Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

This a great challenges threating the sustaining Agricultural practices in Africa because most youth doesnt see any value in what our forefather invested so much, however its only what is working that we can sustain. Many youth have lost hope in anything that as to do with agriculture and agricultural practices are fading away gradually because it's becoming non attractive.

We needed to build agribusiness as key to a developing nation which will unlock neccessary support to make youth open their heart to the huge benefit in agribusiness and once this is achieve we can now start working on support system to keep the youth encouraged.

Bank of Industry are embarking on quit numbers of initiatives to support agriculture but policy for accessibility should be made easy for youth without huge collaterial to access facilities to support the Agricultural business which will enable a sustainable system

VERSION FRANÇAISE CI-DESSOUS

Dear All,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, rich experiences and examples of capacity development (CD) and post-CD initiatives targeting African youth engaged in agriculture. Your contributions during the past 24 days highlighted several issues requiring addressing to sustain the impact of CD in agriculture in Africa.

In a very brief summary, the rich exchanges since 25 October:

• Validated existing knowledge on the many challenges African youth engaged in agriculture face, the biggest being lack of or inadequate access to finance to setup and develop agribusinesses, lack of access to land, lack of access to markets, and poor prices for agricultural products. The way many CD initiatives are organized also contribute to challenges faced by youth. Many CD initiatives are not based on capacity assessment and thus they lack appropriate targeting and interest of youth in agriculture; provide good technical training but poor business and project management, financial and accounting training; are of short duration to enable the youth to gain the required knowledge and skills; and lack follow-up and continuity by the organizers. The lack of follow-up means that African youth in agriculture are in many cases left on their own resulting in most of the CD initiatives not achieving their intended impact.
• Generated ideas to sustain the impact of CD programmes for African youth in agriculture. For CD initiatives to have sustainable impact, youth in need a lot of post-CD support from all stakeholders. African governments and development partners should listen to and hear the voice of the youth; provide post-CD support services including, but not limited to, mentorship, coaching, agribusiness incubators, etc.; help the youth to organize themselves into cooperatives, young farmers forums, peer to peer youth technical advisory clubs and associations, etc.
• Emphasised the need for an enabling environment - that provides for pro-youth in agriculture policies, sustainable financing arrangements for youth in agriculture, infrastructure and rural development, youth empowerment including involving them in decision making, reward and incentive systems for youth in agriculture, etc., - is key to ensure sustainability of youth in agriculture CD initiatives.
• Highlighted the key role of modern technologies, including ICTs, in sustaining capacity development initiatives, largely by, among others, providing platforms/facilities to support post-CD activities including networking, linking youth to their mentors/coaches, facilitating easy access to information services, financial services, and innovations in agriculture, providing business opportunities and lifelong learning opportunities, and platforms for on-farm data/information processing.

Several examples of CD and post-CD initiatives targeting youth in agriculture, including what is working well or not, further illustrated the efforts being made to attract and retain youth in agriculture on the continent. Among others, let me mention the following: the initiative by the Entreprises Territoires et Développement (ETD) in Togo which is financing agro-food enterprises and setting up a business incubation and promotion centre to support young people in the agro-food sector (and later in other sectors); the IITA Youth Agripreneurs initiative in Nigeria which is equipping young agripreneurs with skills in production processes and business management to help them to become both agriculturists and people who understand how the business world operates; initiatives by Greenfarm and Agriterra, both in Kenya, in which youth in agriculture are being supported to organize themselves and benefit from access to markets and other agri-services; the Kosmos Innovation Centre (KIC) AgriTech Challenge in Ghana where youth are being trained in business modules, team building and other relevant soft skills to establish and manage their business in the agricultural technological space; the "Programme de Promotion de l'Entrepreneuriat Agropastoral des Jeunes ", in Cameroon which is building capacities of youth, equipping them with skills on good agricultural practices, management and project proposal writing, after which the Government funds 50% of the total capital required by the youth for their projects; and the Youth Champions in Agriculture initiative by MAAIF and FAO in Uganda where young entrepreneurs who have developed cutting-edge innovations in agricultural value chain are identified and supported to act as roles models to inspire and build the capacity of their fellow youth.

What next?

The team will now work on the report (in both English and French) of the discussion to be submitted to FAO Regional Office for Africa, based in Accra, Ghana, which initiated the discussion. The report will also be shared with you all on this platform.

On behalf of Dr Abebe Haile Gabriel (Regional Programme Leader, FAO Regional Office for Africa (RAF), Accra, Ghana), who launched the online discussion 25 October, let me end by thanking you, individually, for your contributions to the discussion.

