Глобальный форум по продовольственной безопасности и питанию (Форум FSN)

Over the last months, FAO has carried out three multi-stakeholder workshops in Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire and the SADC region to identify existing and needed capacities that engage and empower youth to carry out and benefit from responsible agricultural investments.

During these workshops, young agri-entrepreneurs frequently mentioned that the absence or lack of access to incentives (financial, fiscal, incubators, etc.) was one of the challenges they faced in launching and sustaining their businesses in the early stages. For example, participants from one workshop mentioned that the allocation of fiscal incentives was subject to the generation of a turnover by far exceeding the capacities of a new business led by youth with limited amount of capital. Therefore, it was argued, that a policy initially designed to support agribusiness development inadvertently discriminated against youth and prevented them from sustaining their business.

From an expert perspective, I would therefore be interested in learning about good practices and cases of incentives that are supporting young agri-entrepreneurs.

From a policy perspective, I would be interested in learning about new or planned incentives by AU governments that would help realize the target of the Malabo Declaration to create job opportunities for at least 30% of youth in agricultural value chains.

Thank you.

1. Experience as a Youth in the Agriculture Sector

As an African youth and Cameroonian to be précised, we are blessed with a lot of natural resources which are readily available for exploitation when it comes to agriculture. From my own point of view, In Cameroon and In the African Continent at large, we cannot be saying resources are not scarce. Most African youths are just lazy and very inpatient to start up from a scale. Most youths are afraid to take risk. Many African youths believe in getting fast money without any stress. Agriculture needs a lot of time and patient to get good yields from the field be it in livestock or crop production.

What motivated me into Agriculture?

Firstly, the passion to rear animals and cultivate my own crop and see them grow.

Secondly, I hate to be hungry and to see others hungry when there are natural resources around us that can be manage sustainably in order to alleviate famine and extreme poverty.

Lastly I don’t admire working under someone knowing well that with very little capital, I can start up a small farm of my own (be an entrepreneur), create employment for myself and for others who are interested in engaging in the field of Agriculture.

2) Major Achievements and Success Stories

My name is Chonyui Bouldwin Duna, a Cameroonian by nationality born on the 12/06/1994 in Bamenda, North West Region of Cameroon. I had my Ordinary level in 2012 and Advance level in 2013 all in Progressive Comprehensive High School (P.C.H.S)MankonBamenda and was later enrolled into the College of Technology of The University of Bamenda in November 2013 through a competitive entrance exams. I Studied Agriculture and to be précised Animal Production Technology.

For the Academic year2015/2016, I was elected as the departmental president of mydepartment (Animal Production Technology).

For the Academic year 2016/2017, I was elected as the Student Association President of the College of Technology.

 Finally, I graduated in December 2017 with a B-Tech in Animal Production Technology with a Second Class Honor (Upper Division) with a GPD of 3.06.

I run a small farm where I raise chickens, breed and sale German shepherd puppies and also cultivate some garden crops such as tomatoes, leeks just to name a few to earn a living. I have been engaged in this since 2013.

Infrastructure

I have a brooding room with size 2x4 m with a capacity of 300 day old chicks and a fattening barn sized 3x4 m with a capacity of 120 mature broiler chickens (45 days of age and above). I also have two cages where I breed my dogs (Cross bred German shepherd)

Activities

I offer extensive services to backyards chicken farmer to whom I supply with three weeks old chicks (training them how to raise the birds in a sustainable manner e.g feeding birds with fermented feed which is climate friendly), Consultancy to neighbors who want to start up their own farms and I also offer training to young farmers on how to brood and raise their own birds.

Expanding my farm is my greatest wish as of now because I have the prospect of training more youths but my space is insufficient. I have skills and the potential to meet SDG 1 and 2 and also reduce unemployment to a significant percentage in Cameroon, Africa and the world at large.

Here is a selection of titles proposed by FAO Publications for forum participants who would like to read more on Youth employment in agriculture and digital innovation.

RURAL YOUTH AGED 15–17: THE RIGHT SEASON TO SEED THE FUTURE

In light of the challenges faced by rural youth, this report proposes policies to increase human capital and channel resources towards youth aged 15–17 to ensure equal access to education and decent jobs.

