agendas in each of these areas are beyond the scope of this paper, but the future of Africa’s young people is at present hostage to the wide gap between rhetorical commitment to the importance of agriculture and actual effective attention accorded to it by Africa’s leaders. Ongoing efforts to address constraints to land, capital, and skills must be redoubled, and features to make programs friendly to the needs of the young introduced. Examples of such programs are available on a piecemeal basis, but they have not yet been brought together with a clear focus on young people engaging in profitable and productive agriculture.

Although farming is often done by the elderly, the profession’s requirements for energy, innovation, and physical strength make it ideally suited for those in the 15-34 year-old age range. Energy, creativity, and strength are attributes that Africa’s young people have in abundance. The agriculture that attracts them will have to be profitable, competitive, and dynamic. These are the same characteristics needed for agriculture to deliver growth, to improve food security, and to preserve a fragile natural environment. With much higher priority accorded to the implementation of well-designed public investments in agriculture, continued progress on regulatory and policy reform, and a modest overlay of attention to ensure the inclusion of young people in Africa’s agricultural renaissance, the sector’s handsome youth dividend can be collected and widely shared.

# **11. References**

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