CAADP YOUTHS IN AGRICULTURE

By HAPPY MULOLANI

IN Africa, agriculture is one of the key priority sectors which contribute significantly to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDPs). The sector presents potential opportunities for youths to sustain their lives. At the same time, the involvement of youths in the agriculture sector is key as it will enable them increase food security and rural income levels.

Majority of youths in Africa, who are smallholder farmers face challenges such as lack of access to modern technologies, capital investments and supportive research, lack of participation in decision making and vulnerability to ecological shocks. In Zambia, these concerns alluded to also affect young smallholder farmers in the country. In response to these eminent challenges, there is need to establish explicit understanding of issues affecting farmers and develop appropriate policies which improve their rights and meet their needs (Youth Engagement Toolkit on CAADP 2014 Malabo Declaration, 2016).

As a consequence, the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) was conceptualized. CAADP is unique in that, it is an African owned and focussed programme. It attempts to increase economic growth in Africa through its agriculture led development and recognized global brand approach, which is envisaged to impact on the continent’s development through the “strong expression of reclaimed ownership of agricultural policy by Member States and African citizens”(CAADP, 2015). The national CAADP and Malabo implementation processes and the Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs) present unique opportunities to address youth development in a comprehensive and integrated manner.

Unfortunately, one of the challenges which could deter youths from contributing towards accelerated agricultural growth and transformation goals is the inadequate integration of youth in the implementation process.

As a result, a Youth Engagement Toolkit on CAADP and 2014 Malabo Declaration was developed as an advocacy and resources guide to deepen knowledge, capacity and participation of youth in CAADP and Malabo processes. This is premised on the understanding that youth need to be involved in Africa’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) through a toolkit “which demonstrates how young people can positively contribute towards Africa’s agricultural development planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and the policy making processes” (Youth Engagement Toolkit on CAADP 2014 Malabo Declaration, 2016).

But, for youths to positively contribute to development, they need to strategically position themselves in key areas of intervention such as agricultural science, technology and innovation initiatives. The realization that there is need for concerted efforts with respect to the engagement of youth by elevating their voices and improve the quality of partnerships in relation to local existing youth initiatives is apparent.

Recently, the Zambia National Dialogue brought together 50 youths from all 10 provinces of Zambia, who convened at AGCO Future farm in Lusaka. The aim of the workshop was for participants to formulate “youth positions” or propositions which could be integrated into the national CAADP policy dialogues for formulating NAIP.  

The Zambia National Dialogue is expected to also provide a platform for youth representatives from Zambia to engage and share experiences with regard to youth participation in agriculture and sustainable livelihoods. This approach is meant to enhance their abilities to network and share progressive ideas in relation to their value chains.

Consultant Victor Mensah disclosed that 50 youths out of 400 youths who had applied across all the 10 provinces were chosen through a competitive process which looked at different skills and a gender approach. The workshop objective was to equip and build capacity in these identified youth farmers to enable them sustain their engagement in dialogue processes in relation to their different agriculture enterprises, in order to better their lives.

Mr Mensah asserts that for youths to progress in their various agriculture enterprises, it is important for them to engage in progressive dialogue aimed at sharing ideas through networking and building sustained partnerships.

He stated that the 50 youths were representatives of the 10 provinces in Zambia, which presently constitutes the Zambia National Dialogue. The identified participants are expected to lead a critical mass of youth smallholder farmers countrywide.

Mr Mensah added that all the 400 youth farmers, who were part of the applicants, are captured on the database. Thus, they are expected to be part of the process of promoting and sharing different ideas on their various commodities of focus. In this way, more youth farmers will be part of the interventions that will be promoted through the chapter.

Chief Agricultural Economist Christopher Mbewe explained that government is determined to empower and support youths in their agriculture enterprises as enshrined in its policy documents.

“This commitment has been shown through youth policies which are in place to give them a voice and also ensure that they contribute to the economic status of the country through their participation in agriculture enterprises which should translate to increased food security and income,” said Mr Mbewe.

Efforts to ensure youth farmers are captured on the database is one of the priorities of Government, as doing so will enable proper actualization of the youth policies already in place.

“The Zambia Integrated Management Information System (ZAMIS) is an integrated farmer register database, which captures all smallholder farmers countrywide,” Mr Mbewe said.

Jack Changula, is CAADP Youth Chairperson for Zambia and also one of the youth farmers says value addition and processing are among the key areas of interventions; youths want to be supported in their various agriculture enterprises.

“Youth farmers believe these two processes will increase their maximum returns and yield positive results as they seek to sustain themselves and also contribute to the economic status of the country through increased income,” Mr Changula said.

He appealed to government for improved access to land, noting that at least 40% of youth need to own land to productively utilize it for their identified agriculture enterprises. He also highlighted the necessity to have training centres with modern machinery, specifically milking machinery which can be processed into various products meant for market demands.

Mr Changula emphasized the need for farmers to be equipped with knowledge on avoiding post-harvest losses, as doing so will increase their economic status.

He said most youths desired to utilize opportunities such as village banking to boost their financial capacities so as to expand their enterprises. He suggests that, youth farmers would rather set prices themselves than conform to the dictated market prices by other potential buyers to avoid incurring unnecessary losses.

The integration of youth in agriculture is key if they are to sustain themselves and also contribute to agriculture development. With appropriate youth policies in place which support young smallholder farmers in their identified value chains, they should be able to register profitable gains and sustain their agriculture enterprises.

What these youth farmers require is to engage in progressive dialogues which not only gives them a voice, but also the ability to network and build strong partnerships in order to give them impetus to remain competitive. In this way, their participation in their value chains and linkage to potential markets will culminate in increased contribution to improved food security and incomes.