YOUTH AND AGRICULTURE: KEY CHALLENGES AND CONCRETE SOLUTIONS

This publication shows how tailor-made educational programmes can provide rural youth with the skills and insights needed to engage in farming and adopt environmentally friendly production methods.

RURAL MIGRATION IN TUNISIA: DRIVERS AND PATTERNS OF RURAL YOUTH MIGRATION AND ITS IMPACT ON FOOD SECURITY AND RURAL LIVELIHOODS IN TUNISIA

This report calls for a strong political engagement both nationally and internationally to revive rural economies and reverse trends such as low farming productivity and inadequate access to technology and resources.

HIRE SERVICES AS A BUSINESS ENTERPRISE: A TRAINING MANUAL FOR SMALL-SCALE MECHANIZATION SERVICE PROVIDERS

This manual for hire service providers covers machinery operation and maintenance, draught animal care, financial procedures and other topics, organized in 5 modules and 27 sessions.

INNOVATIVE MARKETS FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: HOW INNOVATIONS IN MARKET INSTITUTIONS ENCOURAGE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

This publication presents 15 cases from around the world, providing insights into institutional change and how a different type of market incentive contributes to the redefinition and adoption of sustainable practices by farmers.

SUCCESS STORIES ON INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SECOND EDITION)

ICTs can transform lives and improve livelihoods in agriculture by helping to secure savings, find affordable insurance and tools to manage risk, increase access to financial services, and provide business opportunities.

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) IN AGRICULTURE

An assessment of platforms promoting ICT for agriculture, food security and nutrition and proposals for improving its usage, such as the creation of the ICT for Sustainable Agricultural Production Innovation Lab.

BUILDING AGRICULTURAL MARKET INFORMATION SYSTEMS

This publication reviews the features of market information systems (MIS) development for agriculture, focusing on price information and new technologies for price data collection and dissemination.

E-AGRICULTURE IN ACTION

Case studies on the innovative use of emerging technologies, such as 3D food printing, electronic traceability services, and multiparameter monitors for indoor air quality, to improve the livelihoods of farming communities.

E-AGRICULTURE IN ACTION: DRONES FOR AGRICULTURE

This book promotes replicable ICT solutions for agriculture, focusing on unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, and their usage in crop production, early warning systems, disaster risk reduction, forestry, fisheries, and wildlife conservation.

STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF E-AGRICULTURE IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA: INSIGHTS FROM SELECTED COUNTRIES IN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

Among the topics discussed during the workshop were the role of ICTs in agricultural development in the region and within the different countries, and the need for collaboration and knowledge-sharing via online communities, including ESCORENA and AGROWEB.

Further reading

YOUTH MOBILITY, FOOD SECURITY AND RURAL POVERTY REDUCTION (RYM)

YOUTH MOBILITY, FOOD SECURITY AND RURAL POVERTY REDUCTION

THE RURAL YOUTH MOBILITY PROJECT: METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS

PROMOTING ALTERNATIVES TO MIGRATION FOR RURAL YOUTH IN TUNISIA AND ETHIOPIA

FAO, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP MODEL FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE EXPERIENCES FROM MALAWI, TANZANIA MAINLAND AND ZANZIBAR ARCHIPELAGO

Dear All,

Thank you to colleagues that have set the ball rolling with their contributions to the discussion.

As you prepare your contributions, please remember the objectives of this discussion and, as much as possible, to focus your contributions on the questions that have been put up for discussion. This way, we will be able to have something to contribute to the Rwanda Youth Conference in August.

Regards,

Justin Chisenga

Facilitator

I can only share my experience with my story on how I started to get involved in agriculture.

I had a bad attitude towards engaging in agriculture. I never wanted to take part in anything related to farming. This is because from childhood my parents, friends and relatives raised me to think that the only way to survive and succeed in life was had to read books, get a degree and I will get a good job. It is not until I was facing challenges with tuition, accommodation at university and living expenses that I realized I needed something else to do. No one knew me so getting a job would take time. The most obvious solution was engaging in agriculture because selling it will be easy. Finding the was easy, at least that’s what I thought. So, I used my parents land in the village to plant groundnuts and maize. With help from relatives’ planting, maintenance and harvesting was not a problem. Once I was able to transport the Produce to Kampala the real hustle begun. The market was flooded with produce. The principle that is followed is that the earlier you go the better. Being always late made some of my produce get rotten and I it always discouraged. Most of all having species of produce that was not marketable was also a problem. To add salt to a wound the returns were very low compared to the input.

