This report that I co-authored (with Oluwabunmi Ajilore), on behalf of CTA, examines the role ICTs are playing in supporting youth engagement in agriculture in Africa, and explores the current status, usages and emerging trends. Furthermore, it highlights the key challenges and opportunities for youth in agriculture and makes recommendations to policy makers and other stakeholders on how to foster increased involvement of young people in the sector.
A key observation the report stresses is that young people using ICTs in agriculture come from a variety of socio-professional profiles. They include young rural and urban farmers, who are using, for example, new tools such as whatsapp for communication with their peers. They also include innovators developing ICT solutions to gain livelihood opportunities but also in view to contributing to the modernisation of the agri-food systems.
The report was published as part of the 2015 Africa Agriculture Status Report developed by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in collaboration with partners including CTA, which focused on Youth in agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa.
Key recommendations include:
- Facilitate affordable access to ICTs for young farmers
- Develop digital literacy programs for young farmers and agripreneurs
- Strengthen ICT incorporation into agricultural curricula
- Support youth innovation and entrepreneurship in e-agriculture (ICT for agriculture)
- Support the sharing of success stories on ICT and youth in agriculture
- Increase ICT use and equipment in agricultural institutions, as well as promote the development and implementation of sound e-agriculture strategies to better develop youth uses and innovations and for the benefit of all stakeholders.
Initiatives implemented by a variety of institutions have been analysed.
For more information and to download the report, check here.
