Transcript Slide 1
What are the opportunities for youth to engage in the agricultural value chain in Zimbabwe? DEMOGRAPHIC AND AGRICULTURAL INFO • Zimbabwe Agric Sector Overview – Sector provides income for approx. 70% of pop. – Provides 60% of the raw materials for industrial sector – 40% total export earning, contributing 15-19% of GDP – 57% of the population is between 18-35 (2010 estimate) CONTEXTUALISING OPPORTUNITIES: THE HOLISTIC VIEW OF AGRICULTURE • Negative perception of agriculture help by most youth across the studies • Definitional focus on agriculture as limited to primary production • To understand the value-chain and where they can participate, youth must ‘re-brand’ and modernise their definition of agriculture. CONTEXTUALISING OPPORTUNITIES: THE HOLISTIC VIEW OF AGRICULTURE • Identifying the symbiotic synergies between agriculture and other sectors helps enable youth to engage and participate in the value-chain more proactively. • Holistic view of agriculture leads to a better appreciation of available opportunities, because regardless of sector we can see the links to agricultural value-chain. CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUTH IN ZIMBABWE • However, Zimbabwe had a unique challenge lack of contextualised policies for different agricultural zones. 1. Different agricultural zones specialise in different agricultural methods and products, BUT are governed by a ‘one-size-fitsall’ policy approach. 2. Dualised agricultural sector: subsistence vs. Commercial • Young people are creating alternative spaces of economic participation (small scale mining/crossborder trading/hunting and poaching/and other ‘quick-return, high-risk’ activities in the areas without adequate agricultural support. • Twitter comment- “given the vagaries of climate change, agroecology, prices, markets and policy, spreading risk, smoothing income streams etc, for young people having a diverse portfolio of livelihood options is vital, especially when agriculture is so risky and uncertain.” • So how to make agriculture less ‘uncertain’ for youths? OPPORTUNITIES FOR VALUE-CHAIN ENGAGEMENT BY YOUTH • The holistic approach to agriculture creates a wide range of opportunities in different fields: Engineering (support and extension to primary producers etc) Pharmaceuticals (veterinary support) agro-chemicals (fertilisers, pesticides etc) processing and marketing (packaging, selling etc) infrastructure and irrigation dev. (transport and logistics etc) OPPORTUNITIES FOR VALUE-CHAIN ENGAGEMENT BY YOUTH ‘Green’ technologies (bio-diesels, alternative energy etc) ICTs (social media, GIS, modern training techniques/support etc) banking and finance (cooperatives, microlending, MPESA etc) R & D (new innovations in all fields above etc) • By promoting greater sectoral linkages, value-chain development enhances job creation and agricultural modernisation in Zim/ Africa • Youth Champions are an example of a holistic approach to the agricultural value-chain ICTs Policy and strategy AgriAGRICULTURE Busines s Inst. & Mech. RECOMMENDATIONS • Agricultural education must be modernised and prioritised • Contextualised policy prescriptions, rooted in evidence based research of the needs and requirements of young ‘agripreneurs’ are essential • Finding creative ways to make access to capital easier (with adequate training and support, youth not as financially risky) • Replication and reward of success stories • Modern ICT methods of business and information dissemination must be tapped into • Climate change awareness and adaptive farming techniques to ensure sustainability Youth, our time is now. Thank you. Asante.Siyabonga.