AGRA

By Nana Yaa B. Amoah

Africa stands at a defining moment. The continent has the world’s youngest population, vast arable land and abundant natural resources, yet many families still face food and nutrition insecurity as millions of young people look for work that never comes. This contradiction is alarming but solvable. The answer is to treat agriculture not as a relic or a last resort but as a modern, innovative and rewarding career path for young Africans.

The ongoing Africa Food Systems Forum in 2025 offers a timely platform to reset priorities. Its focus on youth leadership in collaboration, innovation and implementation signals a clear truth. The continent’s future depends on empowering its greatest asset, its young people.

Africa’s population is about 1.2 billion and could double by 2050. More than 400 million people are between 15 and 35, the youngest profile of any region. Yet far too many are unemployed or under employed. Agriculture has the greatest capacity to absorb labour, generate income and spark innovation, but the sector remains unattractive to many. The gap is not opportunity. It is imagination, investment and support.

Youth unemployment has become a failure of imagination. Too often policy is framed around counting jobs rather than unlocking the promise that already sits in our fields, markets and research stations. We must reimagine agriculture as a space of aspiration and impact for young Africans. That shift demands coordinated support from governments, the private sector and development partners to back youth in modern agri-entrepreneurial roles.

Rebranding agriculture as a technology powered enterprise will turn the tide. Across the continent young innovators are building mobile apps that connect farmers to buyers, using drones to monitor crops, applying artificial intelligence to detect pests and creating digital platforms to verify inputs. Farming is becoming digital, data driven and dynamic. Young people are already leading much of this change. But they still face heavy barriers. Land access remains the quiet gatekeeper of opportunity. Legal, financial and customary hurdles keep land out of reach. Without it young people, especially young women, cannot build wealth or invest with confidence. Land reform must be treated as a core youth issue, not only a rural one.

Finance is another hurdle. Many young people lack collateral and formal credit histories. A new wave of digital financial data offers a breakthrough. Mobile money transactions and utility payments can be used to build verifiable records of financial behaviour. Alternative credit scoring then opens the door to loans for inputs, technology and growth. Digital financial inclusion is essential if agriculture is to become a vibrant space for young entrepreneurs.

Education and training often lag behind market needs. Curricula can be outdated. Market access is weak, infrastructure is thin and new technologies are priced out of reach. These challenges feed the myth that farming is only hard work with little reward. To make agriculture a viable career we must remove the obstacles. Reform land tenure. Expand affordable finance. Modernise education and training. Strengthen market linkages. Embed digital tools from production through processing and distribution. Young people should be in front of this innovation wave.

The opportunities run across the value chain. Beyond growing crops or keeping livestock, youth can thrive as agro dealers who supply inputs and offer advice and delivery through digital platforms. More than 40,000 agro dealers already support farmers, reducing distances to inputs and lifting adoption of better technologies, with yield gains reported at up to 40 percent in Nigeria. In seed production, youth work with companies on multiplication, quality control and supply chain management.

As agricultural advisers and extension workers, young professionals train farmers in climate smart practices that raise productivity sustainably. The growing agri-tech sector invites youth to design tools for input verification, market information and farmer training. Youth led small and medium enterprises in processing and value addition create jobs, drive local industry and cut post-harvest losses. Many are building market linkages by brokering deals, running storage and facilitating regional seed trade. Others are advancing regenerative farming and championing drought resistant crops that help communities adapt to a changing climate.

Young people are also shaping policy. They are engaging ministries, regulators and national platforms to push for youth inclusive policies and to monitor delivery, so that decisions reflect the needs of the next generation.

This agenda aligns with the new continental strategy under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme for 2026 to 2035, which calls for reimagining and reinvesting in food systems. Innovative financing is central. Tax reforms, local government bonds, remittances, pension funds and climate aligned investments can be mobilised. Social and environmental bonds, parametric insurance and debt for nature swaps can back youth led agribusiness and climate resilient models.

Inclusive dialogue will make these ideas real. Ministries of finance, agriculture and social development should work together to streamline support for youth and for women across low- and middle-income countries. Only coordinated effort can build a system that supports young people from farm to market.

Any youth strategy that ignores gender is incomplete. Women form the backbone of agricultural production yet remain underserved. There is no path to unlock Africa’s food potential without gender equity. Secure land rights, tailored finance, modern training and a seat at the table are not only fair. They are essential for sustainable growth. If we do not centre young women, we do not centre Africa’s future.

As Africa confronts food insecurity and youth unemployment, the path forward is clear. Agriculture is the future. It is rich with innovation, powered by technology and full of opportunity. With the right investments, policies and vision, it can become a dynamic engine of economic transformation and social inclusion. Africa’s youth are ready to lead. The question is whether we will give them the chance.

Nana Yaa B. Amoah is the Director for Gender, Youth and Inclusiveness at AGRA, an African led organisation that puts farmers at the centre of the continent’s growing economy.