session on youth in agriculture during the 2012
Farmers’ Forum of the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD), IFAD’s president
“emphasized the need to invest in the rural youth
of today, the farmers of tomorrow.”6 Further, the
United Nations’ April 2012 Annual Ministerial
Review recognized rural employment as the key to
reducing poverty and food insecurity.7
Despite this recent attention, many may still perceive
the topic of youth employment only in terms
of formal jobs in the urban wage sector. Efforts to
accelerate agricultural growth and improve food
security are separated conceptually from efforts
to create jobs for young people. This is a damaging
compartmentalization, and if continued will
likely result in the forfeit of Africa’s youth dividend.
Efforts to enhance agricultural growth and those
to create employment for young people are complementary,
and must be so understood.