By Evans Ngenoh
Introduction
Kenya has one of the youngest populations globally, with over 75 per cent of its citizens under the age of 35. This youthful demographic presents a significant opportunity to leverage their potential, especially in the agrifood sector—a key driver of economic growth and a means to address social challenges. The agricultural sector contributes approximately 33 per cent to Kenya’s GDP and provides employment to about 40 per cent of the workforce. Despite its critical role, youth participation in agriculture is relatively low, leading to untapped opportunities that could boost productivity and foster innovation.
Engaging young people in agribusiness offers immense economic and social benefits, including driving economic growth, enhancing food security, and promoting sustainable development through climate-smart agricultural practices. Their involvement across agrifood value chains contributes to job creation, innovation, and social inclusion, positively impacting communities across the country.
However, several challenges hinder their full participation, such as negative perceptions of agriculture in general, limited access to key resources such as land and labour, financial barriers, and inadequate skills development. Overcoming these challenges is essential to unlocking the potential of youth in Kenya’s food systems.
Youth engagement in Kenya’s food systems is a critical factor for economic development, with about 60 per cent of the youth actively participating across various agricultural value chains, and 40 per cent are employed in food-related sectors (Figure 1). Their contributions account for 25 per cent of the nation’s GDP from food systems, underscoring their significance in national economic planning. These statistics highlight the urgent need for policy makers to design and implement youth-centred policies that address barriers to participation, Additionally, fostering partnerships between public and private sectors is essential to creating supportive ecosystems that drive innovation and sustainability in food systems.
Figure 1: Trends in youth engagement, employment, and economic impact in Kenya’s food system (2010-2022)
Challenges to Youth Participation in the Agrifood Sector
Kenyan youth are discouraged from pursuing agriculture due to negative perceptions that portray the sector as labour-intensive, low-status, and financially unrewarding. With a 12.23 per cent youth unemployment rate and a shortage of skilled labour, these perceptions hinder innovation and limit agricultural growth.
A major challenge for young people in agrifood systems is limited access to land and productive resources, as land ownership is largely controlled by older generations. Additionally, restricted access to essential inputs such as water, modern equipment, and quality seeds further constrains their ability to establish profitable enterprises.
Financial barriers also hinder youth engagement, as financial institutions often consider them high-risk borrowers due to lack of collateral and credit history. As a result, many young people struggle to secure funding for investments in modern farming technologies and agribusiness expansion. With 83 per cent of youth in agriculture engaged in the informal sector without formal contracts, their financial insecurity is further exacerbated.
A lack of technical skills and training also limits youth participation in agriculture, as many have inadequate access to quality agricultural education and practical learning opportunities. Existing training programmes often do not align with market needs, making it difficult for youth to compete effectively. Additionally, unfavourable market conditions, such as price fluctuations, poor infrastructure, and limited market access, create uncertainties and reduce the attractiveness of agriculture as a career choice.
Cultural and social factors further deter youth from agriculture, as farming is often viewed as a career for the older generation, while societal norms push young people towards more prestigious urban-based jobs. Overcoming this stigma requires efforts to highlight agriculture’s potential as a sustainable and rewarding career.
Climate change also poses a significant challenge, with erratic weather patterns, droughts, and pest outbreaks affecting productivity. Limited access to climate-smart technologies and financial support leaves young farmers vulnerable to these risks, making agriculture less appealing without adequate interventions.
Opportunities for Youth Engagement in Agrifood Systems
Despite various challenges, significant opportunities exist to enhance youth participation in agrifood systems by focusing on key areas such as land access, financial support, technical skills, cultural integration, and climate change adaptation. Leveraging these opportunities can drive economic transformation, foster job creation and innovation, and contribute to food security and environmental sustainability in line with the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) of the government.
The youth face challenges in accessing land due to high costs and legal complexities, but opportunities exist through government reforms, leasing options, and partnerships that provide affordable and equitable access to agricultural land.
Limited financial resources hinder youth participation in agriculture; however, targeted loans, grants, and innovative financing models, along with financial literacy programmes, can enable young entrepreneurs to invest and grow their agribusiness ventures.
Moreover, equipping youth with modern agricultural skills through training programmes, collaborations, and hands-on learning opportunities enhances their productivity, competitiveness, and ability to adopt innovative agricultural practices.
Additionally, changing negative perceptions of agriculture through cultural integration, agritourism, and awareness campaigns can make farming more attractive to the youth while preserving traditional knowledge and creating economic opportunities. Despite climate-related challenges, the youth can adopt sustainable practices and leverage climate adaptation tools to build resilience, enhance productivity, and contribute to a more sustainable agri-food systems.
Recommended Policy Interventions
To address the identified challenges and leverage opportunities, the following policy recommendations should be considered:
- Enhancing youth access to land, resources, and finance: Establish youthfriendly land tenure systems, improve access to essential resources such as water and technology, and develop tailored financial solutions such as credit guarantee schemes and blended finance models to support young agripreneurs.
- Strengthening agricultural training and skills development: Align agricultural education with market demands by incorporating digital skills, climate-smart practices, and entrepreneurship. Expand vocational training and mentorship programmes to equip the youth with practical skills.
- Improving market access and infrastructure: Invest in rural infrastructure, such as roads and storage facilities, and promote digital platforms and cooperative models to enhance market linkages and create more opportunities for youth in agribusiness.
- Promoting youth-centric agribusiness policies: Develop policies that prioritize youth engagement in national agricultural strategies by offering incentives such as tax benefits and start-up support to encourage participation and investment.
- Building climate resilience and changing perceptions: Support climate adaptation programmes by providing resilient seeds, insurance, and early warning systems, while running public awareness campaigns to shift perceptions and showcase agribusiness as a viable career path for the youth.
