Young farmers don't need convincing. They need allies.

By Nandi Bwanali 

I have often heard that young people are not interested in agriculture. In my experience, the reality is very different. Many young people value farming. It is a way of life, a family legacy, and often an important safety net. What is changing is how they want to engage with it. The young people I meet are entrepreneurial, ambitious, and opportunity-driven. They do not simply want to farm for survival; these young men and women want to build businesses and livelihoods that give them independence and build a firm foundation for their future.

What often holds youth back are systems and practical barriers that are yet to catch up to their ambitions. Access to land and finance can be difficult. Social norms can limit opportunities, particularly for young women. Some young people are starting with very little and need a lower-risk entry into farming. Others have already started farming and need support to commercialize. These are not challenges they can solve alone.

Youth require allies who design programs around their realities: people who can help develop better financial products, policymakers who can create enabling environments, organizations that can  provide easier access to farm inputs, technology experts who can build useful tools, and communities willing to create space for young farmers to succeed.

Listen. Then build together

At One Acre Fund, our experience over the 20 years since our founding has reinforced one lesson: you can’t design for people you don't know. Being an ally starts with listening. In 2024 and 2025, we conducted numerous interviews with rural youth to better understand their experiences and needs, and ran pilot programs based on their feedback. 

What does this look like in practice? In Rwanda, championing conversations with parents and community leaders are helping explore how small portions of family land can be made available to young people to carry out their farming journey - tapping into a cultural practice that is already familiar. In Malawi, we created the ‘Planting Partners’ program that supports new mothers by providing assistance with farm labor, allowing young women to keep their farms productive while nurturing their families.

For us, these are just a few of the ways we show allyship. Young farmers bring their lived experience and suggestions, and our teams bring different skills, resources, networks, and perspectives. By working together, we aren’t just creating programs for farmers - we’re co-creating and building out scalable solutions with them. 

The sector needs curious people, not perfect resumes

Being an ally to young farmers also means recognizing that agriculture needs more than traditional agricultural expertise. When I think about the future of the sector, I see technology teams exploring how digital tools and AI can support farmers. I see researchers developing better, diverse, and climate-smart farming practices. I see finance professionals thinking about how young people can access capital. I see communicators helping change perceptions about farming. I see policymakers creating systems that allow young businesses to grow.

At One Acre Fund, supporting farmers requires people across various fields. Young professionals under the age of 35, who make up roughly 49% of our field-based staff, are also shaping the sector by playing a key role in delivering solutions to their peers and older farmers.

Who would thrive in this space? Those who ask questions before designing solutions. Those willing to have their assumptions challenged. Those empathetic enough to understand the realities of the people they serve, and adaptable enough to change course when those realities demand it.

The future of agriculture is being shaped in fields, but also in research labs, boardrooms, government offices, design meetings, and communities. There are countless great ideas that need even more investment of attention and skills to scale up and reach more fields, and more farmers. That means there is plenty of room for you to make your mark.

Imagine what we could build together

For impact-driven professionals, I believe there has rarely been a more exciting time to work alongside young farmers.

When we support a young farmer to adopt a new practice, build a successful business, or access a new market, the benefits can spread to their families and communities. I have seen this with 19 year old Fatima, who took what she learned from One Acre Fund and shared it with neighboring farmers - of any age! Investing in one young person can create a ripple effect far beyond one farm.

Imagine what could happen if more professionals brought their skills to this work. If more organizations listened to young farmers. If more communities created space for them. If more policymakers designed with the next generation in mind.

We could help build an agricultural sector where young people do not simply inherit farming, they shape what farming becomes.

Young farmers are already showing us what is possible. Now they need allies who are ready to listen, learn, and build alongside them. You can help write the next chapter of agriculture.

Ms Bwanali is the Global Youth Lead at One Acre Fund