driven by growing domestic demand. Ethiopia, on the other hand, boasts a surplus of beans, renowned for quality but constrained by access. Historically, trade between the two countries has been hindered by mismatched quality and packaging standards, transport inefficiencies, a lack of certified warehousing at key border points like Moyale, and Ethiopia’s non-membership in the East African Community (EAC). This forum sought to turn that friction into flow.

Beyond the negotiation tables, the forum offered a rare opportunity for deeper engagement. The Ethiopian delegation embarked on a field visit to two of Kenya’s leading agribusinesses—Unibrain and Echemiplus. There, they observed the full food processing chain in motion the opportunity gave Ethiopian exporters to see how the product they shipped converted to final product and off course to meet actual buyers of their products apart from traders they deal in a daily bases.. Standing inside a cool, meticulously organized facility, Hyder Kemal, board member of the Ethiopian Pulses,

Oilseeds and Spices Processors–Exporters Association (EPOSEA) remarked quietly,

This is what we need, meeting actual users of our products and discuss challenges face to face to increase exporting with confidence.‖

The exposure was catalytic. It allowed the Ethiopian team to see not only the demand for their products but the standards expected by modern, formal buyers. The visit fuelled a vision of what’s possible with the right investment, policy support, and institutional coordination. It turned abstract talk of regional trade into a tangible business imperative.

Still, constraints were not ignored. Ethiopian exporters largely operate with 100kg sacks, incompatible with Kenya’s market preferences of 50Kg. Trucking standards differ significantly. Border infrastructure remains insufficient. Informal trade routes persist. And a lack of policy harmonization continues to frustrate exporters ready to compete. Hyder Kemal further explained, ―Our exporters are not short on product—they are short on predictability. This forum gave us space to raise the right issues. Now it is time to act.‖

In that call to action, the theme of bridging borders through beans returned—not just as a slogan, but as a strategy. Participants collectively urged their respective governments to reduce non trade barriers; harmonies trade standards, invest in border infrastructure, and accelerate Ethiopia’s alignment with AfCFTA, COMESA, and EAC frameworks. They called for regional policies that recognise agricultural trade not merely as economic activity, but as a lever for inclusive growth.

For AGRA, the forum reaffirmed its catalytic role—not as a market participant, but as a connector, enabler, and amplifier of local enterprise. By bringing producers, buyers, and policymakers to the same table, AGRA helped transform pulses from a commodity of subsistence into a symbol of scalable, structured, and strategic trade.

In East Africa’s trade story, beans have become more than a staple crop. They have become a bridge between producers and processors, between policy and practice, between one border and the next.

And in that bridge lies the future of African trade.