I actually gave up for some time but later realized that it only required consistency and regardless of the low returns. The rotting of produce did not stop, the market was still competitive, almost every season a new species of a crop that's more marketable than the other. This would force you to engage in growing a variety of crops at the same time just to meet the demand of the market. Today I am happily a distributor pf maize and rice to schools. I even sell pumpkins.

Agriculture requires patience, persistence and consistency. The challenge we the youth have today is that we want quick money fast. This is why youth are not very interested in agriculture and if they are it is only for subsistence.

The diverse and wide market motivated me to get involved in agriculture. I can not fail to sell something out of my produce. Once you get a grip of the basics the market trend as well as the demand chain, all you need is patience, consistency and hard work but smartly.

Today I supply schools in villages with food and to some markets in Kampala. What has helped me is refusing to go by the market prices. If we all compete with the market prices then we may not sell at all in fear of making losses. Yes, for the start there will be a few losses but it was my way of establishing a market for the future. This guarantees you market for your next production. Partnering with other innovative friends and family in the marketing process has greatly helped. Every time we have a harvest, we hire a truck to move around very early in the morning and by 4:00 pm east African time the truck is empty. Also, the civil society space has created a platform to market the produce. This has greatly increased our sales. Using social media like what’s app and Facebook has also expanded our market reach.

Question to the Experts

What advice would you give to youth who despise getting involved in agriculture? and the Parents friends and relatives who demonize the agriculture sector? How can states incorporate agriculture studies to equip youth with skills? What agricultural policies do they think are lacking and how can youth influence the policy-making process?

How best can youth in advocacy champion the need for a favourable market where taxes are equally paid and tax exemptions equally are given? This is because most African states are getting development loans from development agencies and partners but these loans come with strings attached that make the economic environment unfriendly to young agricultural entrepreneur. For example, loans that come with the requirement for exemptions to taxes to imported agro-produce into African states. This diminishes the market and undermines our efforts?

Employment of the youth in Agriculture can be a part of solutions to end Hunger and poverty; this is not the only and unique solution to the issue but it can reduce hunger and poverty in such a way that youth is strong enough and if it is involved in the matter considerable reduction can be noticed. Again, youth involvement can increase the sustainability of the business as they are searching the way to improve their welfare and build their financial lives. In addition, they are young and still have the time to work for the business.

UMUHOZA Ernestine

Land husbandry specialist

MINAGRI/RWANDA

Dear Colleagues,

It is not just agriculture that needs discussion. Many youth, especially those with some skills or education qualifications, are concerned about the quality of health clinics, distance to hospitals and quality of education in rural areas. It is critical to take these into account when considering the goals and aspirations of young families. Capital access is probably next followed by having skilled persons nearby to make sure money spent is not wasted.

You may also want to look at Japan, Korea and USA where programmes for young farmers include skills training and access to low interest loans/start-up grants.

By the way, why did FAO cancel its programmes supporting national youth activities like 4H?

All the best,

Kevin Gallagher

To contribute to the conference, we invite you to share your experience and views by replying to the following questions:

1. Experience as a Youth in the Agriculture Sector

Agriculture sector occupies a major percentage in the private sector in my country and plays a major role in GDP. There is attendance of assuming agriculture to be particularly for men in many African countries, this misunderstanding can be solved by providing motivation to younger people with good projects and allow them access to finance.  The government of Rwanda is doing the best to improve Agriculture by not depending on natural rain by improvements in irrigation systems and rain water harvesting. The country has done her best to improve the wellbeing of her people by giving improved seeds to farmers.

