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‘A Last Resort and Often Not an Option at All’: Farming and Young People in Ethiopia

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  • Getnet Tadele
  • Asrat Ayalew Gella

Abstract

Development policies in Ethiopia emphasise agriculture as the pathway to industrialisation. Policies allude to the need for a new generation of young, literate and trained farmers to transform the agricultural sector and bring about the required growth in agricultural output. The success of this strategy largely depends on the willingness of the new generation of literate rural youth to take up agriculture as a potentially rewarding livelihood. This article investigates, based on fieldwork conducted in two rural kebeles of Ethiopia, whether young rural people have this willingness to take up agriculture. It examines the factors that contribute to both the desirability (and undesirability) of agriculture as a future livelihood. Findings revealed that very few young people and their parents were considering farming as a possible option for a future livelihood. For others, farming/agriculture might be a last resort.

Suggested Citation

  • Getnet Tadele & Asrat Ayalew Gella, 2012. "‘A Last Resort and Often Not an Option at All’: Farming and Young People in Ethiopia," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(6), pages 33-43, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:idsxxx:v:43:y:2012:i:6:p:33-43
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/idsb.2012.43.issue-6
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    1. James Sumberg & Thomas Yeboah & Justin Flynn & Nana Akua Anyidoho, 2017. "Young people’s perspectives on farming in Ghana: a Q study," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(1), pages 151-161, February.
    2. Mastewal Yami & Shiferaw Feleke & Tahirou Abdoulaye & Arega D. Alene & Zoumana Bamba & Victor Manyong, 2019. "African Rural Youth Engagement in Agribusiness: Achievements, Limitations, and Lessons," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, January.
    3. Katie LaRue & Thomas Daum & Kai Mausch & Dave Harris, 2021. "Who Wants to Farm? Answers Depend on How You Ask: A Case Study on Youth Aspirations in Kenya," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(4), pages 885-909, August.
    4. Sonkey Louis Ntu & Bime Mary Juliet Egwu & Mbu Daniel Tambi, 2023. "Informal Institutional Characteristics and Youth Involvement in Agribusiness Entrepreneurship in Fako Division, Cameroon: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(4), pages 222-237, April.
    5. Jordan Chamberlin & Cristina Ramos & Kibrom Abay, 2021. "Do more Vibrant Rural Areas have Lower Rates of Youth Out-Migration? Evidence from Zambia," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(4), pages 951-979, August.
    6. Sumberg, James & Anyidoho, Nana Akua & Chasukwa, Michael & Chinsinga, Blessings & Leavy, Jennifer, 2014. "Young people, agriculture, and employment in rural Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series 080, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    7. Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, 2021. "Empowerment of Rural Young People in Informal Farm Entrepreneurship: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria’s Oil Producing Communities," Working Papers 21/033, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    8. Trent Brown, 2020. "Pathways to Agricultural Skill Development in the Indian Himalayas," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 15(2), pages 270-292, August.
    9. James Sumberg & Nana Akua Anyidoho & Michael Chasukwa & Blessings Chinsinga & Jennifer Leavy & Getnet Tadele & Stephen Whitfield & Joseph Yaro, 2014. "Young People, Agriculture, and Employment in Rural Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2014-080, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    10. Moreda, Tsegaye, 2023. "The social dynamics of access to land, livelihoods and the rural youth in an era of rapid rural change: Evidence from Ethiopia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    11. Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, 2021. "Empowerment of Rural Young People in Informal Farm Entrepreneurship: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria’s Oil Producing Communities," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 21/033, African Governance and Development Institute..
    12. Raghav Gaiha & Shantanu Mathur, 2018. "Agricultural research, technology and nutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 292018, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    13. Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, 2021. "Empowerment of Rural Young People in Informal Farm Entrepreneurship: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria’s Oil Producing Communities," Research Africa Network Working Papers 21/033, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    14. Arulingam, I, & Nigussie, L. & Senaratna Sellamuttu, S. & Debevec, L., 2019. "Youth participation in small-scale fisheries, aquaculture and value chains in Africa and the Asia-Pacific," Monographs, The WorldFish Center, number 40844, April.
    15. Kerilyn Schewel & Sonja Fransen, 2018. "Formal Education and Migration Aspirations in Ethiopia," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 44(3), pages 555-587, September.
    16. Grace Muthoni Mwaura, 2017. "Just Farming? Neoliberal Subjectivities and Agricultural Livelihoods among Educated Youth in Kenya," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 48(6), pages 1310-1335, November.
    17. Alessandra Giuliani & Sebastian Mengel & Courtney Paisley & Nicole Perkins & Ingrid Flink & Oliver Oliveros & Mariana Wongtschowski, 2017. "Realities, Perceptions, Challenges and Aspirations of Rural Youth in Dryland Agriculture in the Midelt Province, Morocco," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-23, May.
    18. Roy Huijsmans & Aprilia Ambarwati & Charina Chazali & M. Vijayabaskar, 2021. "Farming, Gender and Aspirations Across Young People’s Life Course: Attempting to Keep Things Open While Becoming a Farmer," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(1), pages 71-88, February.
    19. Cynthia J. Mkong & Tahirou Abdoulaye & Paul Martin Dontsop-Nguezet & Zoumana Bamba & Victor Manyong & Godlove Shu, 2021. "Determinant of University Students’ Choices and Preferences of Agricultural Sub-Sector Engagement in Cameroon," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-18, June.

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