Gandhiji had stated, decades earlier that ‘India lives in its villages’
and it still holds good. He has addressed the rural youth who are
not only the future, but also the present. Rural youth is an
important and vital segment of human resources as they are the
constructors of the future rural community. Nearly, 30 crores of the
nation’s youth reside in rural areas (Prabhath, 2011).
Prabath, S.V. 2011. Youth and Rural India. Ailaan, NCRI Newsletter, 2:
1-3.
The withdrawal trend of farm youth in India is stronger in regions
with low value of agricultural production per capita and villages
close to towns (Sharma, 2007)
Sharma, A. 2007. The changing agricultural demography of India:
Evidence from a rural youth perception survey. Inter. J. of Rural Mgmt,
3: 1- 27
Youth unemployment is a pressing issue globally, particularly in the Global South, where Africa
faces significant challenges akin to those experienced by Asia in previous decades. These
challenges stem from rapid population growth, sluggish economic development, high
unemployment rates, a large proportion of unskilled labor, and an aging agricultural sector in
decline. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) bears some of the highest poverty rates among youth, with
more than 30% of the region's population falling into this demographic. With approximately 60%
of Africa's population under 35 years old, the majority of youth are unemployed, especially in
rural areas
1.FAO. Youth employment in agriculture as a solid solution to ending hunger and poverty in Africa; 2018.
Available:http://www.fao.org/about/meeting s/youth-in-agriculture/en/ Accessed on 20 August 2019.
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Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK. 2019;1–22.
3. FAO. Proceeding of the future of food and agriculture: Trends and challenges; FAO: Rome, Italy; 2017.
Entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector faces several challenges, including poor
infrastructure, limited access to finance and resources, inadequate markets, and competition
with established farmers. The socioeconomic environment often portrays farming as a low-
income occupation with long hours and little social status, discouraging youth involvement [5-6].
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group. A new profile of the global poor. World Dev. 2018;101:250–267.
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evidence; ILO Working Papers: Geneva, Swizerland; 2020.
"youth participation" is crucial for understanding the link between youth and agricultural
development. It involves active engagement and influence, empowering young people as
competent citizens rather than passive recipients of services. Youth participation in agriculture
encompasses entrepreneurial activities, involvement in value chains, policy formulation, and
advocacy in food system structures [7-9].
7. Dercon S, Gollin D. Agriculture in African development: Theories and strategies. Annu. Rev.
Resour. Econ. 2014;6:471– 492.
8. Brooks K, Zorya S, Gautam A, Goyal A. Agriculture as a sector of opportunity for young people
in Africa; The World Bank: Washington, DC, USA; 2013.
9. Akinnifesi FK. Can South-South Cooperation offer sustainable agricultureled solutions to youth
unemployment in Africa? Nat. Faune. 2013;28:19.
Upgrading young people's skills is essential for their participation in agriculture, enhancing food
security, and reducing poverty across rural, peri-urban, and urban areas [10-12].
10. Amogha KR, Ajeet Jaiswal S. Kanaka, Rose Meher Santhosh K. Green Leaf Proteins:
Sustainable Solutions for Plant- Based Protein Sources. Journal of Plant Biota; 2023.
DOI:https://doi.org/10.51470/JPB.2023.02. 02.19
11. African Union. The African Youth Decade 2009–2018 Plan of Action. In accelerating youth
empowerment for sustainable development road map towards the implementation of the
African Youth Charter; African Union: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 2011.
12. NEPAD. Comprehensive Africa agriculture development programme; New Partnership for
Africa’s Development (NEPAD): Midrand, South Africa; 2003.
Youth unemployment poses a significant challenge globally, with particular severity in regions of
the Global South, notably Africa, mirroring the struggles experienced by Asia in past decades
[15-17].
15. AGRA. Africa agriculture status report. Feeding Africa’s cities: Opportunities, challenges, and
policies for linking African farmers with growing urban food markets 2020; Alliance for a green
revolution in Africa (AGRA): Nairobi, Kenya; 2020.
16. Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation. Youth E–Agriculture
Entrepreneurship; Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA): Wageningen,
The Netherlands; 2016.
17. Hamidu K. Entrepreneurship intention and involvement in agribusiness enterprise among
youths in Gombe Metropolis, Gombe State, Nigeria: Potentials of agribusiness in Nigeria. J. Biol.
Agric. Healthc. 2015;5:75–84.
The allure of urban employment opportunities often leads to rural-urban migration among
youth, resulting in a decline in the agricultural workforce and a loss of agricultural knowledge
and skills in rural communities. Rural depopulation exacerbates labor shortages, reduces
agricultural productivity, and undermines the resilience of rural economies [47].
Islam MS, Rahman MM, Paul NK. Arsenicinduced morphological variations and the role of
phosphorus in alleviating arsenic toxicity in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Plant Science Archives.
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Introduction:
It is impossible to overstate the contribution that agriculture makes to the nation's
socioeconomic progress. The country's main industry in terms of employment
creation may be the agriculture sector. In spite of this, young people from rural
areas have high rates of unemployment and often choose to travel to cities in
search of low-paying work. The primary goal of the current study was to ascertain
the traits of young people living in rural areas and their perspectives on agriculture
as a source of income.
The future of food security depends on agriculture. Given worldwide projections, it
should contribute significantly to feeding the world's population, which is expected
to reach nine billion people by the year 2050. The only way to address the global
food crisis is to get young people from rural areas involved in agriculture.
However, their obvious lack of enthusiasm for farming poses a threat to India's
agricultural future and is cause for concern.
