Agriculture contributes 39.6% of our Gross Domestic Product, provides 95% of our food supply and keeps millions of people alive.
“If you ate today, thank a farmer.” Nothing explains the value of agriculture better than this old adage. It also highlights the role that agriculture, long considered a cornerstone of our economy, plays in job creation.
Agriculture contributes 39.6% of our Gross Domestic Product, provides 95% of our food supply and keeps millions of people alive. This makes it a powerful engine for job creation, economic development and poverty reduction. Agriculture offers vast and sustainable employment opportunities, and by empowering smallholder farmers, we can continue to unlock the sector’s potential to combat unemployment and drive economic growth.
According to a study carried out in 2016 by the NGOs Adisco and Reja, the youth unemployment rate is 55.2% in rural areas and 65.4% in urban areas. In terms of age, unemployment particularly affects young people. Furthermore, according to the International Labor Organization and the World Program for Agriculture and Food Security, 95% of the active population is employed in agriculture.
Strengthening the capacities of young agripreneurs
These figures speak for themselves; Burundi has a young population eager to get into agro-industry. However, they often face significant barriers to entry, including limited access to quality agricultural inputs (seeds and fertilizers), training, capital and extension services.
Agriculture offers vast and sustainable employment opportunities
These are the gaps that organizations like One Acre Fund are working to fill. One Acre Fund, known locally as Tubura, is an agricultural NGO that provides asset-based financing and agricultural training services to over 291,000 smallholder farmers in Burundi to reduce hunger and poverty.
The popularity of our services caused demand to explode, leading to an expansion that has created hundreds of jobs over the past fifty years. In the last three years of our 13-year history in Burundi, we have expanded to two new provinces and created 426 new jobs, not to mention the thousands of new farmers we reach with our services, enabling them to increase their income and improve their livelihoods. This organization also operates in eight other countries in sub-Saharan Africa and serves more than 4 million smallholder farmers.
In the soon-to-begin 25A farming season, One Acre Fund – Tubura will expand its services in Karuzi province, increasing the number of farmers served and creating more positions.
By 2030, we plan to directly reach one million farmers, supported by nearly 3,000 employees.
Creation of sustainable jobs
With plans to expand in the coming years and to serve more Burundian farmers, One Acre Fund – Tubura is uniquely positioned to continue facilitating job creation in the agricultural sector. Our approach, which emphasizes high productivity while maintaining environmental resilience, promotes the creation of sustainable jobs for vulnerable rural populations.
The African Development Bank estimates that the size of Africa’s agricultural and food sector will reach $1 trillion by 2030. To date, the government has done a remarkable job in putting in place the infrastructure needed for expansion. of agriculture through initiatives such as the PAEEJ (Youth Economic Empowerment and Employment Program) and farmer cooperatives, which constitute a gateway to this entrepreneurial space.
With plans to expand in the coming years and to serve more Burundian farmers, One Acre Fund – Tubura is uniquely positioned to continue facilitating job creation in the agricultural sector.
Furthermore, the government has worked to protect farmers from external exploitation so that agriculture truly becomes a catalyst for job creation, especially for the youth. Going forward, it must establish comprehensive programs aimed at equipping and encouraging young agripreneurs so that they can harness the energy and innovation of youth.
Catalyzing production and export markets
The government needs to strengthen research collaboration with agricultural sector stakeholders to optimize agricultural production and increase the knowledge base. This would create jobs in the research sector and stimulate the development of new technologies and practices that would benefit the entire industry.
With increased production, Burundi has the potential to produce enough for local consumption and export. To access international markets, the government can invest in quality control and infrastructure development and facilitate market access. This would boost the growth of export-oriented agricultural businesses, thereby paving the way for employment opportunities while increasing foreign exchange earnings.
Focusing on these and other strategies can pave the way for a brighter economic future for our rural populations.
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