Food security for Africa’s growing population: a labour market perspective

In many parts of Africa, small-scale farming faces challenges related to underemployment and small farm sizes, which constrain agricultural productivity growth and rural living standards. Addressing these challenges, which is crucial for food security, is impossible without a faster transition of workers from agriculture to the non-agricultural sector, as the agricultural sector will not be able to absorb the fast-growing workforce over the coming decades without significant deteriorations in rural living standards. The transition of employment out of agriculture in Africa is slow compared to other regions, while non-agricultural employment in African low- and middle-income countries is concentrated in low-productivity activities and self-employment. Given high population growth and the huge numbers of youth entering the labour force, policies encouraging productive wage employment are vital. They can also contribute to fertility declines, affecting future population growth. Fostering productive non-agricultural employment growth requires policies extending beyond agriculture to tackle labour market frictions, trade, and industrial development.