From Youth Voices to Collective Influence: Rethinking Investment in Africa’s Agrifood Systems

‍Kofi Acquaye, representing YPARD, joined a panel discussion on youth in food systems during the Investing: Governance thematic session at the African Youth Climate Action in Agrifood Systems event on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. The discussion brought together perspectives on what it will take to strengthen youth-led climate action and ensure young people have a meaningful role in shaping Africa’s agrifood future. For Kofi, building a more united African youth movement begins with recognising that Africa does not have a shortage of youth networks or youth-led initiatives. Across the continent, young people are already organising, innovating and proposing solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing food systems. The challenge, he noted, is not the absence of youth leadership, but the fragmentation of existing efforts and the weak connection between youth platforms and the institutions where policy and investment decisions are made. This was reflected in the African Youth Position Statement developed through the Youth Conversations ahead of Africa Agriculture Science Week. The statement captured the priorities and aspirations of young people across the continent, including their call for stronger pathways to connect, influence and act.

Building a more connected youth movement

Kofi highlighted three priorities for strengthening youth influence. First, he called for greater collaboration among existing youth networks at national, regional and continental levels, built around a shared agenda. Rather than creating more platforms, he emphasised the importance of connecting and strengthening the networks that already exist. Second, he stressed the need to move beyond simply giving young people a seat at the table. Meaningful participation must include an accountability loop: when young people make recommendations, who responds? What is adopted? What is funded? And how is implementation tracked? Third, he underscored the importance of investing in youth institutions, not only individual youth projects. If young people are to influence policy and investment at scale, the networks that connect them must have the resources, capacity and sustained access needed to participate effectively in decision-making processes.

“Unity does not mean creating one organisation that speaks for every young African. It means building an interconnected ecosystem that can turn many youth voices into collective influence and collective action.”

Moving from consultation to shared decision-making

The discussion also explored what governments and development partners should do differently to strengthen youth-led climate action across Africa’s agrifood systems. Kofi proposed three important shifts: how we engage youth, how we finance youth, and how we follow through on youth recommendations.

-He argued that governments and partners need to move from consulting young people to sharing decision-making with them. Too often, young people are invited into processes after priorities, budgets and programmes have already been determined. Meaningful engagement, he explained, should begin with agenda-setting and programme design and continue through implementation and evaluation.

-He also called for a broader approach to financing. While young people need funding for innovations and enterprises, investment must also support the ecosystem around youth-led action, including networks, mentorship, research, capacity development, access to technology and markets, and the institutions that help successful local solutions reach scale.

-Finally, he highlighted the need to address the implementation gap. Africa already has many policies and commitments on youth, climate and agriculture. The priority now is to ensure that these commitments translate into accessible finance, meaningful opportunities and measurable action on the ground.

Investing in youth leadership for scale

Through YPARD’s work with young people in agroecology, research and policy engagement, Kofi noted that young Africans are already developing solutions. The question, therefore, should not simply be how to involve young people, but:

“What resources, decision-making power and enabling environment do young people need to take what they are already doing to scale?”

This shift from participation to partnership, and from consultation to shared decision-making offers a practical pathway towards stronger youth-led climate action. For Africa’s agrifood systems, investing in youth is not only about supporting individual initiatives. It is about strengthening the networks, institutions and enabling environments that allow young people to connect their ideas, influence decisions and turn local solutions into collective action at scale. As the continent continues to shape its climate and agrifood future, Kofi’s contribution reinforced a central message:
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‍Young people are not waiting to be part of the solution. They are already building it, and investment must help them take it further.

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