A big thank you to:

• Peter Steele (Australia);
• Dahan Kueshi Semanou (Benin);
• Milly Monkhei (Botswana);
• Thomas Wenceslas Ottou, Precillia Ijang Tata Ngome, Tang Erasmus Nchuaji, Ngaleu Staphane, and Constantino Nguivoum Thea (Cameroon);
• Phanorl Madjita Djoumountanan (Chad);
• Inza Fanny (Côte d'Ivoire);
• Theodore Mulumeoderhwa Lushombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo);
• Aman Kiniso, Aklilu Nigussie, and Girmay Tesfay Belay (Ethiopia);
• Dele Raheem (Finland);
• Ebrima Saidyleigh and Halimatou Baldeh (The Gambia);
• Rachel Ghanson Dwamena, Nkafu Therese, Haruna Adam, Micheal Ige, and Kafui Agbe (Ghana)
• Innocent Chamisa (Italy);
• Meidimi Sokoto, Pauline Ngari, James Aucha, Muhammad Mehmood-Ul-Hassan, Hillary Maket, Maina Karuiru, Eileen Omosa, Shadrack Agaki, Nyawira Gitaka, Jean de Dieu Hererimana and Belinda Kiraya (Kenya);
• Lahcen Daali (Morocco);
• Gerwin Jansen (The Netherlands);
• Abigail Iyilade, Waheed Waheed, Ndubuisi Idejiora-Kalu, Chigozie Abuta, Ololade Adesola, Stephen Adejoro Adejoro, Garba Saleh, Philip Ifejika, Julian Akinremi, Musa Usman Musa, Daramola Tolu, Salahuddeen Mohammed Shitu, Toyin Otitoju, Hazeez Durosomo and Taibat Moji Yusuf (Nigeria);
• Titus Gakwaya (Rwanda);
• Youssoupha Diouf, Gbadebo Odularu, Jacques Diouf and Gbadebo Odularu (Senegal);
• Aminata Fatmata Kandeh (Sierra Leone);
• Agape Ishabakaki (Tanzania);
• Atsu Semane and Agbessi Kenyeku (Togo)
• Edward Tanyima, Denye Ronald and Paul Emuria (Uganda);
• April Dodd (USA);
• Tanyaradzwa Dembetembe (Zimbabwe).

Let me also extend special thanks to my colleagues - Eyawassou Baya (Songhai Centre, Benin), Dr. Alex Ariho (AAIN, Ghana), Tony Nsanganira (FAO/RAF, Ghana), Nawsheen Hosenally (AgriBusiness TV, Bukina Faso), Msekiwa Matsimbe (YPARD Malawi), and Ken Lohento (CTA, The Netherlands) - who worked as subject experts on the discussion; Stepanka Gallatova (RAF), Ruhiza Boroto (FAO HQ) and Gualbert (FAO-HQ ) – who supported the discussion as part of their work on FAO Regional Initiative on Sustainable Production Intensification and Value Chain Development in Africa.

Thank you all for your valuable contribution to this discussion.

Justin Chisenga

Lead Facilitator for the Discussion

Chers tous,

Merci de partager vos réflexions, vos riches expériences et vos exemples d'initiatives de renforcement des capacités et activités postérieures visant les jeunes africains travaillant dans le secteur agricole. Les contributions envoyées au cours des 24 derniers jours ont mis en lumière plusieurs questions à aborder pour maintenir l'impact du renforcement des capacités sur l'agriculture en Afrique.

Voici, dans un très bref résumé, les riches échanges qui se sont déroulés depuis le 25 octobre :

