For a long time now, research across Africa has painted a familiar picture: most young people are disinterested in farming and aren’t dreaming of a future behind a plough. Farming, we’ve been told, doesn’t stand a chance against city life and the promise of fast cash and a seat at the high table.
This old habit of dividing work into “on-farm” and “off-farm” categories? It’s inaccurate, a convenient fiction, and an unhelpful distinction. Young people, as it happens, are open to farming, not as a last resort, but as one part of a broader plan. This means, the perception of engaging in agriculture is increasingly seen, not as a limiting choice, but as a complementary component within a diversified livelihood strategy. And most importantly, for youth in the SSA, the prospect of participating in farming is far more appealing when framed as an aspiration complemented with the pursuit of non-agricultural ambitions.
Although no one is writing hit songs about crop rotation, we need to consider new strategies to engage young people in agriculture. Especially considering the role of on-farm work in enhancing youth productivity (providing employment and having the space to develop practical skills through experience) and advancing broader rural development objectives ( reducing urban migration, enhancing food security, and encouraging agricultural innovation since young people are more open to adopting modern farming techniques and thinking of climate-smart practices).
Youth aspirations across regions of Ethiopia, Uganda, and Burundi, as we found out alongside One Acre Fund, are anything but monolithic. They shift with age, context, and socio-cultural specifics. Nonetheless, some overarching themes persist.
Aspirations: Hope and other crops that are trying to be grown
The aspirations of young people are an interesting intersection of hope, practicality, and a sense of urgency. Many young people dream of owning land, building sturdy homes that provide security and comfort, and supporting their families. A long term vision that carries serious weight. Yet, reality often demands that in the short term, these same young people focus on earning quick cash, seeking immediate gains and status amongst their peers, and avoiding ventures that require years of patience. Young people are definitely thinking long-term, but their decisions are shaped by immediate demands. This tension is often reflected in the choices of climate-conscious youth, who understand the long-term environmental benefits of planting trees but find themselves prioritizing short-term needs that take precedence over future gains.
Education also looms large on this stage since young people see it as the means of unlocking both economic and social advancement. Even when the barriers to accessing traditional education remain daunting with high fees and the need to migrate for schooling, many carry the quieter desire to to be role models and teachers on their own local stages. In some cases, youth also express a commitment to creating educational opportunities for children and relatives, highlighting their desire to make a lasting social impact.
For young women, economic and social aspirations are closely intertwined. Many aspire to provide for their families, ensure their children’s education, and improve household living standards. Agriculture plays a central role in this vision as a practical route to family success. And alongside farming, many young women set their sights on small agrifood related businesses—micro-enterprises, as the reports call them—that supplement the family income. Unlike the men, who often look up to extension workers in crisp shirts and branded notebooks, young women tend to find their inspiration closer to home: successful farmers within their communities who have made tangible contributions to local well-being.
Socially, youth are after something quite universal: to be seen, respected, and even admired—preferably while holding the keys to a motorbike, a roof overhead, and the means to provide for their family. In many places, this doesn’t line up with the idea of just farming, which is often viewed as the kind of work you end up in, not the kind you aim for, a path chosen more by circumstance than ambition. They want for social approval and to elevate their status within their communities.
Farming, therefore, must be reimagined and communicated differently, in a way that resonates with these aspirations and takes into account the social reality of the situation.
Barriers: Navigating locked gates and uncertain fields
The path to getting youth involved in agriculture is rather thorny, when farming wears the label of last resort and is stigmatized by peer pressure and societal shaming. This stigma is compounded by a lack of visible role models or media representation that celebrates youth success in agriculture. They prefer ventures that pay off fast; farming’s steady, demanding toil is no one’s idea of a good short-term investment. Added to that are structural obstacles such as restricted access to land and capital that further diminish their ability to participate meaningfully. While market fragmentation, mistrust of intermediaries further contribute to more complications. Intergenerational tensions also leave many young people feeling that older generations are acting as gatekeepers and limiting their decision-making. At the same time, older adults often see youth as unreliable or likely to walk away from farming altogether.
Young women, in particular, encounter additional challenges. Programs often ignore the fact that their days are stretched thin by caregiving and other duties. Training sessions are often scheduled without much thought to these realities, sometimes aligning with male-dominated events and inadvertently excluding women altogether. Cultural norms and household hierarchies can keep many women’s voices quietly tucked away, their mobility constrained by social expectations and security concerns. Extension workforces which are predominantly male don’t exactly win their trust either since young women often prefer guidance from women or other respected community elders.
Youth, and young women in particular, navigate a complicated landscape of aspirations and obstacles set against the backdrop of tradition, structural barriers, and social expectations that must be thoughtfully addressed when designing pathways for their meaningful engagement.
Insights: Tilling the ground for what works
To enable young people to engage meaningfully in agroforestry and unlock its full potential, a holistic approach to rural development is essential, one that does more than just plug the usual gaps. Yes, access to capital, land, and inputs is limited. Yes, land ownership is a bureaucratic maze. And yes, agriculture is often seen as the slow lane on the highway to success. But addressing these structural issues alone won’t spark real engagement if we fail to understand something more fundamental: how youth actually think about success, and how agriculture can fit into that picture.
Youth respond when agriculture feels like a choice and an opportunity, not a fallback plan. This means making some rewards more immediate, more visible, and more socially valuable. Recognition from peers and communities also matters—a lot. For many, social capital is as motivating as financial gain, and when agriculture enhances their standing, they’re more likely to show up, tools in hand. Capacity building and training must also meet them where they are: practical, hands-on, and repeatable. Confidence doesn’t grow in one-day trainings delivered at awkward times, it’s built slowly, through repeated mentorship and tools that work in the real world—like knowing which seedlings won’t die on your soil, and how not to kill them anyway.
Doing so also calls for a broader, more dynamic view of what it means to be a farmer. For young people, farming doesn’t have to be a singular path, it can involve growing trees for long-term value, cultivating small plots of high-return cash crops, or blending agriculture with other entrepreneurial pursuits. Farming also offers a real opportunity to contribute to environmental restoration, whether through tree planting, soil regeneration, or climate-smart practices.
Moreover, farming can also serve as a means to generate capital, test business ideas, build creditworthiness, and establish a local reputation. Whether they choose to stay in agrifood systems or branch out into other sectors, seeing farming as a deliberate and strategic step toward future investments, allows youth to claim it with purpose and pride. When farming is framed as a flexible and forward-looking livelihood for youth—one that supports both economic goals and environmental stewardship—it becomes a far more compelling and relevant choice.
And this is precisely what needs to be part of the story told about farming.
Institutional support carries weight, too. And when it comes to aspiration, nothing works quite like proof. Role models and visible success stories help shift narratives. This is especially true for young women, who are likely to be inspired by the successful farmer next door. But women don’t just need inspiration, they need space. Programs that don’t consider their time, mobility, and decision-making constraints might as well be written in invisible ink. Gender-inclusive approaches, paired with efforts to shift social norms, are not just helpful, they’re necessary.
Ultimately, engaging youth in agriculture requires meeting them where they are—acknowledging their aspirations, navigating the obstacles they face, and reframing the role of farming in their lives. Youth can’t be treated as a monolith; they must be involved in the design of programs that promote agricultural engagement. When agriculture is presented as a deliberate and meaningful choice that aligns with their social ambitions, economic goals, and environmental values, it has the potential to transform both individual lives and entire communities.
