The Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, Selibe Mochoboroane, has called on Africa and the world to see that changing Africa’s food systems is a job for young people.
He spoke at the Global Youth Action Event of the World Food Forum, in a session titled “Leading from the Front: Africa’s Youth Driving Agrifood Systems Transformation.”
“Africa’s agri-food systems transformation agenda is a youth agenda. There is no separating the two,” Mochoboroane said in his opening remarks.
Africa’s median age is just 19, and 60 percent of its people are under 25. By 2050, the continent’s youth population is expected to reach 830 million. The Minister said Africa’s future depends on the chances given to young people now.
“Africa’s future will be shaped by the opportunities that we create for our young people today,” he stressed.
Citing the proverb, “One generation plants the trees and another gets the shade,” he warned that failing to support young people would be a mistake that future generations will regret. He pointed to the barriers many young Africans face, including unemployment, limited access to land and other productive resources, and being left out of decision-making.
He said Lesotho feels this strongly. “In Lesotho, unemployment is a top priority and a matter of urgency,” he explained.
He noted that the government declared a state of emergency in July 2025 to fight high youth unemployment.
The Minister said his speech was not only about problems. He listed steps Lesotho is taking:
- The FLO-Hassan project and the World Bank-supported SADP II build the skills of young entrepreneurs and offer mentorship to help them run farming businesses that make a profit.
- The government’s Youth Mentorship Programme aims to support 1,000 young Basotho farmers.
- A recent purchase of 200 tractors, along with skills training, is opening new farming opportunities.
Mochoboroane also praised the creativity and determination of Lesotho’s youth. He told the story of a young Mosotho who started vegetable farming with just M300 and now runs a growing agribusiness. This person mentors others and promotes sustainable, indigenous farming.
“The story reminds us that young people do not lack ambition or ideas. They need an enabling environment in which their determination can translate into opportunity,” the Minister said.
The Minister stressed the value of platforms such as the World Food Forum National Youth Chapters, which link young people across sectors and strengthen their voice. In Lesotho, more than 60 young people from different parts of the food sector have joined to set up the WFF Lesotho Youth Chapter.
They aim to turn local priorities into solutions led by local people and to help reach national development goals.
Thirteen new National Youth Chapters were launched in Africa, including Lesotho’s, bringing the total to 33 across the continent. The chapters help young people network, build partnerships and take part in policy discussions.
FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, Abebe Haile-Gabriel, said investment in young people must continue.
“The real measure of success will be our ability to sustain this momentum, scale investment, and ensure that young people are not just beneficiaries of change, but architects of Africa’s agrifood systems transformation,” he said.
Youth leadership will also feature at the upcoming Africa Science and Innovation Forum in Addis Ababa, a sign that the push for youth-led change in food systems is growing.
Mochoboroane ended by urging African leaders and development partners to build youth participation into institutions and strategies, invest in young people’s skills, and provide the resources needed for lasting change.
“This is what meaningful youth engagement looks like,” he said, “moving from fragmented efforts to collective action, from consultation to contribution, and from promising ideas to practical results.”
Summary
- The Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, Selibe Mochoboroane, has called on Africa and the world to see that changing Africa’s food systems is a job for young people.
- Citing the proverb, “One generation plants the trees and another gets the shade,” he warned that failing to support young people would be a mistake that future generations will regret.
- Youth leadership will also feature at the upcoming Africa Science and Innovation Forum in Addis Ababa, a sign that the push for youth-led change in food systems is growing.
Ntsoaki Motaung is an award-winning health journalist from Lesotho, specializing in community health stories with a focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as HIV. She has contributed to platforms like “Be in the KNOW,” highlighting issues such as the exclusion of people with disabilities from HIV prevention efforts in Lesotho.
In addition to her journalism, Ntsoaki serves as the Country Coordinator for the Regional Media Action Plan Support Network (REMAPSEN). She is also a 2023 CPHIA Journalism Fellow.
