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On a hot afternoon in Senegal, farmer Filly Mangassa, 33, kicked up a cloud of dust as she loaded her peanut plants onto a horse-drawn carriage.
Ten years ago, he left his hometown and came to the capital. dakardreams of becoming a professor. But the high cost of living and lack of employment opportunities make this dream out of reach.
“Especially after COVID-19, companies are no longer hiring and prices are rising,” said Mangasa, who has a master’s degree in criminology. “I thought: My father and grandfather were farmers, why not use these experiences to come back to my hometown and try to make a living in agriculture.”
span most AfricaFarming has long been viewed as a low-status job, forcing young people to seek office jobs in cities.
“For my father and some people in my family, they saw me coming back to the country as a step back,” Mangasa said.
But that perception is changing. Rising food prices, investment in irrigation and the spread of new technologies are making farming more profitable. Governments and nonprofits now fund programs that teach advanced farming skills and provide farmers with equipment, fertilizers, pesticides and seed support.
“When my father saw that I had a clear and thorough business plan, he encouraged me and helped me through the administrative process of acquiring the land,” Mangasa said.
He is part of a growing trend of young Africans leaving cities to try their luck in farming. Mangasa said his profits were about 2 million CFA francs ($3,500 a year), well above Senegal’s average annual income of about $2,500.
Africa is the most rapidly urbanizing region in the world, with cities growing at an average annual rate of 3.5%. As the urban population increases, so does the cost of living.
According to the World Bank, median rent and grocery prices in places like Dakar or Kenya’s capital Nairobi are approaching those in major European cities, even though median wages are much lower.
At the same time, according to the African Development Bank, 10 to 12 million young Africans enter the job market every year, but only about 3 million formal jobs are created.
“Many of my friends graduated at the same time as me and are now working as motorcycle taxi drivers, barely making ends meet,” Mangasa said.
Help young farmers acquire land
Mangasa now owns a 32-acre farm where he grows peanuts, corn, vegetables and fruits. He received some funds to purchase land world food program Initiative to help young Africans start careers in agriculture.
Launched in 2023 and expected to run until early 2027, the program has supported approximately 380,000 people in starting agricultural enterprises.
It works with local governments to allow young farmers to access land – often a challenge because of complex ownership systems and the difficulty young people get in getting loans because they are considered high risk.
In Senegal, the program has supported more than 61,000 people, more than 80 percent of whom have set up farms, according to WFP. It is also in Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania.
“Our survey shows that young people face three main barriers to entering agriculture: limited access to land, finance and inputs; a lack of practical skills; and tough market conditions – knowing when to sell, how to add value and how to market their products,” said Pierre Lucas, WFP Country Director in Senegal.
Like many African countries, Senegal is plagued by food insecurity, which is exacerbated by cuts in donor funding and worsening climate conditions.
The region is also recovering from the colonial era, said Ibrahima Hati, an agricultural economist at Senegal’s Forward Agriculture and Rural Initiatives think tank.
“In Senegal, for example, farmers are forced to grow peanuts instead of food crops to sell in France,” Hasi said.
Scarcity of arable land and soil degradation further limit food production.
But now, many younger farmers are switching to higher-value crops and have better technology, so output is increasing, Heidi said, predicting that staple food prices could fall as more locally produced food comes to market.
Agriculture becomes an alternative to immigration
Senegal is the main departure point for migrants trying to reach Europe via the deadly Atlantic route. The authorities see agriculture as a way to create jobs and keep young people at home, and have launched campaigns in rural areas hardest hit by immigration.
“I believe that the only sector that can create the hundreds of thousands of jobs that young people in Africa need is agriculture and livestock,” Mabouba Diagne, Senegal’s agriculture minister, told reporters in October.
Adama Sane, 24, once dreamed of reaching Europe but had no money to pay smugglers. He moved to Dakar in 2020 but was unable to make ends meet as a construction worker. Then he heard about the WFP initiative.
“In a way, discovering agriculture saved my life,” Sane said. “If I keep working in construction, sooner or later I will try to cross the ocean.”
He now raises poultry and grows peppers on his five-acre farm in the village.
“I’m still far from the career I want, but at least I’ve saved a lot of money and my life is less stressful compared to the city,” Sane said. “Many young people think being a farmer is a ‘small job,’ but the public is starting to realize that agriculture can be key to Senegal’s development.”
Three other potential immigrants are now working for Mangasa.
Mamadou Camara, 22, Issa Traoré, 22, and Madassa Kebe, 23, have been living in Mali’s capital, Bamako, trying to find work. Their family helped them raise funds for an Atlantic trip to Europe via Guinea-Bissau, but they say a smuggler there also disappeared.
They decided to return home via Senegal, where they met Mangassa.
“I feel for them because I know what it’s like to work hard and still not make ends meet when your family depends on you,” Mangasa said. “I want to show them that there are opportunities for young people here.”
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