Youth, Jobs, and Voice in Africa’s Agrifood System

Africa is a vibrant region, hosting the youngest population in the world. Africa's youth represent a crucial potential to strengthen and enhance the economy. However, employment opportunities for youth are stalling, even though job creation remains by far their top priority.

Agrifood systems stand at the centre of this job challenge, employing 61 per cent of Sub-Saharan Africa's workforce. However, the methodology to expand agrifood systems and engage youth in quality working conditions has yet to be fully addressed, even as agrifood value chains are diversifying and becoming more complex day by day.

This conference focuses on discussing strategies and policies to advance youth engagement in agrifood systems. The event brings researchers, practitioners, and youth-led institutions together to discuss the latest research and policy implications for generating better jobs. The conference seeks to:

• Identify scalable pathways for creating decent jobs for youth across agrifood value chains
• Amplify youth perspectives and lived experiences in policy discussions
• Foster partnerships between researchers, governments, the private sector, and youth-led organisations
• Generate practical insights on how to reduce gender disparities in youth employment