• La reconnaissance des connaissances existantes sur les nombreux défis auxquels sont confrontés les jeunes Africains qui travaillent dans l'agriculture, le plus important étant le manque de ou l'accès inadéquat au financement pour créer et développer des entreprises agricoles, le manque d'accès à la terre, le manque d'accès aux marchés et les faibles prix des produits agricoles. La façon dont de nombreuses initiatives de renforcement des capacités sont organisées contribue également aux problèmes rencontrés par les jeunes. De nombreuses initiatives de renforcement des capacités ne sont pas fondées sur l'évaluation des capacités et manquent donc de ciblage approprié et d'intérêt pour les jeunes qui travaillent dans l'agriculture; elles offrent une bonne formation technique, mais sont lacunaires dans le domaine de la gestion des affaires et des projets et de la formation financière et comptable; elles sont de trop courte durée pour permettre aux jeunes d'acquérir les connaissances et les compétences requises,  et manquent de suivi et de continuité de la part des organisateurs. L'absence de suivi signifie que les jeunes Africains qui travaillent dans l'agriculture sont souvent laissés à eux-mêmes, ce qui explique que la plupart des initiatives de renforcement ne parviennent pas à atteindre l'impact escompté.
• La formulation d’idées pour soutenir l'impact des programmes de renforcement des capacités pour les jeunes Africains qui travaillent dans l'agriculture. Pour que les initiatives de renforcement des capacités  aient un impact durable, les jeunes ont besoin d'un soutien résolu dans la phase postérieure du renforcement de la part de toutes les parties prenantes. Les gouvernements africains et les partenaires du développement doivent écouter et entendre la voix des jeunes,  fournir des services de soutien dans la phase postérieure au renforcement des capacités, entre autres, le mentorat, l'encadrement, les incubateurs d'entreprises agroalimentaires, etc.; ils doivent aider les jeunes à s'organiser en coopératives, forums de jeunes agriculteurs, clubs et associations de conseils techniques pour les jeunes entre pairs, etc.
• L'accent a été mis sur la nécessité d'un environnement favorable, prévoyant des politiques agricoles favorables aux jeunes, des dispositions de financement durables pour les jeunes dans l'agriculture, des infrastructures et le développement rural, l'autonomisation des jeunes, y compris leur participation à la prise de décisions, des systèmes de récompense et d'incitation pour les jeunes dans l'agriculture, etc. pour assurer la pérennité des jeunes dans les initiatives de renforcement des capacités dans le secteur agricole.
• Le rôle clé des technologies modernes, y compris les TIC, a été souligné dans le soutien des initiatives de renforcement des capacités, notamment en fournissant des plates-formes et des installations pour soutenir les activités postérieures au renforcement, y compris le réseautage, en reliant les jeunes à leurs mentors et entraîneurs, en facilitant l'accès aux services d'information, aux services financiers et aux innovations dans le domaine de l'agriculture, en offrant des possibilités d'affaires et d'apprentissage tout au long de la vie, et des plates-formes pour le traitement des données et de l'information à la ferme.

Plusieurs exemples d'initiatives de renforcement des capacités et postérieures ciblant les jeunes en agriculture, y compris ce qui fonctionne bien ou pas, ont illustré davantage les efforts déployés pour attirer et retenir les jeunes dans l'agriculture sur le continent. Je mentionnerai notamment les suivantes : L'initiative Entreprises Territoires et Développement (ETD) au Togo qui finance des entreprises agroalimentaires et la création d'un centre d'incubation et de promotion des entreprises pour soutenir les jeunes dans le secteur agroalimentaire (et plus tard dans d'autres secteurs); l'initiative Jeunes Agripreneurs de l'IITA au Nigeria qui dote les jeunes agriculteurs de compétences en matière de processus de production et de gestion d'entreprise pour les aider à devenir à la fois agriculteurs et spécialistes du processus de production. Les initiatives de Greenfarm et d'Agriterra, toutes deux au Kenya, dans lesquelles les jeunes qui travaillent dans l’agriculture sont soutenus pour s'organiser et bénéficier de l'accès aux marchés et autres services agricoles; le Kosmos Innovation Centre (KIC) AgriTech Challenge au Ghana où les jeunes sont formés à des modules d'affaires, à la formation d’équipes et à d'autres compétences non techniques pertinentes pour établir et gérer leur entreprise dans l'espace technologique agricole; le «Programme de Promotion de l'Entrepreneuriat Agropastoral des Jeunes » , au Cameroun, qui renforce les capacités des jeunes, en les dotant de compétences sur les bonnes pratiques agricoles, la gestion et la rédaction d’avant-projets, en vue de leur présentation au gouvernement qui finance 50% du capital total requis par les jeunes pour leurs projets; et l'initiative des Jeunes Champions de l'Agriculture par la MAAIF et la FAO en Ouganda, où de jeunes entrepreneurs qui ont développé des innovations de pointe dans la chaîne de valeur agricole sont reconnus  et soutenus pour servir de modèles capables d’inspirer et de renforcer les capacités de leurs homologues.

Quelle est la suite ?

L'équipe va maintenant travailler sur le rapport (en anglais et en français) de la discussion qui sera présenté au Bureau régional de la FAO pour l'Afrique, basé à Accra (Ghana), qui a lancé la discussion. Le rapport sera également publié sur cette plate-forme.

