Joel
Mutai, chief executive officer of AAK Grow says exposing children to
agriculture at a young age can help build a generation that appreciates farming /AGATHA NGOTHO
As Kenya grapples with an ageing farming population and growing concerns over food security, efforts to attract young people to agriculture are gaining momentum through the revival of 4K Clubs in schools.
At Egerton University, learners, government officials, researchers and private sector players recently gathered to showcase how the clubs are nurturing a new generation of farmers equipped with modern agricultural skills and technologies.
The initiative, supported by Egerton University, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, CropLife Kenya, AAK Grow and other partners, aims to spark interest in agriculture among young learners while demonstrating that farming can be both profitable and innovative.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the average age of a Kenyan farmer is about 64 years, raising concerns about the future of food production. Yet young people account for more than 75 per cent of the population, presenting a significant opportunity for the sector.
“We are inculcating the practice of agriculture from an early age so that we bridge the gap between the ageing farmer population and the growing population,” said Charles Luweti, head of the Youth in Agriculture Unit at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
Luweti said the 4K Clubs programme, rebranded and relaunched in 2021, has registered about 2,700 clubs across all 47 counties, reaching nearly 300,000 learners.
Charles Luweti, head of the Youth in Agriculture
Unit at Kenya's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development with 4K Club members /AGATHA NGOTHO
Unlike the traditional clubs of decades past, the modern programme exposes learners to digital technologies, agribusiness opportunities and agricultural value chains.
“You don't need to be tilling the land with your hands. There are opportunities in coding, drone operation, digital agriculture and many other areas within the agricultural value chain,” Luweti said.
CropLife Africa Middle East CEO Stella Simiyu said investing in young people is critical to the future of agriculture.
“If you want to know the future of a sector, look at the young people,” she said, adding that children often become effective ambassadors of new agricultural knowledge within their communities.
AAK Grow CEO Joel Mutai said the programme is helping to challenge perceptions that farming is a career of last resort.
Experts believe that by combining education, technology and partnerships, the revitalised 4K Clubs can help secure the future of Kenya’s agricultural sector and inspire more young people to view farming as a viable career and business opportunity.
