Briefing Paper

Could ICT be the Solution to Woo Youth to Agriculture?

“Agriculture still remains the backbone of Kenya’s economy sustaining over 75% of the homesteads in the country. It accounts for 27% of Kenya’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 60% of the total export earnings
as well as 45% of government revenue. Agricultural development is thus an
essential instrument for economic growth and consequently one of the pillars of the country’s blueprint Vision 2030.
This therefore justifies the need to increase the involvement of the youth in the agricultural sector considering that the
youth constitute the highest percentage (above 75.39%) of the population.With fast
population increase and slow demographic transition, youth employment in Kenya remains a challenge with approximately 67% of the unemployed in the country being the youth. Agriculture has considerable potential for job and wealth creation and may go a long
way in absorbing a large number of un-employed youth and curb rural-urban migration and the risks that come with it.”