Agrifood Youth Employment and Engagement Study

The Agrifood Youth Employment and Engagement Study (AgYees) examines the potential of sub-Saharan Africa's agrifood systems to provide new jobs for unemployed, underemployed and disadvantaged youth, and identifies constraints affecting the capacity of youth to take up these economic opportunities. Two analytical tracks generated insights and guidance on cost-effective strategies and programmatic entry points most likely to improve employment options and livelihoods for disadvantaged African men and women. The first reviewed economic mega-trends for Rwanda, Tanzania and Nigeria and projected how economic changes, specifically farm structure and dietary transformations, will affect future job prospects for rural and urban African youth. The second focused on Rwanda and Tanzania and examined the economic and policy environment affecting youth engagement with the agrifood system, assessed the supply and demand for related workforce training and perceived gaps, and distilled best practices and lessons learned related to youth economic programming. A further analysis examined the structure of consumer demand for food, projected likely changes over the next five years, and linked these consumption changes to changes in future employment. To validate and expand on these findings, AgYees researchers made site visits to Rwanda and Tanzania to conduct focus group and individual semi-structured interviews with major stakeholders working on youth employment issues related to the agrifood system.

Key findings include: agricultural productivity growth can generate strong multiplier effects that expand job opportunities in the broader economy; more systematic private sector engagement is needed to develop appropriate curriculum and provide opportunities for students to get meaningful practical experience and training. Based on the results of this study, the AgYees team offers the following recommendations for youth-related programming in Rwanda, Tanzania and Nigeria. A policy brief summarizes the findings of the study.

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