From Farm to Future: Empowering Rural Youth in Agricultural and Food Systems Transformation

South Asia (SA) is the most densely populated region in the world, with a current population of 1.8 billion (one-fourth of the global population), and it is expected to increase to over two billion by 2050. This rapid population growth will create significant pressure on the agriculture and food systems[1] in the region. Despite being an agricultural powerhouse, SA has high levels of food insecurity, with many people suffering from malnutrition and hunger. It is also one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change and heavily reliant on intensive farming practices, leading to several inadequacies in agriculture and food systems that have direct bearings on food production and food security. Therefore, there is a need for sustainable transformation of food systems, to ensure food security, adapt to climate change, promote sustainable agricultural practices, and improve the health and well-being of the people.

Rural youth and agrifood systems transformation in South Asia

Agriculture and food systems employ more than 1.23 billion people directly worldwide, with almost half the global population living in households linked to such systems (FAO, 2023). Of these 1.23 billion, 857 million works in primary agricultural production and 375 million in the off-farm segments (extension services, processing, packaging, storage, transportation distribution, and retail sale) of agrifood systems. The highest numbers of people employed in agrifood systems are in South Asia (793 million) and Africa (290 million). South Asia is also home to over 600 million young people (15–35[2]), constituting around half of all agrifood system workers. For instance, about 20 per cent of Bangladesh’s nearly 165 million inhabitants are youth [15-24 years), according to Bangladesh population and housing census 2022; more than half of these live in rural areas and primarily belong to farming families. Rural youth thus have a crucial role in transforming agrifood systems in the region.

Ageing farm population, rural–urban migration, and waning interest of rural youth

The ageing farm population in South Asia is a growing concern, as it poses several challenges to the region's agricultural sector, food security, overall economic development and sustainability. Farming is also still largely an intergenerational occupation in the region, with knowledge and skills passed down from generation to generation. According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the average age of farmers in South Asia is increasing rapidly, with more than 60% over 50. Along with the health and physical limitations that come with ageing, rendering older farmers less able to perform the tasks required for work in agriculture, a possible reduced affinity for technology adoption is likely to hinder the productivity and sustainability of agriculture.

Rural–urban migration resulting from agrarian distress caused by climate variability, market uncertainty and lack of economic opportunities is a prime concern. In the recent past this has been linked to the waning interest of rural youth in the succession of family farming. Rural–urban migration, driven by the garments industry in Bangladesh, has both positive and negative effects. On the positive side, it has helped to reduce poverty and increase household incomes for many families, with rural workers attracted to the industry’s higher wages and better working conditions than those in rural areas. On the negative side, it has led to a breakdown of traditional social structures, increased urbanization, exploitation of workers, and a shortage of skilled labor in the agricultural sector. It is this last factor – the skilled labor shortage, in particular, with reduced involvement of youth in agriculture – which poses a great challenge to innovation and sustainability of the agriculture sector.

CIMMYT’s projects (CSISA, NSAF, TAFSSA, RUPANTAR among others) are well placed in the region to analyze and understand the current food systems and propose strategies for the sustainable transformation of agriculture and food systems in South Asia, particularly in the Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP), which is home to more than 450 million people.

The RUPANTAR team at CIMMYT recently completed a field survey designed to understand the status of diversification and presence of enabling factors to support change in selected locations of the EGP in West Bengal (India), Nepal, and Bangladesh. Based on an initial examination of field survey data, it has been observed that the existing cropping pattern in all three study locations predominantly focuses on rice cultivation during the Kharif season. However, during the Rabi season, a slightly more diverse range of crops such as pulses, oilseeds, leafy vegetables, and tobacco crops are grown. Additionally, an assessment of the dietary habits of farm households indicates a strong inclination towards consuming cereals, pulses, roots, and tubers, while the consumption of fruits, vegetables, milk, and mill products is relatively lower.

As a follow-up to ongoing activities and to validate the critical issues emerging from the baseline survey, CIMMYT recently conducted a dipstick survey at its research site villages in two districts of Bangladesh. This used focus group discussions and key informant interviews to engage with men and women farmers and rural youth in the context of transforming smallholder food systems in the region. One of the key questions we asked rural youth was about their aspirations to continue in agriculture. The findings are summarized below.

