Youth Engagement in Agriculture in Kenya: Challenges and Prospects
Youth Engagement in Agriculture in Kenya: Challenges and Prospects
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肯尼亚青年参与农业：挑战与前景
DOI：
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发表时间：
2015
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Mathenge Paul Maina
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
F. Afande;W. Maina;Mathenge Paul Maina
肯尼亚人口在很大程度上是由大量和不断增加的年轻人组成的，近78%的人口年龄在30岁以下。有证据表明，在青年失业率上升的情况下，青年对农业的参与正在下降，而服务业和工业部门尽管增长速度快得多，但没有为迅速增长的青年劳动力创造足够的就业机会。这可能对粮食安全、失业和就业不足产生影响，并可能破坏政府通过农业推动经济增长的努力。利用2005/6年和2009/10年肯尼亚国家小组调查数据，我们研究了不同部门的青年就业动态，并进一步深入了解青年参与农业的决定因素。利用2009年肯尼亚人口普查，我们进一步记录了相对于成年人而言，青年在农业生产中所固有的挑战和制约因素。调查结果显示，青年农民更集中于农业生产。此外，使用改良投入（如改良种子、化肥、农用化学品和兽药）的青年比例相对较低。由于采用适当投入的比率很低，生产力可能仍然很低，青年只能从事自给农业。青年在拥有和管理农业生产中的关键资产，特别是土地方面也被剥夺了权利。土地保有权问题继续阻碍许多青年从事农业，大多数青年使用的土地没有专属所有权。此外，结果表明，青年人获得信贷、推广服务和社会资本（农民团体成员资格）的可能性较小，而这些都是农业转型的关键因素。深入分析的结果似乎表明，至少受过中等教育的青年、男性（已婚和未婚）以及居住在成年人比例较大的家庭中的青年从事农业的可能性较小。有人建议，应通过立法和执行政策，保证培训方案、信贷设施和青年在已确定的农村青年组织获得土地的机会，在有意鼓励青年参与农业的机构之间建立强有力的关系。这将加强青年的参与，促进农业发展。关键词：青年，农业，农业发展，就业，职业选择。
The Kenyan population is to a large extent comprised of a high and increasing cohort of young people, close to 78 percent of the population is below the age of thirty. Evidence reveals that youth engagement in agriculture is declining amidst rising youth unemployment yet the services and industrial sectors, despite growing at considerably faster rates have not created enough jobs for the burgeoning youthful labor force. This may have implications on food security, unemployment, and underemployment and may undermine the government efforts to drive economic growth through agriculture. Using data from the Kenya National Panel Survey data of 2005/6 and 2009/10, we examine youth employment dynamics across the different sectors and further provide insights into the determinants of youth participation in agriculture. Using the Kenya Census of 2009, we further document the challenges and constraints inherent to the youth in agricultural production relative to adults. The findings reveal that youthful farmers are concentrated more in agricultural production. Furthermore, a relatively lower percentage of youth use improved inputs (such as improved seeds, fertilizers, agricultural chemicals and veterinary drugs). With this poor rate of adoption of appropriate inputs, productivity is likely to remain low and constrain the youth to subsistence farming. The youth are also disenfranchised in the ownership and management of critical assets in agricultural production, especially land. Land tenure issues continue to impede many youths from engaging in agriculture, with the majority of youth using land without exclusive ownership rights. In addition, the results point to the fact that the youth are less likely to access credit, extension services and social capital (farmer group membership), all key factors in agricultural transformation. The in-depth analysis results seem to suggest that the youth with at least secondary education, males (both married and unmarried) and those youth residing in households with a large share of adults are less likely to engage in agriculture. It was recommended that a robust relationship between agencies interested in encouraging youth involvement in agriculture should be evolved through legislation and implementation of policies to guarantee training programmes, credit facilities and land accessibility to youths at the identified rural youth organizations. This will enhance youth involvement and catalyze agricultural development. Key words: Youth, Agriculture, Agricultural development, Employment, Occupation choice .