2. Employing youth in Agriculture

Global population is expected to increase to 9 billion by 2050, with youth (aged 15–24) accounting for about 14 percent of this total. While the world’s youth is expected to grow, employment and innovative opportunities for youth – particularly those living in developing countries’ economically stagnant rural areas – remain limited, poorly remunerated and of poor quality. The employment of youth in Agriculture sector is a major act that can bring agriculture to good standard of feeding her people and to develop the continent at large, this is so due to the fact that, Youth are willing to work and they have ability to show performance, second; youth people occupy a larger percentage in the population system.

3. AGRICULTURE IMPROVEMENT

in my country ministry of Agriculture and have done best to improve Agriculture technology and wellbeing of her people than ever before, this is evidenced by seeing the seed storage building in different parts of the country. There are also many agriculture projects that are supporting Agriculture development in Rwanda, though much is still needed.

A. Major Achievements and Success Stories

During my BSc-Research in Agriculture I developed a research project which were solving a problem of expensive chemical nutrient additives to farmers and were liked by Research institutions (RAB) which were finally published in CABI-Project. In my MSc-Research project, I developed maize candidate cultivars in the regions which were in needy, while in Uganda. I sometimes was being consulted by World Bank group to give data on Agriculture situation while included in online survey.

B. What the Rwanda Youth Conference Should Address

The conference should address  young beneficiaries of the Project for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship to the younger people especially women and ladies in which they are in situation of difficulty accessing finance, this can be achieved by government agreement with the banks and decentralized financial institutions to support their micro-enterprises of younger people. In order to overcome the challenges, providing solutions through its Support Service to  Finance and Rwanda have done her level best to educate youth and they occupy a big area in the public service, private sector and NGOs, and the country still doing her level best to improve youth and to include them in Agriculture sector. Much improvement is needed to make better the livelihoods of African youth and Rwanda.

C. Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship

There should be improvement in admitting youth in public service and to fund their projects, this can be a good step in development once is done, their projects should also be financed. Youth to successfully participate in the agricultural sector, access to both information and education are fundamental and prerequisite; this can help to be able to acquire knowledge of agricultural production and processing techniques. Young people need access to finance or facilitation for involvements in projects that can develop their livelihoods. This applies to developed and developing countries alike. However, the situation is particularly dire in many developing countries, where access to appropriate education and training often remains insufficient mostly in rural areas.

D. Digital Innovation to Overcome Agriculture Value-Chain Constraints

There are many modern projects which can help gene editing to overcome crop responding to climate, for example crops affected by drought can be changed by introducing resistant genes, and this can be done through gene editing through breeding systems. The introduction of genomic selection in research breeding programs, Bio-informatics and bio-statistical breeding programs, digital pivot irrigation systems on a large scale, Introduction of breeding management systems (BMS) in breeding programs, Marker assisted selection in the breeding programs. I can ask experts how the modern agriculture breeding systems can be introduced to help crops respond to climate change as well as the environment improvement in climate smart systems.

E. Future of Work in Rural Economy - of the conference?

1. What is the future work to improve agriculture systems in rural sector?

2. How can horticulture be improved to overcome malnutrition in rural Areas?

3. How can opportunity be created to the African youth to motivate youth in Agriculture sector?

4. Youth projects are many and needs to be established?

5. What is the vision of the country for the youth who have no mortgage for loan and hence have mental capacity to implement the projects?

ENGLISH TRANSLATION BELOW

L’emploi régulier des jeunes dans l’agriculture va favoriser l’émergence d’une catégorie d’acteurs avertis et constituer une masse critique qui va améliorer significativement et durablement la rentabilité économique des  exploitations. Il faudrait pour cela continuer les efforts de maîtrise du foncier rural  et mettre en place des outils de gouvernance adaptés pour sécuriser les incitatives.

Par ailleurs, l’encadrement, l’organisation et l’accompagnement des jeunes, par types d’activités, par l’autorité,  pourrait améliorer l’efficience des exploitations individuelles tout en préservant les pressions sauvages sur les ressources naturelles.

Regular youth employment in agriculture will foster the emergence of an informed group of actors who will form a critical mass which will significantly and sustainably improve the economic profitability of activities.  For that, it will be necessary to continue the efforts to master rural land ownership and implement appropriate governance means to safeguard the incentives.

Furthermore, the training, organization and support of the youth by the authorities, by types of activities, could improve the efficiency of individual activities while preserving natural resources from uncontrolled pressures.