Create employment for young farmers and agri-preneurs

We want a future where farming is the viable career choice. Young farmers want to see food being produced using cutting edge technologies and sustainable innovations. We need policies that enable us to take forward the ideas of the next generation of farmers. Governments need to provide incentives, both financial and non-financial, to make farming more attractive for young people.

Why does this Action 4 Change matter?

Farming gives us our food. How we farm and what we farm is crucial for protecting biodiversity, reducing GHG emissions and keeping us healthy. As a result, farmers play an essential role in helping to make important changes to our food system.

60% of the food consumed globally comes from small farms known as ‘smallholders’. They are a crucial part of the food system, and are especially important in low- and middle-income countries where they provide lots of food and jobs.    Smallholders are facing growing challenges to the way they farm and as a result fewer young people see the economic benefits of farming. Many of the solutions used by industrial farms (like antibiotics and fertiliser) don’t work so well on a smaller scale, and can have serious and dangerous impacts if they’re used in the wrong way.

Youth in Action:

Azeez Salawu is a 28-year-old Nigerian climate and agriculture advocate who is passionate about creating opportunities for smallholder farmers and young people through innovative technologies. Azeez saw in his own community that there was a huge gap between resources and information that is available to smallholders. He knew there were technologies available on the market that could help increase local productivity and felt it was unjust that these food producers didn’t have access to them just because they were from rural communities. Determined to take action, Azeez began the initiative Community Action for Food Security (CAFS), a non-for-profit organization that is committed to promoting food security by supporting sustainable agriculture and enhancing livelihoods for local food producers.

Since it began, CAFS has worked with over 10000 small scale farmers, youth and women in 10 different areas of Nigeria. Azeez has been able to link local food producers with the national ministry of agriculture and provide training and capacity building so that farmers can carry out their own sustainable planting, harvesting and post-harvesting activities.

Young people should take their time to have in-depth knowledge of the activities needed for sustainable agriculture. Start Small and think big!

Azeez Salawu