Research Series Issue 46: Economic participation of rural youth: what matters?

Employment opportunities (for youth and non-youth) depend on the development of the economy. In rural areas, employment transformation takes longer than in urban areas.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that when new off-farm opportunities develop in rural areas, youth are able to access them, while entry into farming may be hindered by lack of access to land.

A key lesson is that lack of technical skills does not seem to be the biggest obstacle youth face in entering the labour force. Evidence on agricultural extension programmes suggests that peer-to-peer learning works best.