26 June 2018, Addis Ababa - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the East African Community (EAC) join hands to empower the youth in agro-entrepreneurship.

The ultimate goal of the partnership between the two agencies is to create jobs for the youth in agriculture and, thereby, improving food and nutrition security in the subregion.  

Exploring Youth Agribusiness Models in EAC Partner States (Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda), FAO-EAC Youth Project, dubbed: “Promoting Youth Employment in the Agricultural Sector in East Africa” identified and documented good practices of youth agribusiness activities in mushroom, crop, vegetables, rice, livestock, and Rhode Grass farming.

Defining 9 agribusiness models for the subregion as good practices, the project has also organized an “Incubation Training in Agribusiness and Sustainable Agro-ecological Practices” for 18 Youth Champions-in-Agriculture drawn from Member States to introduce and further augment good practices through scientific methodologies and techniques. The training, held from May 2 to 29, 2018 at Songhaï Regional Centre in Porto Novo-Benin, has been instrumental to equip the Youth Champions to understand the integrated agro-ecological farming system and zero wastes farming techniques, and the significance of developing agribusiness plans, which would enable them become lead agri-preneurs and peer-trainers in their respective countries.

The training was facilitated by African Agribusiness Incubators Network (AAIN), Christian Impact Mission, and Songhaï Training Department and addressed the topics on agribusiness and enterprise development in the agriculture sector.

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