
Policy highlights:
- ‘Megatrends’ that shape African economic, political and social landscapes are the rise of the African middle class, urbanization and the consequent shifts in food demand, the rapid shift in labour from farming to non-farm jobs, and rising competition for African farmland.
- Job creation in the non-farm sector will not grow fast enough to tackle these demographic challenges and absorb the rapidly growing young labour force. Therefore, smallholder agriculture will remain a fundamental safety valve.
- Policy should focus on: 1) investing in the education value chain to upgrade the skill levels of young people entering the labour market; 2) promoting broad-based agricultural growth; 3) investing in physical infrastructure; 4) promoting private investment and job growth in local non-farm sectors; and 5) investing in urban planning in anticipation of further urbanization.