The agricultural sector is of immense importance to the economy of Bangladesh. Its contributions to employment (over 40% of the total labor force), GDP (around 15%), food security (~165 million people), export earnings (> US$1.16 billion, 2022 – the highest in the country's 50-year history) and rural development are critical for the country's sustainable economic growth and development.

Focus group discussion with young women and men in the study villages. [3rd May 2023].

Photo credit: Mr. Kali Ratan Chakma

What are the aspirations of rural youth?

It was sunny on the days we visited the survey villages, with most of the fields growing mainly maize and paddy. The paddy was almost ready for harvest, with some villagers, especially women, busy threshing by hand. Very few farmers were using paddy threshers where youth were involved. We observed a group of young men sitting under a tree chatting, smartphones in hand. We asked them what they did, what they studied, and what were their aspirations. Most were diploma holders or graduates, mainly in technical subjects such as civil engineering and diploma in textiles. Agriculture is the main family occupation, but most of the young men were unemployed and wanting to find jobs in the city: in particular, getting a government job was everyone’s aspiration. They were supporting their family’s farming activities, while at the same time searching for paid employment off-farm.

Most of these young men emphasized their interest and aspirations in contributing to the family farm, and wanted to stay in the village, living with their parents. However, the lack of profitable livelihood options, the family's poor financial condition, lack of access to institutional finance, the decreasing social respectability of farming, along with witnessing their parents struggle in farming, have all contributed to pushing them out of agriculture. Farming is seen as a last resort if all other possibilities fail. Most are prepared to do even small jobs (that pay less) in cities which provided assured income, respect, and dignity in the community. Conversely, a few youths mentioned that they would like to continue farming with their parents if they could also get a part-time job or have access to nearby business opportunities during the off-season along with farming in their smallholdings.

“Rural youth, even if they have the same or more income and assets than the person working in city in the garment industry, aren’t respected – and even families tend not to accept marriage proposals from them for their daughters.”

Similarly, we interacted with female youth in the same villages; most of them were married at an early age and involved in farm operations and daily household chores. Most of them have not even passed primary education. Their responses are summarized below.

“Poverty pushed us into marriage before we were old enough – so now we don’t have any great aspirations, beyond taking care of the children and the rest of the family.”

Most women in the villages we visited were involved in almost all farm operations, with their menfolk seeking off-farm work during the off-season. Women's drudgery is evident through their involvement in paddy threshing and other field work.

Why is it important to understand the aspirations of rural youth?

Aspirations are becoming more widely acknowledged as a significant aspect of well-being, and it is imperative for governments to understand and nurture them in order to improve the well-being of rural women and youth. Those with high aspirations visualize the future and engage in forward-looking behavior, while low aspirations lead to reduced efforts to increase one’s prosperity.

When the poor fail to see a better tomorrow in which their well-being is much higher than it is today, they lack the motivation to take action to improve their future and consequently become even more stuck in a poverty trap. Farmers’ aspirations may influence their choice of agricultural inputs and investments, which could in turn lead to increased productivity. Aspirations also play a role in influencing short- and medium-term decisions, with a potentially significant effect on technology adoption. In the context of the increased rural–urban migration of men, women left behind in agriculture, an ageing farm population, and the waning interest of youth in agriculture, it is crucial to understand the aspirations of the category of rural youth and empower them by means of appropriate development interventions and targeted policies.

Our interactions with rural youth have allowed us to better understand some of the drivers of out-migration and their waning interest in agriculture, as well as the drudgery experienced by women in farming.

Government of Bangladesh framed National youth policy 2017 with the vision to harness her demographic dividend for its growth and development. There is a need for continuous efforts from government to skill, reskill and upskill rural youth to involve them in agricultural activities and provide access to credit, as well as hand-on training to promote agripreneurship, which should be based on training need assessment. There is also a need for popularizing small scale and low-cost farm machineries that potentially reduce women drudgery and labor shortage in agriculture.

Our work at CIMMYT as part of the ongoing projects allows us to understand the various dimensions of food systems, including the part played by rural youth and women, and contributes towards developing models, pathways, and strategies for transforming agri-food systems in the region.

[1] The food system is a complex web of activities involving the production, processing, transport, and consumption.

[2] In most of the countries for which data from FAO - RuLIS is available, youth, defined as people aged 15 to 35 years old.