Food security and health for sustainable development in Africa- perspectives from the youth (Accra, June 26-28, 2006)

Communiqué

We the African youth, comprising young professionals, scientists, researchers, youth leaders and representatives from 16 African countries, meeting in Accra, Ghana for the 2nd African Regional Youth Congress on Science and Technology have deliberated on the challenges of food insecurity and ill-health facing Africa with a special emphasis on the perspectives of the youth. We have considered tertiary agricultural education in relation to the developmental needs of the continent. We have also listened to senior and renowned scientists and leaders from Africa.

We noted the following:

• Student interest and enrolment in agriculture are on the decline
• The increasing disease burden is slowing down the pace of socio-economic development
• HIV/AIDS infections are rampant in the continent and the youth are most affected
• Application of science, technology and innovation in agriculture hold the key to transforming African economies
• The youth have an integral part to play in Africa’s socio-economic development

We have identified our roles thus:

• Agitating for regular curriculum update to address Africa’s developmental challenges
• Advocating for credit facilities from government and donors
• Commitment to and investment in agribusiness  
• Engaging the media to highlight activities and projects involving the youth
• Championing attitudinal and behaviour change amongst fellow youth\
• Developing entrepreneurial spirit, especially in partnership with fellow youth 
• Cultivating interest of other youth towards research and sensitize them to get involved in agriculture
• Lobbying for support especially through youth representatives in parliament
• Lobbying for mainstreaming youth programmes in our various work organisations

We have identified impediments to our active and meaningful involvement in agriculture, science, technology and innovation issues and would like to be facilitated as follows:

• Trained in skill-oriented agriculture and health programmes
• Assisted to access micro-finance/loans to engage in agri-business
• Awarded scholarships/fellowships to enable the youth pursue higher education in griculture, science and technology
• Mentored by the senior scholars and leaders to bridge the inter-generational gaps in science and technology
• Supported to hold regular forums to deliberate and share experiences
• Consulted and involved in policy and decision-making process
• Represented in science and technology forums to ensure youth concerns are articulated and incorporated in the debates

We recognize various stakeholders and their important roles in attaining food security and good health. There is a need for these stakeholders to work together for the good of Africa. To each stakeholder category, we recommend the following actions:

We call on the African youth to:

• Mobilize themselves and create a platform to share ideas in agribusiness and health
• Be ready and willing to change their attitudes towards agriculture 
• Be willing to learn and be trained
• Be actively involved in health awareness campaigns
• Lobby for mainstreaming youth programmes in policy discussions
• Be entrepreneurial and champion their ideas
• Be willing to 'soil their hands' and work in the rural areas
• Struggle for good governance by participating in political processes
• Engage the media in their activities
•  Implement research findings in their fields

The farmers to:

• Work with researchers to integrate indigenous knowledge with modern science
• Be ready and willing to incorporate new knowledge and technologies for improved productivity
• Embrace best practices in management of resources
• Actively participate in national agricultural forums
• Form communal groups / organisations to pool resources

The research and development institutes to:

• Respect local indigenous knowledge and farmers’ innovations 
• Involve, encourage and mentor the youth in research, extension and development 
• Prioritize and fast-track research focusing on local problems

The African Governments and policymakers to:

• Set up good agricultural systems with supportive loans to farmers to boost production
• Invest in agricultural technology development and extension
• Create conducive political and policy environment
• Reduce taxes on agriculture and farm inputs
• Protect local farm produce against unfair competition from imports

The African Union (AU) and NEPAD to:

• Integrate youth components in NEPAD and facilitate them to be active and effective
• Include youth development as a measurable indicator in the NEPAD African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM)
• Include science and technology development/funding as an indicator in the African Peer Review  Mechanism (APRM)
• Harmonize regional initiatives and policies in agriculture and health
• Facilitate entry of youth into leadership positions

Other regional and international partners

• Support small scale youth initiatives in agriculture and health
• Allow Africa to chart its own research direction
• Create strong, beneficial linkages with science and technology institutions in Africa

On the need to re-focus tertiary agricultural education in Africa, we noted certain shortcomings with our educational systems including the following:

• Outdated curriculum and teaching/instruction methods
• Negative perception about agriculture
• In adequate funding and investment in agricultural education by governments
• Uncertain employment prospects and opportunities
• Lack of information technology facilities in tertiary institutions
• Location of agricultural tertiary institutions in urban rather than farming areas thus separating training from the problems 
• Poor incentives and reward systems that uphold publishing in overseas journals as opposed to solving local problems

We propose the following strategies to revamp agricultural education and enhance interest of the youth in agriculture:

• Subject the curriculum to periodical review to incorporate emerging issues and update to include contemporary research findings 
• Advise students on relevant career opportunities  during their early stages of education, for example, secondary schools
• Create awareness on the importance of agri-business
• Create linkages with the private sector for funding and support
• Create motivating incentives and reward systems that emphasize solutions to local problems
• Increase funding and investment to tertiary institutions
• Establish institutions that specialise only on agriculture and locate them in the problem areas
• Create of job opportunities in the agricultural sector for agricultural graduates
• Encourage  research institutions to engage in demand-driven, commercially-viable research programmes

We also recognize the roles of various stakeholders in re-focusing tertiary education in Africa and call upon African governments and policymakers to:

• Award scholarships/fellowships to youth to study agricultural sciences
• Accord priority to the agricultural sector in allocating resources 
• Create linkages and partnerships with private sector, regional and international partners
• Improve working conditions and incentives in the sector

We further call upon the African Union (AU) and NEPAD to:

• Encourage and spearhead policies to promote agricultural education
• Promote agriculture as a high priority sector for African governments
• Create linkages with international partners
• Ensure continuous monitoring of policies and problems that affect agriculture
• Establish centres of excellence across the continent to consolidate resources and emphasize a strong agricultural focus

Prepared on the 28th Day of June 2006 in Accra, Ghana