Youth in agriculture ecosystems development framework: Sub-Saharan Africa

• Jul 30, 2025
• 1 min

Despite the growing interest in agriculture among young people in Sub-Saharan Africa, youth continue to face systemic barriers to enter and thrive in agri-enterprise. These include fragmented value chains, limited access to finance, weak institutional support, and misaligned policies. Governments and development actors have lacked a structured, evidence-based framework to assess ecosystem gaps and guide targeted interventions for youth engagement in agriculture.

To bridge this gap, MSC developed a comprehensive youth-driven agri-enterprise ecosystem assessment and development framework. We conducted a training needs assessment, facilitated policy and institutional analysis, and built tools—including a value chain selection tool—to help stakeholders identify and prioritize youth-friendly interventions. We mapped key actors and opportunities in countries like Rwanda and Senegal and highlighted areas of over- and under-investment.

The framework has become a powerful diagnostic and planning tool for governments, donors, and ecosystem actors. It enables stakeholders to make data-driven decisions, align interventions, and deploy resources more effectively. In Rwanda and Senegal, the framework has already informed national programming and investment plans aimed at strengthening youth participation in agriculture—supporting inclusive economic growth and sustainable job creation.