OPINION

By Surita Sandosham and Dr. Agnes Kalibata

In the heart of Africa, a vibrant and dynamic force pulses - the youth. Known for their resilience to recurrent crises across the world, our sons and daughters have refused to be daunted by the insurmountable challenges they face and are displaying resilience against some of the gravest societal issues of our time.

Navigating a landscape plagued with poverty, food insecurity, economic disparities, racism and discrimination, war, disease, and the effects of climate change, Africa’s youth are emerging triumphant, driven by their zeal, entrepreneurial mindset, and innovative approaches to solution-finding. 

Fueled by innovation, determination, and a deep-rooted connection to their land, they have become catalysts of change, sowing the seeds of transformation across the continent's food systems.

Their different achievements and active contribution to positive change in their communities and beyond, continues to inspire the confidence of a brighter future for Africa.

Tech for transformation

Notably, in the face of the adverse effects of climate change, and inadequate agricultural financing, many youth have leveraged new media and technology to access information on the best practices of modern farming, and market trends for climate smart agriculture.

This knowledge has led to a significant impact on our food systems as family farms are transformed from modest subsistence gardens into thriving agribusiness ventures that fuel local and national economies.

Meanwhile, such innovative use of modern technology to gain impactful knowledge by our youth is confirmation enough that bridging the innovation and related funding gaps is the key to driving sustainable agricultural transformation in Africa.

Indeed, the Food and Agriculture Organization predicts that Africa's agricultural market will surge from $200 million in 2015 to $1 trillion by 2030, with agricultural technology driving this growth. However, the pace of uptake for agricultural technologies is still slow, with a recent study indicating that only 23% of youth in agriculture use any form of agricultural technology.

For a step-change, several initiatives have been developed to drive the integration of technology in youth-led agricultural enterprises. One such program is Pitch AgriHack, an initiative of AGRA, Heifer International and Generation Africa.

Targeting young entrepreneurs aged 18 to 40 years old, the initiative runs a digital agriculture competition, whose winners are feted at the Africa Food Systems Forum (previously AGRF), where the contestants get further opportunities to share their innovations with potential investors from around the world.  

In the same way, the annual Agriculture, Youth and Technology (AYuTe) Africa Challenge awards cash grants of USD1.5 million to promising young Agritech innovators and social enterprises across the continent — enabling professionals to use technology to reimagine farming and food production in Africa.

The AYuTe challenge is a catalyst for growth, combining a cash incentive with business development initiatives to translate the energy and ideas of young African innovators into meaningful impact for the continent’s farmers.

Many more initiatives around the continent are creating impact while leveraging global funding to unlock youth-led innovation. A good example is Hello Tractor’s unique Pay-As-You-Go tractor financing service that facilitates affordable equipment rental services to smallholder farmers via a tech platform that drives the capacity of farmers to adopt mechanization for increased productivity.

The platform connects equipment owners with licensed booking agents who link requesting farmers to affordable tractors for lease. This unique model has not only strengthened mechanization market, but also unlocked commercial capital for all players across the ecosystem.

Working with a USD 4.5 million grant, the initiative was piloted in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda with remarkable success, unlocking USD7 million in commercial capital from private investors.

The Crowding Effect

Overall, the continued rise of agritech startups is now providing real-time data on crop health, livestock administration, and pest management, all of which translate into increased productivity, connecting smallholder farmers to markets, and enabling seamless transactions.

Indeed, e-commerce platforms are already bridging the gap between rural producers and urban consumers, democratizing access to nutritious food and eliminating exploitative middlemen ensuring that farmers receive fair prices for their produce.

Meanwhile, as the world rapidly gets interconnected through digital platforms, African youth are leveraging these linkages to collaborate beyond borders, while creating a transformative movement of pan-African networks for knowledge sharing, notably around sustainable agricultural practices, including irrigation, water harvesting and conservation, and composting.

The drivers of sustainability

Drawing from these learning opportunities, the new generation of farmers now understands that unless we embrace sustainable practices, feeding the world population of 9.1 billion by 2050 will be a far-fetched dream.

Working with gained knowledge on modern conservation methods, they are successfully optimizing water usage through conservative irrigation techniques, while leading the uptake of organic fertilization through home-made compost.

In urban areas, we are seeing young people breathe new life into neglected spaces by cultivating rooftop gardens and urban farms, which now provide fresh, locally-grown vegetables and spices for city dwellers, while reducing the carbon footprint of food distribution.

We are expecting more evidence of this innovativeness at the 2023 African Food Systems Forum in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, from September 4 – 8.

The AFSF, previously the AGRF Summit, will not only explore the opportunities for optimizing youth involvement in Africa’s food systems but will also showcase some of the most promising and innovative agribusinesses led by young entrepreneurs across Africa.

You are invited to witness the lifeline of Africa’s food systems – its youth – showcase their ability to drive Africa’s food system transformation. In the run-up to the event, we are also appealing for bold action from all stakeholders targeting our youth as they are undeniably the living embodiment of resilience, creativity, and unwavering spirit of Africa.

The authors are Surita Sandosham, President and CEO of Heifer International and Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA.