Picture a vibrant maize mill plant in Zambia, where young graduates are operating machinery, managing logistics, and steering tractors actively transforming their knowledge into productive labour that reshapes the agricultural landscape. Envision a bustling cocoa processing hub in Ghana, thriving on bold public-private investments and powered by youth-led cooperatives that are turning raw beans into export-ready products and marketable brands. Imagine Burkina Faso’s youth-run onion cooperative, channeling matching grants into small-scale enterprise proof that when young people are backed by responsive financing and smart policy, innovation flourishes and local economies thrive.
These scenes are not distant dreams, they offer a vivid glimpse of what can happen when African governments see agriculture as an enterprise worth investing in, rather than a sector to manage only in times of crisis. When fiscal systems evolve from patchwork solutions to purpose-driven frameworks, they can unlock the full potential of youth and agriculture alike.
This drive for transformation drives CABRI’s upcoming Policy Dialogue on Value for Money in Agricultural Value Chains: Strengthening Public Finance Management Systems, set to take place from 29 to 31 October 2025. The event will convene a diverse community of stakeholders including ministries of finance and agriculture, development partners, youth innovators, and civil society actors to rethink how Public Finance Management (PFM) systems can be redesigned as levers for inclusive and sustainable growth. At its heart, the Dialogue will challenge the long-held view of agriculture as a fallback option and instead spotlight its true potential as a dynamic engine for economic development and a cornerstone of meaningful youth employment across Africa.
The primary objective of this policy dialogue is to enhance collaboration between the Ministries of Finance and Agriculture to promote youth employment in agricultural value chains. By fostering stronger coordination, this partnership aims to develop financing and policy frameworks that actively support young entrepreneurs and farmers, ensuring that investments translate into meaningful job creation and sector growth.
Beneath the surface, however, lies a quiet crisis. Agriculture, while still the primary livelihood for millions of African youths, faces structural challenges. As the continent’s largest employer, it holds the greatest potential to spur youth employment in the near term. Yet by 2035, Africa must generate approximately 18 million new jobs every year to absorb its rapidly expanding labour force (World Bank, 2023).
However, their potential is often hampered by rigid budget structures that lack flexibility, programs that fail to scale, and public finance systems that fund inputs without considering the entire value chain (Davis et al., 2023; Gustafson, 2023). For example, in Kenya, young avocado farmers face hurdles obtaining export certification, limiting their access to lucrative markets (Seed Farm, 2025; Affluent Farmers, 2023). In Senegal, climate-smart greenhouses show promise in pilot projects but remain out of reach for most farmers due to financial and regulatory barriers, with agriculture receiving less than 3% of total bank credit (Green Climate Fund, 2025; World Bank, 2019).
Despite these challenges, there are inspiring signs of progress. Burkina Faso’s youth agripreneurs, during the 2025 YEFFA Youth Convening, called for stronger support for climate-resilient farming, better access to finance and land, and concrete policy commitments. The Ministry of Agriculture responded with pledges to make youth a central part of the country’s agricultural future, demonstrating that when youth engagement is bold and deliberate, governments are willing to act (AGRA, 2025).
CABRI’s Policy Dialogue aims to surface innovative financing models that promote youth-led agricultural transformation. It emphasizes stronger coordination between Ministries of Finance and Agriculture enabling better budget planning, inclusive financing tools, and transparent, accountable expenditure aligned with national agricultural priorities.
Participants in the Dialogue will engage in interactive panel discussions, share country experiences, and join peer learning sessions to explore what works and what needs to change. From Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa strategy to Burkina Faso’s youth-led advocacy at YEFFA, the Dialogue will spotlight success stories and prompt honest conversations around policy gaps.