Au nom du Dr Abebe Haile Gabriel (Chef de programme régional, Bureau régional de la FAO pour l'Afrique (RAF), Accra, Ghana), qui a lancé la discussion en ligne le 25 octobre, permettez-moi de terminer cette communication en vous remerciant individuellement pour vos contributions à la discussion.

Un grand merci à: 

• Peter Steele (Australia);
• Dahan Kueshi Semanou (Benin);
• Milly Monkhei (Botswana);
• Thomas Wenceslas Ottou, Precillia Ijang Tata Ngome, Tang Erasmus Nchuaji, Ngaleu Staphane, and Constantino Nguivoum Thea (Cameroon);
• Phanorl Madjita Djoumountanan (Chad);
• Inza Fanny (Côte d'Ivoire);
• Theodore Mulumeoderhwa Lushombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo);
• Aman Kiniso, Aklilu Nigussie, and Girmay Tesfay Belay (Ethiopia);
• Dele Raheem (Finland);
• Ebrima Saidyleigh and Halimatou Baldeh (The Gambia);
• Rachel Ghanson Dwamena, Nkafu Therese, Haruna Adam, Micheal Ige, and Kafui Agbe (Ghana)
• Innocent Chamisa (Italy);
• Meidimi Sokoto, Pauline Ngari, James Aucha, Muhammad Mehmood-Ul-Hassan, Hillary Maket, Maina Karuiru, Eileen Omosa, Shadrack Agaki, Nyawira Gitaka, Jean de Dieu Hererimana and Belinda Kiraya (Kenya);
• Lahcen Daali (Morocco);
• Gerwin Jansen (The Netherlands);
• Abigail Iyilade, Waheed Waheed, Ndubuisi Idejiora-Kalu, Chigozie Abuta, Ololade Adesola, Stephen Adejoro Adejoro, Garba Saleh, Philip Ifejika, Julian Akinremi, Musa Usman Musa, Daramola Tolu, Salahuddeen Mohammed Shitu, Toyin Otitoju, Hazeez Durosomo and Taibat Moji Yusuf (Nigeria);
• Titus Gakwaya (Rwanda);
• Youssoupha Diouf, Gbadebo Odularu, Jacques Diouf and Gbadebo Odularu (Senegal);
• Aminata Fatmata Kandeh (Sierra Leone);
• Agape Ishabakaki (Tanzania);
• Atsu Semane and Agbessi Kenyeku (Togo)
• Edward Tanyima, Denye Ronald and Paul Emuria (Uganda);
• April Dodd (USA);
• Tanyaradzwa Dembetembe (Zimbabwe).

Permettez-moi également de remercier tout particulièrement mes collègues - Eyawassou Baya (Centre Songhai, Bénin), Dr Alex Ariho (AAIN, Ghana), Tony Nsanganira (FAO/RAF, Ghana), Nawsheen Hosenally (AgriBusiness TV, Bukina Faso), Msekiwa Matsimbe (YPARD Malawi), et Ken Lohento (CTA, Pays-Bas) - qui ont travaillé en tant qu’experts thématiques de cette discussion. Stepanka Gallatova (RAF), Ruhiza Boroto (Siège de la FAO) et Gualbert (Siège de la FAO)  qui ont apporté leur soutien à la discussion dans le cadre de leurs travaux sur l'Initiative régionale de la FAO pour l'intensification de la production durable et le développement des chaînes de valeur en Afrique.

Je vous remercie tous de votre précieuse contribution à cette discussion.

Justin Chisenga

Facilitateur principal de la discussion

For me there is always a positive and negative implication to any technologies in science; thought the degree of negativity always go for minimum. So that the positive impact of technologies creates improvement in development initiatives like:

1. Encouraging innovative and creativity for the youth at individual household level or as farmers research group (FRG).

2. Improves communications skill and knowledge with practical applications and theoretical creativity according to the existing conditions of the farming system and beyond.

3. Improve the life style of the youth in different direction for instance wealth creation;

4. Improve Efficiency and productivity- this can also be related to invention and innovation; or doing things differently with different spectrum in the agricultural sector.

