Young people, agriculture, and employment in rural Africa

Abstract

This chapter examines the growing policy interest in using agriculture to address youth unemployment in rural Africa. It questions the assumption that agriculture offers a simple or uniform solution for young people and highlights the diversity of rural economies, employment opportunities and youth experiences across the continent.

Using the concepts of transitions and mobility, the authors develop a framework that emphasises the different ways young people move between education, work, farming and other livelihood activities. The chapter argues that policies aimed at encouraging young people into agriculture need to be grounded in local economic and social realities and should recognise that agriculture forms only one part of many young people’s broader livelihood strategies.

The analysis calls for more realistic and flexible approaches to youth employment policy that take account of differences among young people, rural areas and available work opportunities.