African agriculture needs young farmers and strong coopera ves
Insights
have the expertise required? How do you
currently hovers between 50 and 55. 'Young
Improving their market position
continue to involve members and make sure
people nd the idea of selling mobile phones in
According to Van Hedel, there is essentially a
business interests and arrangements are
large cities much more modern and appealing,
world of opportunities out there for African farmers. Improving the position of small family
prioritised over family connections? Moreover,
but that market is already pretty much saturated.
how can a cooperative be transparent about who
ere should be more incentive for the younger
farms will make a difference beyond the local
is involved in what, where, and how?'. Van Hedel
generations to pursue a career in farming, and
food supply alone. 'If family farms have the access,
this requires that they can purchase and sell
knowhow and funding needed to improve seeds
cites the example of a cooperative where a truck was not used to safely and efficiently transport the rice produced by the farmers affiliated with the cooperative, but rather to get the director of the cooperative from A to B. Besides costing money, this also prevented the members from
their products through a cooperative. ere also
or fertiliser, for example, they can also enhance
must be sufficient land for their farm and the
the quantity and quality of their output. Once
farm should generate sufficient income. If their
farmers begin joining their supplies, major buyers
farms are slightly larger, they can substitute
will start doing business with them. A single sack
machines for manual labour and start using
of coffee beans is not going to be of any use to
more modern technologies, including more
these larger buyers, but they will be interested in
making any genuine progress in terms of quality
accurate weather forecasts, superior sowing
purchasing larger batches produced on a
and sales.
seeds and cattle species, and soil investigation.
cooperative basis. However, this does require that
ese kinds of improvements require funding.
farmers agree on the terms of the quality of these
Limited interest among young people
Rabobank Foundation can support, but we also
products, and this quality must be monitored as
Cooperatives can play a key role in encouraging
advice farmers to set up savings and loan
well. In fact, cooperatives can play a key role in
young Africans to become farmers. Van Hedel
cooperatives.'
this process. anks to Rabobank's ties with
estimates that the average age of farmers
major international food companies, we are able to connect to farming cooperatives across Africa.'
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[25] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017