5. Improve convenience of time

6. Improve social network for innovation, development, research, invention and exchange of technologies

7. Improve methodological implementation or testing accuracy for different environmental phenomenals

A) Challenges facing youth after going through development initiative in Agriculture

I interviewed some youth that had received training on agriculture. Below were some of the challenges they faced after going through development initiative in Agriculture:

1. Inadequate/ lack of access to initial capital outlay for establishing agricultural enterprises.
2. Inadequate access to land for large scale production.
3. Paucity of fund for maintaining set up enterprises.
4. Lack of / inadequate agricultural enterprises management skills.
5. Low return on investment, especially for small scale agricultural enterprises

B) Success Stories after going through development initiative in Agriculture

Some of the Youth (Agricultural graduates) trained by Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) through the support of Federal Government of Nigeria have become employers of labour. Moreover, success stories were also recorded by some participants of Youth Empowerment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP) who received post capacity development training on Management skills development in agribusiness.  The training was organised by Gender and Youth Department of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), supported by FAO and facilitated by ARMTI.

The success stories of the Agricultural graduates were as a result of the fact that some of the participants trained were taught how to write business proposal and how to access loan/grants for agribusiness. Moreover, complimenting management skills with technical training for YEAP participants also contributed to the success recorded by them.

C) How to enhance the sustainability of the impact of development initiative  for Youth in Agriculture:

1.  Linking them up on how to access fund.
2. Complimenting their technical skills with agribusiness management skills.
3. Facilitating their access to land for large scale production.
4. Establishing interactive platforms for participants after capacity development programme.

English translation below

Bonsoir chers tous, je suis très content de rejoindre une fois encore le forum et pour en contribuer à travers mon point de vue.

Pour ma part, ce qui concerne le soutien aux initiatives des renforcements de capacités pour la jeunesse africaine dans l’agriculture est très crucial, mais devons-nous faire d’abord une étude sur l’état psychologique de cette jeunesse pour voir si la plupart sont vraiment près pour ce secteur qu’est l’agriculture. Je veux me focaliser sur deux aspects à savoir : aspect, activités autre que l'agriculture en tant que jeune et l’aspect agriculture en tant que jeune qui veux aller dans l'agriculture.

Une chose est de soutenir des jeunes prêts pour l’un ou l’autre aspect, mais pas une jeunesse qui à défaut d’aller dans d’autres secteurs (fonctionnaire de bureau, continuez ces études de recherches pour devenir un professeur d’université, ingénieur en mécanique ou en génie civil…) tant souhaités se focalise dans l’agriculture (entrepreneur agricole) après mainte tentative de trouver quelque chose pour s’autosuffire. Pourquoi j’aborde le sujet dans ce sens, c’est parce que l’entrepreneuriat agricole doit être choisi par une jeunesse prête, dévouer pour ne pas dire une jeunesse qui a la vocation pour la terre. Si telle est le cas les initiatives de renforcement des capacités pour cette jeunesse se verras pas vain ou improductif ou encore ne trouveras pas assez d’embuches pour vraiment impacter.

En effet, les initiatives de renforcement des capacités sont plus ou moins disponibles actuellement dans les pays africains et tente vaille que vaille à soutenir les jeunes dans des activités agricoles, mais pourquoi vailles que vaille, c’est parce qu’il y a assez de défis auxquels ils font la plus par des temps, qui proviennent tant des initiateurs (structures étatiques, banques, microfinances…) et les jeunes eux-mêmes : on peut situer entre autres manque de suivi évaluation rigoureuse, la capitalisation des expériences pour un relancement meilleur, les choix par affinité des acteurs. Tout cela pourrait ou pour plus part des temps rend imperceptible l’effort des initiatives en terme d’impact, ne serais qu’un nombre très limité d’initiatives qui arrive vraiment.

Sur ce, je voudrais bien que l’accompagnement pour favoriser un impact soutenu des initiatives de renforcement des capacités pour la jeunesse africaine dans l'agriculture, dois vraiment démarrer par le formations des spécialistes pour un encadrement psychologique avant que ça soit entrepreneurial et autre. En plus je suggérais que les systèmes et initiatives en Afrique conçoivent des outils de formation uniforme en se basant aussi sur l’agriculture traditionnelle pour un impact durable, et que c’est institution soient vraiment accompagné pour être indépendant en matière de conception aussi d’un système de formation avant de recevoir l’appui de grandes institutions comme la FAO et non la domestication des programmes de formation « occidentale »

Veuillez recevoir ma modeste contribution, sur le sujet et espérant bien apport ma pierre à l’édifice agricole africaine.

Vous avez l’honneur à DAHAN KUESHI SEMANOU, jeune activiste membre d’Oxfam Youth Program Bénin

Très cordialement à vous.

***

Hello everyone! I am very happy to join the forum once again and to contribute through my point of view.

As for me, it is really crucial to support for capacity development initiatives for young African people in agriculture, but we should make a study of the psychological condition of these young people to see if the majority are truly ready for this sector, agriculture. I will focus on two aspects: activities different from agriculture for the young and how agriculture looks to the young who want to begin in agriculture.

