OP-ed : Across Africa, young women and men are tilling soil with one hand and carrying other responsibilities on the other hand. In local markets, some are turning baskets of produce into budding agribusinesses that feed families and spark local economies.
These young farmers rooted in their fields and communities, sweat and persevere, yet too much is lost after harvest. This is the agriculture that lives and breathes in our communities that young people are seeking opportunities from, not as it’s imagined in boardrooms.
For Africa’s Agrifood systems to truly transform, they must first and foremost reflect our stories, our struggles and our dreams. Every day, young people rise to tend crops, start small agribusinesses, and carry hope of better future, often in environments where access to profitable markets, inclusive finance, and appropriate infrastructure remains out of reach.
But despite these challenges, young people, we remain as resilient seeds, planted in the heart of African villages to advance Agrifood systems.
They told us agriculture is just soil and sweat. But we the young people, see more. We see:
Agri-tech that connect farmers to markets in real-time. Logistics that flow across borders to fuel trade. Financial inclusion that transforms rural dreams into profitable ventures. Processing plants that turn raw harvests into economic gold. And policies that open doors for life changing opportunities.
To stakeholders, policymakers, and development partners, do not just inspire us:
Make finance accessible through loans, grants, seed capital. Train us in agri-tech, value addition and business skills to elevate our expertise. Connect us to agriculture markets both locally, and across borders. Engage us to build appropriate infrastructure, storage, and processing plants. Trust us to influence policies that will open doors for thriving in Agrifood systems.
Equip us with localized digital tools to enable us to create climate-smart innovations. Include us in key decision-making processes to maximize our creativity, innovation and energy. Link us to strategic networks, partnerships, and collaborations to build sustainable systems.
And even as you do so, we, the young people are not waiting, we are trading, building, creating and planting seeds of resilience to transform Africa’s agrifood systems for the next generations.
Too many voices of young people are silenced before they can pitch an idea, make a recommendation or even influence a decision. I was fortunate to attend the ‘Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) 2025,’ in Dakar, Senegal, under the theme ‘Africa’s Youth: Leading Collaboration, Innovation and Implementation of Agrifood Systems Transformation.’
As a representative of the young people and an alumna of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, I was given a platform at AFSF Forum, where I delivered a speech through storytelling, as outlined above.
My call to action was acknowledged by the policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, experts in Agrifood systems, farmers and development partners from across the world. It sparked meaningful discussions about the need for inclusive financing models, supportive policies, and mentorship opportunities that empower not just youth, but also women and marginalized groups that are often left behind.
If more platforms, with accountable and responsive stakeholders, are made accessible to young people, our voices will not only be heard, they will also lead. We will raise issues, offer innovative solutions, and drive the change we want to see in Africa’s Agrifood systems.
Organizations like the Mastercard Foundation, that recognize the untapped economic potential of Agrifood systems for young people and when integrated with entrepreneurial opportunity, these systems become a source of innovation, job creation, and inclusive growth, are beginning shift the Africa’s narrative.
Such organizations that strive to ensure young people especially young women reach platforms like the AFSF and speak up, continue to confirm that the future of Africa’s Agrifood systems will be transformed by young people.
The Africa Food Systems Forum is the continent’s premier platform for advancing bold solutions and strategic action to transform Africa’s food systems. The Forum convenes policymakers, development partners, private sector leaders, researchers, farmers, and civil society actors to collaborate on practical, inclusive, and innovative pathways for sustainable food systems.
We, the young people are key stakeholders in this Forum, we attend as advisors, influencers and solution -drivers to Africa’s food systems.
The future of Africa’s agrifood systems will be transformed, not only by investment or innovation, but by the leadership, resilience, and vision of its young people.
The Write is Alli Faiza, the founder of MIDU Foods, a youth-led agribusiness supporting inclusive value addition and food systems transformation in Uganda.
