The focus of this Vijverbergsession will be on youth inclusiveness in agricultural transformation, with a special focus on knowledge sharing, business opportunities and employment creation. The session is organized by the Food & Business Knowledge Platform (F&BKP) in collaboration with AgriProFocus and the INCLUDE Platform. 

Topic & target

The Vijverberg will delve into an important nexus of development concerns in Africa: food insecurity, rapid population growth and youth unemployment. The agri-food sector is expected to offer great opportunities to tackle these issues. Several “problematic areas” for youth inclusion in agriculture have been defined by scholars, policy makers and practitioners, such as access to knowledge, information and education, access to land, access to financial services, access to green jobs, access to markets, and engaging in policy dialogue. Nevertheless, policy and program framing and responses to the “problem” of young people and agriculture in Africa are still hampered by a lack of (context specific) evidence and therefore often fall back on “common knowledge”, assumptions and narrative. This event will look into opportunities for engagement of young people in agri-food systems more broadly in different places.

This session builds on the conclusions drawn during the side event that INCLUDE organized during the African Development Bank Annual Meetings in May 2016, and on the work of the F&BKP, INCLUDE and AgriProFocus. Keynote speaker Jim Sumberg from IDS will discuss youth inclusiveness in agricultural transformation. The results and lessons of three country studies (Kenya, Mali and Ghana) facilitated by the three involved organizations will be presented to fuel the debate. The debate will be moderated and will focus on the lessons from the quick scan and experience of the expert on youth inclusiveness in agricultural transformation. A panel of people with experience in this field will be asked to give a reflection as a kick-off to the debate. The discussion can contribute to a forward looking knowledge agenda, policy and practice. The participants of this Vijverberg will be motivated to give follow-up to the debate by being presented with the results of the quick-scan study cases on a one or two pager as well as the opportunity to link to a Community of Practice.

Preliminary agenda

17h00
Welcome by the moderator.

17h10
Opening speech by key-note speaker Jim Sumberg from IDS.

17h30
Q & A with the topical expert.

17h50
Sharing of results of quick-scan country cases on factors and policy around youth inclusiveness in agricultural transformation in Mali, Kenya and Ghana.

18h10
Reflection by panel.

18h30
Debate with participants.

18h50
Closing.

If you would like to join this Vijverbergsession or if you have any questions, then please contact Babs Ates of the F&BKP through or .