‘Is there value for us in agriculture?’ A case study of youth participation in agricultural value chains in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Simple item page
cg.contributor.affiliationUniversity of KwaZulu-Natalen
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Water Management Instituteen
cg.contributor.donorWellcome Trusten
cg.contributor.donorAdaptation Funden
cg.contributor.donorNational Research Foundation, South Africaen
cg.contributor.donorCGIAR Trust Funden
cg.contributor.initiativeDiversification in East and Southern Africa
cg.coverage.countrySouth Africa
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2ZA
cg.coverage.regionSouthern Africa
cg.creator.identifierMabhaudhi T: 0000-0002-9323-8127
cg.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2023.2280365en
cg.identifier.iwmilibraryH052406
cg.isijournalISI Journalen
cg.issn2331-1932en
cg.issue2en
cg.journalCogent Food and Agricultureen
cg.reviewStatusPeer Reviewen
cg.volume9en
dc.contributor.authorGeza, W.en
dc.contributor.authorNgidi, M. S. C.en
dc.contributor.authorMudhara, M.en
dc.contributor.authorSlotow, R.en
dc.contributor.authorMabhaudhi, Tafadzwanasheen
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-30T22:43:45Zen
dc.date.available2023-11-30T22:43:45Zen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/134898
dc.title‘Is there value for us in agriculture?’ A case study of youth participation in agricultural value chains in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africaen
dcterms.abstractDeveloping countries in Africa face an unemployment crisis, with many unemployed youth. Agriculture has been identified as a strategic sector for employment creation targeted at youth, including those who may not have agriculture-related qualifications. However, various challenges limit the effectiveness of youth participation in the agriculture value chain. The study aimed to (i) determine youth awareness of agricultural value-chain opportunities, (ii) determine their perception of their role in the value chain, (iii) determine their perception of agricultural programs targeting youth and their opinions on who is responsible for attracting youth into agriculture and, (iv) to characterise the dynamics of youth empowerment in agriculture. Data was collected using focus group discussions and an online survey and analysed using SPSS and NVivo. Poor knowledge, low levels of awareness of agricultural value-chain activities and careers, and not meeting the minimum requirements for employment in processing and retail businesses were identified as key challenges. Most youth were interested in non-primary activities such as agro-processing, which are less labour-intensive and have a quicker return on investment than agricultural production. However, support services and programs for promoting youth participation in agriculture mainly focus on primary activities, signifying a mismatch between youth aspirations and current support. Understanding youth aspirations, perceptions and dynamics underpinning youth empowerment and participation in value chains is critical for promoting participation and formulating relevant and responsive policies. Additionally, improving access to information and building awareness of agricultural value chains is crucial in reducing barriers to entry. Policymakers should integrate agriculture and food systems knowledge into the primary education curriculum to promote youth awareness and evoke interest in agri-food system careers at an early age.en
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Access
dcterms.available2023-11-16
dcterms.bibliographicCitationGeza, W.; Ngidi, M. S. C.; Mudhara, M.; Slotow, R.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2023. ‘Is there value for us in agriculture?’ A case study of youth participation in agricultural value chains in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Cogent Food and Agriculture, 9(2):2280365. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2023.2280365]en
dcterms.issued2023-11-16
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.licenseCC-BY-4.0
dcterms.publisherInforma UK Limiteden
dcterms.subjectyouth employmenten
dcterms.subjectparticipationen
dcterms.subjectagricultural value chainsen
dcterms.subjectinclusionen
dcterms.subjectempowermenten
dcterms.subjectawareness-raisingen
dcterms.subjectpartnershipsen
dcterms.subjectfood systemsen
dcterms.subjectrural developmenten
dcterms.subjectsocioeconomic aspectsen
dcterms.subjectstakeholdersen
dcterms.subjectcase studiesen
dcterms.typeJournal Article

Files

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.75 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

IWMI Journal Articles
CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa
Sustainable and Resilient Food Production Systems (SuRF)