One thing is to support the young ready for one or the other aspect, but young people having failed to get into other much sought-after sectors (office worker, continued research studies to become a university professor, mechanical or civil engineer,...), focus on agriculture (agricultural entrepreneur) after numerous attempts to find something to be self-sufficient. Why do I approach the subject in this sense? It is because agricultural entrepreneurship must be chosen by youth who are willing, devoted, if not to say, youth that have a vocation for the land. If that is the case, the capacity development initiatives for these young people will not be in vain or unproductive or again will not encounter enough problems to have a real effect.

Indeed, the capacity development initiatives are more or less available today in the African countries and, for better or worse, try to support the young in their agricultural activities, but why for better or worse, it is because there are many challenges which they overcome in time, that come as much from the initiators (state structures, banks, micro-finance institutions, ...) as from the young people themselves: one could mention among others the lack of rigorous assessment monitoring, the capitalisation of experiences for a better fresh approach, choices influenced by the sympathies of the actors.  All this could, or much of the time, make the impact of all the effort of the initiatives seem imperceptible, were it not for a very limited number of initiatives that truly succeed. 

On that subject, I would very much like that to promote the sustained effect of capacity development initiatives for young Africans in agriculture this should start with training by specialists in a framework that is firstly psychological before it is entrepreneurial or other. Furthermore, I suggest that the systems and initiatives in Africa should design uniform training tools by basing themselves on traditional agriculture for a sustainable impact, and that this concept may be truly supported in order to be independent in terms also of the design of a training system before receiving the support of large institutions, like FAO, and not by the adaptation of "occidental" training programs.

Please accept my modest contribution on the topic and I hope to have made my contribution to building African agriculture.

I am DAHAN KUESHI SEMANOU, young activist member of the Oxfam Youth Program, Benin

With kind regards

Dear all

After my first input, I would like to respond now to question 5 : Is there a role for modern technologies, including Information and Communication Technologies, in sustaining capacity development initiatives?

Indeed, as specified by many contributions, ICT can play a very important role in sustaining capacity development initiatives.  At the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), I have been coordinating activities leveraging on ICT to engage different profiles of youth in agriculture, before, during after capacity development activities.

We have developed a four-pronged framework, to engage youth in agriculture using ICTs, as part of our youth ARDYIS (Agriculture, Rural Development and Youth in the Information Society) project.  The first approach relates to the use of social media to advocate for and promote agriculture opportunities, and the second one focuses on enhancing ICT use in youth-led farming and agribusinesses, in order to improve market access and business processes. The third approach relates to the development of ICT services targeting the agricultural sector by young entrepreneurs, and the fourth one encourages upgrading ICT use in all other agricultural professional areas in which youth can be involved, particularly in extension, agricultural knowledge management, etc. CTA has been implementing a variety of activities within that framework. See the picture attached and this report http://bit.ly/youth-ict-agri-report  for more information.

At each of these levels, after capacity development activities are implemented, ICT can help facilitate :

• a) the launch and management of community of practice on the training subjects (networking of, and with, trainees for continuous learning and improvement, and for the deployment of future initiatives);
• b) the sharing of best practices, lessons learned and post training opportunities;
• c) awareness creation and mobilisation of other youths who were not beneficiaries;
• d) access to  wider ICT-based opportunities (e-platforms, e-marketplaces where agripreneurs for example can find additional customers and trade) leveraging on new capacity acquired;
• e) development of new tools by trainees;
• f) training evaluation and delivery of more advanced training.

Best regards, 

Ken Lohento, CTA

My contributions will be focusing generally on how best to support African youth in agriculture after they have gone through youth-specific capacity development initiatives. 

• A workable science policy could be the springboard for sustaining the impact of capacity development initiatives for African youth in Agriculture.
• Do we need to have a look at the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA), S3A and other related strategies, and how they address the importance of Science (and Science policy) in sustaining the impact of capacity development initiatives for African youth in Agriculture? Comparatively, at the global level, Africa needs more scientists in order to fully appreciate how to champion more quality (monetary) investment votes in sustaining the impact of capacity development initiatives for African youth in Agriculture.
• At the political level, there seems to be a disconnect between the roles of science and legislation in illuminating these non-sustainability challenges in capacity-enhancing initiatives, and the relevance of science in advancing the solutions, as well as its implications for achieving the UN SDGs, amidst complex and competing interests.
• Fostering and implementing strategies for building highly skilled, inclusive and diverse youth in STI is one of the effective pathways to sustaining capacity development initiatives for African youth in Africa.

