Dismal youth engagement in African agriculture tied to lack of financing/training opportunities

Despite the rapid growth of the agritech sector across Africa, a new survey of nearly 30,000 young Africans, nearly 300 smallholder farmers, and over 100 ag-tech start-ups across 11 countries by Heifer International finds that a lack of financing and training is stalling the sector and stifling opportunities for young Africans and farmers alike.

The new report, under embargo until August 17 at 00:01 GMT, also gauges the impact of the pandemic on African agribusinesses and looks at ways to stimulate access to ag innovations that would encourage African youth to consider working in agriculture. This is especially urgent given the need to generate jobs and repair food systems that have been battered by the pandemic.

To help overcome these barriers, Heifer International is co-sponsoring the Pitch Agrihack competition ($45,000 in prizes across three categories) as well as launching its own AYuTe Africa Challenge—a new prize with up to $1.5 million in funding and business support. The winners for both will be announced at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in September.