Sub-Saharan Africa holds the world’s youngest population, with nearly 70 percent under the age of 30. At the same time, the region faces one of its greatest challenges: ensuring reliable and sustainable food security amid climate change, urbanisation, and rising demand. Agriculture should be where these two realities meet, a sector where youth energy fuels the farms and agribusinesses that feed the continent. Yet for many young Africans, farming represents hardship rather than opportunity.
Smallholder farming continues to dominate, with most families working on less than two hectares of land and relying heavily on rainfall. Profit margins are thin, markets are unreliable, and access to modern tools or credit remains limited. For young people seeking livelihoods, agriculture too often appears to be an economically unviable option rather than a viable business. This perception, shaped by structural barriers and cultural stigma, carries profound implications for the region’s food systems.