Lastly, though the discussion focuses on how best to support African youth in agriculture after they have gone through youth-specific capacity development initiatives, it is also very crucial for Africa to be able to nip the challenge at its bud. In other words, the science of sustainability in capacity-enhancing programmes for African youth in Agriculture hinges on how are Africa's most intellectually talented and brightest high-school leavers nurtured into Agriculture-related disciplines to help solve these numerous challenges confronting Africa - hunger, malnutrition, stunting, joblessness, climate change, etc

An efficiently functional capacity building value chain, which comprises relevant activities, processes, policies, programmes, strategies, etc, should operate an inbuilt mechanism that ensures the sustainability and long-term impact of youth-specific CD initiatives? With the support from international partners, development agencies and African governments, African Agribusiness Incubators Network (AAIN)'s and FARA's programmes, strategies, tools and activities are increasingly being enhanced towards responding to the issue of ensuring post-capacity building support to youth in order to retain them in agriculture-related sectors.

In spite of increasing investment in capacity building programmes in SSA, It is interesting that 'young people, and in particular female youth, still lack access to finance, land, markets, technologies and practical skills,' and the university graduates from most SSA countries are still largely underemployed and unemployed within agricultural sub-sectors and sectors.

Though multiple capacity-development initiatives (CDIs) exist in a number of communities, there is still a need to ensure that increasing number of youth and women engage in more industry-driven knowledge, skills, training and education. This represents one of the sustainability dimension of CDIs. These types of CDIs should be implemented by both medium to large scale farms in collaboration with selected universities or colleges of agriculture and CG centers. In fact, continuous acquisition of knowledge and technical agricultural skills by youth is the viable currency of the emerging African economy.

Thank you so much Mr facilitator for such a educative platform where we disussed issues that affect our nations.

Aminata from Sierra Leone the CEO of Agro Fish farm, i will like to give my own contribution in relation to what is the role for modern technologies, including Information and Communication Technologies, in sustaining capacity development initiatives? For us to achieve sustainable Development Goal two which say Zero Hunger, we need to explore modern technologies so that we will be able to either process, label and distribute our goods. Information and communication technologies are very vital especially in the world we are living now. With ICT we are able to do some many things at the blink of your eyes without any difficulties. For example the present discussion we are doing on this platform it so significant because we are able to deliberate and analyses issues that is affecting everybody across the globe. In this forum we have learned a lot from each other's views and opinions on issues that are discussed here from different country perspective and this is possible because of information and communication technology. In Sierra Leone, in this sector we are making head way although it is not that too effective especially in the rural areas but the awareness is there and almost all the youth are aware of the importance of information and communication technology. The stakeholders need to play very key role for us as country to actualize this particular development, they need to provide sustainable electricity because technologies don’t go without power. Where there is no power it is difficult for ICT to strive effectively and it limits you from so many opportunities that are out there.

Thanks for reading this.

1. What are the biggest challenges youth in Africa face after going through youth-specific capacity development initiatives in agriculture?

Following the world’s population projected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030 with African having more than a half of this global change according to UN new Desa report Aug.18, 2015. On this population at list most African countries have about 75% youth where Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa take a lead. This has its own circumstances caused by most African governments which is beyond their reach until they try to realize should be part of the economic movement in the areas they are born. However putting that aside, agriculture being one of the sector for exploitation to liberating youth from unemployment among other risk encountered, has its own challenges youth face in Africa besides going through youth specific capacity development initiatives.

It’s clear that youth who should have been stakeholders in the development of process especially in view of the great assets of youth, their resilience, resourcefulness and perseverance is just unfortunate Africa’s youth are virtually left out in these policies and programmes considerations in agriculture sector by their country leaders.

The second principal challenge is youth’s insufficient access to knowledge, information and education. Poor and inadequate education has limited productivity and acquisition of skills, which also has hindered the development of entrepreneurial ventures. In Africa it’s where you find programs starting one to five month igniting youth in into agriculture and stopping abruptly on ideas of mindset change and many are discourage to continue with production.

Inadequate or totally no access to financial services is also another challenges. Most financial service providers are reluctant to provide their services including credit, savings and insurance to rural youth due to their lack of collateral and financial literacy, among other reasons calling the sector (Agriculture) as risk venture.

Difficulties accessing green jobs to strengthen youth involvement in agriculture. This would provide an open ticket to youth who are learnt to provide extension services and plan for future development. In Uganda have had serious changes in sector where soldiers are integrated in some government programs taking over areas which would be for youth engagement and sustainability where with this has left a very big gap and discouraging youth labour intensive involvement.

