Emerging leaders in ICT for agriculture, from African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states, are calling for pro-youth policies to reduce youth unemployment. Although agriculture accounts for over 50 percent of the GNP of many ACP countries, youth involvement is very low while unemployment remains high.

The young agriculture and ICT leaders have called for “thoughtful, dynamic, multilevel and relevant policies” from governments and institutions across the block of countries to remedy the problem. They have put forward a series of recommendations that they believe will help to encourage more young people to work in agriculture. The recommendations range from curricula revisions to capacity building and financial aid, ICT proliferation to increasing the involvement of women and marginalized youth.

The group wants to see the dynamism of the agricultural sector reflected in curricula across all levels of education as well as emphasis on agri-business and technological integration. “The absence of agriculture from the curriculum, particularly at the compulsory levels of education in some ACP countries is untenable. Its broad-based and compulsory inclusion with the appropriate resources will help to motivate youth towards having a more favorable view of employment opportunities in the agricultural sector,” said ICT4D Researcher Tyrone Hall.

The requisite financial resources also need to be made available in the form of scholarships, grants, concessionary education and research loans to those under 35 who are interested in critical areas of agricultural and rural development such as agronomy, food science and technology, agricultural engineering and water management.

“The current university structure in most ACP countries favors the Arts and Social Sciences, sectors for which our economies are expanding too slowly to provide enough employment opportunities,” according to ICT developer Chris Mwangi.

Complementary capacity building is also necessary to get the most out of the sector, the group recommended. This will require training in good agricultural practices and agro-processing as well as developing ICT officer programs across the ACP group to assist young farmers master their trade. “Our collective experience shows that a critical mass of young people in ACP countries is interested in pursuing careers in the field of agriculture, but they are hamstrung by limited skills, knowledge and training opportunities. Resolving these intractable problems requires urgent attention… given the need to reduce food imports,” added Tyrone Hall.

Another recommendation is the creation of “a legible, collateral-free micro-credit environment that offers incentives tailored to the financial needs of young farmers, and ICT software developers who are focused on rural development and agriculture,” said Samantha Christie.

The establishment of regional ICT incubators over the next five years to develop contextual and efficient technological responses to agricultural problems is also critical.

Finally, the participants recommended the provision of legal structures to facilitate increased participation of the youth in ICT, particularly women, physically challenged and marginalized youth with the required skills and interest. “We forthrightly endorse the prioritization of these groups in land reform programs. We also urge ACP countries to meaningfully institutionalize youth involvement in agricultural policy making,” said the group.

We are energized and prepared to share our newly acquired and boosted skills in advanced web 2.0 tools and to support networking among youth involved in agriculture and rural development in our home countries,” said Maureen Agena.