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. 2021 Aug 14;13(16):9120.
doi: 10.3390/su13169120.

Youth Participation in Agriculture: A Scoping Review

Wendy Geza  1   2 , Mjabuliseni Ngidi  2   3 , Temitope Ojo  4   5 , Adetoso Adebiyi Adetoro  2 , Rob Slotow  6 , Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi  1
Affiliations

Youth Participation in Agriculture: A Scoping Review

Wendy Geza et al. Sustainability. .

Abstract

Providing economic opportunities for youth in agriculture is essential to securing the future of agriculture in Africa, addressing poverty, unemployment, and inequality. However, barriers limit youth participation in agriculture and the broader food system. This scoping review aimed to investigate the opportunities and challenges for youth in participating in agriculture and the food system in Africa. This review conducted a scoping review using the PRISMA guideline. Published studies were retrieved from online databases (Web of Science, Cab Direct, and Science Direct) for 2009 to 2019. The findings showed that existing agricultural interventions are production-centric and provide low-income earnings and inadequate social protection. We also found that the youth have pessimistic perceptions about agriculture's capability of improving their living standards. This could be ascribed to the minimal youth involvement in agricultural activities and the youth's shared understanding of the agricultural sector's contribution to general economic growth. From a policy perspective, the literature revealed that current agricultural development programs do not adequately address structural issues underpinning youth participation in the economy. Therefore, to enhance the involvement of youths in agriculture, there is a need for policy implementation in the area of integrated agricultural-based interventions that are context-specific and promote meaningful youth participation in shaping future food systems.

Keywords: agriculture; capacity building; inequality; policy; poverty; unemployment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. PRISMA flow diagram outlining protocol adopted in the scoping review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement Moher et al. [31].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Conceptual framework for promoting youth inclusivity and meaningful participation in agriculture and the food system. Adapted from Mabhaudhi et al. [44].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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