Connecting The Dots For Tomorrow’s Agriculture

The Global Landscape Forum highlighted how young people are involved in sustainable agriculture.

Original ideas were put forward by engaged young entrepreneurs; including a tree-planting project for ex-soldiers in Uganda, whose only economic opportunity was to cut trees for timber or charcoal before. Another initiative was an online platform for young platforms to connect, exchange best practices and improve market access in Kenya and a sustainable leather brand in Ethiopia.

“The most important thing is to be brave”, according to Steve Kibet from Kenya, who encouraged youth to identify degraded areas with a mapping system to restore them.

One billion farmers worldwide will face the competing challenges of providing food for nine billion people by 2050 and enduring the impacts of climate change, especially in Africa.

In Cameroon, ironically, just 18 per cent of land surface is utilised for agriculture, while 30 per cent of the population is vulnerable to food insecurity and there is a dire need for an increase of agricultural production. Added to this dichotomy between demand and supply, crop yields by 2050 are expected to decrease by 18 per cent in South Asia and 15 per cent, overall, in Africa due to climate change.

Youth unemployment, meanwhile, is widespread in many African developing countries. Otim Joseph from Uganda explained that “if young people ask for a job in agriculture, they are told to be either under-qualified or too young”. In the Philippines, most youth end up with contractual work on palm oil plantations in terrible conditions.

Connecting these dots, there are infinite opportunities for youth in the agriculture sector. Agriculture has to increase its yields and become more climate-resilient. This would allow for young people to raise a life-sustaining income. Another connected dot is to prevent further urbanisation by offering youth opportunities in rural areas.

Aliness Mumba is working for Fanrpan, a network connecting civil society and the governments to build capacity in the agriculture sector. In her words: “we all dream to succeed in life and there is a small glimmer of hope. It’s in agriculture.”

Young entrepreneurs at the local level have to lead the way. After one week of negotiations at the 19th session of the UN climate talks (COP19), results for the agriculture sector were disappointing.

Elizabeth Nsimadala from World Famers’ Organisation said that, “parties were not able to agree to engage in further substantive discussions on agriculture here at COP19, which is effectively delaying any further progress on this important issue for another year.”

Analysis shows that China and India are opposing advances in this sector because they fear emission reduction and adaptation targets imposed by the EU. Other countries like Brazil and Indonesia have made large efforts in the past decade, but China and India are still lagging behind.

In this context of stalled advances, connecting the dots between youth, agriculture, food security and climate change at the local level is the only way to go in the future.

By Cécile Schneider, photo by CIFOR.