Why Africa’s agrifood future depends on youth and how YEFFA is delivering
"Africa’s agrifood systems hold one of the greatest opportunities for large-scale job creation on the continent. The challenge has always been how to translate that potential into real economic opportunities for young people. The Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) partnership between AGRA and the Mastercard Foundation is beginning to demonstrate […]"
Africa’s agrifood systems hold one of the greatest opportunities for large-scale job creation on the continent. The challenge has always been how to translate that potential into real economic opportunities for young people.
The Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) partnership between AGRA and the Mastercard Foundation is beginning to demonstrate what that transition can look like in practice. Since its inception in 2023, YEFFA has reached over 1.7 million young people across participating countries, with more than 162,000 youth enabled to work in 2025 alone.
This progress reflects a deliberate commitment to inclusion in the agrifood system: 59% of the youth reached are young women, and 60% of those enabled in work are women. Early efforts to expand opportunities for youth with disabilities are also gaining traction in several countries.
What stands out in AGRA’s approach to implementing YEFFA is our focus on building functioning systems rather than isolated projects. The program works across value chains, enterprise ecosystems, and market infrastructure to unlock employment pathways for youth.
Across countries, this systems approach is translating into tangible results. In Mozambique, youth-led Village-Based Advisors are creating service businesses that improve productivity and expand access to extension services for farmers.
In Rwanda, structured export value chains are opening higher-value markets for youth enterprises. And in Tanzania, mechanisation financing models are helping young entrepreneurs build service enterprises that support agricultural productivity while generating jobs.
At the same time, the past year has highlighted areas that require continued attention. Access to finance remains one of the most binding constraints to enterprise growth, particularly for young women.
Digital adoption across youth-led agribusinesses also remains uneven, suggesting that stronger digital ecosystems will be essential to unlock productivity and market access at scale.
These early results reinforce a critical insight: youth employment in agriculture will emerge from training and when markets, finance, technology, and enterprise support systems move together.
Looking ahead, YEFFA represents a central pillar of AGRA’s 3.0 strategy to build more inclusive and productive agrifood systems. By strengthening markets, enabling youth-led enterprises, and expanding pathways for young women and men into dignified and fulfilling work, the program is helping position Africa’s food systems as a source of food security and as one of the continent’s most powerful engines for job creation and economic transformation.
By Nana Amoah – Director, Gender, Youth & Inclusiveness, AGRA
Deep Analysis
AI Intelligence
Automated insights generated by DeepSeek-V3 based on the article content.
Key Impact
- Since 2023, YEFFA has reached over 1.7 million young people across participating African countries, including Ghana.
- In 2025 alone, more than 162,000 youth have been enabled to work through YEFFA-supported initiatives.
- 59% of the youth reached and 60% of those enabled in work are young women, highlighting a strong focus on gender inclusion.
Background
- YEFFA is a partnership between AGRA and the Mastercard Foundation launched in 2023 to create youth employment in agrifood systems.
- The program targets Africa’s large untapped potential for job creation in agriculture and food value chains.
- AGRA’s 3.0 strategy positions YEFFA as a central pillar for building inclusive and productive agrifood systems across the continent.
Benefits
- YEFFA builds functioning systems by working across value chains, enterprise ecosystems, and market infrastructure to unlock employment for youth.
- In Ghana, similar models to those in Mozambique—such as youth-led Village-Based Advisors—could improve extension services and productivity for farmers.
- The program opens higher-value markets for youth enterprises, as seen in Rwanda’s export value chains, which could be replicated for Ghanaian crops like cocoa or shea.
- Mechanisation financing models, like those in Tanzania, help young entrepreneurs build service enterprises that boost agricultural productivity and generate jobs.
Risks & Warnings
- Access to finance remains a major constraint for youth-led agribusinesses, particularly for young women, limiting enterprise growth and job creation.
- Digital adoption across youth-led agribusinesses is uneven, meaning stronger digital ecosystems are needed to unlock productivity and market access at scale.
- Without coordinated efforts across markets, finance, technology, and enterprise support, training alone will not lead to sustainable youth employment in agriculture.
Who Is Affected
- Young people aged 15–35 in Ghana are directly affected, with opportunities to start or grow agribusinesses in regions like Ashanti, Bono East, and Northern.
- Young women are particularly impacted, as YEFFA ensures 59% of all participants and 60% of those enabled in work are women.
- Youth with disabilities are gaining traction in several countries, including potential inclusion in Ghana’s agrifood systems through targeted YEFFA efforts.
- Smallholder farmers and rural communities benefit from youth-led services such as mechanisation, extension, and market access created by YEFFA enterprises.
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