Africa’s rural youth – An underutilized resource for the transformation of African agriculture

Organized session at the at the 30th ICAE 2018 by ZEF’s Program of Accompanying Research on Agricultural Innovation (PARI) at Westin Bayshore Hotel, Vancouver, Canada

2 August 2018 | 14:00-15:30 | Room: Chairman | Westin Bayshore Hotel Vancouver, Canada

Rural youth are an important yet underutilised resource for agricultural growth and economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa. The prevalence of vulnerable, low-quality jobs, rather than the relatively low unemployment rates, constitutes the main labour market challenge on the continent. The International Labour Organization estimates that among the working youth in Sub-Saharan Africa as many as 80% are employed in the informal economy, typically considered a more vulnerable employment, and close to 70% are poor. Many of those young people live in rural areas. Given that the agriculture sector remains the most important economic sector in the region, strategies and investments that support the sector’s development and increase the human capital of rural youth can significantly improve employment opportunities and quality in the future.

Speakers:
•    Prof. Dr. Joachim von Braun, ZEF Director
•    Dr. Oliver Kirui, Senior Researcher ZEF
•    Dr. Tekalign Sakketa,  Senior Researcher ZEF
•    Dr. Georgina Wambui, Senior Researcher ZEF
•    Essa Mussa, Junior Researcher ZEF
•    Thomas Daum, Unibersity of Hohenheim