There’s also challenge of limited access to markets which bring the youth not able to engage in viable and sustainable agricultural ventures. This is even becoming more difficult due to growing international influence of supermarkets and rigorous standards of their supply chains and are not easy met. Youth sometimes affected or limited freedom movement by cultural norms.

In addition to above youth in Africa who are now known as timed boom to erupt anytime should nothing be done urgently against their needs have other challenges like limited involvement in policy dialogue for their voices to be heard, lack of land for cultivation and empowerment, political instabilities and their effects like South Sudan, natural hazards like drought and heavy rains destroying all green plantations among others.

In developing countries particular Uganda and Africa at large, facilitating youth cohort’s participation in agriculture will drive widespread rural poverty reduction for younger and surrounding communities alike with reduction of migration beyond borders.

2. What are the examples of existing post-capacity development sustainability initiatives for youth in agriculture in Africa? What works and what doesn’t? Are there any success stories and good practices that can be shared?

What workers is that youth who have been initiated in programs for example youth in agriculture should have direct strategic work plan for five years and above making sure those engaged are empowered in all phases of agriculture value chain production, promoting financial products catered to youth, mentoring programmes and start-up funding opportunities can all help remedy Africa’s youth challenges. There’s also need to improving youth access to education and training including formal and informal on job training to redress skills mismatch. On the side of market youth need niche markets offering particularly significant opportunities for young farmers. Lastly African policymakers must actively engage youth in the policy making process for their voices to be heard and this can bring accountability for heterogeneity of youth at all levels. There should be addition program of mindset change where youth should realize Africa is their land to change and be the owners of what should expect with care for next generations.

3. What post-capacity development support do the youth need? What can the youth do to support each other in developing their skills and capacities?

The youth need to engage in policies formulation on access to land, credit (finances) and investment within any government sent agricultural projects, encouraging use of modern technologies(ICT) to disseminate information and passion involvement, Farming from the word go should be presented more effectively as a business opportunity, promoting leadership in agriculture and lastly encouraging greater investment of time and resource in young professionals across sector value chain and toward climate-smart agriculture sustaining the environment for future generations.

4. What enabling environment is needed to ensure sustainability of youth in agriculture capacity development initiatives?

It’s through facilitation and encouraging policy engagement and formulation for youth support. This can be taken around all levels to where activities are implemented. There’s need of capacity building and exposure of youth in agriculture to embrace the cause and take on the opportunities in sector.

Lastly theirs need to incorporate stakeholdership taking youth as center and others on value china like credit and financing institutions, insurance, local government, markets among others not forgetting research institutions providing all basic and right information to youth activity involvement.

5. Is there a role for modern technologies, including Information and Communication Technologies, in sustaining capacity and development initiatives?

Modern technologies should be part since young people have a high propensity to embraces innovative technologies as revolution for the next generations in agriculture sector. New technologies are shaping the value chain and jobs are created. The world is moving very fast, most thing are shifting from one level to another. Therefore, ICT in agriculture has an impact for sharing information on mobile phones for example markets, skills, knowledge on type of product among others. There’s also lobbying and presentation for opportunities. Other services like credit, insurance, media news (Social media platform) and connections are all found on internet and can reduce time and cost to most agriculture development business projects infrastructure systems.

Dear Moderator,

4. What enabling environment is needed to ensure sustainability of youth in agriculture capacity development initiatives?

Thankyou for providing the platform for us to share experiences on CD for youth.

I think one of the key aspects that need to be harmonized is the varying ldefinitions on who a youth is as well as the legal age of employment which have far reaching legal implications on the ability of the youth to benefit from youth specific CD. For instance in Uganda,  youth is someone who is 18 years and above meaning that those below the age of 18 years do not benefit from youth specific CD initiatives. On the other hand the legal age of employment is anywhere between 12 and 14 years depending on the lenses on is using. This has an effect on the CD opportunities available to the youth

Secondly, CD initiatives should be based on comprehensive CD assessments and structured according to the unique needs of the youth categories in terms of age, gender and geographical location among others. For instance, youth aged 14-17 face peculiar challenges because they are transitioning to adulthood yet there are no specific CD programmes to prepare them to be adults when they turn 18.

Provision of a safe working environment for the youth is also key to their capacity development especially given that most of the youth in Africa work without contracts and therefore at risk of doing hazardous work. Strong policies on Occupational Safety & Health are therefore very key.

Thanks